Mark (discontinued)

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I try to make Kaiba less OOC, but if all of you felt the other way around, well... it can't be helped :)

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02


Seto sat on his chair, half listening to the teacher teaching math in front of the class. Naya Tendou wasn’t back from the rest room yet; it had been fifteen minutes after they parted ways. He suddenly began to feel worried; albeit he didn’t know the exact reason why he felt that way.

The teacher had ordered Yugi to take her glasses and some math tutorials from office where she accidentally left them. He had barely left for ten minutes when he already appeared at the door and after he gave the stuffs he had taken to the teacher, he stumbled back to his chair. Seto noticed that Yugi was panting and his face tightened in furrow. He frowned. Just what happened to the small boy, he thought.

Eventually the teacher noticed his oddness too and asked him, “Mutou-kun, why are your face looked so nervous and tight? Are you seeing ghost?”

Entire class but Seto laughed out loud at the crappy joke. Yugi just snickered weakly before replied, “No, Ma’am. But I saw disturbing things.”

The teacher frowned hearing his tight tone. “Disturbing? Like what?”

Yugi glanced worriedly at the empty desk and retorted, somehow stammered, “I—I saw Tendou-san. She almost collided with me at the corridor and—and—”

“And what?!” the teacher went stiff at the wary tone Yugi spoke of. The entire class went silent.

Seto stiffened his body. What happened to her?! He thought somehow frantically as he heard the shorter boy continued, “She—she was crying and running like hell. She also clutched her front like she was in pain and she—she also yelled, like she has been wounded or something! I asked her what’s happening but she refused to answer, and just shoved me aside and ran outside the school from the back gates…”

“Oh, God!” the teacher paled. “Have you told other teacher?”

Yugi nodded. “I’ve told Katsumoto-san. He promised me to search for her right now.”

“Good. We hope that he’ll find her immediately. For now, there’s no use for us to get all panic.” She reasoned with low voice and resumed her previous activity, writing equations on the chalk board. There were murmurs within the class, everybody talked about the newbie girl and what exactly happened to her. Some discreetly asked Yugi, but the short boy didn’t bother to reply.

Seto’s head went spinning. He was now worried madly about Naya. Even though their encounter was short, he began to consider her as friend. And she wasn’t just friend, but true friend …maybe. And he wouldn’t abandon his true friend. Ha! If Isis heard this, she would surely laugh at him. He, the great Seto Kaiba who previously didn’t believe at fate, past life, magic, and even true friendship, now considered someone as true friend. What a joke!

But he didn’t care much about those things anymore. All he did care now were Naya’s where about and safety. Shit! What the hell happened to her?! Yugi said, she was crying and—and yelled as if she was hurt! And she was running like hell as if she was hunted down by some demons! Fuck, what happened to her after they parted ways at the corridor?! Seto moved his feet restlessly beneath his desk.

Fuck! He couldn’t stand still any more…

“Hmm? Yes, Kaiba-kun? What’s wrong?” the teacher looked upward at Seto who stood towering in front of her desk.

“I feel ill, Ma’am. Can I go home?”

“Well, you look kindda pale. Sure, go home and rest.”

“Thanks.”

He hurried out from the class and paced to his locker. After picking his metal briefcase, he fished his keys from his pocket and half ran to the parking lot. He spotted his black BMW and unlocked it; he dropped down to the driver seat, put on safety belt and got his car roaring.


***


Yugi watched Kaiba’s departure with nervous and worried mind. He felt someone nudging him on his back and he turned around just in time he saw Katsuya stretched his head forward to whisper to him, “What exactly happened, Yugs?”

He whispered back. “Like I said before, I just happened to be almost collided with her at the corridor and saw her crying and yelling like she was in pain, and she suddenly darted out the back gates.”

“I know dat!” the blond snapped. “I mean, what the hell happened with dat idiot Kaiba?”

Yugi shrugged. “I thought I saw them chatting under the tree beside the library when lunch time. Maybe he was worried for her.”

Katsuya snorted. “Kaiba? Chattin’? With girl? Oh please…”

“You know, Jou-chan, Kaiba is changed now. Well, after Isis was successfully convincing him about his past life as Priest Seto, and—and after Yami, I mean, Atem was gone…”

Katsuya went silent. He pondered Yugi’s words for a while and slowly nodded. “Ya’re right, Yugs. He’s changed. He’s no longer cold, cruel bastard like he usually used to be. Well, he isn’t suddenly changin’ his entire demeanors, though; he’s still the same bastard fer me. Oh, he also still calls me ‘mutt’! I hate ‘im when he says dat name!”

Yugi just chuckled.


***


Naya felt herself being suffocated. Her mark was still throbbing painfully and she felt as if she had been skinned alive, starting from the angry wound on the middle of her chest. She looked around and saw nothing. For exactly, she couldn’t see anything for her surrounding was as dark as hell.

She tried to move and scream, but she found it was futile. She couldn’t either move or scream. She was just lying on the ground—if there was any ground—silently prayed for someone to come to save her. But she knew it was impossible; because this area was beyond human’s knowledge.

Shadow Realm; which the area was called with. She somehow knew about the hollow dimension from certain once Domino Museum guide woman named Isis Ishtar. She told her everything, including about Millenium items, their powers, and the Yamis. She told her about the spirit of Millenium Puzzle, Pharaoh Atem, who was eventually Yugi Mutou’s Yami, the champion of Battle City; and the evil spirit of Millenium Ring, the tomb robber named Bakura, who was eventually Ryou Bakura’s Yami. Oh yes, Naya played cards dueling too, but she considered herself not to be so competent for playing; so when the event came, she decided not to sign in as player.

When Isis told her everything, she asked to the older woman, why she told her about all of these. Isis just simply answered that Millenium Tauk flashed her about the current situation Naya was got into and the future the younger girl would face on. She considered that Naya’s fate wasn’t directly linked with the Millenium events, but still the Tauk showed her fate to Isis.

Isis also warned her about her assailant. She said that he might possibly a very dark and evil spirit resided within Shadow Realm, out from the influences of Millenium items or the Yamis that resided within.

He was living within Shadow Realm, same like the Yamis. Naya knew it.

And now she had been dragged in, waiting for him to come…

Horrified beyond belief, Naya tried to scream once more. Her voice was mute.

Help! Somebody! Help me! Please!

She knew it was futile but she kept screaming even mutely. She struggled and tried so hard to move, to scream until finally she let out a choked voice…

“…Ka—Kaiba-san…”

{WHO IS THIS KAIBA?}

She heard a harsh, raspy voice rang around her and instantly knew it was him. She went silent, terrified. Her whole body was trembling in fear. She waited him to show up and yet he didn’t. Only his voice was heard.

{I ASK YOU ONCE MORE! WHO IS THIS KAIBA?!!}

She kept silent. Naya realized that if she told him about Kaiba, he would surely be dragged into her chaos. And she didn’t want that happened.

{FINE, YOU DON’T WANT TO ANSWER… THEN LET ME TEACH YOU SOME LESSONS. YOU. ARE. MINE.}

Suddenly a flare of dark purple shadow emerged in front of her. She knew it was him, the same one being which came to her three years ago, and always tortured her within her nightmares. She could see the flare forming onto human shape, even vaguely, and the most prominent feature from him was his eyes. Or what was supposed to be his eyes. The two orbs glowed in somewhat evil red gleams, staring straightly to her. She shivered; the eyes were scary and disgusting.

He crept closer to her, threatening her and finally he stopped in front of her, towering her. He stared at her, who sprawled beneath his feet and sneered. Or right now that was Naya was thinking.

{I HAVE PROMISED YOU, HAVEN’T I? THAT I WOULDN’T TOUCH YOU BEFORE YOUR TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY… YOU KNOW, I’M KINDDA LIKE TO TAKE BACK MY OWN PROMISE NOW}

Naya wide eyed him with so much fear. Oh, please, God, please don’t let him touch me! Don’t let him have me! Please! GOD!!

{DON’T WORRY. I WON’T TAKE YOU NOW. I DON’T LIKE TO LICK BACK MY OWN SPIT. I HAVE DIGNITY TOO, YOU KNOW. SO NOW… I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU …SOME LESSONS.}

Naya just let herself to feel relief for a brief moment when she realized him kicking her right on the gut. She yelped in pain, even though her voice didn’t come out, and curled into tight ball. But he didn’t stop just by that. He kept kicking her everywhere, on the gut, arms, back, legs. He intentionally avoided kicking her face and head.

After he satisfied kicking her, he yanked her up and gripping her tightly on the neck, almost choking her, he continued his assault by slicing her using a knife he formed somewhere within the empty space. He sliced her arms, her torso, and her legs; and like the previous ones, he intentionally left her face untouched.

Leaving her like a bloody pile on the ground, he disappeared into the darkness, his sinister laughter trailing him and echoed around her. Naya was barely conscious; she was losing too much blood and breaking too many bones and ribs to get moving or even voice. She even thought she would die. But she didn’t…

When she finally opened her eyes, she recognized the surrounding to be the woods within Domino Central Park. It had been dark outside. So, it had been hours since she went inside the Shadow Realm. She realized that before she was grabbed into the darkness, she had been running this far. She recognized her stuffs; her sketch pad and pouch were messed up on the ground. Some of her drawings were scraped out their rims and they flew everywhere following the wind. Naya tried to sit up, but she couldn’t; it was too painful. Her body was numb. Her school uniform was torn, barely covering her body. Her blood pooled on the ground; she was bathing with it. She felt like mush…

Naya remembered that her cell phone was inside her blazer’s pocket. She moved little by little with so many efforts; and finally her hand could fish into her pocket. Slowly, painfully, she pulled out her phone by its long strap. She glanced to the screen and cussed inwardly when she realized that her phone was low battery. It was also got sliced in many sides. Naya didn’t think she could use it anymore.

She cried silently, cursing her weakness, cursing Him…


***


Seto had been driving around the city for God knew how many umpteenth times when he suddenly saw something white flew towards his car from the direction of Central Park. The white thingy flew closer while he was also moving closer, intentionally slowing his car, and when it got plastered to the front side of his car, he stiffened in shock seeing the picture of raging Blue Eyes White Dragon on oil pastels.

He stopped the car abruptly and hastily got out from his car, grabbing the sketch paper and glared at it. He turned his eyes towards the darken woods; God, the vicinity was so silent and creepy. I hope she is all right! He thought frantically.

He caught sight of another sketch paper and ran to grab it. He stared at the picture of a leaping Red Eyes Black Dragon. Another paper he found showed him a picture of The Curse of the Dragon. He trailed the papers scattering into the woods. Another picture of BEWD; one original blue dragon; another BEWD again; one feathery silver dragon; BEWD and feathery silver dragon… until Seto finally found a picture that wasn’t showing dragons on it.

The picture showed black, hollow darkness filling all the space of the paper. But on the middle of the darkness, a dark purple colored figure with red fiery eyes crawled towards the ones who saw the picture with threatening pose and scary feature. Seto frowned. He didn’t see this piece before when he observed the contents of her sketch pad.

This is the one she kept on her last page, he suddenly realized. He flipped the paper and found a poem behind.

From the darkness He comes
From the hollow He calls
From the shadow He craves
Who does He call for?
Who does He crave for?
It’s me whom He calls
It’s me whom He craves
Bloody rose He marked on my body
Bloody rose He carved on my soul
Mark me
Mark me, He marked me
On the second decades of my life
Bloody rose will bloom
Bloody rose will scatter
And He will come to me
He will come to me
To me
To touch me
To bind me
To torture me
To break me
To own me
His, forever
Forever…

Seto shivered reading the poem. Is this poem telling about her life? Who is He? Is He the one who making her running like Yugi said? Is He the one who making her crying? Is He the one who scared her? If the answer was Yes, I swear to myself I will beat his ass into bloodied pulp. No. I will kill Him.

Seto rushed through bushes and found the pad with the rest of her stuffs. He picked up her stuffs and bundled them onto one single ball. He put all the sketches he found into the pad, closed it and tied it up with the previous bundle. Observing more, he gasped when he found dried blood tainting the grass nearby. The blood made trail to another side of the bushes. Seto followed the trail; he felt his heart clenching painfully, tight knots of fear and worry formed within his guts. He swallowed hard before jumping through the bushes.

What he found made him gasping loudly and letting out strings of curses. The girl was in chaotic mess; her body was exposed since her uniform was torn; she was beaten and sliced to nearly death; bruises, slices, gory wounds, her body was almost completely covered by those horrible injuries Seto nearly couldn’t find skins which unmarred. The exception was her face which seemed untouched; though taints of blood were noticed on the corner of her mouth, her temple, and her cheeks. She was fainted and to Seto, she looked like she was about in the brink of death itself.

“NAYA!!!!”

He dashed to her aid, crouching beside her. He shrugged off his long blue trench coat and wrapped it around Naya’s body gently and carefully. He observed her injuries once more and decided that he should bring her to hospital. He circled his arms around her frail and weakened body with gentleness he didn’t know he had, and lifted her easily from her spot. He looked at her once more and took glimpse of a mark on her upper chest.

“—what is that?”

Carefully he took her to his car and gently put her and her bundled stuffs on the back couch. Curious, he slid a finger to remove her torn shirt from her upper chest, trying not to expose more skins than it needed, and peeked at the mark. He wide eyed and stared at the mark in full horror. Bloodied rose-shaped mark was embedded on the middle of her chest. The mark was red and angry, marred her skin even more clearly than other bruises and wounds. As if it strengthened his maker’s control over her and screamed SHE IS MINE to whoever dared to lay a hand on her.

Seto gritted his teeth tightly. His rage was rising within his person. Fuck, whoever He is, I will make sure He pays for every single bruise and cut Naya experienced on her body. Not to mention the damages He has caused to her soul, he fisted the side of his car angrily.

He snapped back to reality and decided to shove that rage aside. What was more important right now was making sure that Naya got helped and was treated well. He slid his body down onto driver’ seat and roared his engine. Next moments, Seto Kaiba had driven his car to the hospital with such frantic speeds.


***


Isis Ishtar abruptly woke up, sweating and panting heavily. She clutched her night gown right on the heart, tried to calm her heart beat down. She felt stirring movement beside her and next moments, a muscled, masculine arm was wrapping around her slim waist.

“Isis, what’s wrong?” Rishid’s voice was raspy with sleepiness.

Isis looked at her husband lovingly. She shook her head slowly and simply replied, “Just a nightmare.”

“Mm hmm, last time you said about nightmare which Malik got an accident with his bike; it turned out to be true. So tell me, what omen you’ve gotten into?” Rishid’s tone became serious.

Isis bit her lip and with heavy sigh, she told her husband about Naya and her latest nightmare. Rishid just listened silently.

When she was finally over, the face-tattooed man spoke in tight voice, “So her life is in danger?”

Isis nodded. “And if Millenium Tauk previously flashed her future predicament to me last time, I knew there will be something more to up to. Honestly, I doubt that all magical battles have been over since that duel between Pharaoh and Yugi.”

Rishid pondered his wife’s words. “Maybe we should contact them.”

“Who?! Yugi and the others? But what should we say? They might not know Naya, thus it makes them untied with anything about her. We shouldn’t drag them into another danger. Pharaoh’s Memory Realm and battles with Zork Necrophades should have been enough for them.” Isis refused. She didn’t want Yugi and the others getting involved into another dangerous plot.

“I know. But we have to do something.”

“We can contact her. I had her number.” Isis got up from the bed and pulled open her drawer. She took a business card and handed it to her husband. Rishid read it inwardly. “We gave our phone numbers to each other last time we met. She was one of my guests at museum.”

Rishid nodded and yanked his cell phone. He smirked. “Don’t worry about the bill, dear; even if we want to make an international call.”

Isis just giggled.


***


The phone on the office desk was ringing loudly. Hearing the offensive sound, Takayuki Tendou practically ran to the personal office and took the speaker harshly.

He was worried madly about his granddaughter, Naya. She wasn’t at home now; the teacher from her school had called and said that she had gone from school at afternoon; but it was almost four on the morning, and he even didn’t know where she was, exactly. He thought about calling the police and issued missing person, but he knew better. He rejected that idea and when the school asked him about going to police, he just simply lied that Naya had been at home. Fortunately the school believed him.

He hoped that phone call could give him any hint about Naya’s where about.

“Hello, Tendou’s residence. Who is this?”

A heavy, masculine voice replied politely in foreign accent. “Hello, my name is Rishid Ishtar. I and my wife, Isis, are acquaintances with Naya Tendou-san. May I speak with her, please?”

Takayuki sighed heavily. His shoulders slumped down in weary. “She isn’t here. She isn’t home yet.”

The other side’s voice became alarmed and tight. “What time is it in Japan?”

Takayuki frowned. “Is this international call? In Japan, it’s four on the morning.”

Rishid inwardly cursed. “Yes, it’s international call. We’re from Egypt. May I know with whom I am speaking right now?”

“I am Naya’s grandfather; my name is Takayuki Tendou. Ishtar-san, what problem brings you calling my granddaughter from so far country? Do you have any idea where is she right now?”

“No, but I think my wife knows better.” There was a sound of something rustling and next moment, Takayuki was greeted by a deep feminine voice.

“Tendou-san? My name is Isis Ishtar. I am a friend of your granddaughter. We met at Domino Museum two years ago. I used to work there.”

“I see. Your husband said that you know something about my granddaughter. Do you know where is she right now?!” his voice increased in pitch.

Isis shook her head even though the other side couldn’t see her. “Unfortunately no, Tendou-san. I don’t know where she is right now. But maybe, just maybe, I can guess it…”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“Tendou-san, I—well, it’s kind of hard to explain but… do you believe in precognition?”

Takayuki frowned. “Not really; why?”

“Well, I had a nightmare just couple minutes ago, showing that Naya could be in great danger. I ought to get omens and precognitions through my dreams; it’s my gift. I’m afraid that Naya might be in hospital right now…”

“You mean, she’s hurt?!! How—no…!” he choked his breath in shock, recalling something.

“Tendou-san?” Isis’ voice was worried.

“Ishtar-san, I do believe in your words. Actually, our family has bloodline for spiritual powers; something similar as your gift and others. Even though I don’t inherit it within my body, Naya does have an amount of spiritual power by herself. Tell me…” he trailed off for a second before asked Isis with tight, low voice, “Do you know about what predicament my granddaughter is getting burden now?”

Isis gulped several times. “Ye—yes, I know. I saw it within my nightmares.”

Takayuki nodded. “He wants her. He runs after her. The demon…”

Isis closed her eyes in fear. “Naya told me about the shadow evil that marked her when she was fifteen. She said that this evil being would come to take her when she reached her twenty. I—I saw him in my nightmare once. He is an evil beyond every demon I’ve encountered…”

“I won’t ask you about the other demons, but since you’ve known about it, I just want to know if you have a solution to save Naya? To free her from that bind, the mark? God, I don’t want to see my granddaughter died.” Takayuki started to sob.

“…I don’t want to ruin your hope, but I don’t have any solution right now. But we can search for one later. I believe there is a way…”

“Naya’s eighteenth birthday is less than two days later. I knew I’ve seen it by myself; he will come to her in her every birthday since her fifteenth’s and drag her to—to that shadowy nightmare! He will torture her, break her, abuse her inside it, and I don’t even have any power to save her, to protect her! Since those abusive attentions she received in her sixteenth and seventeenth birthday, I deliberately asked a spiritual expert to put on a protective seal around her chamber. Thankfully it’s working, kind of. Her nightmares and pains slowly degenerated. Up until now, she is fine; it’s almost a year since her last abuse…”

“Tendou-san…”

“Please help my granddaughter! Two years left before she was taken… I don’t want to think that I have to live without my beloved granddaughter, so please…” the seventy years old man dropped down on his knees and hiccupped. Oh, how much he was afraid to lose his granddaughter!

Long pause before Isis finally spoke, “…Tendou-san, we will go to Japan to meet you and discuss this problem. We will arrive in three days, and during those times, I will do some researches to find ways to get rid of the demon. I promise you and your granddaughter will not fight this alone. I and Rishid will accompany you.”

Takayuki sobbed, but he smiled warmly. “Thank you, Ishtar-san.”

“Just call me Isis. We’ll come in next three days. Please keep Naya safe and be careful.”

“I know, thank you, Isis-san.”

Takayuki hung up the phone and sighed. The woman from Egypt and her husband said they would come to help. Oh, how thankful he felt for them about that help! She also said that Naya might be in hospital. Hospital…

He jumped when the phone was ringing again. He picked it up hesitantly before responded, “Hello, Tendou’s residence here.”

A deep baritone voice in somewhat tight and nervous tone greeted his ear. “Can I speak with Takayuki Tendou-san? This is emergency.”

“Yes, I am. Who is this?”

“Seto Kaiba.”

Takayuki inwardly surprised. What did the CEO of Kaiba Corp. want to speak with him in such a hurry? Emergency, he said?

“Go on, Kaiba-san.”

“Your granddaughter is with me in hospital. Domino General Hospital, 1st floor, ICU, Emergency Ward. She was… assaulted, badly…”

Takayuki stiffened. Isis was true! “I’m on my way! Just wait there, Kaiba-san.”

“All right, I’ll meet you here.” He dismissed the call.

Takayuki exhaled exaggeratedly. He felt both relief and shock. Did Kaiba-san say that Naya was assaulted badly? God…

“Tanaka! Tanaka!” the old man called from the intercom.

There was a rustle sound on the other side of receiver and a very sleepy Tanaka answered. “You called me, Danna-sama?”

“Yes. Naya has been found.”

Sudden loud thud could be heard; followed with painful groan. “Uhh, my head… Ojou-sama, you said?! When?! Where?!”

“Domino General Hospital, 1st floor, ICU, Emergency Ward. Seto Kaiba-san called me. He is with her now.”

“Kaiba?! THAT Kaiba?! How—?!”

“That’s not important. Right now, prepare the car and take me there. Hurry, Tanaka!”

“Yes, Sir.”

Next moments, a grey Mercedes had dashed out from Tendou’s residential lot towards the hospital.


***


Seto paced around back and forth outside the ICU. The doctor still examined Naya and didn’t go out yet. He was dying to know the result…

He had called Mokuba earlier that he couldn’t go home because of work. He hated for lying to Mokuba, but he had to; otherwise his younger brother would be likely going panic and he didn’t need that. He did call Tendou’s residence after he brought Naya to hospital; he found that Naya lived only with her grandfather and some servants; hopefully directly talked to the older Tendou about the current situation as fast as possible.

Thankfully, the old man was quick in response. He instantly told him to wait here instead of asking about details on phone. He inwardly felt grateful for that. Seto Kaiba indeed wasn’t the type of speech-to-action man; he was the opposite type, action-to-speech one.

He still paced back and forth when the older Tendou arrived. He stopped his paces and looked at Takayuki Tendou; his eyes were grim. The older man looked back at him; his deep purple eyes were clearly family traits which passed down to his granddaughter, and now they were gleaming in wary and sadness. He had thin, short grey hair, combed neatly behind his ears. His fatherly face was cleanly shaved. His old feature was supported with deep wrinkles here and there, but mostly he seemed older than he was supposed to be. He wore a thick glasses and dark brown kimono covered with black haori. So her family is traditional one, Seto thought.

“Takayuki Tendou-san, I suppose. I’m Seto Kaiba.” He offered his right hand.

The old man took the gesture and shook his hand tightly. “I know you, Kaiba-san. Who don’t? Now, straight to the point, what had happened to my granddaughter?! You said earlier, she was assaulted.”

Seto gestured him to sit on a bench nearby. Takayuki complied silently.

“Yes, she… she was beaten and sliced, and then his assailant left her to die. I—I found her on the woods on Central Park.” He swallowed hard. “The doctors are running examination and medical treatment on her right now.”

Takayuki went silent. After a moment, he spoke in mild tone, “Thank you for your help, Kaiba-san.”

Seto stared at him. “That’s nothing. I’m her classmate. I oblige to help.”

“Still, thank you…” Takayuki trailed off. Seto just nodded. Both of them remained silent for next ten minutes.

When the doctor finally went out the examining room for the first time, both men jumped from their seats and darted to confront him. The doctor sighed and asked, “I suppose you’re her grandfather, Takayuki Tendou-san?”

Takayuki nodded curtly.

The doctor continued. “Her state is stabile now, her wounds has been treated, as for outer injuries, they’re not as bad as it’s seemed… just bruises and slices; they will be healed after several weeks. Her face is untouched and her head isn’t injured. However, she has four broken ribs, fractured left forearm’s bones and some others, mostly on her shoulder blades and knees. And her innards, well… she has inner bleeding and injuries due to her innards’ wounds. Her assailant was violently beating her mostly on her guts and other parts around.”

Takayuki paled and Seto cussed loudly.

“Is, is she… raped?” Takayuki choked on his own tears.

The doctor slowly shook his head. “Fortunately, she isn’t.”

Takayuki let out a relief breaths. Seto inwardly whispered his gratitude to God or whatever being up there.

“She has to be bed-rested for few months before she can resume her normal life.”

Takayuki seemed thoughtful before he sternly stated, “She will be home with me, now.”

Both Seto and the doctor wide eyed and jaw dropped at him.

“But, Tendou-san, it will be better to keep her here. Medical treatments, doctor and nurses, everything is complete and ready! If you took her home, then—” Seto was cut off by the old man’s cold statement.

“I know that, young man, and I know better than you that Naya will not be safe everywhere but her home. Don’t argue with me!” he glared dagger at both Seto and the doctor.

The doctor stared at the older Tendou and the brunette back and forth, and then sighed in defeat. “Is there any strong reason which can explain why she has to be in her home instead of here?”

Takayuki merely grunted indignantly. “Yes, it is, but I don’t think I can share it with you.”

“And why not?! You’re being illogical, old man! Naya needs to be treated here!” Seto snapped, angrily; earning a glare from the old man.

“She will be safe at home. Neither place will keep her far from her danger, here or everywhere, save her own home.” Takayuki actually hated to let out hostile remarks, but as the current situation turned out to be this messy, well, he had to.

Seto glared his most infamous deadly glare at him, but stilled in silent as something dawning within his mind. He still had Naya’s sketch pad and stuffs inside his car, and he remembered certain sketch paper.

Seto waited until the doctor gave in to their little arguments and agreed to let his nearly-dead patient go with her only relative, and managed to settle his nagging question toward him. “Is the reason linking with the sketch of dark shadowy figure within her pad?”

He almost missed the slight shock expression crossing the old man’s face. Takayuki stiffened hearing Seto’s question and asked back, “So you saw the sketch?”

“Yes, I did, unintentionally. She didn’t let me touch the last page firstly.”

“…What do you think about the poem behind? You read it too, right?”

“It was creepy. I suppose that the poem told the truth. Is He whom the poem refers to the one who assault her tonight?” Seto really needed to know the identity of the assailant, so he could beat the guy senseless, until he was no more than bloodied pile of goo.

Takayuki just nodded while eyeing the brunette with unreadable looks.

“Tell me who He is! I will make him pay for all he has done to Naya!” Seto, since the beginning he brought Naya to the hospital, had unconsciously called her by her first name. Takayuki somehow recognized that, but remained silent.

“…He is beyond our grip, Kaiba-san.” He just retorted plainly. Seto raised his brows impatiently.

“How come?! Is He some kind of ghost or something?! Please! There is no ghost in this real world! Don’t be ridiculous!” he let out a mocking laugh, but soon his laughter died as quickly as he recognized the other’ slow nod.

“Apparently yes, Kaiba-san, He is TRULY some kind of ghost.” The older Tendou smiled sadly.

Seto flabbergasted. But before he could retort, the doctor had come back with two other paramedics.

“Tendou-san, I have ordered an ambulance to carry your granddaughter to your residence. All you have to do is sign this form as an agreement to keep up whatever responsibilities occurred as long as she is within your own care. But don’t worry; the hospital’s procedure states that she will still get daily check up from us every time it’s needed.”

The older Tendou nodded, signed the form and mumbled his gratitude before turned his attention towards his granddaughter’s limp body lying on the carrier, ready to be lifted to the ambulance once it reached downstairs. He glanced at Seto who gazed at Naya; his blue eyes flashing with deep sadness and regret which normally didn’t occur within; and Takayuki inwardly smiled. He knew about the older Kaiba’s infamous cold and aloof demeanor; that child usually didn’t open up to people save his younger brother; and he suddenly wondered whether the brunette had already fallen for his little girl or not.

And another thing to worry about was how far Kaiba did know about the circumstances lingering Naya? Takayuki doubted that he knew, and believe, every detailed things, considering Naya wouldn’t tell him about it and that the CEO practically a materialism believer; he was only believing what was real and occurred right in front of his very eyes rather than something vague and unreal—for some people—as ghost. He grunted softly, successfully making the young man jumped out of his gaze and turned his blue eyes on him.

“Have you told your household about your where about, Kaiba-san?”

“I’ve called Mokuba several hours ago, telling him that I won’t sleep at home since I overworked myself. I was forced to lie since he is rather easy panicked.”

“I see…” he trailed off. He began to pace following the carrier with Naya on it being dragged along the corridor towards the waiting ambulance. Seto was following behind him.

“You know, Kaiba-san,” Takayuki suddenly spoke, startling Seto. “Before you called telling me about Naya, I had an international call from Egypt.”

Seto stopped dead in track, earning questioning look from the older man who also halted. “Egypt?! Don’t tell me Isis Ishtar—”

“So you knew her, and also her husband, Rishid…?” he watched as Seto nodded simply. They resumed their previous walk. “They told me something intriguing.”

“Like what?” Seto managed to ask, though somehow he knew the answer-to-be.

“Concerning Naya and her current problem. Isis-san told me that she could… see things within her dreams. Things like …precognition.”

Seto inwardly groaned. Great. Another fate-thingy and foresight-thingy, like Isis usually prattled about.

“She told me that she dreamt about Naya getting harmed and possibility that she was in hospital by the time she was speaking with me. All that before you called.”

Seto raised a brow and snorted. “Really? I know Isis too well; she surely spoke like those before. Anyway did she tell you about the identity of the assailant? I bet she didn’t. Something as illogical as precognition can’t be used as a base.”

Takayuki glanced at him. Ah, he resumed his cold and sarcastic demeanor; that child… Seto Kaiba was truly an interesting person. Somehow he shared some similar traits with his granddaughter: sarcastic, cold, aloof… yet it some times turned out to be rather surprising as sudden warm, affectionately behavior showing up beneath their façades, in form as simple as a smile or soft gaze.

“She didn’t tell me the assailant, yes, for I’ve known one. I don’t really believe in precognitions, but I know I can trust her.”

Seto remained silent. So he did know the culprit, he thought. Why didn’t he tell me? “Tell me who the culprit is, Tendou-san. I really want to know.”

Takayuki glanced at the brunette. He sighed. “It’s a long story. Beside, Naya might be disapproved with me telling you about the whole story. For now, just go home and get some rest, Kaiba-san. I do really appreciate your help toward my granddaughter. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Seto inwardly scowled, but remained impassive outside when he finally nodded and excused himself. He paced to his car and decided to go home. Maybe skipping school today and only coming to office by noon would be good, he thought bitterly. He’s right; I need some sleeps.

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