What if everything we dreamed was actually real, and everything that was real was actually a dream? At what point do dreams become nightmares, and nightmares become the reality from which you want to be awoken? And where do you start drawing the thin line between imagination and reality?

Footsteps pounded the pavement as people rushed home, trying to escape the rain that was starting to drizzle, and ultimately pour. It was eight o'clock, a time when most young children were being put to bed, despite their tears and cries of: "No fair!"

But this isn't where our story begins; it begins in a mansion, Kaiba Mansion to be exact. It was also eight o'clock at the time, and the younger Kaiba, Mokuba, had gone off to bed to get some rest for he has school tomorrow and will need his energy. After wishing his older brother, Seto Kaiba, a goodnight, he went off to his room, and in moments had fallen asleep.

And here is where our story begins. After the younger Kaiba had gone off to bed, Seto Kaiba went to his office and started absorbing himself once again in his work.

The minutes ticked by, and, unnoticed by him, the rain had begun to pour down fiercely, wetting the ground and any people who were unfortunate enough to be caught in it. The wind howled, swaying the treetops to and fro as lightning crackled and thunder boomed. It was definitely a night where you took pleasure in staying safely sheltered in your own four walls.

And so the night progressed. Kaiba was avidly typing away on his computer, and the rain continued to fall down without mercy. There was so much thunder and lightning going on outside, that it was almost surprising that Kaiba didn't even notice any of it all. But other people did, so perhaps that is why when the clock struck midnight, and the power went out, many of the people who were still up at that late hour weren't surprised.

Some children awoke screaming, crying for their mommies when that had happened. Probably because at the same time the power went out, a streak of lightning flashed so brightly across the sky, it illuminated the entire city for a moment, and the peal thunder that followed afterwards was so loud, even those who were asleep heard it and woke up from the noise of it all.

But there was one person didn't hear it, mainly because he was so absorbed in his work. He didn't see the lightning, nor hear the thunder, nor take any care to look for a moment at the rain that was falling with such a destructive force. No, the only thing Seto Kaiba was noticing at the moment was how much his stocks were going up, and his competition's was going down.

But all that changed when the power went out. All that changed when the entire town of Domino, which before was being lit up with electric stars, was suddenly shrouded into darkness.

Many people wondered as they took out candles and flashlights to light up their homes, how ironic it was that the power went out at the same time the clock had struck twelve. Some didn't give it a second thought, and yet still others, the more superstitious kind, wondered if there wasn't some sort of connection…

However our story is not about whether or not there's a connection between the power going out and the clock striking twelve. It's about the young CEO sitting at his computer desk, completely oblivious to the world outside.

So you can well imagine his reaction when the power went out. He was furious. His first thought was of who dared to turn off the power while he was in the midst of his work. But as his eyes got used to the darkness, and he became aware of the storm raging outside, he realized what had caused the blackout.

He walked over to the window and wiped away some of the mist on it; and looked. It was like a fathomless black chasm. You couldn't see anything. Suddenly there was a stroke of lightning that illuminated the darkness. Kaiba backed away slightly, not because he was scared, but because he thought he saw something that couldn't have been there. Was it a vision? An illusion? He didn't believe in such nonsense. It must have been a trick of the light. That's what it was, a trick of the light.

But as much as he tried to convince himself of that truth, somehow he just didn't believe it. He glanced out the window again. Darkness. He smirked to himself. How foolish to think there was actually someone outside in this kind of weather, at this time of night. He was still staring out the window when lightning struck again. Kaiba's mouth dropped open in shock. There it was again! The vision he had seen before! A girl…a girl was floating right outside his window!

In a rush he threw open the window, ignoring the rain that was pelting him and the wind howling in his face. He searched the grounds as far as his eye could see…but there was nothing there. No one.

How stupid he had been, he thought to himself as he shut the window angrily. There was no girl; it was just a trick of the light. He was seeing things, and now, because of some stupid illusion he had gotten himself wet. He pushed his soggy bangs out of his eyes and turned away from the window. There he stopped dead in his tracks.

There. There she was. She wasn't an illusion or some trick of the light, she was standing right in front of him! Pale as a ghost, he was certain she was the one he had seen outside in the rainstorm. As he continued to stare at her, not moving from the shock of it all, he realized he had seen her before, and not just outside the window. No, she was the girl from his visions, the visions that always came to him during his duels. She was the one!

Long, light blue hair reached down past her waist. Some strands were in front of her face, dripping with water. She had a look of innocence; yet at the same time that of great courage and strength. Her eyes were big, and a dark blue color which seemed to hold mysteries as deep as the sea. He felt himself drawn to those eyes; they held so much emotion in them, and so much sadness he just wanted to hold her and make it all go away. The outfit she was wearing was patched and ragged, and she was completely barefoot.

They just stood there, a few inches apart from each other. Slowly the girl extended a hand, and laid it gently on his cheek, staring up into his eyes.

Her touch was cold to the skin. As though his hand had a mind of it's own, he lifted his left hand and laid it on top of hers. Her skin was so cold, and she looked so sad, all Kaiba wanted to do was draw her close to him, to keep her there, warm forever beside him.

He didn't understand why he was all of a sudden feeling like this, but one thing he knew for certain, he wanted to be with her. But the real question here was, who was she? Or more correctly, what was she? A ghost? A phantom? Was she even real?

She had to be real, he was here touching her, feeling her…she must be real.

"Seto-sama." She said in a whisper.

Her voice was so soft, so sweet…

"Seto-sama." She repeated, her voice quivering, eyes filled with tears.

"Kisara," Seto replied, the words coming out of their own accord.

Kisara smiled as a single tear made it's way down her cheek. He remembered her! He hadn't forgotten, he remembered!

Seto noticed the tears and with his right hand wiped them away. "Kisara…it's been so long…"

She couldn't hold it back any longer; she embraced him. He wrapped his arms lovingly around her, holding her close to him, stroking her hair and trying to make her feel safe in his arms.
They stayed like that for a long moment; the rain pounding outside was like a backdrop of music to their harmony together.

But it seems the inevitable that such a beautiful thing should come to an end, for at that moment, a stroke of lightning and thunder struck so hard, that the very floor upon which both of them were standing on, shook.

Kisara started pulling away from him. "Seto-sama, I have to go…"

Seto looked up, almost not comprehending. "What do you mean you have to go?"

"I have to go, I can't stay," she said tearfully. "I'm sorry…"

"Kisara…No! You can't leave!" Seto cried, understanding at last. She was going to leave him…again…leave him for who knows how long! He held both her hands in his, squeezing them tightly. "I won't let you leave, I won't! You can't go Kisara! Not again!"

"Seto-sama…" Kisara's eyes were full of tears. She leaned into him and kissed him. The kiss lasted for a long moment, and then, she pulled her hands out of his grasp, and in a moment vanished.

"KISARA!" Seto yelled out, his hands clenched on thin air.

There was a great crashing sound. Turning around Seto saw shattered pieces of glass coming right at him from the broken window; he yelled out, then…nothing.

Kaiba awoke with a start. The power was back on, or had it ever really gone out? He lifted his head off the keyboard, having fallen asleep there, and looked around. Everything was the same as before. It was just a dream, he thought to himself.

Outside the storm still raged on. He turned his head quickly to look out the window. It was still in one piece, like it had always been. Lightning flashed, illuminating the darkness of the outside for a moment. Kaiba looked, but he saw nothing, just the pointed treetops swaying in the wind.

It was really all just a dream…it felt so real…but it wasn't…

He felt almost…disappointed. But after a few moments he just shrugged it off. After all, that was life to him, you have to move on, and if a dream was a dream, no matter how real it felt, it was nothing, just a figment of a person's imagination and there was no use dwelling on it.

He turned back to his computer screen, ready to begin working again, when he realized his right fist was still clenched tightly. Slowly opening his hand, he saw a strand of light blue hair lying there, innocent as the rain.

Did Seto Kaiba actually experience all that had happened? Or was it all just a dream? Was there really a mysterious girl by the name of Kisara? Did she really come to see him? Or was it all just his imagination, the light playing tricks on him? What really happened that night, when the rain was falling mercilessly and the young CEO was caught in the middle of a blackout?

The world may never know…

(c)Téa2004