Almost a week had passed since Alexander tried to create the prototype card of Petit Dragon for the first time.
During that period, Alexander's routine had settled into something rigid and deliberate.
Every day followed the same structure.
He woke up early, had a quick breakfast, went to school, where he endured boring classes and kept healthy social interactions with both teachers and students.
Then he returned home and immediately went to his study to work on the prototype card for hours until late at night, every single day.
The only break he took was when Roland would knock once in the evening, bringing dinner, where Alexander would pause just long enough to eat, then return to work without wasting a second more.
His focus and dedication were truly admirable.
The drawing process was rough and gruelling; there was no other way to describe it.
The first few attempts failed almost immediately.
The main reason was that the lines came out uneven for one reason or another.
Borders that should have been straight bowed inward. Corners refused to meet cleanly. The frame looked like it had been pulled out of shape.
Once he got used to the tools and resolved that issue, a new one spat him in the face, the proportions that seemed hellbent on doing whatever they wanted.
The Petit Dragon's head came out too large and its body too small. The wings at times stretched where they shouldn't and compressed where they needed space. What was supposed to be cute looked like a crooked Picasso.
Almost supernaturally bad.
The outline distorted in ways that made it barely recognisable from the holographic blueprint in front of his eyes.
Alexander exhaled slowly through his nose to release all the frustration, then adjusted his grip on the pen and tried again.
The next time, he sketched more lightly with careful strokes and slower movements. He paused more often, constantly checking angles, keeping his gaze glued on the card stock and the transparent holographic blueprint over it.
The final result was better, not good, but surely better.
Then came the issue with the colours that came up as a result of a clear mistake.
The moment the marker touched the surface, he knew he fucked up as the colour looked too uneven.
The ink pooled at the start of each stroke, then faded too quickly, leaving dark patches that sat beside pale streaks that refused to blend.
He tried layering by going back over it, but that only made it worse as the surface began to warp slightly under the pressure.
The gradients didn't match, and the tones were off.
What should have been a deep, shadowed yellow looked patchy, sickly in places and obnoxiously flat in others, which made him realise, "Shit... I should have bought paint markers instead of alcoholic ones."
The words came out under his breath, more exhale than voice.
He stared at the uneven colour, jaw tightening, realising that it was too late now, but not for the next.
The next time, he brought the paint markers and tried again.
Another attempt.
This time he worked in sections with smaller strokes, letting each area dry before moving on. He used lighter colours first, building up slowly instead of diving straight into the darker shades.
The blending wasn't yet perfect, but it held together. From a distance, at least it looked fine, but it felt off, incomplete.
He stared at the card for a long second as he realised that something was wrong.
It wasn't obvious at first as the layout, the Petit Dragon, and the background looked very similar to the projection, but then with another closer look, it clicked, "Fuck! The stars..."
He had forgotten the level stars, and once he noticed that, everything else followed.
The text, the name at the top, and the attribute symbol were all completely missing, making him mutter a deflated, "…Right."
He leaned back in his chair, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead.
Another failure.
He set it aside and started again, more careful and methodical this time.
Sketch. Pause. Check. Outline. Pause. Ink. Wait.
Colour in a slow, controlled, and deliberate way.
Days passed faster than they should have as he kept refining his skills.
The room grew quieter; even the faint hum in the background seemed to fade as his focus narrowed.
Then, a near success, he didn't realise it at first, but as he pulled his hand back and really looked at it, his excitement grew with each passing moment.
The layout was correct, centred, and balanced. The proportions finally held. The artwork surprisingly decent, not perfect or professional yet, but unmistakably right.
Recognisable at a glance, almost perfect.
And then he turned the card to work on the card backing, but it was way too soon.
The thought didn't even form fully before it happened.
His fingers shifted, and the edge brushed against the surface, but the ink hadn't dried.
Alexander froze as he realised what he had done and went completely still as if that alone might undo the mistake.
Slowly, carefully, he turned the card back, and the damage revealed itself all at once.
A smear across the artwork as the colours dragged into each other, muddy and dull. The clean lines he'd spent so long fixing now blurred into something shapeless.
The front was ruined, smudged beyond recovery.
He stared at it in silence.
The markers lay scattered around him. Caps loose. One rolled slightly before coming to a stop against the edge of the desk.
Then he erupted, "FUCK! For the love of— No, it's better not to go there..."
He was about to curse using the name of Mephisto and his attributes, but then he remembered that he was a very real and dangerous entity and stopped just in time, as he didn't want to attract his attention and get screwed over.
But he still felt like he was about to turn green and start smashing everything around him for the next few hours, so he decided to stop for a day and resume the next one after he calmed down.
The next day, with renewed patience, he once again started the now familiar process. The layout came out very easily as he was now very familiar with it after countless attempts, and the same was true with the outline of the artwork, but colouring everything still took a lot of time, but this time he did it.
Then came the final part, the lamination process. It was long, tedious, and highly uncooperative and unpredictable.
He made mistakes there too, more than he liked to admit, many of which ended in half-plastified, half-melted cards, but never the same mistake twice.
Another day passed like that, with failure, making adjustments, and improving.
Rinse and repeat.
Until the next day, Alexander stood in front of the desk, looking down at the card.
It was finally complete.
Petit Dragon.
Level 2.
Wind attribute.
600 ATK.
700 DEF.
A simple, vanilla monster. Objectively weak, insignificant, even.
But...
Alexander smiled as he muttered, "I did it. My first card..."
The words were quiet, almost absent-minded, but the meaning wasn't.
A soft and measured knock interrupted the moment, making Alexander unconsciously say, "Enter."
Roland stepped inside as always, carrying a tray containing Alexander's dinner.
He paused as his gaze fell on the desk, more specifically on the card before he commented, "That is well made."
Alexander glanced at him briefly as he said with a hint of pride in his tone, "It took a while."
Roland stepped closer, observing it more carefully. His expression didn't change much, but his attention did as he asked, "You learned to draw for this?"
Alexander didn't answer immediately, but then he admitted, "Yes..."
A small pause, then Roland made another inquiry, "Would it not have been more efficient to commission an established artist?"
A fair question, a logical one.
Alexander leaned back slightly and admitted, "Yes... It would have been easier."
He looked at the card again before he added, "But it wouldn't be the same."
Roland remained silent, waiting.
"The artwork isn't just a mere decoration," Alexander continued. "It defines the card. How it's perceived. How it's used."
A slight pause before he kept explaining, "If I outsource it, I lose control of that. Different artists interpret things differently. Small changes… distort the original intent."
His gaze sharpened slightly as he concluded, "And if I'm going to build something from the ground up, then every piece of it needs to follow the same logic. The same structure."
After hearing that, Roland's gaze shifted back to him as he pushed back, "Yet, it is still a product."
"You're making some kind of card game," Roland added. "Similar to that old Baseball Cards Game."
Alexander smiled faintly and replied, "Not quite..."
He turned slightly, meeting Roland's gaze and said, "It's more than that."
Alexander took a brief pause to let it sink in before he explained, "It's a collectable card game. Something with structure, strategy, and depth never seen before. Something people don't just collect, but play."
Something sharper entered his tone as he continued, "Kids, teenagers, adults. It won't matter; it will have the charm to get all of them into it."
His gaze drifted slightly as if already seeing such a future, "And it won't stay here. It will spread. Across cities. Countries..."
He took another pause, and Roland didn't interrupt him as he kept listening.
Alexander's expression didn't change, but something underneath it did as he said, "...Globally."
Silence followed for a brief moment before he continued, "And once it does, it becomes a foundation for something bigger...Something that could surpass Roxxon."
Hearing that, Roland's eyes narrowed just slightly.
At the same time, Alexander finished, "If that foundation is inconsistent, everything built on top of it is too."
That landed.
Roland didn't respond immediately because he was processing what Alexander just said; then he muttered, "I see..."
He did not fully understand his vision, but he understood enough, and more importantly, he trusted Alexander; he had been by his side since he was a kid, and he was aware of his brilliance.
In the end, Roland inclined his head slightly and said, "Very well. I will leave you to your work."
And then he did as he left the tray on the table and turned around, quietly closing the door behind him.
Silence returned, and Alexander's gaze lowered back to the card.
The atmosphere shifted as he was about to start the next and final step.
The unknown one.
He exhaled slowly and then focused, giving a silent, mental command.
The YGO System responded immediately.
[Ding!]
____________________________________
[Analysing prototype card... Done.]
[Evaluating prototype card... Done.]
[Congratulation. The prototype card "Petit Dragon" is compatible.]
[Connecting to the Spirit World...]
_______________________________________
A soft hum filled the room, and then a circle formed right above the card.
A stable and silent portal.
And on the other side, there was a very familiar small figure, the one that Alexander tried to draw countless times, Petit Dragon.
It was a bright yellow, rounded dragon with a smooth, almost toy-like body.
It had large green eyes, a wide open smile, and no visible teeth. Its wings are small and grey, and its belly is a lighter grey with subtle striping.
But this one wasn't a mere image; it was the real one, and it looked at him with its head tilted slightly and eyes full of curiosity.
Alexander didn't move. For a moment, he simply stared as he muttered, barely hiding the awe in his tone, "This is a real Duel Spirit..."
Then he straightened slightly, composure returning just as quickly as he looked Petit Dragon in the eyes and introduced himself, "Hello. My name is Alexander. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The Petit Dragon blinked, then something shifted.
It wasn't some sort of sound or clear words, but an understanding.
Petit Dragon wasn't exactly hearing him, but it understood, and Alexander understood it too.
The realisation settled in quickly.
Then a question came from the Petit Dragon, not delivered in words but in intent.
~Why?~
Alexander didn't hesitate and said, "I'm creating something… a game. Duel Monsters."
He gestured slightly toward the card, "But these aren't just objects; they're connections… to you."
The Petit Dragon watched him, still curious and from its intent, it seemed it was aware of what Alexander was talking about.
Alexander continued, "I'll need that connection to truly create what I'm envisioning, but mostly for protection and survival."
He had already decided that the best approach was to be honest and direct with all the Duel Spirits he negotiated with.
Then he shifted, "But it benefits you too. When these cards are used… you'll receive something."
After a brief pause, he added, "The Duel Energy generated from the duels... The more used your card, the more people play, the more energy you'll receive, allowing you to grow stronger."
The dragon's attention sharpened in an instant as the concept landed.
Alexander's gaze held steady as the two stared at one other in silence.
Then the Petit Dragon's expression changed, becoming brighter, its intent crossing the portal, letting Alexander know that it agreed.
Alexander blinked once, muttering, "That was fast... I thought it would take more to convince it."
The Petit Dragon moved closer, its head passed through the portal before it leaned down and lightly touched the card that started to emit a light, soft hue.
[Ding!]
____________________________
[Binding Successful]
____________________________
The connection successfully settled, and the Petit Dragon pulled back slightly, then lifted one wing and waved it slightly
And just like that, the portal closed.
Silence returned to the study, making Alexander exhale slowly, "It worked..."
He looked down at the card again; it looked the same as before, but it felt different, alive.
A faint smile formed on Alexander's face before he exclaimed, "Excelsior!"
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