[Even when he's alive, Atem finds that breathing helps. Awareness of his breath, the sensation of it coming in, and going out...it helps calm him.

Ryou does look very sorry indeed. Atem doesn't like it. Even though Ryou was the one who used a regret power on him, as though Atem were an enemy, it still twists his gut to see.

But, if Ryou stays...something worse might happen, couldn't it? Atem didn't know that an admission of a lie of omission would set Ryou off like that. He doesn't know what other buttons Ryou might have.

Then, shouldn't you have him stay with you, close to you, until this is over? Instead of sending him out among other monsters, who might not be so understanding....

That's how Atem would have felt, before. But he can't -- he wants to be alone, the regrets still fresh and raw in his mind, because Ryou trespassed with that power, he had no right, like Atem had had no right...

He wants this. Like when the parasite had been pulled out of his mind, he'd been hurt, and wanted to be alone for a while, to sort things out without another presence to think of.]

We should spend some time apart. It's my turn, to be by myself...

...if you'll take care of yourself while I'm gone, I can go. I'm the one who wants to.