The Puzzle was cold. Yuugi gripped it tightly in the darkness. The golden glow was gone. Five days had passed since the Battle City finals. The chain hung around his neck as always, but the Puzzle itself felt dead—nothing but heavy weight. "...The other me." "[whispers]...The other me, can you hear me?" No answer came. Usually, there would be a voice here. Low and calm. No matter what happened, no matter how troubled or desperate things got—whenever that voice came, he could believe everything would be okay. Tonight there was nothing. All that reached his fingertips was the Puzzle's coldness. The room lights were off. Streetlight filtered faintly through the window, and the Puzzle's surface was barely visible. Three cracks ran across it. Clear, distinct fractures he could see with his naked eye. (It's been like this ever since that duel.) Yuugi pulled the blanket toward his knees. Battle City finals—atop the Duel Tower on Alcatraz, Yuugi had made a choice. To protect the other him, he sealed that consciousness deep within the Millennium Puzzle. That way, he thought, he could shield Atem from Dark Marik's attacks. And Yuugi won the duel. Alone. But— (Because of me, you...) Yuugi pushed down the guilt and slipped the Puzzle back under his shirt. If he didn't look at it, the cracks wouldn't bother him. That's what he tried to tell himself. He tried, but it didn't work at all. "Good night." "[whispers]...Good night." He said it to no one in particular. Then slowly lay down. --- The next morning, the intercom buzzed. Footsteps thundered up the stairs—a familiar sound. A voice came before the door was even knocked on. "[excited]Yuugi! You home?!" —Jonouchi Souto. Yuugi's best friend and a duelist who fought alongside him in Battle City. Rough around the edges, loud voice, but honest to a fault. His brown hair stuck up slightly as he stood in the hallway wearing a jumper. His eyes sparkled. His energy was high even this early. "[gentle]Good morning, Jonouchi." "What's with that face? Still sleepy? Come on, get dressed! Let's duel today!" "[surprised]...Duel?" "Yeah, duel! I got some new cards I want to test out. There's a plaza over by Tornado Street, perfect spot." Jonouchi fidgeted in the hallway, waiting. There was no reason to refuse. After a moment's hesitation, Yuugi nodded. "[gentle]Just give me a minute." While changing, Yuugi looked in the mirror. Black short hair, deep brown eyes. 170 centimeters tall, slender build—that was Mutou Yuugi. Sixteen years old. A high school student. A duelist. And now, just a child who had just lost another version of himself. His gaze fell on his right wrist. A faint golden crack pattern floated there. Whether it was an effect of the Millennium Puzzle's fractures or something else entirely, Yuugi didn't know. But it wouldn't disappear. He pulled down the sleeve of his white shirt to hide it. --- Tornado Street in front of Domino Station was the same as always. An arcade shopping street stretching north and south from the station, with about sixty shops lined up. Saturday morning had decent foot traffic—families with children, duelists heading to card shops, all passing through. The number of duelists had clearly increased. A kid about elementary school age walked by with a Duel Disk strapped to his arm. A second-generation Kaiba Corporation model that could project monsters in solid vision. Since Battle City ended, it had become a craze among children. The footage from that tournament had spread, making Duel Monsters feel more accessible. "[excited]Wow, lots of kids. Everyone's got cards." "[gentle]Probably the Battle City effect." "Yeah, right? You beat Marik, so of course everyone's hyped." Just then, one of the kids walking ahead turned around. An elementary school boy. He saw Yuugi and his eyes lit up. "That's him! That's the guy!" "Huh? Where?" "Right there! The guy who beat Marik!" The children whispered among themselves. Yuugi pretended not to notice. Jonouchi grinned. "[laughing]You're a hero, Yuugi." "[sarcastic]Stop saying stuff like that." He laughed it off, but in that moment, the Puzzle at his chest grew slightly colder. He beat Marik. That's right, he won. But it wasn't Atem who did it—it was Yuugi alone, and as a result, Atem... (No, don't think about it now.) Yuugi looked forward. --- Walking a bit further down Tornado Street, "Duel Base Zero" came into view. A card shop run by Hiiragi Seiichiro, a former professional duelist, that also bought rare cards. Jonouchi's eyes lit up. "[excited]Can we stop by? I want to check out the new packs." "[gentle]Sure." Jonouchi reached for the shop door. That's when it happened. His chest burned. No—not burned. The Millennium Puzzle suddenly emitted a dark purple light. Heat traveled through the chain, and something flowed into his mind. A desert. A burning temple. Someone screaming. Screaming in an ancient language— "Yuugi?" The voice was distant. His legs wouldn't support him. Yuugi dropped to his knees on the arcade floor. The cold concrete transmitted through his knees. "[scared]Yuugi!" Jonouchi rushed over. His vision swam. It lasted only seconds. In just seconds, the images in his head vanished. "[scared]...You okay?!" Jonouchi crouched down, supporting Yuugi's shoulders. His eyes moved to Yuugi's neck. The Puzzle's cracks had become four. "[surprised]...These are increasing." His voice was small. But Yuugi heard it. "[serious]I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy." He was trembling. His voice shook slightly. Yuugi tried to stand. With Jonouchi's help, he managed. "[serious]You've been acting weird lately." Jonouchi's eyes were serious. For someone who usually goofed around, his expression was completely different right now. "[gentle]I'm not acting weird. Just a little tired." "Don't brush me off like that." "[gentle]I'm really okay." "[angry]Is this something you can't tell me about?" Jonouchi grabbed Yuugi's shoulder. His grip was strong, but not rough. His expression was serious. For a moment, Yuugi thought about telling him everything. That the Millennium Puzzle had cracks. That he couldn't hear Atem's voice anymore. That if time kept passing like this, maybe— But he couldn't say it. "[cold]It's none of your business, Jonouchi." Even he was surprised by how cold his voice sounded. Jonouchi's hand slowly released him. "[gentle]I'm just tired. I'm going home." Yuugi turned away. He walked through the arcade. Behind him, Jonouchi started to say something but didn't finish. Yuugi knew. Without even turning around, he could imagine what expression Jonouchi was making. (Sorry, Jonouchi.) But he couldn't turn back. --- He returned to the Turtle Game Shop before noon. The first-floor store was open, and Yuugi could see his grandfather—Mutou Sugoroku—talking with a regular customer at the counter. Yuugi avoided eye contact and quietly climbed the stairs to the second floor. As he passed the hallway, the view outside caught his eye. The arcade roof was visible toward the station. Beyond it was the sky, autumn clouds drifting slowly. The sounds of the town were faint. Children testing Duel Disks, a motorcycle passing, the distant sound of a railroad crossing. Domino Town hadn't changed at all. (Of course it hadn't.) Yuugi entered his room and sat on the bed. --- It was deep night. In the dark room, Yuugi sat cross-legged on his bed. Both hands cradled the Puzzle. He closed his eyes. (I should be able to enter. I could before.) Inside the Millennium Puzzle was a spiritual world. A labyrinth of countless doors and staircases, where Yuugi's heart room and—Atem's heart room existed. He tried to project his consciousness. He concentrated. He couldn't enter. There was a wall. Not an invisible one—rubble. Collapsed passages, bottomless pits, charred doors. The place where Atem's room should have been was completely destroyed. He couldn't even find the entrance. (Where...?) Yuugi searched through the darkness. He could see particles of light drifting. Fragments of Atem's memories, perhaps. When he reached out, he couldn't touch them. They slipped through his fingers. Then he heard it. A faint, faint echo of a voice. "...gi..." That was all. Nothing more. But he definitely heard it. Yuugi's consciousness was pulled back. He returned to the darkness of his room. When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurred. "Ugh..." A sound escaped him. He couldn't stop it. "[crying]...Uaaah..." Tears fell. One drop landed on the Puzzle's surface. (I broke you.) "[crying]I'm sorry..." He curled up, hugging the Puzzle to himself. He didn't even pull the blanket over. Just stayed in that position. "[crying]I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." He repeated the same words. No answer came. The Puzzle was just cold, its cracks spreading, saying nothing. Yuugi trembled. The cracks might be spreading even tonight. Tomorrow there might be more. If this continued, the Puzzle—Atem— (But what can I do?) He didn't know. He really didn't know. Outside, wind blew. The window glass made a faint sound. Domino's night was quiet, the town's lights casting a thin glow on the ceiling. Yuugi gazed at it blankly while holding the Puzzle to his chest, slowly closing his eyes. He didn't know if he could sleep.