Nick leaned against the wall of the tournament arena, his fingers tracing the worn edges of his deck. The familiar weight of his studded leather jacket offered little comfort as memories of the past flooded his mind.
"Hey, Nick! You ready for the next round?" Riley's cheerful voice cut through his thoughts.
He forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, sure."
Riley's expression softened. "What's wrong? You've been quiet all day."
Nick sighed, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Just thinking about my brother, Jake. Today's his birthday."
"I didn't know you had a brother," Riley said, sitting down next to him.
Nick nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "He's the reason I started dueling, you know? I used to be such a troublemaker. Always getting into fights, skipping school. Jake would always bail me out, no matter how much I messed up."
He pulled out a card from his deck - a battered Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "This was his. He gave it to me the day he taught me how to play."
Riley's eyes widened. "That's a rare card! Your brother must really love you."
"Loved," Nick corrected softly. "He... he's not around anymore."
Understanding dawned on Riley's face. "Oh, Nick. I'm so sorry."
Nick shook his head, blinking back tears. "It's okay. It was a few years ago. Car accident. But sometimes, it feels like yesterday."
He stood up, squaring his shoulders. "After he died, I threw myself into dueling. It was the only way I felt close to him, you know? But then there was this tournament..."
His voice trailed off, his hand unconsciously moving to his side where a long scar lay hidden beneath his shirt.
Riley reached out, gently squeezing his arm. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Nick took a deep breath. "No, it's time I faced it. That tournament... it went wrong. The holograms malfunctioned, and I got hurt. Bad. I haven't been able to duel without panicking since then."
"But you're here now," Riley pointed out. "That's brave."
Nick nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. "Jake never gave up on me. I can't give up on myself. This tournament... it's my chance to face my fears, to honor Jake's memory."
Just then, King Foxx and Sherry approached, ready for their next matches.
"Everything okay?" Sherry asked, noticing the serious expressions on Nick and Riley's faces.
Nick straightened up, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, actually. I think it is. Let's show this tournament what we're made of. For Jake."
As they walked towards the dueling arena, Nick felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He wasn't just dueling for himself anymore. He was dueling for his brother, for the love that had saved him and given him purpose. And with his friends by his side, he felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.