Tristan's Shadow (A Yu-Gi-Oh! DM Oneshot)

Tristan's Shadow

Night after night, Tristan's dreams became battlegrounds where memories of Yami Bakura's malevolent grin and chilling laughter haunted him. He found himself in a familiar void, surrounded by shadows that whispered taunts in a voice that echoed with malice.

"You can't escape me, Tristan," the voice hissed, its words clawing into Tristan's mind like sharp talons. "I'm part of you now."

Tristan's heart raced as he tried to run, but his legs felt like lead. The darkness closed in, suffocating him until he woke with a start, gasping for air, sheets tangled around him in a desperate attempt to break free from the nightmare's grip.

"It's just a dream... it's not real," Tristan muttered to himself, trying to steady his ragged breaths. But the fear lingered, a shadow that refused to dissipate in the waking world.

Tristan's exhaustion became evident at school. He struggled to stay focused in class, his once-cheerful demeanor replaced by a quiet reserve that puzzled his friends. Joey Wheeler, ever perceptive recently, noticed the change first.

"You look like you haven't slept in weeks, buddy," Joey remarked one afternoon after Tristan yawned conspicuously in the middle of Mr. Ishikawa's lecture. "Everything okay?"

Tristan managed a half-hearted smile, pushing his tousled hair back from his forehead. "Yeah, just...nightmares. They've been keeping me up." Despite his attempt to give his best friend relief, the heavy bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway of his nightly torment.

Yugi Moto, seated nearby, frowned with concern. "Maybe you should talk to someone about it, Tristan. We're here for you, you know."

Tristan nodded gratefully, but inwardly, he hesitated. How could he explain the nightmares without dredging up memories he desperately wanted to forget? Instead, he changed the subject, diverting their attention to an upcoming Duel Monsters tournament as a distraction.

Tristan was also actively avoiding Bakura Ryo, unable to face him without recalling the darkness that once consumed him. Even though Bakura was freed from the darkness of the Millenium Ring, the mere thought of being in his friend's presence triggered all of his month-long nightmares. So whenever their paths crossed in the hallways of Domino High, Tristan's steps quickened, his gaze fixed determinedly ahead, trying to outrun the memories that threatened to drag him back into the abyss.

"Hey, Tristan! Wait up!" Bakura Ryo called after him one afternoon, his voice tinged with genuine concern.

Tristan paused briefly, steeling himself before turning to face Bakura Ryo with a forced sleepy smile. "Hey, Bakura. Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush."

Bakura Ryo studied him intently, his azure eyes piercing through Tristan's facade of calm composure. "Is everything alright? You seem... distant."

Tristan's smile faltered, his throat tightening with unspoken words. "Yeah, just... dealing with some stuff. I'll catch you later, okay?"

As he walked away, Tristan felt a pang of guilt mixed with relief. Bakura Ryo was a friend, someone who had stood by him through battles both in and out of the Duel Monsters arena. But every glance, every word reminded Tristan of the darkness he struggled to bury.

One restless night, Tristan's dreams took a chilling turn. He found himself standing in his own bedroom, bathed in the ethereal glow of moonlight that filtered through his window. The air felt thick with a presence he couldn't see but knew all too well.

"You look troubled, Tristan," a voice whispered from the shadows, a voice that dripped with dark amusement.

Tristan's heart skipped a beat as he turned to see Yami Bakura materialize before him, a phantom figure was clad in black, his eyes gleaming with a twisted blend of mockery and malevolence.

"What... what do you want from me?" Tristan demanded, his voice betraying a tremor of fear he fought to suppress.

Yami Bakura chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down Tristan's spine. "'Want'? Oh, Tristan, I'm merely here to remind you of our... connection."

Tristan clenched his fists, his jaw set defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. Yugi and the Pharaoh defeated you."

Yami Bakura circled him slowly, his steps fluid and unnaturally silent. "Defeated? Perhaps. But victory is fleeting, Tristan. You can't erase what we shared."

With a daring smirk, Yami Bakura closed the distance between them, his touch sending a chill down Tristan's spine. Tristan's breath caught in his throat as Yami Bakura's lips brushed against his own in a provocative kiss, a sensation that left Tristan reeling with confusion and a surge of emotions he couldn't name.

"What... what are you doing?" Tristan managed to push Yami Bakura away, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself.

Yami Bakura chuckled darkly, his eyes glittering with a mixture of amusement and something darker. "Just a taste, Tristan. A reminder that you can't escape me."

Tristan bolted upright in bed, sweat-soaked sheets tangled around him. He sat there for a moment, breathing heavily, eyes wide as he scanned his dimly lit room for any sign of Yami Bakura's lingering presence. But there was only the silence of the night, broken only by the faint whisper of wind outside his window.

"It was just a dream," Tristan whispered to himself, a mantra to chase away the lingering dread that clung to him like a phantom shadow. But deep down, he knew the truth was more elusive than he dared admit.