The faint hum of the city beyond the apartment windows was the only sound as Shin moved around the kitchen. The morning light filtered in through the blinds, painting soft stripes across the table where a single plate sat with a half-eaten slice of toast.
He stood there in his uniform, one hand braced on the counter while the other held the toast absently. He wasn't tasting it—his thoughts were too heavy for something as simple as breakfast.
Veyric Drayden.
The name still burned in his head from last night like someone had etched it into his skull with fire.
He chewed mechanically, staring at the dark reflection of his own eyes in the toaster's polished steel surface.
That's when a blur of motion shot past him.
"VROOOOM—!!"
A high-pitched airplane noise filled the kitchen as Yui, dressed in her crisp elementary school uniform, came barreling around the table with her arms stretched out like wings. Her little backpack bounced on her back as she circled him once, twice, three times—each lap accompanied by her loud "nyoooom!"
Shin blinked and turned slightly, watching her antics with tired eyes. "...You know this isn't a runway, right?" he muttered.
Yui skidded to a stop in front of him, balancing on her tiptoes like she'd just landed a fighter jet. Her wide brown eyes tilted up toward him, curious. "Why do you look sadder than normal?"
That hit harder than he expected. Shin froze for a second, then let out a quiet breath, forcing a faint smirk. "Just… got a lot on my mind."
"Oh." She rocked back on her heels, then grinned like she'd just remembered something. "Well… good luck on your duel today! You're gonna win, right?"
Shin raised a brow, amused despite himself. "You sound more confident than I feel."
"I know you're gonna win," she said firmly, as if that settled the universe. Then her face lit up like a bulb. "Wait here!! I made something for you!"
Before Shin could ask, Yui shot off toward her room, arms stretched out again as she resumed her airplane sound effects, weaving around the hallway corners like a jet fighter on a mission.
Shin stared after her, a small, reluctant smile tugging at the edge of his lips. The sound of rummaging and tiny feet filled the air before silence returned—broken only by the soft hum of the fridge and the distant drone of morning traffic.
A few minutes later, Yui came skipping back, clutching something in her little hands. She stopped in front of him and held it out proudly.
"Ta-da! A good luck charm!"
Shin blinked down at it—a necklace, crudely made from thread and a polished green bead that shimmered faintly like an emerald in the sunlight. It was rough, uneven, and perfect in a way only a kid could manage.
"I was gonna make one out of candy," Yui admitted with a sheepish grin, "but… I ate it. So you can have this one instead!"
For a moment, Shin just stared at her—at her bright little smile, at the way her fingers curled protectively around the charm as if it were the most precious thing in the world. His throat felt tight for reasons he didn't want to admit.
Slowly, he crouched down to her level and took it from her hands with a soft chuckle. "Guess this one's better anyway. Candy would've melted."
"Yup!" She giggled. "Now you have no excuse to lose! That's my special emerald luck stone!"
"Special emerald luck stone, huh?" Shin echoed, holding it up to the light. The bead glimmered faintly, catching a shard of morning sun like it had its own tiny flame inside. Something about it… felt comforting.
He slipped it over his head, letting the thread settle against his chest. "...Thanks, Yui."
"Don't thank me yet! You have to win first!" she said matter-of-factly, spinning on her heel. "Okay, I gotta go or I'll miss the bus! See ya, Shin!"
And just like that, she dashed toward the door, her voice echoing through the hall with one last airplane "nyoooom!" as the front door clicked shut behind her.
Shin stood there for a long moment, fingers brushing against the little green stone resting against his chest. A faint smile curved his lips—but beneath it, the weight of what awaited him pressed down even harder.
Veyric. Duel Skills. Contract battles.
All of it could wait until after today.
Today was his official preliminary duel.
Today… was the first real step toward everything.
He grabbed his bag, tightened the strap over his shoulder, and walked out the door.
------
The school courtyard was louder than usual—buzzing with voices, footsteps, the occasional hum of duel disks activating with their bright neon lines flaring across wrists. The preliminaries had turned the place into a storm of excitement.
Shin stood off to the side, leaning slightly against the wall near his assigned arena platform. His head was bowed as he adjusted the sleek straps of his duel disk on his forearm. The black-and-silver metal gleamed under the morning sun, reflecting shards of light across his face.
He slid his deck from his hip holster, fingers brushing over the worn edges of the cards before slotting them into the disk's loading port. The familiar mechanical click was sharp in the background noise.
But his mind wasn't here.
This is just another duel. Just win. Move forward. One step closer.
Veyric's name burned at the edges of his thoughts like a brand. The man who had destroyed Shiyu in a contract duel—the man who might know why his brother never came home that day.
Nyx says he doesn't fight fair. That he has a Duel Skill. Whatever. That's later. This? This is official. No shadows. No shortcuts.
His jaw tightened as the duel disk whirred to life, neon red energy flaring into the holographic frame for his cards.
He barely noticed the sound of heels on pavement approaching until a voice broke through his thoughts.
"...Hey."
Shin's eyes flicked up—and landed on Tessa Vale.
She stood there in her sharp uniform, hair tied up neatly, a casual confidence radiating from the tilt of her posture. Her duel disk rested loosely at her side, but her gaze was sharp as glass.
Shin blinked once, caught off guard. "...What do you want?" His tone came out colder than he intended, but he didn't care.
Tessa arched a brow. "Relax. I'm not here to bite." She folded her arms, eyes flicking to his duel disk, then back to him. "You look… distant."
"I'm fine," Shin muttered, adjusting the disk on his arm and looking away, toward the crowd gathering around the larger central arena. His eyes lingered on the noise, the cheers—the people crammed shoulder to shoulder, chanting a name he couldn't make out over the buzz. More people were there than here. Figures.
"You're fine, huh?" Tessa's voice was light, teasing, but there was something in her eyes that said she saw more than he wanted her to. She stepped closer, just enough for her words to drop lower. "Don't zone out on me, Babyface."
Shin's head snapped toward her, blinking. "...What?"
Tessa smirked like she'd just dropped a personal inside joke. "You got this, Babyface."
The corner of Shin's lips twitched—not quite a smile, but something close. He shook his head slightly, fastening the last strap of his disk. "…Right."
Without another word, he walked off toward his assigned platform, the sound of the crowd fading behind him as he focused on the dueling stage ahead.
Behind him, Tessa's smirk lingered like a cat who'd knocked something off a shelf just to watch it fall.
---
Across the courtyard, Rex and Aurora were sitting on the metal bleachers by another arena. Both had caught the little interaction.
"…Was that Tessa Vale talking to him?" Aurora asked, brows rising.
"Looked like it," Rex muttered, resting his elbows on his knees. "And did she just call him Babyface? What is that?"
Aurora shrugged, a small grin tugging at her lips. "Maybe she thinks he's cute."
Rex rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Thats his nickname. Or maybe she's just trying to psych him out. That's what top players do."
Aurora tilted her head, watching Shin walk away with that same calm, unreadable look. "…He didn't seem fazed."
"Yeah, well, Shin doesn't show much anyway," Rex said, leaning back. His eyes slid toward the duel about to start in their arena. A kid about their age stood on one of the platforms, adjusting his scuffed duel disk. His jacket was worn, his sneakers old, but his expression burned with raw confidence.
The announcer's voice boomed across the speakers:
"Next duel—Eastside contender: Marco!"
The kid grinned, calling across to his opponent with a voice that cut through the hum of the crowd. "You ready? 'Cause I don't care what anyone says—every card's got value. You just gotta know how to use 'em!"
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "That's… different."
Rex smirked faintly, leaning forward, eyes sharp. "…Eastside pride. Let's see what he's got."
---
The crowd noise dimmed as he stepped onto the metallic platform of his arena, the cool silver surface reflecting the glow of the duel disk on his arm. Across from him, his opponent was already waiting—tall, sharp-eyed, with an easy smirk stretched across his face. Ivan Lorne.
The name floated across Shin's HUD with his stats:
Rank: Silver 1 | Win Rate: 82% | Known Deck: Beast-Gear Assault.
"About time," Ivan called, cracking his neck as his duel disk flared to life in a blaze of green light. "Thought you were gonna keep me waiting all day, rookie."
Shin's eyes narrowed slightly as he slid his deck into the disk with a solid click. The system hummed, and the holographic life point counters blinked into existence above the arena.
HUD NOTIFICATION:
[Preliminary Match – Arena 7]
[Special Rule: Both players start with 3 cards in hand instead of 5.]
Life Points:
[Shin – 4000]
[Ivan – 4000]
"Three cards, huh?" Ivan grinned, shuffling his hand. "Guess they wanna make this interesting."
Shin didn't answer. His fingers curled against the deck as the countdown lit the air in bold holographic numbers.
3… 2… 1…
The arena pulsed with energy as the duel began.
"DUEL!"