"Darkness on the edge
Shadows where I stand
I search for the time
On a watch with no hands
I want to see you clearly
Come closer than this
But all I remember
Are the dreams in the mist"
- These Dreams, Heart
𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟𓁟
Ever since Mana could remember, Ancient Egypt fascinated her.
"Did you know that in Ancient Egypt, women used to wear linen skirts?"
"That's nice." her tutor replied as he scanned some documents.
"Or did you know that one of the priests from the Scared Guardians of the Unnamed Pharaoh used to have a pet hawk named Anzu?"
"You have a wild imagination." her tutor murmured before having her sit before him.
"No, but it's true! I read it at the library last week."
Clearing his throat, her tutor ignored her and began.
"Okay, Mana, how old are you?"
"I just turned 14," she muttered, feeling embarrassed. She was the oldest orphan as of now in the orphanage.
All of Mana's other friends had been adopted.
"Hobbies?"
"Studying Ancient Egypt!"
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"An Egyptologist."
If Mana could turn back time, she would have answered this question differently as it determined the rest of her life.
"What can you tell me about your life Mana?" asked her tutor.
"This one or my past life?"
"Mana, we talked about this."
Mana sighed.
"I grew up in an orphanage my whole life. All my friends have either been adopted or moved to different schools. My hobbies include learning about Ancient Egypt."
She curled her fists, fighting the urge to add another statement.
"Great, now-"
"I also have a talent for reading Egyptian hieroglyphics."
"What did she say?" she heard the whisper of her two potential families.
"That's because, in my previous life, I was born into Ancient Egypt. I have a few small flashbacks, and I remember playing with the crocodiles and fish in the river. That's why when I grow up, I want to live in Cairo. Or perhaps Aswan." Mana cheerfully added.
"What nonsense is she talking about?"
Her tutor chuckled nervously, "What are you saying, Mana? That's some wild imagination you've got."
"No. I'm telling you the truth. I want to live in Egypt, where I used to live with my family."
"Family? Mana, please be serious here. Two potential families are listening to what you're saying right now. Don't you want to go with them?" Her tutor whispered threateningly.
Mana shook her head.
"I am being serious. I grew up in my past life alongside Priest Mahad and the Sacred Guardians of Egypt."
"Who are you talking about?"
Her tutor laughed shakily.
Turning to a black window, he spoke, "She has a wild imagination. Amusing child."
Mana furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"No! I'm not lying-"
"Thank you for your time, but we'll have to reconsider our interest." a family spoke through the speaker.
"Same for us." the other family replied.
"Please, she isn't like this!"
Her tutor turned and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Mana, please say something normal."
"Normal?" Mana breathed out.
"Look, I know you love ancient Egypt, but this has to stop! You're not a little girl no more."
"But it's true! Mahad raised me like a sister and-"
"There is no Mahad here! Look, I understand you love Ancient Egypt, but I can assure you, High Priest Mahad did not know you. He lived thousands of years ago!"
"No! He was-"
"Enough, Mana. Please, enough."
"But I'm telling the truth! I used to live in the palace of Pharaoh At-"
"I said enough."
That was the start when she began to have dreams of ancient Egypt.
Endless dreams of beauty in rich sand lands. Of not being alone anymore.
But they were only dreams after all.
Perhaps that was what Yami was. A dream she made up.
A pleasant dream of someone finally understanding her love for ancient Egypt.
It was time to wake up.
With a chuckle, Mana looked at Yami with hollow eyes.
"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"
There was a second of silence. As if Yami was contemplating his answer.
"You are not."
"Am I dead?"
"No."
"Are you going to kill me?"
"No."
Mana chuckles again.
"I'm delusional then."
Yami pauses. He shakes his head.
"No, you aren't."
There is a chill moment of silence before Mana loses it.
"Who are you!" she demands, pointing her finger at him.
Yami continues to stare at her calmly.
"I asked you a question! Who the hell are you? What do you want?" Mana continues to scream.
Yami stands still, unfazed and collected, regardless of Mana's commotion, as the woman before him loses control.
"No, you can't be here! How is this possible? Wake up, Mana! Wake up!" Mana frustratedly repeated to herself.
Smacking her forehead, she cursed again.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Stop that, now," Yami ordered firmly as he gently got her wrist.
Mana stared at him in horror.
Ra, he was touching her! He was touching her!
He was real!
Her eyes widened in fear as she looked at his frowning face.
"What are you?" she asks him.
Yami lets go of her wrist slowly.
Ignoring her question, he goes towards the balcony doors and closes them.
Leaving Mana and him alone on the balcony.
Mana continues to glare at him as Yami calmly returns to her.
"I already told you who I am." is all he replied to her, but Mana was livid.
"Do you think I'm stupid?"
She paused.
"Okay, well, maybe the first time I was but not this time, sir. I searched up Yami Yugi, and according to the data, you do not exist!"
The man didn't look surprised at her outburst, which irritated her more.
"Say something! Who are you really and-" she stopped.
"Why did you say that to me that day? About letting my dreams guide me? How did you know about that fig tree?" she wanted to ask.
"How did you know the last Millenium Item was a puzzle!?" Mana finally yelled out, her face flustered in annoyance.
She would be damned to reveal she felt embarrassed for guessing the last Millenium Item wrong.
Yami studied her for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"I- I can't."
Mana's mouth fell open.
She was not expecting that answer.
He turned back to view the city and moved his fingers gently as if he was examining the air.
"Just as I feared." Mana heard him whisper.
"What? What is it?" Mana asked.
The puzzle around his neck began to flash faintly, and Mana almost dropped dead once she saw what it was.
"That's the Millenium Puzzle! Why do you have it?" Mana pointed out.
The last person with the puzzle had been Yugi. Now Yami had it and-
NO
It couldn't be true.
"You have to understand. I want to tell you so much, but there isn't much time." Yami said, turning to face her.
"What the heck are you saying? What's going on?" Mana asked, tentatively taking a step back.
Yami was before her in an instant, grabbing both her hands firmly.
"Mana, I don't have much time here. You have to understand that chaos is coming soon."
"What?"
"An evil force has awakened, and only you can stop it."
"Me? Why me?"
Yami pauses.
"I swear on my life and Ra; I'll explain it to you soon. But for now..."
He let go and grabbed the puzzle hanging from his chest.
"Know this; I am not a threat. I had to use Yugi's body to take the puzzle back."
He killed Yugi!
"I didn't kill Yugi, Mana. I-"
"YOU ATE YUGI?" Mana screeched.
Yami paused for a second, registering what Mana had just exclaimed before answering, "WHAT? NO! I borrowed his body. When I use it, his soul sleeps somewhere else. I'm going to revert to Yugi, and I don't wish to freak you out."
"What- I don't understand!"
The last thing Mana saw was his crimson eyes as he whispered, "Goodnight, Mana."
Soon darkness dawned upon her.
𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇𓁇
"Mmmm, give me five more minutes." Mana whined as she moved to a more comfortable position.
"Mana, Mana, wake up."
"Mmmm."
"Mana."
Suddenly something began poking her shoulder repeatedly and she whined.
"What is it for crying out loud!" Mana scolded before smacking her forehead with Yugi's.
"Oww." Both of them groaned in pain as they rubbed their heads.
They stared at each other for a minute before Mana threw herself at him, exclaiming in joy, "YUGI! Oh you're alive!"
"Mana!" Yugi let out, unsure how to react to her bear hug.
"Yugi, it was a nightmare. I thought you were dead. I saw that man again and I was so scared. I don't think he's even human." Mana wept.
Yugi's eyes widened.
So it was true.
Whatever had occurred, wasn't a nightmare.
"Wait Mana- what do you mean you saw that man again?"
"I saw him that day at the excavation site. But no one believed me and-" Mana stopped before staring at Yugi in an unrecognizable way.
"You-you saw him?"
Yugi nodded gravely.
Mana was silent for a moment before she laughed hysterically and then proceeded to cry.
"I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy." Mana bawled as tightened her grip on Yugi's arm.
Yugi felt miserable at the moment, witnessing Mana breakdown before him.
"That day, when Kaiba humiliated her. The horrible things she has gone through in her life. She was bound to look at herself like crazy." Yugi thought.
Gently Yugi began to pat her back, letting Mana cry out all her bolted feelings.
Perhaps now wasn't the time to tell her his interaction with the mysterious man.
𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜𓀜
"I'm telling you, sir, both Mana and Yugi have long left the museum."
The security guard paused before sighing.
"How can you tell me I'm lying? I saw both of them leave over an hour ago."
Another sigh.
"Yes, the Millenium Puzzle is here."
A pause.
"How could I be lying? I'm looking at it right in front of my eyes!"
There, in all glamor, the puzzle stood on display.
The security guard did not have a clue it was a decoy.
"Please tell Mr. Kaiba not to worry. No one is here at the museum except for the night shift."
𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉𓁉
Miles away, Yugi closed the taxi's door, and both Mana and he walked inside the hotel.
There was a silence between them, not an awkward silence, though.
It was more of a comforting silence.
It wasn't long before Mana stood outside her hotel room, Yugi looking at her in concern.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked.
"I'll be alright," Mana replied, flashing him a smile.
"Are you sure?"
Mana sighed.
"Just finding out the man I saw was, in fact, real, and I'm not crazy? Of course, I'm sure. Exhausted but alright." Mana teased gently.
Yugi looked hesitant to leave her alone but nodded.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Mana nodded.
Before she could close her door, Yugi said, "Mana I-"
He shook his head.
"Nevermind, goodnight."
"Night," Mana replied before shutting her door.
She set out to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
Mana let out a long sigh once she got wrapped in her blanket.
"I'm not crazy. Yami is real. Real real real!"
With a yawn, Mana closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
Unaware of the just next door, Yugi was telling everything that had occurred to his Grandfather.
"It was as if he took over my body, and all I could do was watch," Yugi explained.
"Poor Mana, Yugi, you should've told me! I would have slept with her to keep an eye." his girlfriend Anzu scolded.
She had flown in as a surprise, but Anzu felt the need to comfort the poor girl with this unsettling news.
She didn't know how she would have reacted if she was in Mana's news.
Mr. Muto shook his head.
"I fear things will change drastically from here on now."
𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕𓁕
"Ugh… where am I?" Mana muttered to herself. She was on a bed inside a vast room that had multiple pillars.
"I was beginning to wonder if that spell affected you badly," Yami spoke as he entered the chamber room with a bowl of water.
"Spell? What spell?" Mana asked.
"Perhaps it's best if I start from the beginning," Yami said as he leaned his back on the pillar.
"Where am I?" Mana asked.
"Well, logically speaking, to the outside world, you're asleep right now and dreaming. But I invited your soul to my domain."
"This dark place is your domain? Sheesh, no wonder you're so pale. You hardly have any light here, and there is no sunlight."
"Well, see, this will be hard to believe, but you're inside my mind."
Author's Note:
Who writes stories as a coping mechanism to avoid one's work and problems?
*raises hand slowly*
Things are about to get good from here on!
Take care and I'll see you all soon.