(Author's note: So, the last part was mainly about Joey, but the first was just the prehistory, so to speak! From now on, Yugi, Tristan, Tea, but also Seto and Bakura will appear much more often ..... But me don't want to reveal too much now!)

It just didn't exist! ... It couldn't be! There were pieces in the stranger's box ... pieces of a puzzle! Joey took out some of the puzzle pieces. He was sure that they looked similar to the pieces of Yugi's puzzle ... Then he really wasn't wrong! He'd been right all along in his assumption that it was the same box as Yugi's puzzle, at least since Yugi had said his puzzle was in a box too. Joey had almost forgotten that! Suddenly he had to smile. He felt really good. Maybe he had a Millennium item now, too. But he actually already knew that it wasn't. There were only seven different items.And he could be sure that there was no second puzzle. Why? First he sighed again. The brief joy was completely gone again. It was almost as if reality had caught up with him. "Well, I can still do a bit of the puzzle!" He muttered and sat down at the table. He didn't know how long he sat there trying to put the puzzle together. He was making slow progress. For a part that fit, he was often allowed to try up to twenty. Now he knew why it had taken Yugi so long to complete his puzzle. But he really wanted to get it done as soon as possible. He wanted to know what the puzzle ultimately looked like.

The next morning at school: (with Yugi, Tea and Tristan)

During the break the three met ..... "What should we do? Joey isn't there. The only time he wasn't there, he had problems with guys like that (Manga No. 2) ....", said Tea superfluously. "Yes ..... Otherwise Joey will never be sick ..... Maybe we should visit him today!", Yugi finally suggested. What else should you do?" For a short time everyone looked at each other. "Yes, I would do that too. Because that Joey is missing from school is extremely strange. Maybe it has something to do with that stranger and that box after all! "Tristan thought suddenly out loud. Yugi and Tea looked at him in shock. Tristan hadn't even noticed that he had just spoken his thoughts out loud. He didn't want that at all. Now he didn't know what to say anymore, the way Yugi and Tea looked at him. He just put on a fleeting smile and finally said: "Guys, don't paint the devil on the wall ..... I was just thinking out loud ... maybe ... "But actually he knew that he wasn't the only one who was afraid that Joey was at home because of the thing with the stranger. Surely it wasn't just him who wondered what was in the box now. Joey had certainly looked .Then he sighed briefly. "All right, let's just assume the worst ... What can be in a box like that?" He finally asked. He had been asking himself this question since yesterday. But neither Tea nor Yugi had an answer to the question. Yugi then looked briefly at Tea. She seemed to be depressed. "Hey Tea, what is it? You look like you have something on your mind ...", Yugi said. Tea didn't look at him or Tristan now. "I ... I ... I've actually already planned something else this afternoon ... I can't postpone the appointment so easily ...", she started, but she looked like she was thinking , she would have said too much already. "Well, in an emergency, Yugi and I will go to Joey alone ..... You don't necessarily have to come with us. We'll send him greetings from you," Tristan said with a smile, so that he could at least get the situation under control again . Tea just nodded briefly. She still couldn't look at Yugi or Tristan.Tea had said goodbye straight away at school. So Yugi and Tristan had to go to Joey alone. They didn't speak much on the way there. The two were so wondering what could be with Joey. However, neither of the two wanted to think of the worst. Then they were there. Briefly they looked at each other again uncertainly. Then they nodded to each other and went into the apartment. They didn't see much from Joey's father. They went purposefully through one room at a time. Then they got to the last door. "If he's not in the room, we have a tiny problem ...", Tristan said quietly. Yugi just nodded. He didn't know how he knew, but something told him that Joey was in the room. "What are we waiting for, let's go in ...", Yugi whispered. He couldn't say why he whispered all of a sudden. Maybe because he had such a bad feeling? Tristan just nodded. Did he seem to have that strange feeling too? Yugi couldn't ask himself the question for long, and Tristan slowly opened the door.First it was a small gap, then a big one, and it got bigger and bigger. Then they saw Joey. He was sitting at the desk and looking at the wall. At least that could be concluded from his sitting posture. He sat with his back to them. "Joey ???" asked Yugi. He went in slowly. He had never been to Joey's ... He was really aware of this for the first time. Joey was his best friend, but had never invited him over. That was probably due to his father ... Joey didn't turn around. He didn't seem to be responding at all. Yugi was almost next to Joey by now. He had his eyes open and seemed to be staring into space.

"Joey? Are you okay?", Yugi asked again when he was standing next to Joey. Only now did Joey seem to notice Yugi. His head turned slowly in his direction. Was that really Joey looking at him? Yugi was sure that Joey would never have looked at him like that. His eyes were ice cold and full of hatred. Yugi took a step back. "Joey, what ... ??"But Yugi couldn't get any further. He stared at Joey's chest now. What he saw there took away his breath for a moment. Now Tristan had finally come into the room. He too seemed to notice immediately that something was wrong with Joey." Yuuuuugi .... ", Joey said. But that wasn't Joey's voice. It sounded different. Yugi was frozen in place. He was scared. Scared of Joey, or whoever looked like Joey. But that never could and never be Joey. No ..... If that was Joey, why was he acting so strange. "Hey Joey, why weren't you at school today? Tristan asked. Didn't he seem to have noticed that it wasn't Joey? Now Joey started to laugh. Tristan now looked as if he thought Joey no longer had them all. "Joey ??? ", Joey asked." I'm sorry to have to tell you that Joey ..... Well, how should I best express that ... "For a moment he seemed to have to think seriously." What about Joey, what did you do to him?", Yugi asked panicked. Joey looked at him now. Yugi felt the coldness of his eyes again." Well, you really want to find out the hard way. But good. I would say Joey started a journey into the realm of shadows, "said Joey and laughed afterwards.

Now not only did Yugi look scared, but Tristan too. He knew by now that the Realm of Shadows wasn't really a place to visit. Yugi swayed slightly between horror and confusion. He couldn't imagine that there should be a second millennium puzzle, although Joey had a puzzle on his neck that was almost exactly like his millennium puzzle (although the puzzle has no hair, but well ^. ^). Then only slowly did he realize that Joey had just said that Joey had started a journey into the realm of shadows. Then he had been right from the start when he suspected that this wasn't Joey, but someone else. But who was he?And, whenever he looked at Yugi, was there such coldness and hatred in his eyes? Was that also related to his other self and his past?