Darkness Before Dawn

Prologue

{} Flashback
\/ /\ Dream

Japanese school year

1st trimester: Second week April – Last week July
Summer vacation: Last week July - Last week August

2nd trimester: First week September – Last week December
Winter vacation: December 25 – January 7

3rd trimester: First week January – Last week March
Spring vacation: March 25 – April 7

Sunday, April 3, 2005
Domino City, Kantou Region, Japan

The rain poured down in a torrent from fat, iron gray clouds, plipping off of green leaves and soaking the good earth with fresh, life-giving moisture. The raindrops splashed and slid down the sleight roof of the old three story house that sat on a spacious lot, its white walls standing out in stark contrast against the grays and browns of the thick wood of tall old growth trees that flanked it.

In his third story bedroom, whose wood plank floor was littered with dirty laundry, boxes and half-read manga, eighteen-year-old rising university freshman Mutou Yugi sat clicking through all the old family photos he had spent the day scanning into his new computer.

'Rain again,' he thought, large lilac eyes casting a baleful glance at the gloomy weather outside his window.

The next photo made him pause and stare, moisture filling his eyes as an image of his younger self, ensconced in his parents' arms, smiled at him from the screen.

'Our last photo together, before...' Yugi thought as he closed his eyes against the lachrymose flood.

{

July 12, 1995
Kame Game Shop

Yugi and Grandpa were spending a rainy evening watching a movie while Yugi's parents were out for the evening act of a kabuki play. The joviality of the movie was disrupted by the shrill warble of the house phone.

Grandpa paused the movie and, with a pat on Yugi's spiky little head, rose to answer the phone.

Yugi sat waiting for Grandpa to return so they could resume their movie. From the other room, just audible over the pelting raindrops outside, Grandpa's voice drifted into his hearing.

"Yes, this is he... What?! Oh, gods!"

Yugi thought he heard a sob, but that was impossible, for his jolly Grandpa never cried.

"Yes... Thank you."

The click of the phone being hung up, barely audible over the swishing and soughing of the rain and wind against the walls and windows.

A few minutes later, Grandpa returned, lilac eyes dull and unfocused and features somehow looking older than they had a few minutes ago.

"Yugi, my boy, I'm so sorry..."

The rain was a torrent in his ears.

}

Blinking his eyes to clear away the noisome moisture, Yugi clicked through. Since that rainy night ten years ago, he had lived at the Kame Game Shop with his grandfather. Now that he was in college though, it was time for him to begin to make his own way through the world. Hence, his having decided to rent this house and live off campus, away from prying adult eyes.

"Hey, Yuge!" called a voice from downstairs.

"Yeah, Jou?!" Yugi called back, grateful that his voice didn't waver.

"Ya got ¥1,056* I could borrow? I'll be good fer it by Friday, I swear!" the voice called.

'Really, Jou?!'