KURAPIKA'S POV
All I heard was the scream of the people I loved, my family and friends. It was dark inside the cupboard I was hiding at – no, the cupboard that I was forced to be hiding at. Warm tears fell on my cheeks, my lips bled as I bit it hardly, an effort not to make a single sound. I'd been praying all these time, wishing that all of this will be over soon and everything will be just the way the used to be when I step out of this small cupboard. But.. Deep down inside, a part of me knew that there'll be no more tomorrow for me, for us. I refused to believe this, I wanted to believe that my life will end like those fairy tales I've read, with a happy ending, beside the people I love. Yet another scream broke, this time, it was a really familiar high-pitched voice that have been scolding me all these years.
Curious, I peeked through the small key hole of the cupboard, only to see a scene that I'll never be able to forget. It was mum, in a condition that I can hardly even recognize her at all. Many of her limbs are missing here and there, her beautiful face now marred with hideous wounds and holes, but her eyes were still unharmed, blazing scarlet with deep, deep hatred. I felt the urge to just scream and go there, stay by her side until the very last moment so that at least we can go together. I tortured my terribly wounded heart, by just watching more and stopping myself from doing what I wanted to do the most, remembering the promise she made me make before locking me into the cupboard. I promised her that I'll be alive, and no matter what happen, I'll never come out of the cupboard until our attackers are gone. More scarlet tears poured down my cheeks, no matter how hard I tried, I can never stop them from keep falling. I saw a huge human torso in front of my mother, a huge spider tattoo with the number 11 painted on it. It was my breaking point when I saw a pair of huge hands digging into my mother's eyes. I heard the loud scream that will forever haunt my life before everything faded into darkness.
I woke up with a start, my eyes scarlet and wide, my whole body sweating like mad. It took me less than a second for my mind to register what had woke me up this time and tears started falling down my cheeks. My whole body were trembling, I was shaking badly as I curled myself into a ball and continued crying. Why? Why do I have to see those cruel memories all over again and again? What big sin did I do to deserve being totured every night like this? It's been such a long time that I've been having this kind of nightmare, never had I slept seven days straight in a week without being haunted by those images.
"Mum..." I whispered longingly, almost inaudible. How I wished that she was here to comfort me, to say that everything will be all right and that she loved me. I'm tired of all these, I'm tired of being all alone, I'm tired of having to extract revenge from those damn spiders and most of all, I'm tired of living in this cruel world. I would've killed myself a long time ago, the moment after I buried all my clansmen; if collecting their scarlet eyes and avenging them hadn't been my responsibilty. I'd never regretted living for those responsibilities, but I can't help but wonder when will all of these be over.
I never liked fighting. When I was still a child, I was never a fighter – the weakest one at that. Had someone told me that my life will end up being like this, with me being a blacklist hunter and the head bodyguard of a mafia family, I would've laughed and claimed that the person who told me that ridiculous thing crazy. Never once in my wildest dreams I thought that my live will turn 360 degrees like this. If it had been my father, twin brother, or even my mother, who'd survived instead of me, it would be much easier for them to kill those spiders without even feeling guilty about it. Killing was one thing – even if it's a murderer that you're killing – but after meeting Pakunoda, I knew she was a human. I tried my best to think of her as a cruel monster, but no... She was just like me, stuck between the two choices of saving her beloved one, or just be selfish and do what she's supposed to. If she really was a monster, the negotiation between us would never have worked. But she chose to save her leader, even sacrificing herself for her comrades.
I'd live those five years alone, without another human's affection and care, I'd been so grateful that I was destined to meet Gon, Killua, Leorio, Senritsu and even Bashou. They're the ones who reminded me of how having people who love me feels like. But I myself chose the bloody path of vegeance, and never in a thousand years would I drag those people I care for down to hell with me. That's the reason why I always keep my distance, not even answering their phone calls no matter how much I really want to. I don't want to feel the crushing feeling of when someone you love so much just die and you can't do anything to stop them from leaving you alone in this world. Even if they are far away, I know that they're still there, breathing and I can still feel somewhat connected to them. Even if they hate me for being so cold and always ignoring them, there's still no death tearing us apart and I can still love them with all my heart.
I was rudely snapped out of my dark thoughts when a sudden loud screaming that comes with a loud thud from outside of my room broke the silence. I abruptly sat up, wiping away those tears on my cheeks and took a quick glance at the round clock on the wall opposites my bed. Time sure flies fast when you're crying; what felt like ten minutes had been actually two hours. I can hear some loud voice – it must be more than three persons. If they were to attack, they'd be a bunch of idiots for screaming infront of the bodyguards' room. I should not, however, underestimate them for this could be their plan, a trap to outsmart us. I opened the door to see six persons, with clueless expression on their faces, and two peculiar cats; one pure white and wearing a pink outfit while the other one was a bright blue cat wearing nothing but an olive green cloth draped around its small shoulder.
They stared at me with those blank expression still marring their faces as I also, stared back at them. One of them was a pretty young woman with long burning red hair, with a pair of sad looking violet eyes. The red-haired woman seemed to be wearing an armor, with the shape of yellow cross and something I don't recognize printed on it, a dark blue skirt that almost reached her knees and a pair of black hiking boots. Beside her was a seemingly younger woman, her pale blonde hair made into two low twintails, with a pair of big honey brown eyes. The woman was wearing a set of revealing clothes; a sleeveless shirt that had her stomach and almost half of her breast exposed, a short black skirt and a pair of what seemed like sleeves. There was a young man, with muscular built body and messy spiky pale pink hair. The young pinkette was wearing a black shirt with only one sleeve, a pair of white baggy trousers and a pair of simple slippers.
A small bluenette stood in the middle, looking around Gon and Killua's age. The cute bluenette had dark blue hair tied into twin-tails and was wearing a frilly white dress that reached her knees, also with the sleeve thingy. Another woman, this time with curly light blue hair, pale skin and a pair of huge dark blue onyx eyes stood beside her. The woman was wearing a pretty dark blue outfit that covered the whole of her body and a blue hat decorated with a cute butterfly. The last one of the group was another young man, spiky dark blue hair framed his handsome, slightly pale face. The man was also muscularly built, and was wearing nothing but a pair of dark blue shorts with white linings. Even with the first glance at them, I can tell that they're good fighters. "Who are you and what do you want?" I asked at the still clueless people before me.
The armored woman was the one who answered, that they themselves didn't know how they ended up in the servants' building of the Nostrade Residence. She told me about founding an ancient door and after the pinkette opened it, they're here. The story didn't sound very convincing, but I asked Senritsu anyways. Surprisingly enough, she told me that what they said were true. When I asked them about where they're from, they said something about wizards and fairy tale. I frowned a little, not that I don't believe that wizards exist – there's still a possibility on that – but it was all just too confusing. So, the red-haired woman told us about what wizards do, which was surprisingly almost like hunters. After a thick silence concoured us for a little while, the woman in armor fisted her hand in discovery and said, "I get it! That door must be the legendary 'Gate between Worlds'! So, that must mean that we're in a parallel universe!". The other had different reactions; some seemed relieved, some were scared and some were just clueless.
"I, too, have read something about the 'Gate between Worlds' and I believe it really does exists," I said as the memory of the ancient book of magic came back to my mind. "So... What are we going to do with them, Kurapika?" Bashou asked as he scratched the back of his neck out of habit. "The legend says that the gate appears again after an unknown amount of time at the same place where it sends you," I said, silently giving the clue that if they ever wanted to come back, they have no choice but to stay here. It's not my decision whether to accept them staying here or not, but if they really have no choice, they would've to apply as either bodyguards or servants. "Then, that means that we have no choice but to stay here," the armored woman said, as the matter-of-factly. Both Senritsu and Bashou shot me expecting looks, Bashou not caring about my decision while Senritsu was obviously hoping that I'm kind enough to let them stay.
I heaved a sigh, and said, without even a tiny bit friendliness in my voice, "It's not my decision to make, it's the boss'. If you really want to stay here, you will have to apply either as servants or bodyguards. I can tell that you're able fighters". Most of them started grinning, some glad that they have a chance to stay, while the others seemed thrilled with the word bodyguard. "I'll let you stay for the night, but by tomorrow, you'll have to start working. Bashou, please guide them to the empty rooms downstairs and... Get some clothes for him,"I said as I gestured at the half-naked man in the group. The bluenette blushed as he mumbled an apologize, while the pinkette started to tease him. Bashou nodded and started walking, dragging the entire group with him towards the stairs. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to get any sleep soon, and didn't want to start thinking about dying again, I silently followed them from behind. Senritsu soon closed the door of her room and started following me.
"They are noisy,aren't they?" she said, trying to make a conversation. I nodded as I started to descend the flight of stairs and said, "Could you tell, from their heartbeats, which job they'd apply for?". She smiled the soft smile she usually have on her face and said, "They're going to try being bodyguards. I also can tell that they're kind peoples, they fight for justice". "It's good, then. Since we're short of guards. We still have to test them, somehow," I said as we finally reached the empty room. I wouldn't give them personal rooms just yet, for they would have to really work under the Nostrade for that. They seemed okay with that, except for the blond woman, that is. It seemed like she appreciates her personal space, just like I do. The group wasn't quite polite, for they just ignored me, Senritsu and Bashou being there, and started to argue with one another.
END OF CHAPTER