Chapter 3: Midnight Rendezvous
"You gave her the promise ring after all?" Yugi asked, his eyes lit up with exhilaration.
"I sure did!" Joey said proudly. "She loved da ring so much, she promised to wear it every day as a reminder dat she's taken by me: Joey Wheeler!"
"Alright!" Tristan cheered, giving his best friend a high five. "Way to go, man!"
"Thanks, Tris."
As the other boys congratulated him, Joey was basking in all the praises he received from them. He was thrilled that he had the perfect opportunity to present Mai with the promise ring and used it well, and he was looking forward to having a happily ever after with her in the future.
The girls were gathered around Mai, as they were just as overjoyed about the promise ring as the boys were. Even her sister was happy for her, albeit she wished she would have a similar moment with her beloved Marik.
"Let us see the ring, Mai!" Tèa exclaimed excitedly.
Mai held up her hand, her promise ring on display as it twinkled in the lights. The girls were bestowed by its beauty, their eyes sparkling just like the ruby heart.
"It's really pretty," Serenity said. "I should ask Tristan for a ring like that."
"And I would like one from Yugi!" Tèa added.
"How about you, Selena?" Jenelle asked Selena. "Would you want Bakura to get ya a ring like Mai's?"
"Well, I'll have to ask him about it," Selena answered her. "But I'm certain that he would give me something special when we, too, reach a milestone like Joey and Mai."
"And how about ya, Aurora?" Jenelle asked Aurora, placing a hand around her shoulder with a smug grin. "Maybe Marik would—"
Before Jenelle could finish, however, Drake swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth, ignoring her muffled protests.
"Way to go, Miss Blabbermouth!" he chided crossly. "Now you're gonna make Aurora sad again!"
A red vein popped up on Jenelle's head, as she managed to get Drake's hand loose and grabbed hold of his shirt and vest.
"Who are you calling a blabbermouth?!" she snapped, pressing her nose against Drake's.
"YOU!" Drake roared back angrily.
Sparks of electricity flowed from their eyes as they snarled like angry dogs, and their squabble continued until Yugi stepped in and gently separated them.
"Come on, you two," he said to them. "Let's not start a fight here and ruin Pegasus's gala."
The two, upon realizing that Yugi was right, settled themselves down and apologized to one another. They then did the same with Aurora, which seemed to cheer her up and she accepted their apologies. The gang spent the rest of the night dancing the night away until the stroke of midnight.
Dawn had arrived, the sunlight peeking through the buildings as the sky was painted blue with pink. Three officers were on patrol when they came across a horrendous discovery on the street: Vivian's body lying in her pool of blood.
"We have another victim of the masked murderer!" the first officer exclaimed.
"That should be reported to the chief as soon as possible," the second officer added.
"Yes, and we'll bring her over to the medical examiner for an autopsy," the third officer said, nodding to his two colleagues.
Soon word spread through the city, and the residents were even more on edge in the wake of hearing about Vivian's death. They were shocked that it had to happen to a well-known socialite like her. There were also questions from them that may have no immediate answer: Was she targeted by the killer because of her status? Was it all because she was a woman? How could she die so young, especially since she came from a family who taught her martial arts?
The gang was gathered at the café, with Yugi sitting at the table reading the newspaper and the others surrounding him.
"Vivian Wong?! Dead!?" Tèa exclaimed, her eyes bulging out at the sight of the headline on the front page.
"I'm afraid so," Yugi said to her, sounding grim. "She was brutally slaughtered, covered in stab wounds on her abdomen and a slash mark across her chest."
"Don't forget that there was also a stab wound on the same location as the slash mark," Tristan added.
"And a pool of blood was underneath her corpse," Aurora pointed out.
"T-That's horrible," Tèa stammered, her body trembling in fear.
"So that only makes two victims he claimed, right?" Mai questioned him.
"Unfortunately, Vivian and Kemo aren't the only ones…," Yugi answered in the same grim tone of voice. "There's another victim that the police just found: Bandit Keith."
That earned gasps of shock from his friends, in reaction to the newest victim. How could this be possible? They thought that the masked man took only two lives the night of Pegasus's gala.
"What happened to him?" Tèa asked.
"From what I've read in the newspaper: he was kicked out as a result of starting a fist-fight at a bar called The Joker's House, particularly because he drank too much," Yugi started to explain. "While under the influence, he confronted another patron, Rafael, about who's the toughest guy in the bar and he threw a fist at him. However, Rafael managed to block the attack, angering Keith and the fight escalated until the bartender separated them. He had to ask Keith to leave for the safety of his customers."
"Ouch," Tristan said, with one eye closed as he cringed.
"I've seen Keith a few times before and I won a few duels against him in dis place," Joey said, as he recalled defeating him in one duel at the bar. "He was a sore loser, as because he would flip da table each time he lost to me."
"How juvenile of him," Selena said, shaking her head lowly.
"Agreed," Bakura addd, nodding in concord with Selena's comment.
"Go on, Yugi," Tèa encouraged him. "Tell us what happened next."
Yugi nodded, and then he added:
"After getting thrown out of the bar, Keith stumbled upon the masked man while he was still intoxicated. He challenged him, thinking that he was some thug."
The scene soon shifted to the night before, with Keith being thrown out of The Joker's House by the bartender, who roughly slammed the door on him. He was still intoxicated, stumbling on the street and bumping against the brick walls and trash cans along the way.
Just then, his ears picked up the sound of a malicious chuckle that echoed into the night, causing him to jolt and hold his fists outward in self-defense.
"Who's there?!"
His eyes searched left and right for the source of the mysterious laughter. It seemed like nothing was there at first, but the moment he turned around, the masked man was standing right behind him.
"Rrgh… it's just some damn man wearing some silly mask," Keith grumbled, leering crossly at him. "And what's with the formal get-up? Are you going to a masquerade ball, because there ain't one happening!"
"One should not judge a book by its cover," the masked man warned him. "And you should be more wary of your surroundings, because you will soon get what's coming to you if you don't turn back now, you fool."
"Just who do you think you are, ya bastard?!" Bandit Keith shouted. "Are you some lowlife thug who robs people on the street?! Or are you here to challenge me to a fight? I'm the toughest fighter around, as well as the best Machine duelist in the entire country!"
The masked man was unresponsive to the drunken lowlife's claims. He disregarded Keith, thinking of him as nothing more than an obstacle blocking his way toward his prize.
Bandit Keith formed his hands into fists and held them outward, ready to take on his opponent as he taunted:
"So, are you ready to get it on? Come on, tough guy! I'll start with the first punch!"
The moment Keith hurled a punch at his opponent, his eyes widened in shock as the masked man ducked underneath his fist.
'No way!' he thought, stunned by how his opponent easily evaded his assault. 'He dodged my first move!?'
"And here is my first move!" the masked man declared, taking out the dagger from the rod. He swiftly pierced it into Keith's chest, causing him to cry out in pain as droplets of blood were coughed out of his mouth. However, the masked man realized that one stab alone wouldn't be enough to kill Bandit Keith, so he slammed him against the wall and aimed the dagger at his throat.
"W-What are you going to do to me?"
"Sending your soul to the darkened abyss of the shadows, where you will wander for the rest of eternity," the masked man answered in a dark tone of voice.
The tip of the dagger was inserted into the left side of Keith's throat, as the masked man moved across it to form a slit that was oozing blood. Bandit Keith was gagging as the blood poured down his body like a waterfall, and it didn't take long for him to take his final breath and his body slumped against the brick wall.
Satisfied about the kill, the masked man smirked at his newest victim as he stated:
"Even the self-claimed toughest man is judged in return because he judged me, so therefore, he is sentenced to an eternity in the shadows."
And with that, he walked away, disappearing into the howling wind under the moonlit night…
Once the scene shifted back to reality, everyone was left shaken by Yugi's explanation of Keith's demise. The graphic descriptions of Keith's corpse and the way the killer ended his life left with chills running up their spines, thus making them more fearful of being out at nighttime.
"No way…," Tèa gasped in a whisper.
"D-D-Dat is the m-most d-d-d-disturbin' s-s-story I've ever heard, Yuge," Joey stuttered, his teeth chattering as his body was shivering in terror.
"Funerals had already been held for the first three victims, and one for Vivian is expected to be sometime soon," Yugi said to his friends. "As for Bandit Keith, his body has just been taken over to the medical examiner by authorities. We don't know when a memorial service will be held for him, so I'll give you an update when more details are released."
"We'll keep an eye out, Yugi," Tristan said. "Serenity and I will have to be more on guard when we walk the streets at night. If the killer strikes, I'll fight him off to protect her."
"And I'll do da same for Mai," Joey added, grasping Mai's hand firmly.
That earned a small smile for Mai, as she was grateful to have her man by her side, willing to defend her at the cost of his life. The promise ring on her right finger twinkled, as she recalled that romantic evening in Pegasus's garden. It was a significant reminder of how strong their love would become in the forthcoming years, and it would also remind her that she must remain faithful to him.
"In da meantime, I'll go to da bar to see if da bartender and da patrons know of da masked man."
"Good idea, Joey," Yugi said to his best friend. "Hopefully they will have some important information about him, as well as Marik's disappearance."
If they do have any clues about Marik, maybe there's a chance that he'll still be alive, Mai assumed. That would definitely ease the pain of Aurora's broken heart.
Three days later, the sky was grey with sadness and a downpour of rain symbolized Mother Nature's grief. The funeral for Vivian was held in the cemetery, with everyone gathered around a deep hole covered in soil, where a large crimson casket containing her corpse was buried. A tombstone had her name and the years stating her birth and death erected onto it, and it had a cross at the top.
Even Pegasus was shaken by Vivian's untimely death, as he was accompanied by Croquet to help ease his pain of the tragic news that struck him in the heart. Though he did have no regrets turning down her offer for a commissioned portrait, he did have a heart towards her by sending condolences to her family during this difficult loss. He also had plans to paint a special portrait of Vivian to preserve her memory.
Mai gazed melancholically at the tombstone as she placed a bouquet of white roses on top of the burial ground, said one final prayer to Vivian, and walked away. Soon her sister followed suit, placing a single white rose adjacent to the bouquet as she followed close behind. Once everyone else had their turn to place their flowers on the grave and said their farewells to Vivian, they departed the cemetery with tears and headed off to their respective homes to dry off from the rain.
Even as the day shifted into night, the rain continued to pour, forming puddles in the streets. Mai was gazing out her bedroom window, dressed in a periwinkle nightgown with bell sleeves and a ribbon tied around her waist. She had been wondering where the masked man would strike and who he would target next, and she had a feeling that she and Aurora would be the next ones to be victimized by him.
At the same time, however, she recalled her first encounter with the masked man in Cecilia's room. The purple fog, the golden mask, the two cards she found… they were significant things that painted a mystifying reminder of the meeting.
Why is he after me? she wondered to herself, as the scene of him about to kiss her played inside of her head. Doesn't he realize that I'm in love with Joey? And the face… he has a striking resemblance to Aurora's missing lover. Could he be really Marik?
Though these questions would remain unanswered for the time being, she had to know. And she wasn't going to give up until she would receive the answers she had been searching for.
Mai turned off her lamp and climbed into her lavish bed, drifting off to sleep. Droplets of rain were streaming down her window as the downpour went on, and the trees were billowing in the cold wind that howled in the night.
Sometime around midnight, a clock chime could be heard throughout the Valentine residence. Both sisters were sound asleep, even as the rainstorm was still ongoing and the wind continued blowing.
A purple fog began to engulf Mai's room, and an eerie chill ran up Mai's spine when she was awakened by what was sounded as a ghostly wail.
"Who's there?!" she called out, switching her lamp back on. The dim light was easily overwhelmed by the murky purple mist, leaving Mai on edge.
The silent ghostly voice breathed into her skin, luring her toward her standing silver mirror. She slowly approached it, reaching her hand toward her reflection that was clear in spite of the fog. As soon as she touched the glass, the reflection of her suddenly morphed into the masked man, causing her to jump back in fright.
Mai immediately fled to her vanity and grabbed hold of her promise ring, slipping it onto her finger, believing that Joey would be by her side in spirit.
Joey! Please protect me! she pleaded mentally.
All she could do is watch with her eyes widening in trepidation as the masked man emerged through her mirror and into her room, just like before.
"We meet again…," he said to her. "…Mai."
"It's you…," Mai breathed in a whisper.
This was the second time she would meet the killer face to face, as the scene of his near kiss replayed in her head once more. The last time she faced him, she never got the chance to ask him of his face hidden behind the mask; now this time, the opportunity would come straight back to her.
"I need to know your true face behind the mask," she said to him. "Your facial structure raised my suspicions, because it resembles a man who went missing five months ago. My sister loved him, and they were together for only one month when he vanished without a trace."
"I see," the masked man said to her, sounding blunt at first.
A smirk then formed across his lips, raising Mai's alarm. She was wondering what he would do to her next, and she could feel the palms of her hands sweating as she folded them into fists at her sides.
"If you want to find out who I truly am…," he started, and he slowly reached out a hand toward her, and the next words that came out of his mouth left a surprising chill up her spine:
"Come… with me."
Mai was hesitant about the offer, as she stared down at the promise ring on her finger. She could recall Joey's words to her when he gave it to her at Pegasus's garden.
"It's a promise ring. It's quite different from an engagement ring, but dis ring is a symbol of your promise to remain faithful to me."
Though she remembered them well, Mai reached out to the masked man's hand and grasped it, and he soon guided her to her mirror. They emerged through the glass and vanished into thin air, as the purple mist dissipated. A clap of thunder could soon be heard, a flash of lightning coming and going right afterward as the rain continued to fall…