Chapter Warnings: Blood, minor self harm, hallucinations, gaslighting, questioning of sanity, mental breakdown.

2020 UPDATE: For those concerned, I'm no longer uploading this story on this website, since I've had some issues with it, and find it easier to post elsewhere. This story is still being updated on Archive of Our Own under the same name, but listed under a different username, pillager-satanael! Thank you for all your support!

Chapter Fifteen: The Urge to Destroy

"The urge to destroy is also a creative urge." ― Mikhail Bakunin

The crowds weren't too bad considering the usual after-school rush that the arcade was often swamped with. Fortunately, that meant that Yugi's favourite shooter game was free, one of the many machines he had the highest score on. Atem watched with a fond smile as their latest round ended with Yugi beating his own record, punching KOG - King of Games, Atem assumed - into the leaderboard with the biggest grin Atem had seen on him the whole day.

He thought it was a special sight - Yugi in his element. His skill had drawn a crowd from the moment he and Atem had arrived, whispers following them as they tackled game after game. It seemed that even before he'd found fame with Duel Monsters, Yugi had been something of a local legend around arcades in his hometown. That fact became more apparent after Yugi had pointed out that he owned most of the second place titles too, simply listed under YUG after a nickname Joey had given him. It had also been Joey who convinced him to start embracing his title as the King of Games, which led Atem back to the more recent scoreboard listings. It was clear Yugi had spent a lot of time here over the years.

Yugi had told him during the bus ride over that this was his favourite arcade in Domino. He'd been coming here with Téa since they'd first met, and her initials dominated the leaderboards of every fitness and dancing-related game here. This was also the arcade that Yugi had played his first fighter game with Joey and Tristan, as well as one of the first places he, Joey, Tristan, and Téa had eaten a meal together as a group. It was rich with personal history central to Yugi and those that were closest to him, so it was hard for Atem to feel anything other than warm and fuzzy as Yugi eagerly led him through it.

"So, we have something of a tradition that I have to share with you." Yugi was saying as he stepped away from the controls. "Whenever we introduce someone to the arcade, we introduce them to all of it."

"All of it?" Atem asked, perplexed. "We've already had at least one game on every machine here..." That was a bit of a stretch, but they'd at least tried all of Yugi's favourite games and those were the only machines of importance to Atem. It didn't even matter that Yugi had annihilated him on every platform there was - Atem would tend to his wounded pride at a later date - because it'd gotten Yugi out of the strange, unnerving silence he'd been trapped in after they'd left school.

That was why they were here in the first place - to cheer Yugi up. As they walked out of Domino High's front gates, Yugi's eyes had become glassy and he'd been lost in his own thoughts until Atem stopped in front of him and waited for Yugi to meet his gaze. Eventually, he had. Then, in the softest voice he could muster, Atem had gently asked if there was anything he could do, anywhere he could take him to help him work through whatever was going on in his head.

"I don't want to talk about it." Yugi had said quietly. "Or even think about it. I just want to have a normal afternoon for once."

Atem could feel his features softening at the memory. "...Then how do you want to spend this 'normal' afternoon?"

The corner of Yugi's mouth had twitched upward. "I want to go to the arcade. Play some games, win some tickets. We could get pizza?"

And Atem had squeezed his shoulder, grinning once Yugi finally started smiling again. "Arcade, it is."

Fortunately, Yugi hadn't seemed plagued by any withdrawals since they'd left the bathroom. He paused to rub at his forehead every so often, likely adjusting to the strangeness of another person's magic brushing against his own, but that was it. There was no trace of blood upon his fingertips, nothing caught beneath his fingernails. To even the most observant outsider, the only oddity in Yugi's appearance was the damp collar of a buttoned-up jacket.

It was that same collar that Yugi traced distractedly as he led Atem toward the adjacent diner. His free hand was loosely wrapped around Atem's wrist, his grip light enough that if Atem pulled away, the hold would be broken in an instant.

Atem did no such thing. He stretched his hand, shaking off a cramp from their last virtual battle, feeling his tendons shift beneath Yugi's fingertips. Yugi's only response was to adjust his grasp so that he didn't lose Atem to the crowd.

For a moment, Atem wondered if Yugi noticed his pulse flutter against his skin. Atem certainly felt it.

I'd prefer that over hearing you ramble on about your schoolgirl crushes.

He didn't appreciate his subconscious's atrocious timing, Seto's words having been promptly shoved to the back of his mind after their conversation. Atem had enough to ponder following Seto's reluctant revelations about the mess he and Yugi were trying to unravel, so Seto's offhand comment was something Atem had told himself he'd deal with later. Unfortunately, whether he meant to dwell on it or not, it was now later. With the lapse in conversation between himself and Yugi, Atem was suddenly reflecting on Seto's earlier smirk, and the rare amusement he'd seen in his eyes.

Seto did not joke. He did not tease. While it was endearing to think that he'd engaged in either with Atem, showing a slightly playful side with his cousin, it didn't erase the fact that Seto had seemed to think his statement was something obvious. At least, that was how it'd come across to Atem. Seto's expression had held something knowing, and that was unsettling. He was acting as if Atem having feelings for Yugi was a well-known fact. Did it seem like that? Did Atem seem so close to Yugi that even Seto Kaiba of all people had read into something that clearly wasn't there?

Well, something Atem didn't think was there. Then again, he hadn't really thought about it in depth because he was terrified of doing so. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about or around Yugi. Warm? Comfortable? Safe? Absoultely to all three. He knew there was more under the surface but he didn't know what he'd find if he delved deeper. Especially when Yugi and Téa were together, especially when they seemed so, so happy together. He didn't want to jeopardize that with feelings he couldn't name-

(You could name them quite quickly if you merely took a moment to address why the thought of Yugi and Téa's relationship seems to bother you so much.)

-not to say that Atem had romantic feelings for Yugi, no, he had never once thought such a thing - or at least had never admitted anything of the sort to himself.

Atem swallowed thickly. He didn't feel as if this was an appropriate time to be pondering such matters. Yugi was going through a difficult time - who knew that better than Atem at this current moment? - he needed Atem's support now more than ever. Atem didn't have time to waste on meaningless comments inspired to get a rise out of him. There was no reason to waste more than a moment on it. So, he straightened his posture, pushing the thoughts to the back of his awareness for the minute. Yugi was his priority.

"The diner is normally the first stop during arcade trips." Yugi said over his shoulder, grinning when Atem met his gaze. "I mean, if we're staying for a while. If we're only here for an hour, then we stick to the vending machine for snacks."

"And you get the same thing every time you eat here, right?" Atem asked, trying to remember what Yugi had told him in the past. "That's part of the tradition, I assume?"

"You got it." Yugi waved briefly to the staff behind the front counter as they passed it, the workers greeting him warmly. Even one of the younger girls, with 'trainee' marked brightly on her nametag, seemed familiar with Yugi. Atem momentarily wondered just how much time he spent here with his friends. "The owners changed just before Téa and I became friends with Joey and Tristan, so the first time we came here as a group, we had no idea what to get. The menu was completely different, so eventually, we went with their 'special'."

He waited until he and Atem were seated at a booth toward the back to continue his story, keeping his voice low. "It was...pretty bad. Cheap, but not questionably cheap, so we were kinda caught off guard." He grimaced as if remembering the taste and Atem couldn't help but laugh at his expression as Yugi continued, "There was just way too much cheese and it tasted horrible. It actually put me off cheese for a good two weeks afterwards. I couldn't taste anything else and it got all over our hands and it was so sticky. There weren't enough napkins in the world for us that night. Not to mention the base, or the toppings, or whatever was left after all the cheese seeped into it and destroyed it-"

Atem snickered at the gestures he was making, his smile widening even more at the look Yugi shot him after realising why he was laughing. "My apologies, Yugi." He said. "But I've never seen someone so passionate about pizza, before."

It's cute. Came to mind next, a thought Atem promptly banished as Yugi continued his tale, claiming they couldn't send it back because the owners had personally come to check on them during what Joey had allegedly named "pizza purgatory".

"We felt too bad," Yugi said, "but I think they got the message somehow, because the next time we came back, it wasn't as bad. Maybe they just had a bad day? Not sure." He shrugged, smiling softly. "But Tristan said going through that brought us closer together, so now we order the same thing every time we come to the arcade. It's something funny to look back on, I guess. It still doesn't taste the best and Téa's still upset by the amount of cheese they use, but at least it's less radioactive."

"...Radioactive?" Atem dared to ask.

"You weren't there." Yugi murmured, staring at the napkin dispenser as if it had wronged him. "You didn't see what it did."

"...Alright." Atem took one of the menus from the stack sitting between them, tentatively flicking through it. "So, am I required to order that specific pizza to follow tradition?"

"Oh, no. You can get whatever you want." Yugi assured. "We only order it if the whole group is coming. But you needed to hear the story."

"It was certainly...interesting." Atem allowed, leaning his cheek into his palm as he and Yugi shared a laugh. He smiled fondly at the sound, eyes crinkling at the edges as Yugi launched into another story about one of the listed coffees.

Apparently Joey had made the mistake of ordering something both too expensive for his taste and too bitter for his palate, but Atem began to zone out before he even realised. He was more entranced by the way Yugi became so animated when he told stories, the expressions he made, the voices he did. Atem was vaguely aware that he was staring, but wasn't sure why. At the same time, he wasn't sure how to tear his eyes away, confused as to what he was so distracted by.

Then, Yugi was playfully snapping his fingers at him, having noticed his attention was elsewhere. The grin he shot Atem was playful as he asked, "You with me?"

And Atem was suddenly all-too aware of the heat blossoming across his cheeks, the warmth spreading through his chest as their gazes met. "Always."

Open mouth, insert foot.

Yugi brushed him off with a laugh, murmuring something about Atem 'smooth-talking his way out of things', but once again, Atem's gaze was tracing his features, lingering for a moment too long and-

Everything clicked into place. Oh no, He thought as he swallowed, averting his gaze to allow himself to continue ignoring the situation for just a moment more. He caught sight of himself in the reflection of the napkin dispenser, noticed that his face looked as warm as it felt, and bit back a sigh. He couldn't admit it to himself verbally, but the physical reactions were telling enough, and Atem wanted nothing more than to sink into the booth and let it swallow him whole.

If he hadn't been so swept up in naming his feelings and had glanced back for a moment, Atem would have noticed the way Yugi's smile dropped the second Yugi knew he was no longer the subject of Atem's attention. He would have noticed the way Yugi scratched at his collarbone the moment Atem's gaze was averted. He would have noticed the return of red to the tips of Yugi's fingernails before closed his hands into fists, hiding the crescent moons he'd dug into his own palms.

And perhaps, if he paid close enough attention, Atem would have noticed the momentary shift in the colour of Yugi's eyes, or the way he blinked back tears as quickly as they came.

Yugi felt like he was stuck. 'Trapped' might have been a better description for whatever feeling he was attempting to place. He wasn't sure. He didn't care.

It'd been a while since he'd had such telling gaps in his memory. He couldn't recall most of the day, especially not anything that led up to 'waking up' in the school bathroom. As of now, he stood in his own while studying his reflection.

His shirt and jacket were discarded by his feet, fingertips tracing the scars he'd given himself. The nightmares and flares of pain were something he'd expected. This, though? This was something else.

He already knew his bond to the Puzzle was unhealthy. It'd been like that even before he'd solved it. For as long as he could remember, even if he didn't understand at the time, the Puzzle had been invading his subconscious. It had crawled its way into his dreams and twisted them into strange, horrific nightmares that his younger self had been terrified by. Whispers would follow after him succeeding every failed attempt, urging him to return and have another try.

There was always a subtle threatening aura he'd sensed in its presence, one that had scared him for years, but regardless, he'd pressed on. He felt like the Item connected him to his Grandpa, who had worked so hard to procure it for him. And Yugi thought it would grant the wish that the inscription on the box promised, and he was so lonely, so desperate for friends, that he continued.

What a foolish little boy he'd been.

Yugi had spent eight years trying to complete the Millennium Puzzle. The Item had spent eight years moudling Yugi to its will. It hadn't even needed to be on his person for Yugi to offer up his blood another time.

It. Its. No more them, they, or their's, it seemed. Yugi laughed for a sharp, hysterical second. He'd been attempting to humanise it for a while. It, as in the souls that had been sacrificed for the Item's creation. They'd been human once, so he believed there was hope. Hope for the deceased, and for himself. As he stared at the scars he'd personally clawed into his flesh, and felt the telltale pulse of heat at the centre of his forehead, he knew there wasn't. Their humanity was long gone. It had been for three thousand years.

Pronouns could not humanise a monster. Not even he could. It all seemed so pointless to him now, he wasn't sure why he'd ever bothered at all.

"Cutting you off from magic that has embedded itself into your very being is incredibly dangerous." Atem had said. "It will only get worse with the more you bond with it."

It was going to get worse. Of course it was going to get worse. Yugi couldn't imagine anything in his life heading in any other direction. He was on a downward spiral and everyone around him was being dragged down alongside him.

He deserved this. The Puzzle had used him to torture and main and kill and Yugi had still chosen to hold onto it out of fear. Fear for what it'd do to him if he discarded it. Fear for what it'd do to his friends. Fear for what he'd do without it.

He could have listened to his instincts and refused to finish it. He could have told his Grandpa the second everything had started to fall apart. He could have told him to take it back where he found it, and leave it there to gather dust. He could have let Pegasus take it. He could have let Bakura take it when he offered, could have allowed it to go to a family that had thousands of years of experience in dealing with this exact situation. But he didn't.

He was scared. He was attached. He was entranced. Maybe some small part of Yugi liked the magic, the shift from his painfully boring life. Maybe an even smaller part liked the thrill, the danger, the bloodshed.

His mind had been so twisted for so long that Yugi wasn't sure which of his thoughts were the Puzzle's and which were truly, genuinely his. Pegasus had been right when he'd told Yugi giving the Item part of himself was a bad idea. Yugi had given the Puzzle so much more than he'd realised, and now there was no turning back. It was no longer a question of if the Puzzle had done this, or if he had done this to himself. They were bonded by a thread no one could unravel. They were one.

(Isn't it obvious, Yugi? I am you.)

In Yugi's mind, he had narrowed down the number of reasons that the spirit of the Puzzle chose to appear as him to two. The first was affection. It was no secret that the Puzzle adored Yugi, and therefore found comfort in taking his form. Materialising as him was a sign of endearment, as well as personal security. The second reason was more of an issue. When they'd 'met' in the Soul Room, the spirits had spoken of the future, and that is what Yugi saw within its imitation. The image of Yugi the Puzzle painted was not just how he appeared to those with awareness of his magic once under the Item's influence. It was a sign of what he'd become once he and the Puzzle had intertwined.

That was something the Puzzle had promised him in his Soul Room all those weeks ago-

(I am the soul of the Millennium Pendant. The very being you will become.)

-and it had finally delivered.

His gaze fell upon his scars once more, and Yugi abruptly felt an urge to dig his nails into his skin and tear the still-healing wounds open once again. He swallowed, dropping his arms by his sides, forcing himself to keep his hands there.

He didn't realise he was crying until he felt the first wave of tears spill down his cheeks, and his breath caught in his throat as he returned his attention to his reflection. It was pathetic.

The past few weeks seemed like a blur, a loop of scripted events that Yugi had been flung into with no hope of escaping. He felt like he'd been living the same day for weeks, stuck on the same ride with an ever-present case of motion sickness.

Everything appeared to follow a similar routine, now that he paid extra attention.

The Puzzle would hurt him. Kaiba would be nonchalant. Téa would freak. Joey would be angry. Tristan would be torn between irritation and concern. Mai would eye him strangely, almost suspiciously. She, Ryou and, Duke would be left out of the loop, confused. But they would notice something was amiss, Mai especially.

Then, Téa, Joey, and Tristan would plead with him. They'd ask Yugi to let them in. Yugi would promise them that they would, that this would be the last time he hid something from them. It wouldn't be. He would keep them at arm's length.

And the day would begin anew.

His apologies had to be losing worth. He could string the same lies together in different sentences but it'd always be the same excuses underneath.

"You're hiding things from us." He could hear Téa saying. (Again.)

"We just want to help you." Joey would follow. (Just let us in, please, please, please-)

"We're in this together." Tristan would finish. (We always have been, when will you remember that?!)

"I'm sorry." Yugi sniffled at his mirror, his vision blurring with tears. (Are you?)

He could see their disbeliving expressions now as they appeared in the reflection behind him, and the clear concern in their eyes. He didn't deserve them. He never deserved them. He knew that. They knew that. Everyone knew that-

"I won't do it again." His voice broke halfway through his sentence, but he was desperate, pleading. (Won't you?)

He wanted to scream at the looks they were giving him. They were pitying him. Of course they were. Pity the boy with that pushes everyone away. Pity the car crash you have a front row seat to. It's a disaster waiting to unfold but his friends just can't look away-

"I'll fix this." He was sobbing. He lifted his hands to his head and dug his nails into his scalp, tugged at fistfuls of hair. "I promise. I'll fix this, I have to-"

(Oh, you don't even believe that.)

"I'll do anything. Just- don't leave me." His shoulders were heaving, breaths coming out in short, rushed pants. "Don't take my wish back. Don't take my friends away. They're all I have-"

If he ever had them at all. What worth were false friendships that only existed because of wishes? What good were they if that never meant anything at all? They weren't his friends, they were a fantasy the Puzzle had granted him.

They deserved better than that, a life bound to him without any say in the matter. They deserved better than him.

Yugi took a long, shuddering breath, and met his own gaze. His reflection was fragmented, the mirror having been shattered from the centre within the time he'd been spiralling. He uncurled his right hand from the fist he'd unknowingly formed, and shook a few tiny, bloodied shards off of his knuckles. At least that meant his friends' distorted figures couldn't appear in the mess he'd left behind. For now, they'd leave him alone. That was enough.

Flexing his hand, ignoring the pain thrumming through it, Yugi glanced down at the clothes he'd discarded by his feet. It was a fifteen minute drive from his house to Kaiba's if the traffic was good. It was even shorter is one of Kaiba's chauffeurs picked him up. A simple text would allow him the second option, if Kaiba wasn't too busy. Yugi sent him a quick message with his good hand, and bit back a grin at the near-immediate reply.

His shirt aggravated his scars as he buttoned it up, but he paid it no mind. Once he got the Puzzle back, a few little cuts would mean nothing to him.

He'd spent weeks, perhaps months, running from the darkness that the Puzzle was intent on leading him to.

Now, Yugi no longer felt like there was any need to delay the inevitable.

"We're almost at Yugi's, right?"

It was a strange question, coming from Mokuba. He was quite familiar with the neighbourhood the Kame Game resided in, having made multiple trips there with and without his brother. If anything, he was almost as knowledgeable about the area as Seto was. Neither had personally visited Yugi's home in a while, as Yugi seemed to prefer frequenting the Kaiba family estate, so this little adventure was something Mokuba seemed to be looking forward to.

At least, he had been. Now, ten minutes away from the Mutou residence, Mokuba was looking at his brother. He seemed nervous, unsure, and Seto couldn't understand why.

"Yes. We're almost there." Seto frowned when Mokuba looked away the moment their gazes met. "Is something wrong?"

Mokuba pursed his lips. "I was gonna ask you that, bro."

That caught Seto's interest, a brow arching at the statement. "Care to elaborate?"

"You've been acting weird this afternoon. Ever since you got home from school." Mokuba said, this time meeting his brother's eyes. Seto could clearly see the concern upon Mokuba's face now, and couldn't place why he was the subject of such worry. "You wouldn't talk to me, then you shut yourself in your office, and now we're heading to Yugi's without any warning."

There wasn't anything in Mokuba's assertion that Seto could claim as falsehood. He had been irritable that afternoon, powering through the majority of it entirely on autopilot. If he'd brushed off Mokuba, it would warrant an apology for another time. As of now, the day had been a complete mess from the moment Yugi had decided to disappear to the second he resurfaced in the school bathroom, tearing into his own flesh. Seto had learned every little detail through a thankfully thorough recount of Atem's, one Atem assured he'd forwarded to Yugi's close friends.

Each line had made Seto's stomach sink and his skin crawl. By the end of it, he'd been nauseous. He thought that taking the Puzzle out of Yugi's reach meant momentarily erasing it from the equation. He thought that secured Yugi's safety.

You were wrong, a voice had hissed at him as he set his phone aside, allowing himself to process what Atem had told him. You were wrong, raced through his mind as he paced frantically around his office, digging his nails into his palms, trying to think of something - anything - that could fix whatever was going through Yugi's mind. You were wrong, echoed around him as he skimmed academic journals that touched on trauma and chapters of psychology textbooks that delved into dissociation.

It wasn't until over an hour later, when his phone had chimed with the text tone set solely for Yugi's contact, that his mind had finally reached a startling halt. Then, a new thought graced him.

Make it right.

"You haven't locked me out of your office in ages." Mokuba added, swallowing. "Not since...not since before Duellist Kingdom. When Yugi...y'know...helped you."

Fixed you oh-so clearly rested upon the tip of his tongue. He chose not to say it aloud, but Seto heard the words all the same. It stung just a little, to imagine Mokuba quietly waiting outside his office like his used to. It stung a little more to picture the distressed expression flashing across his face after Seto shut him out in the same way he used to for all those years. It hurt when he realised that in that moment, Mokuba had been scared that Seto was reverting to his previous self. The cold, calculating man he never should have been around his little brother. The person he vowed to never become again.

"And you didn't even say why we were going to Yugi's. Just that we were."

"It's been a while since you last saw him properly." Seto replied, deliberately casual. It did well to mask the ache in his chest at the thought of failing his brother again. "And you've been complaining about not seeing Yugi as of late. I thought you'd be excited."

"I am excited to see him." Mokuba huffed. "But something's wrong and I...I need you to tell me."

It was the waver in Mokuba's voice that had Seto move. He unbuckled his seatbelt and crossed the space between them in an instant. Mokuba sank into his chest the moment Seto's arms settled around him, gripping the back of his jacket. For a moment, Seto merely closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe. But Mokuba shuddered with a breath that he probably hadn't meant to come out as a sob and Seto realised just how scared he was, how much Seto's episode that afternoon had affected him. Sometimes he forgot that his little brother was still a child. This was something of a harsh reminder.

"Just tell me what's going on. Please."

Mokuba sounded desperate and Seto had to take a moment to gather his thoughts. It was rare that he found himself in a situation where he didn't know what to say, but how was he supposed to tell Mokuba that someone his little brother cared so much about had hurt himself in such a way? It was something Seto was still coming to terms with himself, something part of him refused to believe until he assessed Yugi's condition with his own two eyes.

"Yugi's unwell." He began softly, Mokuba shifting to look up at his brother. Seto wished he hadn't. The sight of his tears made this no easier. "The Puzzle takes a toll on his body and his mind. It's the latter that's been troubled lately."

"So," Mokuba took a moment to sniffle, then breathe, "we're going to check up on him?"

It was a blessing Mokuba was quick to understand most matters. "Yes. You're good at cheering him up." He glanced down, absently running the pad of his thumb over Mokuba's cheek, brushing away his tears. "He likes you."

That seemed to settle Mokuba a little, as a small smile graced his lips. "He likes you too, Seto."

"I know."

"And you like him." Mokuba's smile broadened into something more genuine. "Which means you're friends."

For him, Seto made the effort to seem extra appalled. "You're making assumptions."

"And you smiled when I said that you're friends." Mokuba giggled at the sharp look sent his way. "Like, maybe it was only for a second, but it happened."

Seto scoffed. "Involuntary muscle spasm."

"Uh-huh." Mokuba grinned, and the change was a much greater sight to behold than his earlier distress. Seto shifted when the car slowed to a stop, pressing a quick kiss to the crown of his brother's head before stepping out of the vehicle.

He was rewarded with a quiet giggle. Then, "Seto?"

"Hm?" He glanced back just as the driver passed the package they'd brought along to Mokuba. Seto shot it another untrusting look upon sighting the address it'd been sent from, scowling at the sender's name.

"Thank you." His attention returned to Mokuba as his brother tucked the parcel under his arm, smiling up at him.

Seto rested a hand atop his head, gently ruffling his hair. "Of course."

The Kame Game appeared a bit different from Seto's last visit. For starters, it seemed a lot more colourful. He took a moment to take in the new merchandise he saw, as well as the collection of sticky notes plastered around the store in a rainbow-like assortment. He recognised the art style immediately after noticing the sketches beside various booster packs, hinting to what could be inside said packages in a mixture of drawings that ranged from chibi-like to more detailed depictions. Mokuba took a shine to them immediately, speeding away to take them all in.

A curious glance around the store saw that he wasn't the only one entranced by the personal touch. It seemed Yugi had even taken the time to write short reviews and place them beside various new releases, as well as some of the older models and games that he and his grandfather favoured. If he had the time, and it was less crowded, Seto knew he'd take a stroll around the store and read each one.

He wondered how long all of this had taken. He could imagine Yugi devoting a weekend to this easily enough, excited for the challenge and the reactions the store's regulars would have. Maybe, if he was comfortable enough to decorate an entire shop with his artwork, Yugi wouldn't be opposed to getting his name out there. Seto had pondered commissioning him for an upcoming tournament he'd been planning, but Yugi seemed to dodge any mention of 'official' work.

For an international celebrity, Yugi too shy for his own good.

"Incredible, aren't they?" If he were anyone else, Seto would have jumped at the sudden voice at his side. It had to be a Mutou family trend to sneak up on people. Sugoroku smiled fondly at Seto when he nodded. "My boy did all of this without mentioning a word to me. I'd be more cross with him for spending an entire school night on this if I wasn't so proud of him."

"An entire school night?" Seto parroted, turning to look at the elder properly. "...You're saying he did this in one night?"

He went an entire night without sleep and decided to hurt himself the next day, then? Seto frowned. If this is what happens after only a few hours without the Puzzle, is it really the best idea to keep it from him...?

"He did." Sugoroku averted his gaze, eyes tracing one of the nearby sketches of a Dark Magician. "Couldn't sleep, he said. I hate to imagine how many hours my boy lost, but he seemed happy enough with his work this morning..." His smile was just a little sad. "I had to encourage his efforts, you know. Yugi's talented in ways he'll never understand."

"Yes." Seto said, knowing there was a depth to Sugoroku's words that any outsider would never understand. "He is."

"I'm sure you aren't here to look around the store, though." Sugoroku nodded toward the back of the store. "Feel free to head upstairs and see him. I'm sure I heard him come in a little while ago."

Seto arched a brow at that. He'd walked home with Yugi once or twice before - in his opinion, his chauffeur's driving was still preferable - and knew that when Yugi came home, his grandfather was the first to know. Yugi had a habit of coming through the front entrance and walking through the store so he could greet his guardian and ask him how his day was. They'd talk about the customers that had come through, the stock that had been ordered and sold, and then Yugi would finish his homework early so he could help out for the last hours of the afternoon. The idea that Sugoroku hadn't personally seen Yugi was a little unsettling, and reminded Seto of what Atem had mentioned occuring earlier.

"Thanks." Seto merely tipped his head in acknowledgement before spinning on his heel, walking away. "Mokuba!" He called. "Let's go."

"Coming!" At the sound of his name, Mokuba resurfaced out of nowhere. It was a talent Seto was often thankful he had. "Race you upstairs!"

It was a cry that often echoed around the Kaiba estate the moment Yugi entered the mansion's front doors. Seto had never joined in nor had he seen any reason to, but he humoured Mokuba by taking a few steps forward quicker than his usual gait. It was enough to send his brother darting ahead, cheering. He took the stairs two at a time while Seto merely strolled after him, shaking his head fondly. He was grateful Mokuba hadn't managed to drop Pegasus's package on the way.

"Beat you!" A mile-wide grin greeted him when he reached the top of the staircase, Mokuba panting slightly but grinning all the same. Seto exaggeratedly rolled his eyes before passing him, making his way down the hall.

"Hey," Mokuba's voice made him pause, "do you think we should invite Yugi over to our place? We could play video games, or something. It might cheer him up."

Seto's thoughts immediately returned to the Puzzle he'd locked away in a spare room that he was thankful Mokuba hadn't tried to go into yet. The situation would be a little difficult to explain. "I'm not sure."

He was aware now that whether or not Yugi was wearing it no longer seemed to be the issue. In fact, keeping Yugi away from it seemed to be doing more harm than good, but at the same time...

"I think someone's trying to play God. And I'm going to find out who."

The Puzzle seemed intent on taking Yugi somewhere and throwing him head-first into a type of danger that they knew nothing about. That choice didn't seem like it would aid Yugi's mental state either.

"Why not?" Mokuba huffed. "It's been a while since he visited, and last time he was over he promised to teach me how to play some of his grandpa's favourite games. Some old ones you can't find in any stores, I think he said."

"As much as I'd enjoy encouraging you to gamble at a young age," Seto said dryly, pointedly ignoring the shine the phrasing brought to his brother's eyes, "you'd have to ask Yugi."

"Okay!" Mokuba seemed satisifed enough. "I'll ask him after we find out what this is." He patted the package under his arm. He was more excited to inspect the contents than Seto was.

With that, the brothers continued their walk. It allowed Mokuba time to catch his breath before they reached Yugi's bedroom door, Seto sparing him a brief look before moving to knock.

Two raps was enough for the door to swing inward, Yugi stepping into the frame. Seto took in his appearance with a quick once-over, saving mental notes to look back upon later. Yugi was pale, unsteadily shifting his weight from one foot to the other as if he wasn't quite sure how he wanted to present himself. His uniform jacket was buttoned up, and Seto hadn't seen it done up in the entire time they'd known each other, so he was clearly hiding whatever scars he'd left there. The hand Yugi had resting against the door frame seemed fine - no traces of blood, at least - but the other was tucked behind his back in a way that Yugi was probably trying to play off as casual. The creases beneath his eyes were an entire story on their own.

"You made it here fast." Yugi said, trying for a smile that didn't come as easy as his genuine ones usually did. His gaze shifted to Mokuba. "Hey, Moku. How are you?"

"Good!" Mokuba either didn't notice anything was off, or was already in full cheer-up-Yugi mode. Seto was certain it was the latter. "I saw all the sticky notes downstairs. They look super cool. Can you draw me some Capsule Monsters sometime?"

"Again?" Yugi's tone was teasing. "Of course I can. I said anytime, didn't I?" His voice was playful, but if it had been any ordinary day the conversation would have started with Yugi throwing open his door and stepping back, allowing Mokuba the room to come barelling forward in a hug that would almost send them both tumbling to the ground. But Yugi seemed carefully placed no matter how strange his posture was. His stance told Seto he didn't want to let them inside his room.

Seto wanted to know why.

"Did you get one of these?" Mokuba lifted the parcel up so Yugi could peer at it. "From Pegasus, I mean."

"Yeah, I did. Grandpa has it, I think." Yugi shrugged. "Did you want to open them? I thought we were heading to yours, first."

And, against his better judgement, Seto nodded. "We'll get this out of the way," He said, "and then we'll leave."

"Sounds like a plan." Yugi opened his door fully, gesturing for the brothers to head inside. "I'll go grab mine, then. Won't be a minute."

"Okay!" Mokuba headed in first while Seto hesitated in the doorway, glancing around the room. Nothing seemed out of order, but he had his suspicions.

"I'm going to use the bathroom." He said to Mokuba, who looked up at the sound of his voice. "Don't make too much of a mess."

He left before Mokuba could come up with some kind of witty remark he was certain his brother would find clever, knowing he didn't have much time. Seto strode toward the bathroom a few doors away with careful yet swift movements.

It wasn't often that he hoped he was wrong about something, but right now, outside the bathroom, he did. He glanced back down the hall to make sure Yugi wasn't back yet, and then quietly pushed open the door.

The room was dark, as he expected. The lights were off since the room wasn't in use, save for a few rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds on the window across from him. Fortunately, they illuminated all he needed to see.

The mirror above the nearby sink was shattered in the centre, blood lining the point of impact. Countless shards of glass littered the bench and the tiles, and towels were thrown haphazardly across the floor in a seemingly rushed attempt to hide the mess. With Yugi's strange behaviour and the way he seemed to be hiding his right hand earlier - his dominant hand - it wasn't too hard to connect the dots.

Seto allowed himself a moment more to survey the area before taking his phone out of his pocket, sending a message to a number he was glad he'd reluctantly saved.

Now it was simply a question of whether or not Yugi's airheaded group of friends would finally prove to be of some worth.

"I'm never going to understand that man's twisted sense of humour."

"Oh, come on, Seto!" Mokuba was laughing at his brother's scowl. "Look at how shiny they are!"

After much deliberation, Seto decided that it would save time to open whatever Pegasus sent on the drive back to the Kaiba estate. Upon inspecting the contents of their respective packages, he concluded that doing so was, in many ways, a colossal waste of time and energy. Mokuba couldn't help but grin from his place between the two second-years, holding up two of Pegasus' apparent 'gifts' in his hands so that the sunlight would make them sparkle.

In what could have been a sweet gesture to anyone that wasn't Seto Kaiba, Pegasus had sent them souvenirs. Both had recieved keycharms, though Seto's had an ankh charm and Yugi's was a small yet detailed pyramid. Below that, Pegasus had packed a few papyrus scrolls depicting various deities, a few bracelets, rings, and some notebooks. It was clear that most of the contents were meant for Yugi, who took a shine to them.

"You can give my keychain to me at school tomorrow," Yugi said to Seto, smiling as he watched Mokuba trace his pyramid, seeming content to let him play with it for now, "so I can attach it to my schoolbag."

"I'm capable of many things, intellectually speaking," Seto replied dryly, "but coming up with a single reason for that to be an idea worth entertaining is beyond me." He shook his head. "Mokuba, you can have mine."

"You sure?" Mokuba asked, grinning. "I thought you loved it."

"You're hilarious." Seto moved to open the notebook that had been resting at the bottom of his package, frowning at the large and strangely cursive script of his name in Pegasus' awful handwriting on the cover. "If this is a scrapbook of his stupid trip rather than something actually worth reading, I'm going to kill him. Violently."

"Then check it later." Mokuba teased as the limo slowed to a stop. "We're here! C'mon Yugi, let's go!"

"Right behind you!"

Seto reluctantly tucked his book under his arm, loath to delay reading whatever Pegasus had written yet even more restless at the thought of leaving Yugi alone with his brother. He'd never once questioned Mokuba's safety in Yugi's company, but right now Seto had no idea how much of the afternoon they had actually spent with the real Yugi Mutou. Strange behaviour aside, Seto's thoughts were with that of Yugi's. What had kept him up all night? What had compelled him to rake his nails across his own skin and draw blood until Atem had pulled him out of it? What had compelled someone so quiet and passive to throw a punch at his own reflection, injuring himself further in the process?

There was a very clear line to where the Puzzle ended and Yugi began, but at the moment that same line was blurring. Seto detested it.

He stepped out of the limo and followed the two as they ran toward the mansion's front entrance, keeping his pace swift. He wondered what Yugi's play would be. Smart or dumb? Careful or careless? There was no way to know what he was thinking, what move he would make. As long as Mokuba wasn't caught up in whatever shitstorm was readily approaching their home, Seto would have no issue. Mokuba's safety was something he knew he could secure. Yugi's, though?

That was another story entirely.

Yugi and Mokuba were in the living room when he found them, Yugi digging around in his backpack while Mokuba messed with the television.

"Seto!" Mokuba cheered when he noticed his brother hovering in the archway. "Come join in!"

"That depends on what I'm joining." Seto said. "...Yugi, what are you looking for?"

"My spare controllers." Yugi replied, not looking up. "Joey and Tristan said they were coming over, so I thought I'd pack some."

"Did they?" Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Wheeler and Taylor couldn't keep a secret if their lives depended on it. "And Gardener?"

"Knowing Téa, she's on her way to supervise." Yugi snorted. "She's the one who asked where I was, and next thing I know, they're all on their way." He shrugged. "Joey and Tristan do love the sound system-"

"And every single electronic entertainment device in this room." Seto scoffed, though he was somewhat grateful that Yugi didn't seem to be aware of anything as of yet. "Remind me to thank all of them for graciously inviting themselves over."

Yugi laughed, and Seto wasn't sure if the sound was as comforting as it would have been on any other day.

"When do you think they'll get here?" Mokuba asked, and Seto softened a little at the excitement in his voice. It wasn't often that Mokuba had a large group of people to demolish in his favourite games.

"Soon, I think." Yugi got to his feet, dusting off his pants. Seto tried not to let his gaze linger on his newly bandaged hand. "I might wait outside for them, maybe let the security know they're coming."

"Have fun." Seto said dryly. He turned back to his brother as Yugi walked off. "Mokuba, what are you doing?"

Mokuba poked his head out from where he now stood behind the massive telelvision screen. "My best...?"

Seto shook his head. "Come here," he said, smirking a little when Mokuba playfully stuck his tongue out and ducked out of sight. "If you electrocute yourself, don't expect any sympathy from me."

"I expect a ton of sympathy, actually!" Mokuba giggled at the sound of Seto's approaching footsteps. "Because I'm your favourite brother and you love me-" He looked up once noticing a shadow fall over himself, looking up at his brother's looming figure. "Oh, hey."

"Hey." Seto echoed. He eyed the tangled mess of cables Mokuba had surrounded himself with and bit back a sigh. "Get out of there before you hurt yourself."

"I'm just switching the cables over!" Mokuba huffed, but he lifted his arms up anyway, making grabby motion with his hands. Seto leaned forward on instinct.

"And the last time you did that, you managed to break the entire TV and damage the speakers." He reminded, lifting Mokuba over the television with ease, Mokuba laughing as he did.

Mokuba rocked back on his heels once being lowered to the ground, beaming up at Seto. "So...wanna set it up for me?"

"I'd rather you ask that before I forcefully stop you from doing it yourself." Seto mused. "But let me put this in my office first." He lifted the notebook he'd set down before retrieving his brother, peering at the kanji on the cover once more.

"What do you think is in there?" Mokuba asked, tilting his head. "Is it something important? Like, business-related? Or..." He glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if Yugi and his friends were making their way through the foyer yet. "Is it about Yugi?"

"About Yugi?"

"Well, Yugi's Puzzle's been messing with him, and it came from Egypt. Pegasus's Eye came from Egypt, too." He gave a brief shudder at remembering their last experience with said Item. "And Pegasus is in Egypt, so... I dunno."

"You might have a point, there." Seto said after a moment of thought. "But I won't know until I read it myself."

"He'll get better, right?" Mokuba asked abruptly, nearly cutting his brother off. "Yugi, I mean. He'll...he'll be okay?"

Seto pursed his lips. Worrying Mokuba wouldn't help anything. "He will." He murmured. "I'll make sure of it."

Mokuba smiled a little at that. "I know you will."

It was hard not to feel reassured at that, as his brother's faith in him never ceased to provide Seto with a boost to keep going. But this was bigger than Mokuba, Seto, and even Yugi himself. Seto just wasn't sure of the scope of their situation yet. He wouldn't understand it until he could figure out the mess between Yugi and his Item, and the link they had to Atem's father.

Akhenamkhanen was the only lead they had at the moment suspect-wise, and in all honesty, it made sense to Seto. From what he knew of Akhenamkhanen's strange, obsessive behaviour when it came to the Items, all the dots seemed to connect, especially when it came to the Puzzle.

Their next step had to be cautious, if his and Yugi's theory was correct. If it wasn't, however...

"I didn't really think of you as the nicest host, Kaiba," came Wheeler's irritatingly familiar drawl as he, Taylor, and Gardener strolled into the living room, "but I didn't think you'd just leave us out on the porch."

"I didn't," Seto spat, not bothered to put up with Wheeler even on a good day, "you're Yugi's responsibility, regardless of whether or not you're intruding your way into my home."

"Says the one who actually invited us," Taylor muttered, "wait till Yugi hears about that."

"What do you-" Seto paused, counted each member of Yugi's group of friends and suddenly realised that one of them was missing. "...Where's Yugi?"

"We thought he was with you." Gardener said, and it was within the beat of silence that followed that Seto realised he'd made a grave mistake.

.

..

...