Yugi stood there in the open doorway. The dingy, dim light filtered out into the dark, stretching his shadow along the floor. He was still panting, tears and sweat still dripping down his face, blood still falling to the floor in a soft tap, tap, tap. He did it. He tore down the wall he had built to keep his sorrow and grief to himself, to swallow down his pain where no one would feel it aside from himself.
He remembered when he boarded it up. How many times he had come to his room after the duel, as if hoping or waiting, even if he knew Atem would never come back. Until one day he just couldn't take it anymore and lashed out, threw things, manifested boards and chains and locked the door. He thought he would remain like that for forever after that and yet…
Their bond remained there, even if diluted.
Letting out a shaky breath, he turned and stepped back into his room, back to the door, and turned his gaze up to the ceiling. For better or worse, he did it. He tore it all down, emotions that he bottled away were loose. Tears fell harder as his legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor. The force of the emotions made him want to be sick, it was like a dizzying hurricane, making the room spin.