10:20 PM
Night had settled quietly over the Slifer Red dorm. The outdoor corridor lights cast long amber streaks across the floorboards, while beyond the railing the field hummed with the steady chorus of crickets. The air smelled faintly of grass and cooling wood, the kind of calm that usually made the dorm feel safe.
Syrus stood in front of Jaden's door, hands curled into the sleeves of his jacket.
For a moment, he just breathed in... and out.
Finally, he lifted his hand and knocked.
Knock knock knock.
"Ah! It's Syrus!"
Footsteps thudded from inside, before a brown kuriboh haired boy opened the door with an enthusiastic smile.
"Hey, buddy! You're back! How was the training?"
"Uhh… it was good," Syrus replied, a little too quickly.
He try to kept his head lowered, eyes fixed downwards towards the floorboards. Syrus thought that if he didn't look up, maybe it wouldn't be obvious. Though Jaden leaned down anyway, cheerful curiosity written all over his face.
"Oh yeah! Me, Chumley, and Winged Kuriboh are playing games inside, and we need a fourth player. So do you want to- Huh!?"
Jaden stopped mid-sentence, and his grin faded.
"Sy... did you…?"
Jaden leaned closer, concern replacing enthusiasm. "Did you cry?"
Syrus stiffened.
The redness around his eyes had faded only slightly but still visible. His lashes were still clumped from earlier tears, the skin beneath faintly swollen no matter how hard he had tried to wash it away. Syrus maybe have calmed down by now, but the evidence of 20 minutes straight of crying was still etched on his face.
"Eh?!" Syrus blurted.
Before he know it, Syrus whole face turned a blush red from embarrassment, and almost immediately he try to cover it up with his whole hands.
"I-I'm tired ,Jay! I'm going to sleep!" he blurted.
Before Jaden could react, Syrus slipped past him in a blur, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hurried inside. He rushed past Chumley and Winged Kuriboh, who were seated cross-legged on the floor with a portable console between them, and without so much as a greeting, Syrus climbed up into his bunk, and disappeared under the blanket like a retreating turtle.
Everyone stared in silence
Chumley slowly lowered the console. "Uh… Jay?"
Chumely pointed at Syrus with his thumb.
"What happened to Syrus?"
"Kuri kuri?" Winged Kuriboh chirped, eager to know the answer.
Jaden remained by the doorway, his hand was rubbing against the back of his head, also asking the same question in his head.
Then he glance towards Mash dorm room next door.
"I… don't know," he admitted. "But I'll ask Mash tomorrow."
With that, Jaden shrugged it off momentarily before shutting the door gently.
---
Syrus slept soundly on his bunk, his breathing was slow and even, as the quiet of the dorm wrap around him like a peaceful blanket. Clearly, nothing can interrupt his slumber-
"AND THE SECOND PLACE WINNER IS....!"
Then, a voice boomed from a speaker, which made Syrus eyelids twitched.
"SYRUS TRUESDALEEEE!!!"
Finally, Syrus eyes snapped open and suddenly he was no longer in his bed. He was seated in a folding chair beneath bright gymnasium lights, surrounded by a roaring crowd. Students filled the rows to his left and right, cheering, clapping, calling out his name.
Syrus blinked in confusion.
[Is this... A dream!?] Syrus thought, and as he pinched his cheeks, sure enough there was no pain.
[So it is a dream. But why... does it feel so vivid?]
Just as Syrus was confused, his gaze suddenly shifted forward, and there he saw his younger self from middle school, standing atop the podium with a silver medal hanging around his neck. The grin on that boy's face was unrestrained, bright with disbelief and pride.
Syrus felt a lump form in his throat.
[Ah... I remember. This was that time when I placed second at the school dueling competition... I felt so proud back then...]
[But...] Syrus face suddenly darkened.
And as if noticing, suddenly, The lights dimmed without warning. The applause distorted, stretching into something hollow, and the scene of the dream shifted.
Syrus was no longer in the gym; he was standing in the corner of his childhood bedroom. His younger self was sprawled on the bed, with a phone pressed to his ear and the silver medal discarded on the pillow.
"Big Brother! Look! Look!" the Dream-Syrus said excitedly onto the phone. "I took second place in the dueling tournament! I finally thought maybe we could—"
"Second place?"
The voice from the phone wasn't just cold; it was absolute zero. Syrus felt not only the atmosphere but also the temperature in the room plummet.
"You achieved second place, and now you think you are worthy to duel me?" Zane's voice crackled through the speaker. Younger Syrus flinched as if he'd been struck.
"B-but brother... I made it to the finals! I must be getting stronger, right?"
"Strong?"
Zane's tone remained flat, but surgical. "Syrus... I may be out of town, but I still watched the livestream of the tournament. You didn't win because of skill, Syrus."
"You got lucky."
The younger Syrus eyes widen. "W-what...? B-but brothe-"
"So many mistakes," Zane cutted Syrus off. "So many missed plays. So many times you could've win earlier. And yet, the only reason you stood on that podium is because your opponents made even more mistakes than you."
"Even if you had taken first... I still wouldn't duel you." Zane continued.
Younger Syrus face went pale, as any trace of pride left from his victory has vanished.
"Now, I have a real match to attend to." Zane said coldly. "Don't forget to brush your teeth before going to bed, bye."
Click.
The silence that followed was heavier than the noise had been. The younger Syrus stared at the ceiling, his face a mask of exhaustion and defeat. Standing in the shadows, the older Syrus clenched his fists so hard his ghostly knuckles turned white.
[Why...]
[Why am I being shown this dream...???]
[What reason is this being shown to me...!?]
"Because you... are weak, Syrus Truesdale."
An ominous voice suddenly said creeping from behind Syrus, just as Syrus turned there was nothing.
"Who was that!?" Syrus shouted, but no one answered.
but just as Syrus turned to look back, he saw something horrifying.
The dream Syrus who was just laying down on the bed, was suddenly standing in front of him.
"Because you're weak... our brother abandoned us," the Dream Syrus hissed.
"No... No! you're wrong!" Syrus stepped back, his voice trembling but defiant. "I'm training with Aniki now! I'm going to master Speedroids, and then-"
"As if you'll ever master anything!" The dream-self stepped into his space, and the room began to bleed into a pitch-black void.
"Three days of training. Do you want to know what you've achieved?"
Syrus's breath hitched.
"NOTHING!" the double screamed.
Syrus looked around as the darkness rushed in, swallowing the furniture, the walls, and the floor until they were suspended in an empty abyss. The only thing visible was Dream Syrus, outlined in a sickly, pale light.
"You memorized every cards in your deck,"
The double taunted, taking a slow step forward.
"You practiced the Synchro summons."
The double took another step.
"You was shown the combo over, and over."
Another step
"And yet, you fail. Again. And again. And again."
"So... now I'll ask YOU." He stopped inches from Syrus's face.
"What makes this failure any different?"
The question struck deeper than the insults. Syrus felt his strength drain from his limbs as he sank to his knees. The darkness thickened around him, pressing in from all sides like a tightening vines, ready to strangle and devour him whole.
"You should've drowned trying to leave the island," the double whispered. "Pathetic loser."
The weight became suffocating. Every memory of failure surfaced at once, every loss, every trembling hesitation, every disappointed look. The accusations felt less like attacks and more like confirmations.
[Maybe it was true.]
.
[Maybe I really was some weak loser.]
.
[Maybe I am destined for this.]
.
[Maybe I really should've-]
.
.
"Syrus..."
.
.
The darkness faltered.
There Syrus heard it, a gentle and warm voice coming from deep within his heart.
"Don't give up now, you little shit. I'm not about to watch the little brother I'm proud of drown in his own head." The voice chuckled.
Syrus's eyes snapped open within the dream.
[Mash…? No.]
[Aniki!]
"Get up, Syrus," the voice urged with a grin. "I know you've still got it in you."
A small, defiant smile broke across Syrus's face.
"Hehe... you're right, Aniki!"
The shadow that had gripped his body was pushed out as a clear, radiant light burst outward from his chest.
"I am a loser,"
Syrus admitted as he pushed himself upright. His legs trembled, but he stood.
"I fail. Over and over, and over again."
The other Syrus stared at him, stunned. "W-what!?"
"But this time will be different," Syrus continued, lifting his head. His voice no longer shook.
"Because now..."
The glow around him intensified, driving the darkness back step by step.
"I can fail... as many times as it takes!"
His eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Until I succeed."
The declaration rang through the void like a struck bell. The shadowed double stumbled backward, shielding his face from the light. The creeping darkness that had wrapped around Syrus's limbs dissolved into nothing, unable to withstand the steady brilliance emanating from him.
Then somewhere in the distance, a massive cyan thread....
Snapped.
The energy of that snap surge forth in waves of cyan light.
"T-this can't be!" the double stammered, panic overtaking his earlier certainty. "You're supposed to stay weak! You're supposed to hide behind others! So how...!? how did you...!?"
"HOW DID YOU-"
BOOOOOM!
"Well said… Syrus Truesdale."
A colossal white-and-blue dragon descended from above in a spiraling torrent of wind and light, crushing the double under its weight.
Its six diamond shape emerald like wings flared wide, scattering the remaining darkness like ashes in a storm. With a single sweeping motion of its serpentine tail, it brush away the fragments of the double back into the darkness.
Syrus raised an arm to shield himself from the gale, heart hammering as the storm settled. When the winds died down, the dragon hovered before him, radiant and imposing. Its yellow eyes regarded him with a sharp, measuring intensity, yet there was approval there as well.
"Y-you're…!"
Recognition struck him all at once.
"{Clear Wing Synchro Dragon}!?"
The dragon's wings folded slightly as it regarded him. "My expectations for you were low compared to my previous master," it growled, voice was ancient but robotic.
"Yet you have severed the thread of fate that sought to bind you. For that… I shall acknowledge you, for now."
"W-what!?" Syrus was even more confused now.
"Thread of fate? Previous master? You accept me... for now!? What is happening!????"
Then suddenly, behind the dragon, a path of emerald-blue light unfurled through the void, stretching toward a distant brilliant light that pulsed like a rising star
"Go, Syrus Truesdale!" Clear Wing roared, the very air trembling with its command. "Soar toward the path with clear wings and mind, and claim the new destiny that awaits you!"
"AS YOU SHALL BE THIS FORBIDDEN ERA'S FIRST-"
---
Before the dragon could finish, Syrus jolted upright in his bed, breath ragged and skin slick with cold sweat, the unfinished proclamation echoing in his racing mind.
For a moment, he simply sat there, trying to steady himself.
Then he glanced toward the desk where a digital clock read 01:49 AM.
Seeing the time grounded him. The dorm was silent, wrapped in the deep stillness of early morning. Slowly, his heartbeat began to settle, and he let himself sink back against the pillow.
[That... was a strange dream,] Syrus thought.
As he turned in his bed, his gaze fell on the deck box resting near the edge of the bed. Without fully deciding to do so, he reached for it, opened it carefully, and slid out his Speedroid deck.
After a brief hesitation, he pulled out one card in particular.
{Clear Wing Synchro Dragon}.
He stared at the artwork, half-expecting the dragon to materialize as a spirit the way Winged Kuriboh did for Jaden and Lovely Labrynth did for Mash.
[Will it... come out?]
Syrus waited in anticipation, holding the card in both hands.
But nothing happened after a while, and he started to think he looked stupid.
[What am I doing, man... It's almost 2 AM now. I'll just head back to sleep.]
With a sigh, Syrus began to slide the card back into his deck... then hesitated for a moment.
[Maybe...]
He grabbed his deck and sat upright.
[Maybe I can try to do the combo again.]
Before he could overthink it, Syrus pulled his blanket over his head, cocooning himself in a small pocket beneath it. He switched on the flashlight function of his PDA, letting the dim beam illuminate the space under the cover.
There, he shuffled carefully and drew five cards.
Taking a steady breath, he looked at his opening hand.
[Okay, Syrus... You've seen Mash demonstrate the full line of the combo countless times, and the end board ends with two boss monsters...]
But then Syrus gulped.
[But it's such a long combo… and I've messed it up so many times! What if this time I—!!]
But then Syrus paused.
Something felt different.
The usual static of panic and self-doubt that usually cluttered his thoughts had suddenly become calm and clear, like the surface of water that hadn't been disturbed. Even his jagged breathing had steadied without him realizing.
Syrus lightly slapped his cheek and exhaled.
"Whatever... Let's just give it a try, shall we?" Syrus steeled himself as he finally analyzed his hand.
"Okay... so first, special summon this... then use its effect to special summon this..." He began placing cards carefully on the bedspread to perform the combo.
The motions felt smoother than usual, less forced. His hands moved with a rhythm that didn't require constant second-guessing.
Still, a familiar whisper tried to creep in.
[What if you fail, Syrus? Fail again and have Mash disappointed in you again.]
This thought would usually disrupt Syrus's flow, but...
"Synchro summon into this..." Syrus continued quietly, laying another card down. "And then use its effect to special summon these guys...!"
For some reason, the doubt didn't latch onto him the way it usually did. It brushed against his mind and slid away, unable to find even a single grip on him.
[There! There! You misplayed, didn't you!? You should restart now!] the inner voice insisted.
But Syrus paid it no mind. His instincts carried him forward. Each step flowed naturally into the next, like he wasn't assembling the combo piece by piece, but following something already mapped out in his head.
Until finally...
"I… did it?"
He stared at the field he'd built across his messy blanket.
"I did it."
Syrus smiled widely.
"I really did it! I did the combo, ha ha!"
A laugh bubbled out of him, half-disbelieving, half-delighted. On his makeshift end board were {Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon} and {Hi-Speedroid Chanbara}.
Syrus was really happy, of course, but then his smile faltered as he realized something...
"Wait… if I adjust that line and save this effect… wouldn't I be able to do...!"
As Syrus finally thought of it, he did the combo again, but now there was something different. Not only did Syrus's end board end with three boss monsters, but he also still had a normal summon.
"This is better," he whispered, heart racing. "But…"
Syrus smiled.
"It could be even better!"
Inside his mind, something had shifted. Gone were the static noise, panic, and hesitation. Now there was only clarity. Inside his mind, Syrus could clearly see pathways branching out before him like glowing routes on a map. He could see lines of play extending several steps ahead.
He shuffled and drew again.
Six new cards.
And instantly, he saw it.
A cleaner line. A stronger end board.
[Woah!!!]
Syrus screamed in his thoughts as his hands couldn't stop making and mixing combos.
[What is this!? What is this!?]
Syrus shuffled his deck and drew six new cards again, but this time, he could see an even clearer path toward a better end board in his mind.
[I… I could see everything!!!!]
His hands moved faster now, but not recklessly. Each summon connected smoothly to the next. Each effect resolved with purpose. End board after end board materialized across his blanket—three bosses, then four.
[I can't stop...!]
His excitement swelled with every iteration. The ideas didn't dry up; they multiplied. New variations. Better sequencing. More efficient lines.
[I can't stop!]
It felt like standing at the start of a crystal-clear road that stretched endlessly forward. Syrus ended on a new end board, then shuffled a new hand again.
[I CAN'T STOP IT!]
SYRUS CAN'T STOP WHAT HE'S-
WOOOOSH!!!!
The blanket was suddenly yanked off him.
Syrus blinked against the abrupt flood of light.
Jaden stood over the bed, one hand gripping the edge of the blanket. "Dude! Get up, it's already time for breakfast- oh."
He paused.
Syrus's eyes were bloodshot, with dark eye bags beneath them. His bed was a mess, cards scattered all over it as if a storm had swept through during the night.
Jaden stared at him.
"Uh… dude," he said carefully. "Did you even sleep?"
__________________________________________________
Tomorrow is a really important test I need to make...
BUT I DON'T CARE!!!!
I COULD'VE JUST USE THIS TIME TO STUDY!!!
I PROBABLY WILL REGRET IT THE NEXT DAY!!
BUT WHO CARES!????
GIVE ME POWER STONES NOW!!!
Also hope you guys enjoy this chapter, Chiao!
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