☆5: Contact with The 3rd Kind

"Faster!"

Yuji shouted at the three guys behind him.

"That voice! Isn't that belong to Alexis?!", asked Jaden, sweating.

The four of them dashed as fast as they can, passing through the trees and its branches-like obstacles after they heard a scream which belongs to Alexis.

"That scream... isn't it from the abandoned dorm?!", said Syrus worried as he's running.

"So, it's true", said Yuji grits his teeth.

Yesterday after dinner. Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, and Yuji, decided to play using Syrus deck to tell scary stories. The rule is simple, each of the players take a turn, if a player draws a monster card, he must tell a scary story, with the twist the higher the Level the monster had, the scary the story must be.

Then, Professor Banner come to their desk and decided to join them.

When it was his turn, Professor Lymann Banner draws a Level 12 monster card 'Barbaroid, The Ultimate Battle Machine', then told the story of the abandoned dorm that stood on the far side of the island that had been shut down when many students went disappearing.

The rumor said that the kids' disappearance were due to getting caught playing a Shadow Game.

Based on the rumor, the reason why they are playing a Shadow Game were many, like for research, cult reason, get rid of a love rival, etc.

"I've heard of it... I thought it's just a rumor" said Syrus.

Jaden turned his head to Syrus, "Shadow Game? What kinda game is it?", asked him.

Professor Lymann Banner smiles, and then raised his index finger, "Shadow Game or also known as Game of Darkness, is a game between two or more peoples usually using The Millennium items, with heavy penalty for the loser or the one who cheated"

"With the penalty itself can be anything the winner wanted for the loser...", continues him.

He then brings his face closer to Jaden, and slowly opens his squinted eyes that always seems closed, "Including death".

"The result of the duel... can result in death?!", said Jaden, surprised.

Jaden smiles wryly and take a step back from him, "Uwa... I don't want to join in this kinda game"

Hearing the story about the abandoned dorm, pique Yuji's interest.

[Abandoned dorm... I remember that Crazy- umm... Prez told me about an upperclassman that researching about Duel Monster Spirit. She said that he was missing and the location of his disappearance is in The Old Obelisk Blue Dorm]

Yuji held his chin, [Not only that, but that weirdo Trueman also said that among the students that disappear, Atticus Rhodes is pretty much still alive]

The three of them looking at Yuji with curious eyes, "Yuji what's wrong?", asked Jaden.

Yuji shakes his head, "Hm? Oh No, nothing, by the way... where is Professor Lymann?", asked him looking around the cafeteria.

"Ah, he already left", replied Syrus.

"Is that so?", wonders him, a bit disappointed.

"Hey, hey! The Old Dormitory... sounds interesting, isn't it? Why don't we go there next?".

The one who is intriguing isn't Yuji alone, as Jaden comes up with an idea to check The Old Dorm in the following night, and as good Slifers Dorm mates, Yuji, Syrus, and Chumley also agreeing to his idea.

"Okay, then tomorrow... let's check it out!", yells Jaden excited.

"""Oui!!!""", Syrus, Chumley, and Yuji nods.

Yuji secretly clenched his hand, [The truth of The Old Obelisk Dorm... hmph, I'll be the one to unravel it!]

Back to the present situation.

The four Slifer students arrived in front of The Old Obelisk Blue Dorm.

Gray walls representing the passing of time and lifelessness. Cracks, moss, vines, and cobwebs covering some part of the dormitory's wall. If one's looking enough, a black and green stains also appear on the walls.

Of the dormitory windows, some of them had cracks, missing, or outright shattered. Its front fences also already rusted, the same also can be said with the front door that started to rot.

Between the gate, there is a large KEEP OUT sign to prevent people from entering the building.

But the creepiest thing from the building is that there is a faint smell of chemical compounds coming from it.

"Alexis!! Where are you?!", shouts Jaden.

"H-hey... maybe we should come back...", said Syrus as his body trembling as he grabs the hem of Chumley's uniform.

Chumley also hugs Syrus in the shoulder, and looking around the dorm with a scared yet watchful eyes.

The four of them shouts her name, and looking for any clue in front of the building for a while.

[What is that?]

Yuji walks forward a couple steps, then he crouched to grab something.

"What did you find?!", asked Jaden.

Yuji turned around and shows them what he has found.

"A red rose?", asked Syrus tilting his head.

Yuji nods, "Yeah, this flower... is still fresh", he then shifted his gaze to the building.

"I think, Alexis is inside", said Yuji, frowning.

Jaden bumped his fists together, "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go inside and save Alexis!", exclaimed him as he then started running toward the building.

"Big Bro, wait!", cried Syrus looking at Jaden who already run leaving them behind.

"Okay, let's go!", Yuji started to run, following Jaden.

"Ah!", Syrus extend his hand, he wanted to grab Yuji as to not leaving him behind.

"They're gone", sighs Syrus, "At least you're still with me right Chu-", just when he turned his head to Chumley, the person in question is nowhere to be found.

"I'm going too!", shouted Chumley, who ran following both of them.

Syrus widened his eyes, "Eh?", dumbfounded.

He realized that he is now alone in front of The Old Obelisk Blue Dormitory Alone.

The night wind passed his body, making his shivering, the sound of a broken twig entering his ears making his anxiety rose. But, the one that he can't truly stand is the howling of a canine that just emerges right when the moon's position just above him.

"Wa- wait... Wait for me!!!", fearing for his life, Syrus quickly ran following the three of them as he's bawling his eyes out.

The four of them ran inside the building, unbeknownst to them a dark shadow is watching.

...................

Inside The Old Abandoned Dormitory, the four of them walks slowly and closely to watch out for an ambush while using their flashlight as light source to investigate the dilapidated building.

As the four of them search the dorm,

"Everyone, look!", Syrus points his flashlight toward the wall.

"Isn't this the image of The Millennium Items?", said Yuji as he touches the wall.

It wasn't long since they head inside, but they already found a very suspicious images of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Millennium Items plastered on the wall.

None of them knew what the ancient text is saying, but according to Lymann's words, it can be deducted that the words and images containing the instruction or something related to Shadow Game.

But among the images of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Millennium Items, one image stood up like a sore thumb, which pulled Jaden's interest.

"Atticus Rhodes... who is this person?", asked Jaden held his chin and squinted his eyes as he's reading the name on the picture aloud.

Yuji walks approaching him, and surprised after he saw the image, "This is... isn't this Alexis' brother?!"

"Alexis has a brother?", wonders Jaden.

He glanced at Jaden with unbelievable eyes, "You didn't kn-"

Just when he wanted to answer Jaden question, Syrus and Chumley shouted.

"Big Bro!"

"Jaden, Yuji, come here!"

Yuji and Jaden looked and nods at each other, then ran up to where Syrus and Chumley are.

Syrus gets up, he held something in his hand. From the looks of it, it was a card, but belongs to whom?

He then gives the card to Yuji.

"Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon?", Yuji wondered about this particular card, he thought that it was Alexis' card like Étoile Cyber, but it wasn't.

"Strange...", Yuji mumbled, then an image of Trueman resurface in his mind.

Thinking about Trueman, the memory of him losing to that person also resurfaced, and he can't help but frowned.

Thinking about it, his expression become sourer. It was him who told Alexis in the first place about Trueman, or specifically about his brother who perhaps still alive.

If he were in her shoe, rather than standing idly, waiting for The News of his brother, wouldn't it better to investigate The Old Dormitory to search for a clue yourself?

...................

A day later, after meeting Trueman.

"Yuji, are you... are you truly sure?!"

Alexis grabs Yuji collar, and shakes him back and forth with a stunned and other complex expressions mixed in as she's trying to ask him.

Yuji told Alexis what happened before, or about his brother to be precise.

Based on what Trueman said, Atticus is still alive and well, but the reason why he operates as someone named Nightshroud is still unknown to him.

With a goal to revived his friend Rainbow Kuriboh, Yuji must gather the intel of how to revive him.

But the lead to revive him lays in the hand of the missing upperclassman, and the lead to the missing upperclassman lays in another missing upperclassman that is Alexis' brother, Atticus Rhodes.

When it comes to Atticus, who is the best person to ask other than his own sister Alexis?

But looking at her expression, Yuji's eyelids drops slightly, it seems that even Alexis didn't have any leads or knew anything.

Yuji closed his eyes, and slowly opens it to stares at Alexis, "Based on what I've been told..."

Yuji grabs her hands and shoved it away gently from his collar.

"Trueman...", whispers Alexis.

Yuji sighs after looking at her expression, and he then patted her shoulder as to reassure her.

"Don't get your hopes up. That Trueman is a shady one... who knows if the words he said were true or not"

He released his hand from her shoulder, then turned back.

"Well, that's all. See you-"

"Wait!!!"

Before he starts walking, Alexis quickly grabs his hand, surprising Yuji a bit.

Yuji turned his head and staring at her eyes, "What is it?"

Alexis narrowed her eyes and look at him with stern expression, "You... why do you tell me those things?!"

Hearing her words, Yuji tilted his head and wondering why she asked such question.

"Hm? That's because we are a fri-"

"Stop lying!!", yells her with moist yet fierce eyes.

"Yuji, I'm not that stupid! I know better when someone is lying. What? Why? Why are you telling me those things? What is your goal?!", insisted her, looking at him with an intimidating look.

Yuji closed eyes, thinking it'll be better to tell her his goal or not. But after he opens his eyes and stares at her unyielding expression, he let out a deep sighs and told her, "To get a lead"

"Lead? What lead? What is it had to do with my brother? Why?!", asked Alexis as she grips his hand more tightly.

Yuji smiles softly, "Fine, I'll tell you", he then told her what he meant by lead, and what for those lead for"

Hearing his reason made her surprised. Alexis slowly released her grip from his hand, and staring at Yuji with a complex look as she runs out of words.

"Y- you... what?", said her, dumbfounded.

Looking at her expression, Yuji smirks, "You won't get it"

After that, he starts to walk away from her.

But before he's leaving her completely alone, he grabs his PDA, then sending Trueman's contact and other things he knew about the missing student or something related.

It wasn't much, but he sincerely hopes that the information maybe useful for her.

...................

Yuji's face darkens, he clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails almost pierced his flesh.

[I'm such an idiot! Why did I tell her all of that?!]

If what he thinks were true, then it was his responsibility if something bad happens to her!

Yuji gave the card back to Syrus.

"It'll be better if it's you the one who keep it", but he refused to keep it and insisted that Yuji himself keeping it.

"Jaden, Syrus, Chumley. The three of you stick together, sorry... but I'm going ahead!", said Yuji looking at his dorm mates with firm eyes.

"But Yuji, what if somet-", Syrus refused his idea, worried that if something bad happens to him.

But Jaden cuts his words by patting Syrus on the shoulder.

"We've got it. You go ahead, but make sure you call us if something bad happen", said Jaden, with a calm expression and eyes full of confidence and trust in his friend.

"Jaden...", Yuji's cheeks slightly blushing, and he nods, "Thank you, I'll search Alexis in the other direction!", told him as he then starts running in different direction.

Yuji was gone, leaving the three of them behind.

"Is it the right thing, Big Bro? What if something happen to him?", asked Syrus staring at Jaden.

Jaden rubs his nose, "Don't worry, Yuji is a strong duelist, we just need to believe in him", told him to reassures Syrus.

Syrus shifted his gaze toward the direction Yuji went to.

"Um, I'm going to believe in him. If it Yuji, maybe he can found Alexis faster than us"

...................

Obelisk Blue Dormitory (Abandoned).

With only the flashlight in hand, and moonlight for the light sources, Yuji ran and knocking on the doors inside to search for Alexis.

"Tch, not here!"

Yuji knocked the tightly shut door to opens it, but Alexis isn't in the room, only a broken bed and fallen wardrobe.

He ran, opens or knocking on the door, inspect, repeat, and repeat, and repeat, but the figure of a certain girl can't be found.

"If something bad happening to her like- Kuhn!", Yuji shakes his head, trying to stop thinking about the worst situation.

Yuji punched the wall beside him, "Damn it! Alexis... where are you?".

Sweats trickling from his forehead, and his breath become rougher. He checked his PDA, trying to contact Jaden and co.

But as luck would go, his PDA's battery ran out, leaving him alone without knowing the current time and even contacting his friends.

[Why does it have to run out of battery right now?!]

Yuji took a deep breath, and leaning against the wall he punched before, trying to catch some break.

The moon outside was getting higher, and his anxiety about Alexis' safety and his friends is also getting higher.

"Gah!", As to erase his anxiety, the moon with its dazzling light blinded him for a second.

"Hmm, who is that?"

Thanks to the moonlight dazzling his eyes, Yuji realized that a dark figure was standing outside. Judging from the posture and curves of the body, he realized that the dark figure belong to that of a woman.

"Alexis!", he shouted, but the dark figure didn't reply him.

"Oi! Alexis!!", he shouted again, but the dark figure didn't reply him.

Skeptical, Yuji start to ran outside to meet the dark figure.

...................

"Where is it?"

A girl is standing outside under the bright moon, she turned her head looking for something, or perhaps... someone.

Sweats trickling from her back and cheeks, her body shivering with breaths visible like a white mist as if like she was in the middle of a snowstorm.

"Alexis!"

Just then, a shout was heard, her hair stood up, and her brain give an electrifying sensation to her whole body.

[DANGER!]

She turned back, pointing her weapon and immediately launch an attack.

KABOOM!

It was fortunate that the boy were athletic enough to dodge the attack, if he's not, he surely would get a gaping hole in his torso or worse, as her attack pulverize the ground where he was standing previously.

"That was dangerous!", yells the boy angrily.

"You... You are dangerous!", told her with stern expression and with a cold tone as if she wants to kill him.

The boy tilted his head, a puzzled expression plastered on his face.

Even so, the girl still pointing her weapon, as she felt a nauseating and painful feeling as if she were constricted by thorny vines by just looking at him.

"Me? Dangerous? But I haven't done any..."

The girl noticed that the boy were wearing a strange device in his left hand. Well, calling it a strange device is a bad manner, she knew exactly what the strange device is and just realized what his occupation is.

"You are a duelist, aren't you?! If so, then let's have a duel! If I win, you must tell me everything you know or else..."

"Tell you what?! I haven't done any-"

The girl quickly silenced him by pointing her weapon to his face, she then smirks, "Silence! Duel me or get pulverized?"

"Can you just listen to me for a sec?!", yells him as he tries to persuade her, but the girl didn't reply.

The boy stood in silence for 10 seconds, he covered his face with both hands, feeling slightly annoyed and dejected.

The boy let go of his hands, and release a long, deep sigh.

He stares at the girl's eyes.

"I Refu-"

BOOM!

The girl launched another attack, this time she purposely misses hitting him.

The boy slowly turned his head to look at the place behind him, the boy then gulped his saliva after he witnessed the devastation she brought, then turned his gaze toward the girl with his body trembling.

"Duel me... or get Pulverized?", coerced the girl, smiling a bit wicked like Cinderella's stepmother.

With a scared expression, the boy nods slowly, agreeing to duels her.

The girls nods satisfied, "Good choice! Then-"

"Duel!", exclaimed the girl.

"Duel...", sighs the boy.