Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Visions ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Visions

Chapter 1

The young man sprinted around the corner; soaked with sweat, fear in his eyes. He continued down the dim, dank alley, resisting the urge to look back. He had been running through the labyrinth of twisting side streets and deserted alleys since he awoke, and always he could sense the dark presence of his pursuer behind him. A foul image on the edge of his vision, it whispered to him, called to him the dark recesses of his mind, beckoned him. He ran. He did not know what it was; only that he did not want it to catch him.

He ducked into a small doorway and collapsed, exhausted. He still didn't know how he had gotten here, to this forsaken city. Tall, twisted buildings thrust up through the coiling mist that blanketed the ground like a drowning man's last desperate grasp at the sky. A large black sun shone burning rays of dim light down upon the city, penetrating the mists in places and, for a brief moment, reflecting the city's chaotic beauty … only to be swallowed again seconds later by the endless shifting and twisting of the mist. He let his head fall heavily back against the doorframe, enjoying the brief jolt of pain that proved he was alive. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and was immediately assaulted. Visions dance out of reach on the edge of his consciousness; brief flashes of violent, chaotic movement … of people falling, screaming. He can distinctly remember a sharp, searing pain lance through his skull followed by blissful, enveloping darkness. When he awoke, he was here.

The thing came to him immediately; he had no idea what it was, he never actually saw it. He felt a numbness creep slowly up his body while whispers of dark things to come echoed softly in his mind. His body would ache to run, to escape … his body and soul screaming that this was not right, something was wrong. He could feel the fear crawling across his skin; it would suffocate him, make him feel helpless; alone. The darkness would suddenly press in around him while horrid screams and wails of despair roared into his mind and heart, drowning out common sense and reason. At the height of his terror, he would feel a wrenching release and he would be free to move. Screaming in abject terror, he blindly ran, seeking to escape his elusive pursuer. It was thus each time it appeared.

A quiet shuffling yanked a broken whimper from him and he quickly looked about, fearing the worst. It was a woman. The weight of many years rested upon her shoulders and showed in the way she made her way toward him. This was the first living person he had encountered in this otherwise empty place. She moved slowly, carefully picking her way through the garbage and overturned cans littering the alley, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. He started to call out to her but stopped himself when he noticed a deepening of the shadows just ahead of her. As he watched, the shadows violently writhed and twisted about each other in a mock battle until suddenly, as if forced together by a hand neither side wanted to combat, they coalesced into the shifting form of a man. Completely obsessed with self-preservation, he dared do nothing to reveal himself, and thus he merely watched the macabre play unfold before him.

The being moved forward with a grace and elegance that belied the cruel grin that covered his proud face. The woman glanced with first surprise, and then increased joy as she noticed who was coming toward her.

"My son!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, "You've come to get me from this horrible place!"

He glanced from the woman to the man; the twisted, roguish grin seemed frozen upon his face. It was when he glanced back that he first noticed her eyes; they seemed unfocused, as if she was seeing a vision other than the one presented to her here. As she moved closer to the man she called her son, she stumbled upon a concealed crack in the pavement and reached forward instinctively for help. Her eyes seemed to refocus after that sudden jolt and she glanced up once again at her son.

"Why don't you help m..." she trailed off as a look of surprise and fear crossed her face. "You're not…" her cry was cut off with a quick snap of the man's fingers. Almost instantly, her eyes regained that blurry focus. A deep, empty laugh emanated from the man and as he spoke, his voice echoed within the confines of his mind and soul.

"Pay close attention..." he said mockingly, "You live because it pleases me, you cannot hide." He turned slightly in my direction, "oh yes," he replied to my unfinished thought, "I know ye are here. Even from this distance, the scent of your soul turns my stomach." He paused slightly. "Pay careful attention to this woman's death … she has earned one free of fear." He chuckled slightly, "You will wish you were as lucky when your time comes." In one fluid motion, it lunged for her. An ear splitting scream shattered the silence as the darkness engulfed its helpless victim. Slowly the shadows where they both had been broke apart and scattered. He was once again alone, only the fading echoes of her scream remained to keep him company.

Shaken, he carefully edged from the concealing doorway and stumbled down the empty street; he did not care where it took him ... as long as it took him away. He could feel it watching his every move. Open windows whispered of quick, furtive movements and the flowing mists that filled this otherwise empty city clung to his clothing with an eerie tenacity, making it difficult to move. His footsteps echoed hollowly as he moved down the street, the buildings becoming farther apart and more run down as he approached the outer edge of town. In the far distance, he could see a line of forbidding darkness that brought all sources of light to a sudden and abrupt stop. He did not look forward to meeting that darkness.

The wall stretched as far as he could see in both directions and seemed to twist and turn like a living entity. The area directly in front of the writhing barricade was deathly cold, almost numbing. As he watched, the dark mists turned and coiled forming images one after another ... of him.

These mocking images showed no good. They revealed only his acts and deeds, which showed his dark, uncompassionate side. The dark thoughts he had once harbored took on a new life in this wall, shrieking their evil intent and clutching for him with darkly gleaming claws. He realized as he watched these images form and dissipate that the mists were a mirror ... a ghastly mirror that reflected his inner soul. He carefully stepped away from the soul searing and immediately felt the dark presence he feared. He spun around and saw he was face to face with himself. This young man facing him had his looks, his build. Slowly, the man's face twisted into an evil grin. He could see all his evil deeds in that man's chaotic smile … could see it reflected in his eyes. He could barely keep the tremor from his voice as he spoke. "What are you going to do to me?" He could see the mocking laughter mirrored in the eyes of his wicked alter self ... his executioner.

"I am here to punish..." it softly whispered in a liquid, seductive voice.

He began a startled scream as the darkness suddenly engulfed him. It was quickly cut off as the darkness coiled around his body and cut off his breath. He felt he was being pulled apart and pushed together all at once, like his flesh was being slowly peeled off of his struggling while he was violently flung around and yet held perfectly still ... the pain was excruciating. He began to blindly hope he would pass out, but he remembering the earlier promise, he knew that particular wish would not be granted…

Seto Kaiba gave a horrified cry of he woke, body jerking into a sitting position from where he lay on the bed. He was drenched in a cold sweat, breath coming in deep, ragged pants.

" Only a dream… " He muttered to himself once he finally calmed down enough for rational thought. " Third time this week… " A glance to the clock told him that it was still too early to be up. Only 4:16. Still… He couldn't go back to sleep.

He rose from his bed, grabbing and slipping on a velvet, dark blue robe before leaving his bedroom, moving down the hall a bit to check in on Mokuba, glad to find him resting peacefully. He went along once again, downstairs to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, intending to busy himself with paperwork until it was time for him to get ready for school.

To Be Continued

Shonen Ai warnings for Chapter 2