A tall, slender building built with pure stone towered above Atem's head, and he paused to crane his neck upwards to stare.
Incredible! This place looked like a stone fortress.
"Come, let's not waste time," Mahad urged, pulling Atem in through the front doors.
"Halt!" A guard at the front held his hand up, and his narrowed eyes darted between Atem and Mahad. "State your name and business."
"Warrior Mahad accompanying our King Atem," Mahad said coolly, "We are here to see the sitting Dungeon Master."
"You may enter and…get in line," the man said gruffly, waving them inside.
Atem resisted the urge to glare at the man.
"Get in line?" Atem whispered to his bodyguard. "How rude."
"No, I believe he meant that literally," Mahad said quietly, pointing at the enormous queue of mer-people standing in a line so long, it wrapped around the entire wall of the inside of the building. Thick, woven strands of blue kelp marked the divide between each line, and Atem gaped at the crowd.
The crowd here was larger than most turnouts for his processions.
"Why are there so many people? Why are they all waiting?" Atem asked fervently, his skin burning as several women glared at him while they swam past, consoling their friend between them who was sobbing quietly.
"There is only one Dungeon Master," Mahad began, "And thousands of us—"
"My king!" A woman threw herself forward and gripped so tightly onto Atem's forearms, she drew blood with her claws. "Please…please! You must help me! My baby was wrongfully committed! She's a good girl! She would never! It was her friends! Th-They thought it was a good idea—"
"Hands off the king," Mahad growled, prying the woman off from Atem and pushing her gently aside. "Where is the end of the line?"
"There is no end!" She wailed, wiping the tears off her face in distress. "The Dungeon Master will tell you to wait and wait again! I've been here for twenty moons! I won't leave, eat, or sleep if she won't be freed! Free my baby girl! Her name is Iesha! That's her name, can you remember it—?"
"Please back away," Mahad insisted, his expression darkening as her wails began to draw a crowd.
Mildly terrified, Atem watched as every single person in line turned to stare, and then subsequently bowed their heads, mummering and whispering, "it's the king. The king is here."
Atem froze on the spot, and rapid thoughts from other people began filling his mind so fast, he didn't have a chance to brace himself.
The king is unsympathetic.
Oh, how I wish the queen were here to save us…if only she was still alive.
He's visiting to see our horror up close.
This is her son….
The young king… this is my first time seeing him.
He looks young. A mere infant.
"We're leaving," Mahad growled, grabbing Atem by the arm firmly and steering him to the exit. "And you're bleeding."
The king glanced down at the small pinpricks left in his skin by the woman's nails, and he ignored it.
"I need to speak to the Dungeon Master," Atem insisted, pulling away from Mahad, and the crowd began to part eerily, giving him a clear view of a stone hallway leading deeper into the building.
"Then by all means my king," a woman somewhere to the left spoke up. "Go and see the Dungeon Master. Tell him and the Council that two millennia is too long for my child to be sitting in prison for merely kissing a human."
"I will wait at the back of the line like everyone else," Atem said shakily, but he received cold glares from the people around him.
"You are the king! Go forward and represent us!" A man cried, while his wife clung onto his arm clearly biting back tears of anger and frustration. "There's no use if you wait out here with us. The late queen would know exactly what to do."
"Indeed, a queen would! A brave and wise queen!" Came a chorus of dissenting people, and Mahad, sensing a riot, raised his staff and nodded fervently.
"No need to worry! King Atem will go forth and represent you," he announced hastily, and he sent Atem a private thought. Swim into the hallway…quickly!
People are angry.
I will stay out here and defend your good name. Go…now!
Without waiting another heartbeat, Atem dove forward into the hallway, hearing the rising cry of unhappy people echoing in after him, and he shivered. There were so many things he had yet to learn about his own kingdom—going on shore to see Kaiba really did seem like the least of his worries.
Here, there were hundreds of parents begging for the release of their children.
Shaken to his core, Atem composed himself quickly and took several deep breaths.
He floated into an empty room, and he glanced around apprehensively, taking in the bare walls. A series of stone steps led upwards, so Atem swam towards them, following them up the curved structure and marveling at the stained-glass design shaped like a blossoming star in the ceiling above his head.
This building looked like it was modeled off a Human Residence.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Atem floated to a stop at the top, seeing a lone merman buried amongst towers of books and papers. Some were floating around in the water, and some were pinned to the stone wall with stray barnacles, and Atem blinked, trying to understand the chaotic scene before him.
"Why is there only one of you?" Atem asked bluntly, not bothering with formalities. "Are you the Dungeon Master?"
The man dropped a book into the sandy ground and zoomed up out of the piles of papers to greet him, bowing and stammering nervously, "G-Greetings my king! Wh-What brings you here?"
Atem gaped at the man, taking in his long silvery white hair, glowing alabaster skin and long, black claws.
"Are you…that Merchant who threw something at me in the Marketplace?" Atem wondered, recalling the nasty white-haired merman named Bakura who had hurled a knife at him while his back was turned.
"You must be thinking of my brother," the man said hastily, bowing again so deeply, Atem couldn't see his face. "He has a scar on his cheek, whereas I am unmarked. How may I be of service?"
"Where's Duke?" Atem asked, knowing the answer full well, but he wanted the man to know he knew Duke. "He's got black hair and wears a lot of his own jewelry."
"He's on land!" The man said, straightening up with a hesitant smile, and Atem could see that this man looked nothing like the evil Merchant from the Marketplace.
His eyes were grey, round, and had an air of innocence about them.
"My name is also Bakura…yes a cruel joke played by my parents who thought we'd grow up to be the same person," the man said, shaking his head sadly. "Yami Bakura is my brother who you've undoubtedly met. He prefers that name anyway."
"I see, well…" Atem stored this information away quickly and pressed on with his agenda. "Please release mermaids Anzu and Mai."
Bakura paled visibly and shook his head sadly, "If I free them, I will be killed by the next person who comes to me. But since you made the journey here, let me check their Records."
Bakura dove back behind the tower of books and Atem scanned each stack of paperwork carefully, his irritation rising.
This was a broken system and the Council was to blame.
Clearly, they only wanted to punish people and make sure they had no way of escaping once in Confinement.
"Who drew up the pact for keeping merpeople in Confinement?" Atem asked curiously, and Bakura's muffled answer came from behind another stack of papers.
"A mer-person named Ambassador Shadi. I'm not supposed to tell anyone that, because people will attack him instead. I think he is a member of your court," Bakura popped his head up and gave Atem a wide-eyed look. "And…judging by your expression, you didn't know it either."
"That would…explain a lot," Atem breathed, recalling Shadi's hateful comments towards Kaiba. "I've been run around in a circle!" If he had known sooner that Shadi kept the prison pacts, he could've acted from the comfort of his own throne room.
"Found it!" Bakura cried, swimming upwards rapidly and holding a scroll out for Atem to read. "It says: Anzu Mazaki, caught Mating with a male human 67 times on three different shores; Sighted twice on an American shore, and sentenced to 67 epochs in Confinement."
Numb with shock, Atem sat down right on the sandy floor, feeling a strange, horrible pressure building behind his eyes which he recognized as tears.
"And…your reaction is understandable," Bakura continued gently, producing another scroll and unfurling it to read, "Mai Kujaku a.k.a Miss Valentine. Oh dear, a mermaid with a nickname."
"Just…read it," Atem said through clenched teeth, and he dug his nails into his palms feeling them sting painfully.
"Mai Kujaku a.k.a Miss Valentine," Bakura cleared his throat shakily, "Sighted fifteen times in the past three centuries on all continents. Caught mating with different human males on each continent, and even seeking out their adult children by establishing meetings via 'family tradition'. Known to spread false information to humans about mer-people…and is a known Hoarder."
Atem held his breath and stared at Bakura, who looked right back at him, his eyes soft with sympathy.
"There's more. A lot more," the white-haired merman said sadly, rolling up the scroll. "These two are real criminals in the eyes of the Council. A pardon from a royal might make the people question your authority."
"Well, people can change," Atem said firmly, rising out of the sand with determination. "I want to pardon every single mer-person in Confinement. If they have served even a century's worth of time, then they deserve a pardon."
Bakura's eyes turned misty and he set the scrolls down, swimming forward to grab Atem's hands with a smile, "Then, I support you. You would be taking a huge burden off my shoulders. You would be reuniting families!"
"Yes, all those families waiting outside…to see you, only to be turned down," Atem said quietly, giving Bakura's hands a warm squeeze, feeling the man tremble happily in response.
"What will the Council say?" Bakura asked, the fear returning in his voice quickly. "I can put your pardon into effect with the power of my pact. But…the Council…."
"I'll deal with them," Atem said seriously. "Let them behead me or dethrone me, I don't care. There are hundreds of people down there, who haven't eaten, slept, or moved from their spot in line because they have hope. I need to do something."
"Your concern is much appreciated," Bakura mumbled, bowing deeply while still holding onto Atem's hands. "I will break the binding pact sealing the prison, and your people will have one sunlit day to get their children out before the Council finds out. That's all I can do."
"That's more than enough," Atem breathed. "Give me time to tell everyone. It will also give the parents time to journey there. Break the pact in 3,600 heartbeats after I leave, understood?"
"V-Very well," Bakura said with a small smile, pointing at Atem's earrings. "Duke was right about you. I know if anything happens to me, you will defend my name with your life. You are a true king, Atem."
Atem nodded silently, unable to find his voice.
He gave Bakura's hand one last squeeze before he swam down the spiral staircase from which he came, and he heard Bakura sending him a thought.
3,600 heartbeats! I'm starting my countdown now.
Thank you! Atem called back frantically as he zoomed through the empty room and paused at the exit, seeing people crowding around a very tired and angry-looking Mahad.
"My king," he said wearily, and the people parted respectfully for Atem to come through. "You're empty-handed. Did he deny you the scroll you need to free your friends?"
There was a long silence and Atem felt all eyes on him as he mustered up his courage to speak, "I have some news."
A heavy silence blanketed the room, and everyone turned to him with expectant eyes.
"I have managed to pardon everyone in Confinement," Atem began, and there was a unanimous gasp. "I asked the Dungeon Master to wait 3,600 heart beats before breaking the pact that will lift the barriers around Confinement. This will also give us time to travel there together and—"
The rest of Atem's speech was drowned out by cheers and sobs from the people around him. Mahad threw him a panicked look and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him through the throng of people who were all trying to touch him.
Atem grew dizzy as many hands tightened around his fins before letting go just as quickly, and beautiful faces of the mermaids in Confinement flashed through his mind.
Unable to see properly, Atem gratefully allowed Mahad to lead him out the front doors and away from the people's hands.
Finally free of the crowd, Atem let his eyes re-adjust to the ocean around him, still seeing many people floating around him, many of them crying tears of relief as they darted off towards the prison, some even singing lovely songs while waving at him over their shoulders.
"Atem…did you really do that?" Mahad asked gruffly, returning a salute from a fellow Warrior who swam by escorting his tearful Mate. "You freed everyone in Confinement?"
"I pardoned them, yes," Atem said nervously, gripping the wounds on his arms which had opened up again, and a few drops of blood dissipated in the water. "So if I were ever removed from power, their sentences would be reinstated. I don't have the power to change Prison Pacts."
"But you just did!" Mahad cried, looking startled. "You don't know the extent of your word, do you, my king?"
"I-Is that what I did?" Atem asked faintly, feeling slightly lightheaded. "Well, good for them."
"Good for them?" Mahad repeated, growing increasingly more agitated. "What will the Council say? What will your grandfather say? He gave his blessing for two mermaids, not the entire prison!"
"Bakura said if I freed one, the rest would be upset," Atem protested, swimming after the last mer-person who had exited the building. "Are you coming with me or not, Mahad? I want to see my friends."
Mahad nodded silently and swam by his side, still looking very worried. "I'll go anywhere with you to keep you safe, Atem."
"Thank you, Mahad," Atem said warmly, and he gave his bodyguard a warm smile before darting forward through the water, his high spirits returning quickly. He was sure he had done a good deed.
If Solomon or the Council had anything to say about it, he would deal with it later.
Kaiba carefully labeled each of the glass jars containing Atem's semen and leaned back to admire them. Excitement raced through his veins as he considered his many options.
Now that Joey had appeared in his life, he was going to take full advantage of this connection to Atem. But first, he had to test how efficient this connection would be.
I'll start with asking him to deliver a small present, Kaiba mused, gathering the jars and shoving them into the large freezer built into the wall.
He raced up the stairs, not bothering to take the elevator. After locking himself safely inside his room, Kaiba strode into his closet and accessed the wall safe he kept hidden behind several suit jackets.
He swung the metal door open and gazed at the small piles of gems he kept organized in clear plastic bags. Picking one containing diamonds, Kaiba held the bag up to the light, watching the gems sparkle wonderfully back at him.
If Atem asked for a diamond ring, he would get one.
Slamming the safe's door shut, Kaiba rushed out of his closet and grabbed his coat.
The night was still young, and it was only a bit past dinner time.
He would barge into the old jeweler's home and ask him to draft designs for rings.
Then, he would test Joey and ask him to deliver the ring to Atem.
Mahad hovered a few yards away from the edge of the crevice, eyeing the crowd of mer-people embracing their daughters while crying happily, and he gave Atem a serious look.
"Be careful…" Mahad began, but Atem had already swum away, darting expertly through the people, clearly looking for his friends.
Atem accidentally bumped elbows with a few families, but he barreled on, calling out for Mai and Anzu in his mind.
There was no answer, and Atem swam higher to get a better vantage point on all the families, looking for a familiar crop of brown or blonde hair. Frowning in frustration, Atem dove straight down into the crevice, shutting his eyes tightly and letting the debris rush past his ears before he opened them again.
Everything was eerily quiet. There was no one shouting 'halt!' in a familiar voice, and several of the luminescent fish had been taken from the walls by families who didn't know the way, leaving giant, dark holes in the rocks.
Swimming slowly through the darkness, Atem passed by several empty caves, still calling for his friends.
"Mai! Anzu?" Atem heard his voice echo thinly in the empty prison, and his anxiety deepened as he reached a familiar cave. He threw the kelp curtain back and saw nothing but a ratty sponge couch. Everything had been cleaned out, and not a soul was in sight.
Biting back angry tears, Atem swam upwards through the fizzure, trying to ignore the rapid, painful pounding of his heart.
Perhaps Mai and Anzu were the first ones to leave without looking back.
They couldn't bear to stay another moment longer, not even to say thank you, or even a goodbye.
Atem spotted Mahad floating in the distance with his arms crossed around his staff, and he swam glumly towards his bodyguard.
"Your friends are not there?" Mahad asked knowingly with a grimace. "They were probably excited to leave. Come. Let's head back. Perhaps they'll come by to thank you after they enjoy their freedom."
Furious, Atem nodded silently and followed Mahad back to the palace. Were Mai and Anzu really that fickle? It didn't seem right, but it still felt hurtful after having swam all this way to see them and only to have been greeted with an empty cave.
"My king!" A woman zoomed past, towing her daughter behind her. She had flaming red hair that was floating around her face prettily when they floated by. "Thank you so much! This is my daughter, Iesha!"
Atem stared blankly into a beautiful, pale face of the mermaid who smiled and dipped her head down respectfully.
You're welcome, Atem replied glumly in his mind, unable to put up a fake smile for the girl. Please enjoy your freedom.
He watched the two women swim off together, arm in arm, and he felt a pang of loneliness. Perhaps freeing Mai and Anzu was no different than purchasing friends, the way Solomon had done for him.
Trying not to feel too depressed, Atem continued to follow Mahad's glittering violet tail, filling his mind with thoughts of Seto Kaiba, wondering what the CEO was doing right this second.
Kaiba rapped his knuckles on the jeweler's door and rang the doorbell too. He stood back and sighed impatiently.
Time was of the essence here. Joey didn't say how long he was staying on land, and according to Mokuba, he had already been on land for a while.
The door opened a slight crack, jolting Kaiba out of his thoughts, and the CEO managed a smile. "Mr. Suiren."
"Mr. Kaiba," the old man said dryly, looking as if he was about to shut the door again. "Didn't know you knew my name…or my place of residence. What can I do for you?"
"This can't wait, and I know I'm intruding," Kaiba said, deciding to go with full honesty. "But I need you to make me a ring. Or several. They need to fit…these stones."
He slipped the clear jewelry bag out of his pocket and watched the old man's eyes widen with interest.
"The price has gone up," the old man said cleverly, eyeing the bag with glowing eyes. "I charge more for house calls."
He wants a ring? Met a girl perhaps? A mail-order girl? Kyahahaha… and he's being unusually polite today.
"Just shut up and let me in," Kaiba growled after hearing the old man's thoughts.
Mr. Suiren stepped aside and let him inside. Kaiba tapped his shoes on at the doormat and slipped them off quickly, following the old man through his tiny apartment, eyeing all the family photos and drawings on the wall.
"In here," the old man called, walking down a shallow flight of stairs just beyond the kitchen, and Kaiba followed, still listening to the old man's thoughts.
At least he said he's intruding. I wonder if—
The thoughts abruptly stopped, and Kaiba stood at the foot of the stairs, noticing the old man pulling out a laptop from a desk drawer.
"Did you say something?" Kaiba prompted, wondering what caused the old man's confusion, but to his annoyance, Mr. Suiren blinked slowly at him and shook his head, silently tapping at his computer.
All was quiet. There was nothing but unnerving silence.
Kaiba glanced around the room, wondering if he was going crazy.
"What is this place?" Kaiba asked aggressively, taking backward steps up the stairs and wondering if the old man had somehow caught onto his mind-reading powers.
"Relax," the old man growled, slipping spectacles out of his pocket and placing them on his nose. "This is my workshop. Isn't it obvious?"
"What's lining the walls?" Kaiba asked perceptively, walking back down the steps and glancing around heatedly. "What do you keep down here?"
The old man stared at him for a long moment before he cracked a grin, "Very perceptive, Mr. Kaiba. Yes, this room also doubles as a safe. I keep the gems I work with down here. Again, obvious…"
Kaiba stared back and waited for the old man's condescending thoughts to fill his mind, but there was nothing but silence.
Amazing.
Perhaps this was the answer to thought-blocking!
"…What was the main material you used to build this room?" Kaiba asked aggressively, his heart racing with excitement.
"It's fortified with plain steel," the old man said with a sigh. "I have money, but not that much money. I have enough to make my workplace safe. Now, what design did you want? Does the girl who is wearing this ring want to have a look first?"
"What is 'plain' steel?" Kaiba asked furiously, his hand inching down for his phone. "Does it contain nickel? What company did you call for this installation?"
"Mr. Kaiba, I want to focus on the task at hand, because you are intruding upon my personal time," the jeweler said impatiently, glaring at the CEO over the rim of his spectacles. "Come, place the gems on my worktable and we can decide on a ring that will fit the—"
"Let's talk upstairs," Kaiba interrupted, and without waiting, he turned and marched back into the main living area.
He heard audible grumbling and suddenly, the jeweler's thoughts filled his mind once more.
…Selfish, young, conceited. I wonder what girl he found that was stupid enough to marry him.
Amazed, Kaiba stared at the old man, watching him sigh and set the laptop down on the dining table.
"Now, please get comfortable," the jeweler growled. "And show me the gem you'd like to use."
Kaiba pulled out a chair and sat down, quickly tossing the bag onto the table carelessly. He slipped out his phone and began searching for security companies that built steel safes. Something in the metal made it possible to block the thoughts….
The metal was the key. Something in the metal was the transmitter. Was this metal also found at the bottom of the ocean where Atem lived? Steel? At the very bottom of the ocean? Unlikely.
"…Mr. Kaiba," the jeweler said angrily. "Give me an answer. Do you want to use the largest gem here?"
"Yes, yes…" Kaiba replied hastily, tucking his phone away. "Make two."
"Of the same design?" Mr. Suiren sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I can draft up a few for you right now if you have time to wait."
"I've got all the time," Kaiba said calmly, watching the old man begin tapping around on his computer, mumbling to himself.
Didn't even tell me what the girl likes. Does he just want me to blindly make a ring? Young people these days have no taste.
"Just make something simple, classic," Kaiba said, hearing his own voice shake uncharacteristically. "A design that will withstand…time."
"I see. She doesn't want a 'trendy' design," the old man nodded, looking slightly more satisfied. "A classic ring on a young finger will make the ring look older than it is..."
"Then just do whatever the hell you want," Kaiba rubbed his temples as he felt a slight headache coming on. "Make a ring you've always wanted to make."
Mr. Suiren's eyes shone excitedly, and he fell silent for a moment before swiveling the computer around for Kaiba to see.
"I've always wanted to make a ring like this," the old man said warmly. "But clients want to keep the carat weight of their diamond. This is more about the meaningful shape of the stone. I will be shaving off the edges of your gem to make this ring."
Kaiba stared at the digital sketch, his heart skipping excited beats in his chest.
This ring was beautiful…perfect even! A slender, elongated tear-drop shaped diamond sat on a delicate golden band, and a second ring was drawn underneath, with the gems set in a starburst pattern, accentuating the center stone.
"This is two rings," Kaiba said gruffly, and the jeweler nodded.
"Yes. One main ring, and the second is for flare. You'll need five gems total. I know you have a lot of disposable income, Mr. Kaiba. Would you like me to make this for her?"
"That is perfect," Kaiba declared, eyeing the bag of gems closely.
The old man was sly.
Almost all the diamonds in the bag were tear-drop shaped.
They were practically a perfect fit for this design.
"Then I will start immediately," Mr. Suiren smiled for the first time since Kaiba's arrival. "My payment will be…one of your uniquely shaped diamonds. I won't accept cash from you anymore, Mr. Kaiba. There are some things money can't buy, and its these naturally formed stones, which you seem to have a lot of—"
"Yeah alright, fine," Kaiba rolled his eyes and stood quickly without bowing. "I'll come back in a week."
"This design takes two weeks!" The old man called after him. "One week per ring!"
Kaiba wasn't listening anymore. He was fixated on finding what type of metal could be used as a thought-blocker.
Filled with renewed vigor, Kaiba hurried back to his car, his mind racing wildly with ideas.
Atem swam glumly through the palace gates, nodding at the guards who greeted him with bows.
"My boy!" Solomon's booming voice echoed through the water, and Atem stared blandly at his grandfather.
"Your friends told me everything," the old man said warmly. "They're waiting for you in your room. Go and greet them—"
Atem sped through the water at breakneck speed, his fingertips tingling with excitement. He had been a fool to think Mai and Anzu would run off without saying anything.
He burst into his room and saw Mai and Anzu sitting together on his bed, giggling and gossiping.
"Atem!" Anzu cried, zooming towards him and throwing her arms tightly around his neck in a crushing hug. "Oh…thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Yep, what she said," Mai said lazily, flipping her hair over her shoulder while rolling over in the bed. "I need one of these. I've missed real beds."
Shocked and relieved, Atem returned Anzu's hug with happy vigor and felt grateful tears building behind his eyes.
"How did you do it?" Anzu whispered, giving Atem's hands a wonderful squeeze. "You freed everyone! How can we ever thank you?"
"The Dungeon Master…is a friend," Atem managed to speak through his overwhelming emotions, and he sank tiredly to the floor of his room, his head spinning with exhaustion.
"Oh no! Mai, get off his bed! He can't sit on the floor," Anzu cried, but Atem shook his head, still hanging tightly onto Anzu's hands.
"There's plenty of room for three people up here," Mai said dryly, running her hands over Kaiba's steel belt buckle which Atem kept nailed to his wall above the headboard. "This is cool. Kaiba Corporation, right?"
Atem nodded, and he felt a rush of urgency as he remembered Joey's request.
"Mai, I know you just got out, but do you feel like making a journey to shore?" Atem asked, and Anzu gasped, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Seriously, Atem?"
Mai threw her head back and laughed heartily, her shoulders shaking with mirth.
"Anzu, can't you see?" Mai said, sobering up quickly. "This is why he freed us, all of us. We can all help him now."
"No, it's not like that!" Atem insisted, his ears growing hot with embarrassment. "It's Warrior Jounouchi. I owe him a debt."
"You're using your first favor to do something for someone else?" Mai asked, her eyes widening prettily. "Alright your majesty. I can make a journey to shore for your warrior friend."
Anzu stared mutely at Atem, and he gave her a half-apologetic smile as he reached forward to take Mai's hands in his. "I'll give you a map. Ready?"
Mai nodded and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
Anzu watched apprehensively as the silence in the room thickened. It was broken quickly when Mai withdrew her hands with a confident smile, "I know exactly where that is."
"Good," Atem breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Tell him I miss him."
"I will!" Mai sang happily, easing off the bed and floating to the door. "I'll go now!"
"Now?" Anzu cried, the panic leaking into her voice. "Mai, we were just released! You can't!"
"The best time to go is now," Mai protested, pouting teasingly at Anzu. "Think about it. They would least expect it because they're thinking, 'no mermaid would be stupid enough to rise to shore right after her release!' So, I'm going now."
Anzu wrung her hands furiously and her cheeks flushed pink.
"Fine. Then I'm going with you. You can't go alone."
Atem's eyes darted between his friends, his heart sinking rapidly.
"We'll be back within a month," Anzu said reassuringly, giving Atem a warm hug before following Mai to the door. "Stay safe, okay? We'll send a Messenger if we can catch one!"
Atem nodded quietly and watched his two mermaid friends swim out the door and disappear down the hallway.
The silence in the room was deafening, and Atem sank slowly into a sitting position on the floor, curling his fingers so tightly in the sand, his skin burned.
Damn. Damn it all.
Alone again.
Author's note:
short but packed chapters.
-atem released mermaids from jail
-kaiba is slowly figuring out the key thought-blocking
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We've all set high and positive new year's goals for ourselves so i hope we will strive to achieve them together in this coming year :D
big hugs,
Ugli