"I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but how could I not?" I hold up the conversation in my head with my subconscious. "I mean, really! It's Yugi Moto! And he came here by himself to talk to Mahad! This. Is. HUGE!"

I do my best to focus on my work; Taking Orders. Running the food and drinks. Wiping down the tables and bar. Cashing out transactions and tabs. I'm usually a chatter box with the customers, but I'm trying to focus on what they could be talking about.

I try to sneakily glance over my shoulder, you know. To get a good look at him. Yugi—he looks so much different in this life. Living by Atem's side… It's hard to find the similarities between the two. And yet… It's also easy to see some similarities. They could have more so been brothers in my opinion. Atem was taller, and much more bold. Obviously forward and and blunt. Just looking at him would make me weak in the knees.

But Yugi—he just doesn't have the same effect on me. He's so timid. He's standoffish and more self kept. Even his expression is soft compared to my Atem.

"Yo, Mana! Can you get us another round?" The table closest the stage waves over at me.

I perk back up, making sure to hide how distracted I am. "Absolutely! Give me just a minute!" I wave back at them before finishing wiping down the table. I give a hefty sigh and stretch out my arms above my head, cracking my back before bouncing my way to the bar. "Hey Mahad—" I cut myself off, not wanting to interrupt. I shake my head and step behind the bar myself to get six more shots of whisky for the table.

"I know it's not my place," I over hear Yugi saying, "but when she confided in me, I felt like I needed to find out more. And if… If you knew anything about who she was in the past, than we could give her some clarity."

I stumble a little, spilling some of the whisky on the tray. "WHAT?! He really knows about the past lives? Does that mean… he remembers us?" I try not to look over as I reach for some napkins and wipe up the spill. I pour the last two shots and listen in more before taking the customer their drinks.

"Suppose I did know Kisara in our previous lives, what exactly are you looking for?" Mahad asks him directly. Ever so forward as always. "I can't answer without a question."

I bite the inner of my cheek as I walk to the table. Yugi is asking about Kisara… That must mean her own memories of the past had awakened. That was never meant to happen.

I place the tray on the table, holding the bottom of it as I hand out the shot glasses. "Enjoy boys! Let me know if there's anything else ya' need!"

"Always so pleasant~!" One of them flashes a drunkard smile at me. I may have to cut him off after this one. "Why don't you have a sit with us, Sweets?!"

If I wasn't working and trying to keep up face, I would have snarled at him. "Sorry! I have a lot of work I need to do! I do appreciate your offer though!" I smile, lacking in Duchenne and hurry off back behind the bar.

I place the tray onto a pile behind the counter—separated since these ones will need to be wiped down at the end of the night. I try to zone back into their conversation, but I had already missed what ever the question had been. I pull out my sever book, inside of it an additional notepad where I take notes on what all I still need to have done before we close up. I pull down the pen from behind my ear and mark off a few things that I've already done.

"Mana." Mahad calls over to me unexpectedly.

"Oh, huh? What's up?" I try to play it cool.

"Why don't you take a break." He stands tall, arms crossed and a stern look. "I don't like the way those guys are looking at you."

He's always had a good intuition, so I don't even question his judgement. I'm just glad I hadn't been caught listening in. At least, I don't believe I had. "Sure thing! Hey Yugi, if you head out before I'm done with my break, it was really nice to see you again!"

He smiles back at me, my heart tinged as he did. "It's great to see you too! I'll try to say bye before I head out."

Don't be so kind to me… "Awh! Thanks! I won't be too long!"

I remove my apron and hang it on the hooks by the kitchen door before exiting from the bar counter and heading to the break room. Approaching the door, I have to put in the four digit passcode before the door will allow me access. I press in the unforgettable code and wait for the green light before I press myself through. I make sure to shut the door behind me quickly, and wait for the click that the door has rearmed itself.

I sigh heavily as I turn and make my way to the little table with the uncomfortable cheap chairs that every workplace has. I take a seat and lie my head atop my crossed arms on the table. I think about what Yugi and Mahad had mentioned—how he wants to help Kisara find clarity. She's unclear on some things, and confided in him at some point about the past.

Contractually obligated, Mahad can't answer those things… Questions must be asked a specific way, and only certain questions are allowed to receive answers. There are ways around such rules. But Mahad, once my master, taught me that taking short cuts will never end well. There are always prices to be paid… Messing with the shadows almost never brings good things.

That's why magicians have to practice for years and years. That's why they are taught the difference between the good and the bad sides of magics. I never got to finish my apprenticeship under Mahad's teachings—his death left me on my own for a long time. But his books, tomes, and scrolls were good enough guides for the most part. There were many things I had to learn on my own. There were many people I had to learn to trust to teach me what he wasn't.

But even I know… Even I had seen what he was capable of beyond death. And that girl, Kisara… What he did for her was impeccable. It's the only reason I even recognized that woman in this day and age. I may not know every last detail of the extent of what the two had been through in their afterlife until their reappearance. I can still picture them when I close my eyes, walking the sands like ghosts. I can still remember the final piece of literature Mahad had ever given me in that lifetime. It's the main reason I can remember everything today.

"Why would she even want to know?" I speak to the empty room. "It's such a difficult thing to digest."

About twenty minutes had passed before I finally left the break room. The table of hooligans who had been near the stage had taken their leave while I was back there. I wonder if Mahad had said something to them, but I don't care enough to ask. I do a quick scan of the pub, seeing just how many people are still here. It's nearly 1:30AM, and we close at 2:00AM, so it's rare that we have too many customers nearing this time. Yugi still remains, sat at the bar, and there's 2 other tables occupied—one a couple and the other was a man sitting by himself, drowning out what ever sorrow he was accompanied by. To my surprise, Mahad was not in the room.

Confused, I go behind the bar once again, grabbing my apron and tying it back around my waist before approaching Yugi. "Hey, do you happen to know where Mahad went?"

"Yeah, he was just taking out the trash. He said he'd be just a minute." Yugi sipped at what looked like a Dark and Stormy.

"You a fan of rum?" I lean forward, holding myself up with one hand, and pressing the other one on my hip. "I can try to keep that in mind for your next visit."

"It's alright. I'm not much of a drinker honestly." He smiled gently. "I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but it has a good hit to it this evening."

My expression softens. "You alright? You seem a bit… down?" I'm curious, but don't mean to pry. I just wonder… If he could want to know me the way he wanted to know Mahad?

"Well," I hadn't expected him to be so forward with me, "Do you believe in past lives?"

I swallow the anxiety away. "I do. Is Mahad making it difficult for you to find some answers? I can give him a good scolding." I give a mischievous wink.

But Yugi shakes his head. "It's alright. I shouldn't be trying to ask about someone else's past life behind their backs anyway. It's just…" he takes a moment to think of how he wants to word things, which I totally understand. "Something my friend said just kind of stuck with me. And I'd like to help her if I can. She's important to Seto after all."

"If I may," I stand lean forward, cupping my face in my hands as I press my elbows to the bar counter, "could I get your number? I know it's forward to ask, but I mean nothing malicious in asking. I don't want to come between you and Tea, nor do I wish to harass you by any means."

"R—right." Yugi blushed a bit, which I hadn't expected. "But… Why do you want it?"

"Because Mahad wouldn't like me giving you the answers you're looking for…" I was blunt, as Atem would have typically been with me in the past. "So if you'd like to sometime, I can help you out. Just not here."

As his expression become more serious, he nodded. He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out his cell phone. I stood up and did the same. We exchanged numbers quickly, and I could only hope that Mahad wouldn't catch on to what I was planning. I'm sure in time he would figure it out. As Yugi stares down at his phone, adding some notes to my contact information (something about my job and job's address from what I could see) I couldn't help but look him up and down.

Is what he's wearing the kind of clothes that Atem would be wearing if he were here? Is this the kind of drink Atem would be drinking into the night? Would Atem have chosen me again in this life time, or would he have flocked to Tea with their history in this time period? Is Yugi… Really the reincarnation of the Pharaoh?

I close my eyes momentarily and look away as I pull my server wallet back out of my apron. I mark off the trash from my check list. I look over, and it appears that Mahad had also wiped down the serving trays and put them back onto the clean pile. I mark off the trays from my checklist as well. I survey the pub, and all of the unoccupied tables and booths are already wiped down. Just the two tables will need done, plus the bar where Yugi is sitting. Did Mahad even really talk to him about anything if he had time to do all of this while I was in the back room?

"Hey Mana…" Yugi grabs my attention again.

"Yeah?" I look over at him.

But he's quiet for a moment, and takes a quick sip before he asks me, "Do you remember our past? Beyond the war?"

I clench my jaw tightly, unable to break my stare, though he doesn't look up from his drink. I remember my life along side the Pharaoh Atem. I remember Yugi and Atem being in the same place as one another, though one alive and the other a visiting spirit. I still just can't think of them as the same person. And yet… my heart aches as if they are the same.

"I remember the past, at the Pharaoh Atem's side." I look away, and notice that Mahad is making his way back in through the kitchen doors. "I remember."