"Actually can I say something?" Syrus said with light voice.
Zane lightly moved his face toward Syrus.
Everyone doesn't looked like they had problem, feeling the thumbs up Syrus started saying.
"Actually I was always scared to duel since I was kid."
Ryo thought it will be long story.
"I always wanted to be like Zane, my big brother. But I knew that I can't... so I never really wanted to duel so I could never had to fail." He was still smilled and there wasn't sadness in his eyes.
"But then i, for some reason or another ended up at here, Duel Acedmy. I thought I am just gonna make fun of myself. I wanted to runaway... heh but I didn't even had courage to do that. Heh. And time just went and went I started to get confidence. Even though just bit by bit."
He brought his head up. Everyone was sitting on chair, we had brought four tables together. Only Zane was on his wheel-chair. But doctors said he is recovering and will start to run in no time.
"It is just plain truth that if I hadn't mate Jaden-San than nothing like this would had happened. Maybe I had already runaway but I learned from him that he also had a duelist he looked up to but he never wanted to be like him. He wanted to someone like just him who could beat that duelist by his own."
Syrus mad big smile.
"So kinda indirectly, I learned that I had to become what i can be, not like my brother Zane."
Ryo thought it was a Syrus's story of life that was everything to him. He even thought that why he wanted to say this.
"Actually..." Syrus said. "I just felt what you are gonna say is not something you had ever wanted to tell. So I just shared what Is kinda embarrassing for me." He scratched his back side hair. "I should be proud of it yet I am kind of embarrassed heh." He finished.
Everyone had smile on their face and kind of proud feeling. Like they saw their kid riding cycle on their own.
Ryo : "You didn't had to make me feel comfortable Syrus... these things wouldn't matter to me in future."
"I just wanted to say what I actually experienced in childhood. And to be precise,"
Everyone's attention and expression had frost as Ryo spoke. In the lights off dining room, his red eyes looked different.
"It's all real."
All they had to see in darkness was a candle, and it's orange flame made Ryo's eyes more red.
Everyone set their eyes on Ryo.
"When I was little I always heard some wierd noises, sometimes sounds and sometimes same words over and over again."
Everyone flinched their eyes.
"I still remember so clear like it just happened to me last night. Always weird words like help me. You are only one. And even you. Like attracting me to somewhere someone. Those bone-chilling voices were everywhere. Wherever i turn or go i hear them. Just like knowledge."
Everyone made a stiff expression until Hayato spoke.
"Knowledge?"
"Yeah. Just like fear."
"Eh? Both are same thing? Knowledge and fear?"
"Yeah. It depends on how you see it. Matter of perspective."
"Perspective?"
"Yeah." Ryo gave example. "Imagine, right now you are at sea, sky is deep blue sea is dark blue white and black clouds are drifting eternally everywhere. What do you feel about seeing it?"
Ryo ask while moving his face slightly to everyone. Like a signal thar it was for everyone to answer.
Hayato said after making some murmur. "Sea is knowledge, knowledge is sea, limitless. Right?"
Ryo shake his head. Looked like denial.
"Just like sky and sea you need knowledge and wisdom both or without sea sky isn't blue and without sky you can't see difference of sea." Astral Phoenix said, his thumb on his chin.
Again Ryo shook his head and eyes closed.
Alexis, her arms folded said. "Just like endless-ness of sky the information we have is cloud, good or bad it is still cloud. And it is just useful while it is stiff or it will disappear into nothingness, no value."
Again Ryo shook his face.
"I GET IT!" Chazz shouted with click of two fingers. "Just like different perspectives you have to think. What you think is true."
Ryo did same again.
"Just what the hell it is !" Chazz irritated.
"It is as I said in first place. What you think it is." Ryo answered.
"What?"
"Perspective. If you think knowledge is as deep as sea it is. If you think knowledge is as endless as sky it is. If you think white cloud I'd bad it is, black cloud is good it is. Just like cloud knowledge drifts and fades away it does. Even after fading knowledge is still remembered it is remembered. What you think is correct answer." Ryo explained.
"How's that different from what I said just now."
"Perspective, what you think."
"?"
"I said in start that what you feel it is. No matter what others said sky wouldn't be limited if everyone just said it. Sea wouldn't taste sweat if anyone just said it. You have to think and you are right for yourself."
"So what we think right is right?"
"Yeah. In other words perspective. If you saw sour is not real word but sweat is you believe it even if others won't l."
Everyone still shook their heads in half way.
"Thwn it is very very simple one no need to think. A deer runs on field, running away from lion. Who is bad here?"
"Lion Of course."
Without a moment everyone said.
"Wrong."
"There is no other option! What else?" Chazz irritated.
"Why just assumed lion is bad because it is gonna eat deer?"
"Because it is bad, brutal, cruel. If you are attacking who someone who can't even protect itself, can't fight back then what is bad about deer? Lion is answer." Alexis said in calm voice.
"No. Deer is bad."
"Now it is just shit!" Chazz made a fist and smashed on table.
"No. I am just asking question here. No trick question no double meaning, no lie. I am just telling truth."
"Then what is answer?" Syrus said, cold sweet on his forehead.
Zane just looked this whole time.
"If one says lion is chasing deer to not kill but eat but it is automatically kill. Deer eats grass—"
"BECAUSE DEER DOES IT! IT IS FOR DEER!" Chazz shouted.
"Yes. Precisely, lion at least gives deer chance to run. But what about grass? Grass have life, plants have life. Does it is not valuable because earth is too much green? Isn't deer villain or bad though?"
"Then what does it mean?"
"Perspective. For deer lion is predator, but for poor grass it is protector and deer is predator."
Everyone was silent for few seconds and Hayato said. "Then how it was related to knowledge?"
"As knowledge is everywhere, just like duel no matter how many strategies one have what you consider right can be wrong and what you consider wrong can give the putcome you want. if you see in sea or sky you will learn what you want to. As it is everywhere. Just like those voices which wherever I went, looked or heard, it was all there. I just wanted to explain in detail."
Except Zane everyone was staring at Ryo, like he just asked for their bank balance.
"Now let me continue my story,"
Ryo blinked it one time and said.
"As I said I always heard weird noises and felt like they were attacking me. But that is not all. Even when I heard I never felt vulnerable nor scared or anything but I always asked myself, why only I heard these sounds? But things didn't just stayed at the noises."
Everyone lit their heads up.
"After some time I felt stares, after that very big and bad stares even if they just took me by surprise, even they become normal. And one day from my deck,"
Everyone's face flinched.
"I had a card at that time. It was a Space Phoenix, you all definitely never heard of that card but this is a topic even I had forgotten, forgotten doesn't mean it was just cease from existence but when the incidents with that one card happened I always had forgotten what had happened to me at that time."
For s split moment the wisp of candle burned fierce.
"I always felt I am somewhere else for a moment and the next moment at the place I was. And then as if, I founded where all those voices, those sounds and words were coming from."
"Where?" Everyone asked in low voice, except Zane,Astral and Atticus.
"It was from my deck. Whenever I hear somethings that I shouldn't hear, I always had my deck with me. But when I didn't, I didn't had my deck with me. And one day I had lost my card Space Phoenix, not exactly lost but one day I just never found it like it never existed."
It was the moment same things started to happen.
"One day at a duel that was so important, it wasn't about my life but other four and to all around, eight lives I had drawn that card, Space Phoenix. He was like my Soul Partner."
Everyone seemed confused.
"Wait! Didn't you said that you had lost that card!?"
"Yeah I did. But I don't know why... no I know."
"Why?"
"I can't tell. But I needed Space Phoenix. It was the only card who could had saved those lives. And I drawn it. And remembered everything I know."
[Note: Read chapter 8 ending and chapter 9 full if don't remember what Ryo us saying.]
"What did you remembered?"
"What I had forgotten but it was more than I had forgotten. And yet I felt it was Space Phoenix and my deck that was making me hear those things and at same time they helped me whenever I wanted. Even then the place Space Phoenix have In me will not change and the thing that him and my deck have saved me. And yet I feel Space Phoenix is not with me."
"Can I see Space Phoenix?"
Even in this sudden atmosphere made by Ryo's life experiences, just told by him. Chazz still wanted to see knowing how mysterious everything Ryo said was.
Ryo said in voice that cut through conversation. "I don't have Space Phoenix right now."
"WHAT!? THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL THIS!? IN THE END IT WAS JUST A STORY!" Chazz in rage.
Ryo thought Chazz was giving this story very close attention like something like this has happened to him.
"Come to think of it isn't Astral is a guy in Acedmia too? I wonder is there any difference between them. Though so far they are really just same."
"Don't tell me you are gonna forget all this and then remember when you got Space Phoenix back?" Hayato was dazed.
"I don't know? Who knows."
And the sudden wisp of candle was calm again. And the night of stories went by as now everyone was in their dorm. But Ryo again at night tried to search D-Bike.
Just in flow, Ryo had asked others about the forest and if there are any dangerous areas.
And everyone said not to go at forest at night. As there seem to lurk something like no one sees but exists and is dangerous. A place only at some nights comes and goes next day. Not explaining much they just told Ryo not to go deep in forest, as safety even if it is day.
And Ryo being Ryo, a boy who does what he deemes right goes there at night. Doing same thing, silently opening the door of Osiris dorm, Syrus and other's room he goes outside, and with support of one hand he jumped long from dorm to downside with cool looking jump.
This time he started running at very fast, sprinting through forest as thinking in his mind.
"I was definitely at that area in forest last night. But they said at some nights it appears then will I be able to go there tonight? Actually it doesn't matter I will just go there with same way as last night."
With same way he went and went in same route as last light and found himself at the same place as before.
"This... is it." He took bit breathing before saying.
And started looking around. There he saw the same thing as last night. A dark place more dark than darkness. But this time he didn't go there and just stayed and observed the place first.
Some noises of branches being move and leafs falling came.
Ryo turned his head fast and found someone sleeping on a big large branches.
He had brown mid length hair and Osiris uniform-jacket.
"Never got a visitor at night." The person said.
Ryo was on guard even though this person was supposed to be a student Ryo didn't felt simple air around him.
In night, at this dark place Ryo's red eyes were only pure visible thing."Can I ask who you are?" Ryo said in bit cold and calm voice.
"I am Jaden. And you?" He said in calm voice.
"Ryoho Akaba."
"He is Jaden? He seems exactly as they said. But why is he here?"
"You are that new person who is with Syrus and others right? I figured you weren't here for simple reason but just got here and trying to go back."
"You know what I am and what I am doing?"
"Yeah. Yubel told me and without her telling I knew you are good person."
"Yubel?"
Ryo then looked around Jaden closely and found a figure flying around.
Ryo spoke. "You are Yubel? Just like your name you are Yubel."
"I could say same to you. Just like your name "Ryoho" You are two person. You have great evil residing you."
Yubel said in same calm and slow voice like it is no danger for her.
"You don't seem good to me either." Ryo's eyes on Yube and Jaden at same time.
"Don't judge my appearance."
"Same to you. I decided what is good or bad by themselves."
"Don't get climbing at each other. Ryoho right? Why are you here? Actually you look like you want to go somewhere and this is your tunnel for that."
"Yeah probably."
"Then you shouldn't waste time go."
"It was plane from start."
And This time Ryo without having thoughts of different things turned to that darker than darkness area.
He didn't say or did anything but just told a word in mind as he brought his palm to hid heart.
"If you consider me as I you, help me."
His heart started to shine and in the dark forest the white little white area was born and from that darker than dark place black light covered that area and weird voice come. Ghostly voice and it echoed through whole forest.
"You are the person brought here by darkness. I can help you only if you can use your soul of light. Without it I can only trap you here."
"Then make me go where my people are. I need to go there. And help them." Ryo said his voice gone through forest.
"I will but I can't do it alone I need something."
"!"
Jaden who was unfazed still now like it was clear he was expecting something like this. No like anything doesn't mattered to him.
And then from the black light came a shadow that looked like it was wavering, not in it's true form. Just like shadow, ever changing.
"The people of here will forget about you."
It said as if it was natural.
Ryo answered like the answer was obvious. "I don't mind do it."
Jaden flinched.
"You don't care if the bond they made with you are erased."
For the first time, Ryo had impression of Jaden, someone who cares and at same time don't care about someone else had shown worrieness.
Ryo smiled, looked at Jaden and said.
"Do I need to tell you why?"
"You won't care if they forget things. And the memories."
"It's not like I am forgetting them but reverse. And are you one to talk. You seem to be staying alone detetching others. Then why you care?"
"Because..."
"Because they are your friends. Then you should go with them not me."
"It doesn't matter I have their memories and they have mine. We are to go different paths once we graduate. And that day is more close."
"Then it's same for me. As long as I have their memories it's all that matters. They may forget me is better because I wasn't gonna stay with them forever but you will be remembered by them. I don't belong here but you do. You should go with them and let yourself be remembered not me."
Jaden had same smiley expression till now but it flinched.
"Though I am saying this probably even you will forget me as I have now been remembered by you. But you should remember who you used to be."
"Me?"
"You seem like you have lost yourself. They talked like you used to be someone who made them enjoy duel but now you have forgotten how you enjoy."
"I forgot the enjoyment of duel?"
"Yeah. And they are very worried about you. More then they could ever be for me. So ho and enjoy while you can."
And he then turned in the white area to that dark ghostly place.
"I am ready."
"Then I will do it."
And the night, whole island was white for few moments.
# Acedmia
"It took lot of time." Celina said while sigh of exhaustion.
"Let's go now." She turned to her sports bike and started it.
"Help me!"
She heard Ryo's voice.
"Ryo!?"
Without thinking for another second she turned where she heard the voice. And run to there.
She entered the forest and found herself at a certain area.
"What happened to Ryo!?"
She was at a certain darker than darkness place and heard a ghostly echoe.
"Celina we need your help."
"What? What are you?"
Suddenly the area around her become like shinning moon of nightand she was standing alone in light but the front of her was still that same dark.
"Ryoho too need your help and everyone."
"What do you mean? But if Ryo and everyone need my help I will." Her sharp crystal like eyes weren't wavering. Or looking side to side but her eyes fixed on darkness in front.
"Then I will be with you."
But then Celina become stiff.
"Wait. How can I believe Ryo needs my help? You are not playing games here."
"You have to believe. Isn't the last time you met Ryoho he was with a strange person and Ryo seemed different."
Celina didn't say. Her eyes drifted to that memory. She didn't say but she seemed she sgreed.
"Even if you were happy and satisfied but sometimes you have to do more. Nothing is wrong with Ryoho but he too won't be same and others too but that doesn't matter here we need your help that is fact and truth."
"But how come I believe Ryo is in need? I will help him however he need but I need proof."
Celina wasn't wavering nor wuthering. But she was worried.
"You will find out once you go don't worry I will be with you and give you power and help."
The ghostly voice said and the space like area shine more.
"Fine but if you played any tricks you will regret."
"Don't worry."
And the space and stars and moon in there shine bright.
And the Acedmia, for a split second was like it never shine like this.
And so Celina's deck.
# Synchro Dimension
"Rin. We let's do this like we did before." Yugo said with bright sparkling smile.
"Yeah." Rin said in warm and energetic voice.
As they were working on to repair their white D-Wheel.
"Huh?"
"What happened Rin?"
"My deck. Is shinning."
# Xyz Dimension
Lulu was on her bed.
Her deck at the table beside her bed started to shine.
# Standard Dimension
"Huh? My deck is shining." Yuzu said looking at her deck.
# Outside Of Neo Domino City
"Aghhh! What is this!?"
Yugo was tied with metal ropes.
"Oh yeah. Guess this is time."
A echoe came as it made Yugo like he will kill everyone around him.
"Guess micro eyes is off... in this place."
Yugo was in a dark place where no one was.
"My 10 years are started."
And the sound of metals and strong things being crushed to zero came.
And Yugo made whistle.
# At Limits Of Neo Domino City, Forest
Future duelist was standing at front of giant tree, his D-Bike parked in shade of tree and behind him was darker than dark forest that seemed it will eat light.
"Tsk. Time is up huh. It's you." Like he recognized everything.
Future duelist clenched his tounge, tighten his fist and his sharp eyes made the area in front of his vision looking serious.
And from the forest, vines and branches and leafs and big trees seemed to eat anything that entered forest and everything in it become black.
And from ground black roots gone to future duelist and and sky become black and clouds become dark, lightning striking everywhere future duelist was standing.
And future duelist firm, with his right hand placed his palm on heart and tighten it where the heart was and declared.
"You may control me but you can't control my soul."
His blood-red eyes shine more red, his whole body, his black jeans, black hoodie and white sneakers as if everything was disappeared in light.
His whole body started to shine white and everything that was approaching it disappeared like vanished and around him was a white shinning circle and that orb of light shine like blast.
The orb was like blast on forest it goes and goes. Covered sky and forest and with white. Whole forest become white. Colorless, just white. Like future event erupted with white light. In it all fall into forest and sky.
Light was like eruption.