Love eternal (book 5)

Chapter 10: familiar faces

   The haunting familiarity of these dark stone halls makes my blood run cold as I stand within the shadows of the millennium puzzle. All of the time that I have spent away from this place hasn't done anything to alleviate the smothering fear that overcomes me every time that I come here. Yugi always wondered why I was so willing to give up my puzzle to Seth. I shudder as I walk down into the hallway allowing the shadows to creep over me like snakes. I never should have lied to him about my reasons for giving it away without a thought.
   Thoughts of Yugi make my heart ache as I travel deeper into the dark confines of the puzzle that I called home for several centuries. I told him that it was better for the world if I locked away the puzzle and kept it out of unknowing hands. Yugi had accepted my answer but it was nowhere near the truth. I gave up my puzzle for my sake. My own selfish desire to be rid of it and all of the horrible haunting memories that it had bored was my sole motivation for handing it off to Seth. I wanted it to be a burden in someone else for a change. After I gave it away I was finally able to sleep easily though there were times when I would ask for it back on occasion just to feel it's familiar weight around my neck, but I was always quick to return it back to Seth once my sentimental desire was quenched.
   My selfish desires and fears lead me to the decision to lie to yugi and now I am back inside of the one place I hate more than anything else in this life or any other. A strong and intense chill races down my spine as I pause in the middle of the hall. I can't help but feel as if I am being watched. I glance over my shoulder but see nothing there but more shadows. I am completely alone in this hallway of darkness. Though I can't help but shake the feelings that my other soul is nearby.
   "You can come out. There is no need to hide from me." I call our, my voice echoing off the walls. The sound of my voice carries down the halls fading away into oblivion and al, I can do is stand there in silence and hold my breath. Silence surrounds me and I fear that I am speaking to nothing but open air.
   "What leads you to believe that I am hiding from you?" My voice filters back to me through the chamber. I release the breath I was holding and lean against one of the cool stone walls nearby. I smile faintly as I look down the hallway in the direction that my voice had come from. "I have nothing to fear from you."
   "Then why not come out where I can see you?" I call out once more. "With all of the stunts you've pulled and you're present actions I find it rather hard to believe that you don't want to see me."
   "You are the one who does not wish to see me." The response is curt and emotionless. A swell of anger begins to form in my chest but I quickly control it and breathe deeply. "You and I both know that I am the last person you wish to see."
   "I don't agree with that statement." I answer calmly. "If I truly did not wish to see you then why would I travel into the place that I have tried to avoid for almost two decades now? That wouldn't make any sense."
   "It wouldn't indeed." The voice says seriously, it seems to be drawing closer little by little.  "Though that would suggest that you came here on a whim, and you and I both known that you came here with a purpose in mind." The air suddenly goes still and the atmosphere is tense. "You came here to get rid of me." Familiar crimson eyes glow in the darkness a short distance away. Their orbs are lit with the flames of suspicion and anger. "To eliminate the part of yourself you believe to no longer be needed."
   "I don't wish to eliminate you."
   "Do not lie to me." It growls menacingly. A strong surge of air that rushes towards me leaving me merely inches away from the face of my former self. His tan skin seeming to glow in the darkness as his navy blue cape billows behind him like wings. "You cannot deceive me."
   "I don't want to eliminate you." I say sternly. An enraged sound escapes my former self and he grabs onto my neck. His grip is tight but not enough to actually harm me. He glares into my eyes. "Eliminating you was never my intention nor was it my desire." I grab on to his wrist, his eyes widen in surprise. "You are me and I am you. Never, not even in my darkest nightmares, would I ever dream or even think of hurting you, or riding myself of you."
   His grip on my throat loosens slightly and he remains frozen in place. Crimson eyes peer into mine, his gaze is intense as he peers into my eyes. His eyes gleam with confusion as he looks at my face. It is a strange sensation to be able to see my reflection but hardly see anything of myself within in. The person I was has created a new identity for themselves, but he seems to recognize me very keenly.
   "You truly mean that." He says mystified. His face has gone slack and he has fully released his grip on me. It would appear that I have surprised him. "This isn't what I had been expecting from you." I can only imagine what he thought I would do. How many days he has sat in this prison thinking about what I would do to him when our paths eventually crossed. In this moment I can finally see a small shred of myself within the eyes of Atem.
   "I tend to do the unexpected." I say with a small smile. "That is something that I learned from Yugi." His eyes flash with anger as he rips his hand away from me with a snarl. I can't help but feel confused at the sudden and quick change of his emotions. One moment he was calm and then the next he is outraged.
   "Do not speak that name to me!" He snarls. He turns away from me quickly and stands motionless, his hands trembling slightly.
   "I don't understand your anger."
   "Of course you wouldn't." He grumbles darkly. His head hangs low for a moment before slowly rising back up. "Why are you here?" His body is completely rigid. "There must have been something that you had hoped to accomplish by coming here. Now what is it?" He snaps at me bitterly.  "What do you want from me?"
   "That's actually something that I should be asking you." He turns back to glance at me with a curious expression. "My son believes that the reason you have been taking over me is because you want something from me."
   "Your son?" He murmurs softly. "You have children with Yugi."
   "Yes." He doesn't respond to me, he remains completely silent. "What is it that you want?" He glares at me.
   "I want my life back."