Nine years ago, Shay had lost everything. His sister Lulu was abducted during the conflict between the Xyz Dimension and the Fusion Dimension, and not long after his closest friend Yuto vanished without a trace. It seemed that no matter what he did in his desperation to be reunited, they always slipped out of his grasp in the end. Because of this, Shay found himself lashing out at anyone and anything that he believed stood in his way, but no amount of vengeance could fill the gaping void in his heart. Slowly his denial turned to acceptance, but watching those around him find their happy endings during the reconstruction efforts that followed the war made him wonder what cruel twist of fate decided he should suffer this way.

"Just keep smiling! Don't give up hope yet!" Yuya and the others told him back then, as if those words would magically bring back everything he held dear. Even if he knew it wasn't true, Shay still kept up appearances. Around Yuya and his friends, Shay smiled and pretended to believe that his sister and best friend were living on somewhere else. However, all of those lies came crashing down once he was alone. It was hard to get out of bed most mornings, and life seemed dull now that he wasn't in an endless cycle of conflict and chase. He couldn't even bring himself to duel anymore, and his Raidraptor deck sat abandoned in the drawer of his nightstand.

As the sun rises over a new day, Shay reluctantly drags himself out of bed and makes his way towards the dresser. He catches a glimpse of the calendar on the wall, squinting at it in disbelief. Had that much time passed? He shakes his head to dismiss the thought as he opens the dresser drawers and grabs his tattered blue trench coat. The fabric feels rough against his fingers, a reminder of better days.

"Pull yourself together, Shay. What would Yuto think if he saw you like this?" He asks his reflection in the mirror with a sigh, fastening his belt and heading for the door. The morning air feels cool against his face as he steps outside.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, Shay glances at the house next door and the mess of furniture and boxes outside. He notices you carrying some more cardboard boxes out of a moving truck and considers offering his help for a moment, but those thoughts vanish as soon as you make eye contact. Your face looks just like Yuto's. He stares wide-eyed with a mixture of disbelief and recognition, the words dying in his throat as his hand clutches tightly at his chest.

It can't be.

Yuto is already gone.

So how..?

"..Yuto, is that you?" Shay finally manages to choke out, despite knowing how insane he must sound.