[ Yugi nods, thinking about those answers. He finds himself sitting down suddenly in an odd mixture of exhaustion and detachment as it all settles in his mind. He isn't sure why this is all suddenly important. They both know how the early days of the Puzzle being completed were.

Well... Yugi knows of it. Joey and Tristan shared details, but, Yugi still doesn't have memories of the very early days. He may never really have memories of those Shadow Games either. Something tells him that Atem would rather share the details of what he did. Even then? He can't see his other self doing things like the spirit of the Millennium Ring. If the people Atem punished deserved it after losing the Shadow Games...

He frowns as his eyes drop to the floor of his soul room. Why does any of it matter all of the sudden? He wasn't aware of what happened; it wasn't like being sealed away by the Orichalcos. Is he simply trying to understand what it was like for Atem before they were partners? If so, then why does he want to know?

... Was the ancient Pharaoh as lonely as he was before the Puzzle was solved? Was he just as lonely, hurting, and numb when Yugi let the Seal take him? Or, is it just Yugi himself that feels this way?

Can he even ask his other self any of this? Or is it too much? ]

It took me eight years to solve the Puzzle. [ It's a fact they all know. ] I found it in Grandpa's storage room... and he didn't think I could solve it. I wanted to show him I could.

[ And he did.

Yugi can't help how his voice still sounds monotone. ] Did... you know someone was trying to solve it?

[ Did Atem know who he even was before he solved the Puzzle? ]