Chapter Text
Careful, careful. Precision was of utmost importance, especially after spending over an hour just trying to get the stupid concoction to boil. Only after the last drop of the mixture dribbled safely through the funnel into a recently emptied water bottle did Atem allow his bated breath to slip from his lips. He quickly screwed the cap on, then headed upstairs to his shared room with Yugi. There, Atem stowed his hard work away in the mini fridge usually reserved for skincare to cool down. The dark pull of the magic that had been overwhelming not long ago had waned significantly; he had clearly succeeded in expending the energy. Not for the first time, his thoughts wandered to how much effort could be saved if he could just wave a wand and say some funny words like Yugi could. Alas, spellcasting just did not come to Atem despite his best efforts, but the Millenium Items’ parting gift to those connected to them did not seem to care about his ineptitude.
While possessing shadow magic was not typically problematic, one did unfortunately have to use said magic every so often or it would go out of control. Really, everyone had Seto Kaiba to thank for discovering this oddity… and to curse as Yugi, Atem, and Ryou all tried desperately to reverse the damage from the fallout (pretty sure they set a world record for the largest amount of NDAs drafted and signed in a single day). Regardless, everyone bestowed with this gift eventually found their own ways of expending pent-up magic: Yugi took to traditional spellcasting, Ryou began to incorporate runes into his Monster World creations, Marik (who nobody’s sure of when he got to Domino, they just found him hanging out at Ryou’s apartment and neither roommate would elaborate) threw himself into some sort of magic botany, and Kaiba… well, nobody was sure what he was doing, but the lack of incidents indicated magic activity of some kind. That just left Atem as the odd one out.
Potion brewing was actually Ryou’s suggestion, imparted after a long session of Atem failing miserably at traditional magic once again. Ryou was more than happy to provide the necessary equipment and a book on basic concoctions, and Marik could cover the ingredients. It was said tome that Atem turned his attention to now; thankfully, not only were the directions fairly straightforward, the format was clear-cut as well: odd-number pages introduced each mixture (characteristics, usage instructions, etc.), while even-number pages listed ingredients and recipes. He once again glanced over the usage instructions for his first ever brew, a growth potion. Okay, yes, Atem was definitely vertically challenged at a measly five-foot-nothing, but that had nothing to do with his choice! He selected it because it had few steps and overall simple directions. The height thing would just be a nice bonus. Besides, he could share with Yugi later. Atem was generous like that.
Grinning, Atem pulled his now sufficiently chilled creation out of the fridge. According to the tome, growth potions were more potent the warmer they were; therefore, by cooling it, Atem could limit its effect to only a couple of inches difference max. Afterall, these particular concoctions could be incredibly powerful, and he didn’t fancy being a giant (although it would be funny just to see the look on Kaiba’s face). The former spirit had to hand it to himself, this had to be one of the smartest things Atem had ever done.
With enthusiasm usually reserved for dueling, Atem uncapped the bottle and chugged.
Immediately, he felt his whole body go numb, then give way to pins and needles, not unlike the feeling when his foot fell asleep. While not exactly pleasant, it was to be expected, so Atem wasn’t particularly phased by the sensation. What did bother him was the flavor of the elixir; his mouth was hit with an unexpected flavor, almost peppery? That can’t be right, he frowned, focusing on the list of properties again. Maybe he just read it wrong… nope, there it was, written clear as day, the potion should have a bitter bite to it. Perplexed, Atem thumbed the edge of the page—
With a soft snap, the pages came apart. That were supposed to be a single page.
Which meant whatever he had just downed was not, in fact, a growth potion. The tingling was getting worse; unfortunately it probably had more to do with the potion’s effect than his growing panic.
Frantically, he tore the first page away, desperate to see what he had actually created.
“Shrinking Potion
Properties: Visually identical to Gigantification Potion; flavor consists of a mild spice. Can be chilled to increase effectiveness.”
This had to be one of the dumbest things Atem had ever done.