[ Mina's LP: 6000]
- Field:
Monsters - El Shaddoll Winda ( ATK: 2200)
(DEF: 800)
Spells/Traps - 2 set
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[ Arya's LP: 6000]
- Field: Empty
Active phase
Arya stared at the imposing figure of Winda. Calm, poised and watching her with those cold eyes.
It was her turn now. But the Arena's lights were a bit too bright. And hot. She felt an unmistakable sense of pressure the longer she looked at them.
She stood across from her opponent, deck trembling slightly in her hands. The Zone's hum blurred into white noise, just static in her ears.
It was her turn now. She told herself to breathe. To focus. To draw.
Her fingers hovered over the top card. That was all she had to do. One simple motion. Draw. Like she'd done a thousand times before.
Just draw. Draw! She was about to go through with the motion, when her hand froze halfway. She couldn't feel it anymore.
Her fingers trembled. The soft whir of digital holograms, the mechanical rhythm of Mina's draw. They all blurred together with something else. A memory. One she begged to forget.
The smell hit her first. Burnt rubber, gasoline and smoke. Then noise. She heard the sound of breaking glass all over again. The sound of metal grinding into metal. And the screech of something sliding onto asphalt.
She saw it again. Saw the shattered windshield, the flash of red lights, the cards flying everywhere like broken feathers. And her own hand, crushed under the dashboard, slick with blood and oil.
She stared down, at that same hand. The scarred, pale lines like cracks across old stone. It shook violently, every nerve screaming don't.
She swallowed, her throat dry. The card on top of her deck shimmered like glass. Like the last thing she saw before everything went black.
She forced her fingers down. They brushed the edge of the card.
Then she jerked back. Her heart raced. Her breaths came in staccato bursts. She couldn't breathe.
"I… I can't," She whispered. "I can't. I can't. I can't..... "
" Are you okay, over there?" Mina asked.
The voice broke through her chaotic mind but it sounded distant. Muffled. Like someone was calling for her while her head was underwater.
Was that why she couldn't breathe? Was it the reason she couldn't feel the ground beneath her? Was she underwater?
Her chest tightened and she gasped, trying her hardest to fill her lungs. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something familiar, something solid to ground her. But the room she was in wasn't helping at all. Instead it made everything feel worse.
The black walls. The bright lights. And worse the cards. It was like she was there all over again.
" Hey, y...." A voice coming from somewhere mentioned.
She tried to answer. To say something back but the words stopped at her throat. She wanted to scream. Call for help. But couldn't. Every part of her screamed to get out. To run. To check on the driver.
Everything was just too much. And then, just as suddenly as her panic began. Her mind, frantic and overloaded retreated into itself.
Everything fell silent. The heaviness that held her throat and chest in a death grip vanished. And what creeped in like a cold fog was numbness. It spread quickly throughout her body. Her eyes glazed over and both her arms dropped to her sides.
All that she was left feeling was a deep emptiness. She felt hollow.
" I forfeit," She mentioned softly, as if the words weren't her own.
" What!?" Mina's shocked voice said.
" I forfeit,"
Then, from above, an automated voice. " Do you wish to give up?"
Arya was silent for a moment. " Ye- " She started before she was interrupted.
" Wait, wait, wait! " Mina's voice cracked between disbelief and anger. She walked over to Arya and asked, " What's wrong with you?"
Arya blinked slowly. The words didn't make any sense. She was willingly giving up. Why was she still being bothered? She couldn't answer. Couldn't even find the energy the energy to nod. So, she just... Stared.
Mina didn't take the silence lightly. Her posture stiffened and frustration took hold of her features. She stalked closer, closing the distance quickly. "What happened just now?"
Her eyes were sharp, her gaze burning into Arya as if she could somehow force an answer out of her with just a stare.
Arya's fingers twitched as she subconsciously clenched her right hand. In the haze of her thoughts, words slipped out. Half a command and the other a plea.
She just wanted to go home now.
" Nyx, confirm Match forfeit."
For a moment, everything stilled. No digital hum in the background. No Duel monsters. Just quiet. The lights above her flickered faintly and for just a second, she entertained the thought that maybe the world heard her words and decided to pause.
" March forfeit confirmed," the automated voice from earlier responded. " Commencing to Match results:
[ Arya vs Mina ]
[ Winner - Mina Hoshikawa ]
[ Arya Grey - Points: 0 ]
[ Mina Hoshikawa - Points: 1000 ]
[ Processing results.....]
[ Rank up! ]
[ Updating Mina Hoshikawa's Profile....]
[ Profile Updated ]
The words filled the air with a dull finality. There was no fanfare. No applause. The match was over. By the time the voice finished it's announcement, Arya was already making her way out.
They were no longer surrounded by anything and were exposed to the loud but brilliant Duel Zones.
Mina stood there, her breathing hard. A mixture of anger and confusion still lingered in her eyes as she watched Arya walk away. This was her victory but she didn't like at all.
She wanted an explanation.
" You just gave up?" Mina spat, her voice trembling with the rawness of it all. " Why!? Where is your honour? Where is your pride as a Duellist!?"
Arya paused. The words bounced off her like nothing. Her chest ached but she couldn't explain why. She didn't even care about the match anymore. She just wanted to leave.
Mina walked closer to her again. Her anger was gone, only confusion and something softer remained. Something Arya really hated. Pity.
" Why are you even here?"
The words cut through her numbness. Something inside of her squirmed but couldn't find the strength to acknowledge it. She didn't answer. Just kept walking as if she didn't hear a thing.
As she walked, Arya passed them. Rows of faces and chittering voices. Their words spilled out like ink as she moved through.
" Should've been me duelling her."
" Omg! She actually hit zero!"
" Easy points, that's all she is."
Some of them laughed. A few groaned, cursing under their breaths while collecting bets. Someone clicked their tongue as she passed, another called her name like they wanted something. She didn't slow down.
The elevator waited for her at the far end of the corridor. It's steel walls reflected her reflection her dull expression. The crowd noise dulled as she stepped inside.
For a moment, before the doors closed, she caught sight of Tess standing on the platform in the distance, the holographic arena fading behind her.
Then silence.
Just the hum of the elevator rising, floor by floor.
~💔~
The ferry terminal was quiet, almost empty. Only a few scattered souls remained, which wasn't unusual. Most people preferred living in their dorms on the island.
And the others already caught the train, which she had missed. Arya stood by the railing and listened to the distant crash of waves. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon as the ferry's engine rumbled, the vibrations thrumming in her chest.
The boat's horn echoed through the quiet and Arya felt her shoulders sag. The sounds of the terminal behind her, the distant chatter and the clink of metal in the machinery slowly faded until it was only her and the sea.
The smell of salt that clung to the breeze was still something she wasn't used to. Even after a lifetime living in Xeno city the air, it still felt foreign.
The rough metal of the railing she was leaning on bit into her cold palms as she gripped it tighter. The ferry lurched forward, "gently" parting the waves. Arya stared at the water below, her mind elsewhere.
She didn't know how long she stood there. The ferry's motion pulling her further away from the island.
What are you even doing here?
That thought echoed repeatedly in her mind like a broken record. Now that she was slowly coming back to her senses, she couldn't rid herself of it.
It was a good question though.
The city on the mainland grew bigger in the distance. She could already see the cluster of buildings.
The sea stretched out before her, endless. Almost like a calling. An invitation to jump. A free expanse to an open space where nothing could follow. Sometimes she wished she could just dissolve into the waves. Let herself drift away.
Her fingers twitched with the same involuntary reflex and she pulled her right hand back from the railing. She shoved both hands into her pockets.
Finally the ferry eased itself into the Harbour of Xeno city, it's shiny hull scraping against the dock with a groaning complaint. Arya stepped off the gangway and onto solid ground. The bustling city stretched out before her. It was a cacophony and labyrinth of noise and neon. Like seriously this city had a lot of neon.
The air was thick with the smell of saltwater and Street food across stalls. Xeno city was alive as always with the rhythm of a thousand voices and the ever present sound of machinery and Ads.
She adjusted the straps of her bag and began her journey through the centre of the harbour. Stall lined the cobblestone streets, their brightly coloured tents enticing you to come closer. Whether you came for food or "Live battles, Real stakes. Come see the thrills!" was entirely your choice.
But with the faces and words of famous Duellists or Clubs plastered everywhere, each one promising Fame, Fortune and excitement. It was hard to focus on other things.
The streets were packed with tourists and traders. The noise of footsteps and chatter was starting to give her a headache. She needed to leave this place at once.
Arya avoided the stalls, her gaze focused on the path ahead. Every now and then a voice would shout at her, offering trinkets or a Duel monster card. She heard their voices but didn't register their words. She was on the cusp of escape when one of the more aggressive stall owners caught her attention as she passed.
" Hey you! Academy kid, how about a quick match? The first one's free! "
It would have been a lie if you said she didn't bolt away at that moment. She kept kept her eyes forward and refused to make eyes contact.
Duellists were everywhere here but today she was done with them.
Her fingers twitched again in her pockets. She removed the ferry ticket and threw it into the nearest trash can. Up ahead she caught sight of a quieter section of the road. An alleyway that led to a line of parked cabs.
Seeing the sleek and practical vehicles parked with their doors open and the faint hum of their engine's in the background, Arya felt her stomach clench.
She really didn't like car rides. Arya held the straps of her bag tighter as she eyed the line of cabs.
She should have left immediately after the bathroom and caught the train. Stupid.
She stepped off the crowded path and onto the quieter, a bit more secluded and open path. She became able to hear the sound of her footsteps again. One of the cabs pulled up next to her, the driver's window lowering with a buzz. Behind the wheel sat a woman in her early twenties, half of her face shaded with the brim of a cap.
" Where to, love?" The woman asked, her voice a mixture of boredom and routine.
Arya stood outside for a moment her gaze distant before she slid into the backseat. The was one destination she needed to stop by before going home.
" Crescent Harbour Primary please,"
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