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I am still here waiting.
Kaiba held the knife above his head, sweat dripping from his brow. In his other hand he clutched the Book of the Dead, its ancient papyrus covered in profane hieroglyphs. His breath came out in ragged gasps as he steadied his hand. A dim yellow glow filled the vast room. Flickering candles arranged in a tight circle cast his shadow playfully along the walls, as though mocking his desperation. In his space station, the silence was like a deafening vacuum.
I’m anticipating.
He sucked in a particularly loud breath and forced the knife forward, piercing flesh. A loud cry broke the heavy silence of the void. Dark crimson pooled at the wound, spilling down onto the cold, indifferent steel floor. Kaiba wanted to scream, to clench his eyes shut and look away; to will the nightmare to end.
While they are orchestrating. To grant the wish that I am making.
The CEO forced himself to speak through gritted teeth. Chanting in a long-dead language, calling out to ancient deities from another land and time. He shuddered as he felt a presence enter the room. If only his brother could see him now. The so-called infallible Seto Kaiba performing profane rituals on the floors of progress he built their future upon.
No price too great, no distance too far. If I can wish upon a blackstar.
The brunette collected some of the blood from the fatal wound, smearing it upon his own brow, sealing the blood pact. The candles flickered dangerously as a dark purple energy encircled the now-empty vessel. Kaiba could feel a heaviness settle upon himself, piercing down deep, straight to his own soul. Years given for years taken. He looked up towards the station’s observation window. Outside, the moon overshadowed the sun, blackening its eternal shine.
It makes no difference where they are. They’ll grant my wish upon a blackstar.
The dark shadows seemed to ooze into the lifeless corpse before him, he stared as it quickly became enveloped in the sickening miasma. The air went cold. Kaiba shivered as it settled in him like ice. The knife fell from his hand with a loud clatter. The CEO sucked in a gasp, nearly choking on it. The body before him had changed. It now sported red and black spiky hair, golden bangs framing its thin face like a crown, a few jutting upwards in a horn-like fashion. Skin the color of warm caramel was wrapped in a black tank top and dark blue jeans. The ritual was nearly done. Kaiba just had to call out the pharaoh's name and the seal would be complete.
“Atem! Rise! Return to me from the void!” He shouted, his voice deep and commanding. He winced as the body jerked, pulling in a loud breath as the heart within violently restarted. Atem shot up, crimson eyes wide with shock. Kaiba’s hands steadied the shaking man before him, gently rubbing his back to ease his unconventional return to the living. Atem panted, tongue lolled out like a dog as his new lungs filled with desperately needed air, his eyes still wide and unfocused. The brunette could feel the pharaoh's heart pounding in his ribcage, as though it were threatening to escape.
No price too great, no distance too far.
The wild-haired pharaoh eventually quieted, his breaths becoming even as his heart settled. Sharp blood-red eyes focused and took in the sights of the dark space station, eventually coming to rest on cobalt blue ones.
“Kaiba?” Atem rasped, his voice barely above a whisper as vocal cords bent and snapped into place. The brunette smiled at the smaller duelist, pulling him into a tight embrace. The ritual had worked. He no longer had to cross both time and space to be with his beloved anymore. He felt his fears melt away as two arms wrapped themselves around his own body. Atem buried his face in Kaiba’s chest, his smaller body heaving as he let out an uncontrolled sob.
“You brought me back from death?” Atem spoke, unconcealed surprise in his voice. He glanced at the remains of the ritual, taking in the candles and pentagram. “What did you do?” He asked, urgency in his tone. Kaiba shrugged and brought a hand to the other’s face, gently brushing cold fingers against a soft warm cheek.
“Does it matter? It makes no difference, you are here with me now.” The brunette replied. “You always said our destinies were intertwined, Atem.” He leaned closer to the pharaoh's face, studying his features with an expression reserved only for the ancient king. “And destiny waits for no one.” Kaiba closed the gap, pushing his lips against the other’s. Atem seemed to startle for a moment, before recovering and leaning into the kiss, deepening it. Kaiba freed a hand from the pharaoh’s back and let it thread through soft spiky hair, gently pulling the smaller duelist closer. Now that Atem was back, Kaiba would never let him go. They would exist together or not at all, he would see to that.
When I have wished upon a blackstar.