Soaked shoulders. Weakened knees. Without knowing where he was, or how long he had been walking in that crowded street in the middle of that rainy night. His eyes were unfocused, nor did his mind. He wanted to cry, but no tears came out from his bloody-colored eyes. He didn't care if anyone would notice them. His brain was too devastated to think of those things. He didn't plan to keep his true identity to anyone anyway.

He felt like he's a poor puppy that was abandoned in a murky forest, looking for a way out of his own mind was full of doubts and disbelief. His heart was full of pain and hatred. This was the worst thing a human could suffer. To be imprisoned inside your own brain was far much worst than any way of death.

Hours gone by, but still Kurapika was walking in the rain with no where to go. Still, the sky seemed like it didn't want to stop crying for him. Like it's waiting for him to cry and scream. Shout as hard as he could. So that he could become himself again. But he would not. Not here. Not because of him. To think that he was fooled and tricked by his mortal enemy was humiliating enough. So to cry and say out loud to everyone how he was fooled for almost a year would drive his mind into total insanity.

His brain was not working. It was his feet whose thinking of his path. All he wanted to do was to walk in the midst of this cold darkness forever, with his clothes wet, and with that heavy rain, waiting for him to give in.

It was too late when he found himself standing in front of a huge gate. Inside of it was a cream-painted mansion, in the middle of a well-kept garden. This place looked so simple and peaceful, yet this was the most elegant mansion Kurapika had ever seen. It was once a happy place where he used to stay in. A place that once, he thought, as a new home. He didn't know how reached that place, knowing that it was long miles away from where he had been.

He was shivering from head to foot. He wanted to go inside, to feel that once heart-warming welcome from everyone. That sweet smile of Clario, that humble 'Tadaima' of Miho-san, and that hurried but concern voice of Taka-san saying, "Cross-sama is waiting for you in his office, again."

Yes, he used to go inside that dark study room of his employer every time he got home, even without Taka-san saying it. He used to arrange his reports in his mind while taking that long corridor to his boss' office. He used to guess what's dinner for tonight once he reached the door and grab the knob. Yes, he didn't have to knock anymore. He used to feel nervous but happy and excited to finish all of today's work by reporting all the good and bad news to his boss, Cross-sama.

He used to be happy by sharing his thoughts and comments, as well as ideas about tomorrow's plans with his employer. He used to feel calm to hear his voice saying "everything's gonna be alright" when there's trouble. He used to think that he found someone who understands him. Someone that he could trust with his secrets. Someone who actually felt the same with him, who experienced the same tragic, just like him. He used to think that he found a true friend behind that masked gentleman. He used to admire him. He used to...

With a blink of his eyes, he took a step away from the gate. 'What the hell am I doing here?' He thought, but the sick truth struck his mind. The worst thing that a person like him could ever thought. That once in his life, no matter how creepy it sounded, he fell in love with the man he loathe for almost all of his life.

'But why did my feet brought me here?' He asked himself. But it's not important anymore. He must leave as soon as possible.

He mustered all of his strength to make another step away from this hell. He's about to leave when a strong hand grasped his wrist. Without any hesitation, he poised to punch whoever was it. Focusing his remaining aura on his right hand, he summoned his Chain Jail.

His fist landed on a familiar, emotionless face of a man. It's been years ago since the last time he saw that stoic, cursed face. He's a demon. He's an evil who disguised himself as a human. The man staggered because of Kurapika's punch. His lips were drenched with his own blood. Kurapika's knuckles caught some blood too. The man was obviously dizzy, he shook his head a bit and wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his free hand. But the other that's holding the Kuruta's wrist was firmly gripped on the blonde's shaking hand. He's holding it with all of his strength, but keeping it as gentle as possible, so that it wouldn't hurt. Slowly, he stood upright again, and looked directly to the Kuruta's eyes, which were in bright scarlet color. Kurapika felt so insulted. The punch didn't made any effect on that calm face at all. His heart had so much grief that it might burst. He finally gave in.

"Let me go." Kurapika said with his coldest voice, without taking his eyes off from his captor. He used his most brusque voice to hide his sobs.

"No. Let's talk, please," the man's baritone voice said.

"I said, let me go."

"No."

Kurapika tried to budge again from his captor's grope. He couldn't muster his strength to use nen. But he knew it wouldn't work, so he focused all his strength again to his chained hand and braced himself to make another blow.

"Let me go."

The man didn't seem to hear what he said, that black blank eyes boring to his scarlet ones were really insulting. So he let his fist do the talking.

Surprisingly, the man acted as though he didn't saw Kurapika's hand aiming for his face. He didn't made any defense to protect his already severely bleeding lips. He intentionally caught all of the punch's strength, and it made him stagger more this time. But he slowly stood upright again, bored his eyes back to Kurapika's and griped the boy's wrist stronger. The man's grasp was really firm, as though he wouldn't let go of Kurapika's hand, even if it's the last thing he would do. His face expression didn't changed at all. He acted as though nothing happened.

"How dare you," Kurapika was still trying his best to be cold, but his voice was shaking. "How dare you to look at me like that?. How dare you to talk to me? How dare you to feel so calm and to show me that you're not affected at all?" The blond slowly realized that his voice was raising and shaking even more. He felt the warm moist slowly trickling down his cheeks, along with the rain drops oozing from his hair. It's really lucky that the rain hadn't stopped. He wished the man won't notice it. But who was he fooling? His vision was really obscured by his heavy tears, probably the man would see them while they were clinging on his eyes.

That was the worst moment of his life. He never felt so humiliated before. But he didn't care anymore. All he wanted to do was to cry and show this clever demon that he's dying inside.

"How...dare..you...do all of this to me? How dare you to talk..." he couldn't do it. All of the words wouldn't do anymore. He couldn't suppress his emotions anymore. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch this monster again on the face. He wanted to say that he was the worst person he ever met. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to die already.

"Punch me again, if you want. Hurt me again if you must. Use all of the strength you can give. Let me feel some of those pain you got there. I want to hear you shout again. Show me how you feel. But promise me that we will talk. When I'm done talking, do whatever you like. Hurt me again if you want to." The man's voice had some sincerity on it. But Kurapika didn't care.

"Shut up."

"Kurapika, please."

"SHUT UP! I don't care about what you've got to say. I don't give a shit about what you want to say. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" more tears were running down his cheeks.

He was about to to try to escape from the hold again, when he suddenly felt the surrounding a bit spinning. Then he found himslef along with the man inside the gate, in front of the mansion's door, and his captor had materialized a book on his right hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" What have you done?" he asked.

"I can do teleportation," the man curtly answered.

"Stop messing around, you already got what you want from me. I freed you from my Judgement Chain, didn't I? You already got the Kuruta eyes, don't you? What else do you want? What do you want me to do? Does making a fool of me and killing my entire family is not enough? Why don't you just KILL me already! So that we're even. No one will interfere your plans when I finally die. I will be at peace with my clan when you kill me and get this all over with!"

"Kurapika-"

"Don't call me like that! I'm no longer your employee. Don't treat me like a kid. Don't act like you know me! Stop reminding me how fool I am to fall to your little game, Sebastian Cross," the blonde said with gritted teeth. "No." He glared at the man. "Kuroro Lucifer."

The man only looked at the blond with his dark eyes.

"You know that I'm really desperate to get all the Kuruta eyes back, and you used it against me. Tell me, did you used any hypnotism to trick me? Say, all of the things you told me, were they all lies? Did every little word that came out from your mouth back there are they all LIES!?"

"No!" this time, it was Kuroro who raised his voice. "They are NOT all lies. That's why I want to talk to you-"

"For what? to feed my mind with more of your sick lies? I don't really think so. I've heard enough from you so leave me alone. Let me go or else..." Kurapika's voice was still raised, And it's shaking worst than ever. He couldn't finish his sentence. Or else what? He's not holding anything against the Spider head to make him do what he's asking for. Kuroro was far much stronger and smarter than he was. He's feeling really weak. His knees were seriously feeble by now. He bet he would collapse in no time.

"Tell me," he's no longer trying to sound his voice cold and strong. He's heavily crying like a kid, his voice sounded like a girl's. "Tell me, what else do you want. Do you want to hear me beg you to kill me? OKAY FINE! I'm begging you please, I'm really tired and sick. Please just kill me and GET THIS OVER WITH!"

"Kurapika, please stop-"

"Or do you want me to kill myself in front of you? Yes, that's definitely funnier! But I'm sorry, I've got no any weapon here. Do you have there? Even a small blade will do! I'll just cut my own pulse. Watch me as I lose blood and slowly die. Or on my neck? Oh, That's awesome too! Come on, let's have some fun, even before I die." Kurapika held a voice that's not his. Saying these things in front of the person who made his life a hell was really unlike him.

"Kurapika, stop it already-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU REALLY WANT! I can't think of anything to say to you so that you'll do what I ask! I can't read what's on your mind- well, I can't even read my own? My mind is not working at all. but I don't care, I'll die tonight anyway." He made a hearty laugh.

"KURAPIKA THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kuroro finally showed some emotion. He was angry and worried at the same time. "LISTEN TO ME, PLEASE!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE! I don't know what to think and believe! Please, Cross-sama.. Tell me what to do next. Tell me that everything's gonna be alright. Please...tell...me...what to do...Please..help me..." Kurapika broke down completely. He's running out of breath. More tears were coming out from his eyes. He's hiccuping like mad.

Kuroro caught the falling kid in time. Kurapika didn't cling on him, nor shoved his arm away. So he just wrapped them around the the body, and he felt how hard the boy was shaking. "Yes, everything's gonna be alright. All of the Kuruta eyes are DEFINITELY yours. Listen to me, please. Trust me again- this is the last time I'll ask it to you. Please let me handle everything this time. All you have to do is to trust me. Let's..." Kuroro stopped midway, but continued.

"Let's make a deal."