EDIT1 (28 May 2015):
WARNING: There will be torture scenes, which is why I had to rate this story to M. I will now tell you upfront that the romance will really start to brew when they are older. From now on, it's going to be entirely different from the original story I had up.
Hey everyone! Here is chapter 11! As I told you in the previous chapter, I will most likely update chapter 12 tomorrow. This chapter will show Suou's fight against Kitsune! Anyways, happy reading as always! :D
And once again, if my MC acts like a Mary Sue in any way, TELL ME IMMEDIATELY!
'' - thoughts
"" - speech
italics - memory
Disclaimer: I do not own HunterxHunter. If I did, I would keep Alluka and Killua to myself. :PP
Chapter 11
Her light gray blue eyes locked with mine, haunting with death. Her beginning, ruined because of me, stopped with her. Time never allowed her to move forward. The other Outsider. Midori, the child who is to kill me in the future. Blood seeped through her wounds that was obviously caused by the Clan. Was it rocks? Was it bricks? It didn't matter. We were the children of misery, the children of death, the children of darkness. But there was a difference. She had no one and I had Alice and Yuu. She was a half and I was a tainted. She was a true child and I was a fake child. The only similarities were the treatment received by the Clan and the status as the Outsider.
I strode towards her and stood still when I reached her. We both never looked away from each other. An understanding of intentions. A refusal of connection. Solitude was the solace we both desired. Without speaking, I placed the ointment bottle in front of her and watched her as she watched me. "Use it or leave it." The words then came out easily as if I never put any thought into them. I broke my gaze and walked away without ever looking back.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to understand my surroundings, when I realized that we were in Gon's house. I then remembered that we had arrived yesterday evening after riding a single boat and walking over the hills. Mito-san was very hospitable towards all of us, so after we ate dinner, I helped out with washing the dishes while the other three immediately set out for a quick journey in the forest. I had refused Gon's offer to go with them because I was tired from the short travel and needed rest. Thankfully, they understood and reassured me that they will bring back souvenirs of sorts. It was a little awkward to just be with Mito-san in the house with her grandmother, but we were more relaxed around each other after taking a bath together and after I drank tea at the table with them. Once it hit nightfall, I bade them good night before entering the makeshift bed. Exhaustion had taken over as I was immediately fast asleep. Yes. That was what happened over the last few hours when I was awake. Yawning, I sat up and noticed Suou curled up next to me. I fiddled with her hair and pulled the covers over her carefully. Leaving the house, I sat down on the grassy hill, looking up at the moon.
I had finished training for the day and decided to take a walk by myself. As I strode across the village forest, a rustling within the bushes caught my attention. I continued to walk, pretending to not notice the presence behind me. When I reached the deepest parts of the forest, I stood still, waiting for them to appear. The rustling behind me grew louder.
I turned around with caution. "Who is it." The scrawny girl emerged from the bushes. Her light gray blue eyes flickered to me and leaves stuck out of her dark olive brown hair.
"Midori." I acknowledged her, nodding at her while I was at it. She nodded back. Although I was physically younger than her, she treated me as if we were the same age, which is why I chose to do the same. I saw her arms covered in cuts and scratches from the bushes. Pulling out an ointment bottle, I placed it on the ground in front of her. "Use it or leave it." Before I had the chance to walk away, she took the ointment bottle and grabbed my arm. Startled, I stared at her in surprise.
"Your arm." It was the first time I heard her voice. Soft but firm. Rough but smooth. Uncertain but determined. I blinked before processing her words. I looked down at my arm and finally realized that it was bleeding profusely. I wondered why I did not feel the pain until now. Wincing, I grimaced at the sight. Midori then dragged me to a hidden stream of water. She proceeded to clean the wound and used the ointment that I gave her before bandaging it temporarily with my handkerchief.
"Thank you." She nodded and began to walk away. I watched her figure disappear into the dark forest. Solitude, huh... I looked up at the bright blue sky. Was that really what we both wanted?
I held the cloak around me as the wind blew harder. Would it be possible for us, the Outsiders, to become happy? "Would it be possible? For us to be happy? The Outsiders?" I asked out loud, not expecting an answer.
"No. It is not." A nostalgic voice replied. Soft but firm. Rough but smooth. That was the voice that answered my question.
"I see..." I looked down at the ground. "Are you here to take me, Midori?" When she did not answer, I stood up and faced her. "Or..." My eyes narrowed warningly. "Are you here to kill me?" I slipped off my cloak and threw it to the side. "Either way, it doesn't matter. We will both have to fight each other no matter what. Because... That is our inevitable fate."
"You will be judged by the Clan." She took out her dagger. "Therefore, I must bring you to them. Will you come with me quietly or will I have to force you?"
"I already gave you my answer." Her eyes closed as if hoping that was not my answer. I watched her with growing sadness. "You talk a lot more than you used to." I murmured to myself with a melancholic smile. "I wonder why we could not get to know each other better. Such a shame." I also closed my eyes as I felt the warm breeze.
"It is not of our fates to become friends."
"Indeed, but... One can always try. Becoming friends is never a bad thing. It can always bring together the most unexpected people and open a future that was not there before. I am always willing, but I guess at this point in time, it would be impossible between the two of us. After all, the moment I appeared, you were raised to become a weapon like me. In fact, I never understood why you did not hate me. Your job was to keep me in check after all. To make sure I never stepped beyond the boundaries."
A hollow chuckle erupted from her. "You were always very logical. Wiser than me, despite being younger. I found you fascinating, compared to the Clan members, who acted like children with nothing better to do."
"I suppose we both have the same opinion in regards to that." I paused before summoning my own dagger. "Do you think the Clan is correct in their ways? Do you think that they are doing the right thing?"
"I don't know and I don't care. I just follow orders and that's all I need to do." Her eyes darkened. "There is no need to think."
"You're wrong. Never judge a book by its cover. The Clan have their faults. And that is why you should never always follow orders that would cause destruction and cause the end of their future." I grimaced to myself. "Who knows if the Clan is really who they are right now."
"There is no need to question it." She approached me cautiously. "Now... Let us begin this fight." Midori ran without hesitation as she raised her dagger to slash down at me. I blocked with my own, realizing my strength was not as equal to hers as I had originally thought. Jumping backwards, I dashed forward to catch her off-guard with my dagger in both hands, prepared to kill her at the most apparent area. Before she could respond, I stood in front of her, pushed my dagger towards her as she clenched her teeth in preparation for the pain, but she quickly deflected my attack by raising her dagger against mine, causing it to fly away from my hands. Immediately, she kicked me in the stomach to provide distance between us. I rolled down the hill, not stopping until I hit a boulder.
"Augh." I spat out some spit, hacking and coughing, as I tried to regain my balance. Before I had time to process, I flew into the same boulder when she kicked me in the stomach once more. My vision blurred, shaking me from focusing appropriately. I felt her punches and kicks as I slammed into the boulder consecutively. My skin became sensitive towards even a single brush of anything. I grimaced as I watched her dark figure hover over me.
"Never judge a book by its cover, huh..." She mockingly repeated to me.
I smirked tiredly at her. "Indeed. I had underestimated you for sure..." It soon turned into a frown. "It is your win." I did not have the single energy to escape due to my lack of stamina, resulted from my previous big battle. "You definitely got me good..." I heard another voice enter our conversation.
"Good job, Midori. You will be rewarded greatly by the Clan." I felt huge hands grab my hair as they dragged me off the boulder. "You are our pride and joy."
"Thank you." Her voice echoed, lacking happiness and joy.
"Let us be off with her."
"Yes sir." I watched Gon's house on top of the hill as we entered a dark portal, sucking us in and leading us to the village, where I will be judged.
"Suou..." I weakly murmured to myself as I faded into black.
Suou opened her eyes after feeling a cold emptiness besides her. She sat up and looked around the room, expecting to see Kinra. "Onee-chan? Are you in here?" There was complete silence. Feeling somewhat uneasy, she trudged to Gon's room, where Killua and Gon were sleeping. Knocking quietly on their door, she heard footsteps and noises in the room.
"Suou-chan? Is something the matter?" Gon rubbed his eyes as Killua sat up from his bed with tired eyes.
"Um... Sorry, I woke you guys up..." She scanned the room, feeling disappointment, when she did not see her sister.
"Suou-chan?" Gon stared at her worriedly.
"You didn't happen to see Onee-chan...right?" When they shook their heads, she stiffened with worry.
"Was she not with you?" Killua asked. She immediately shook her head.
"We can always go check with Obaa-chan and Mito-san! She could be in their room for all we know!" Gon began running towards their room.
"But-"
"It's okay! I'll be right back! Killua, go check the bathroom, living room, and kitchen!" He disappeared quickly after turning the corner. Killua sighed as he stood up.
"Sorry." She whispered guiltily.
"It's fine. Sit right here and we'll be right back." He finally left.
Fiddling with her fingers, she looked out the window as if she inwardly knew that Kinra was no longer here. "Un. Thanks." After a few minutes, they came back running with concern.
"She wasn't anywhere within the house." Killua murmured.
"Maybe she's outside? We should go check!" Gon dragged both outside as he started to sniff with his nose.
"Geh. You're doing that weird thing again." Killua scrunched his nose as he watched him do that.
"Ah. I smell her scent. Over..." He walked. "Here..." Kinra's cloak laid forgotten on the grass. "I also smell two other unusual scents... I don't think they are coming from any of us though..." Uncertainty shined through his eyes.
"Is... Is that all?" Suou barely whispered as she gathered the cloak to herself and held it close to her face.
"I also...smell her scent down there...and..." He pointed down the hill. As he began to run, Killua and Suou followed after him. Gon stopped at a huge boulder. Fresh blood dripped down, staining the gray color. Suou took a sharp intake of breath.
"You smell her...around...No...on that blood...?" Her voice quivered, unable to believe what she is seeing and hearing. Gon kept quiet as he looked at the multiple stains of blood on the rock. Killua shivered when he looked at it carefully. He could see how she was hit and how she was injured. "Is... Is she dead...?" Suou buried her face into the cloak. Tears staining it as she tried to hold in her cries.
"I don't think she's dead yet." Killua whispered quietly to them. "By the bloodstain on the bottom, it means that she hit the rock as she rolled down the hill. And then by the several bloodstains at the top, she was slammed against it multiple times, but I think she's still alive." His heart ached, wishing Kinra was here with him, so that he could hold her hand again. He hoped inwardly that she was alive and that he would find her one day as they had no idea who or what did this to her. Suddenly, he feared that he would never see her again, never find out who took her, and never touch her warmth. His eyes widened at that aspect. To never watch her lips curl upwards into a bright grin, to never see her deep brown eyes sparkle and soften as they met his own, to never hear the amusement, the understanding, the affection in her voice with his own two ears, to never...to never feel her fingers wrap around his, to have their palms touch, to wrap his arms around her tightly, to smell the scent of her safe warmth. A cold emptiness crept into his heart as loneliness poured over him.
"Killua?" Gon called out to him.
"Yeah?"
"We're going back."
"Okay." He looked one last time at the boulder before walking away.
"Wake up." A harsh voice called out to me. I groaned as I felt the aching pain in the back of my head and in my stomach. I noticed then that only a tank top and shorts were on me. When I raised my head, a tall man with long dark burgundy hair and plain green eyes stared down at me. He flexed his arms as he watched me with a calculative gaze. When I tried to move, I found myself chained to an unmoving chair that was connected to the ground with my hands attached to the back of the chair. My feet were connected to the legs of where I sat. Complete dread pooled in my stomach as I turned towards the man again.
He smiled at me stiffly. "Shall we begin the first stage?" I flinched and prepared myself for the worst pain in my life. "Unless you wish to tell us where you hid the heiress."
"I...refuse..." I coughed out.
"Then we shall begin." He forced my mouth open, stuffing a cloth into it. Without allowing me to spit it out, he duct taped my mouth shut as I started to choke from the suddenness of the situation. He looked at me thoughtfully before kicking me in the stomach. I grunted due to the bruise that formed on my stomach from my fight with Midori but I held my ground. It was not as bad as I thought, but I realized how I could not defend myself with any Nen because of something that was forcing me into 'Zetsu.'
"Tell us where she is." I glared at him in response. His hand slammed against my cheek, leaving a flash of white burning force. The cloth immediately tingled the back of my throat. I immediately tried to throw up the cloth out of my mouth, but the duck tape held it in without budge. Tears sprung from the corner of my eyes. I tried hard to concentrate on breathing through my nose and staring at the door behind the interrogator.
One.
His kick smashed into my ribs, making the bruise on my stomach darken in color, and I gagged from crying out in pain. Crazy. White. Burn. It was too sensitive. Too fast. My head. It burned from everything around me.
Two.
My other cheek stung from his slap. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!
Three.
He took out a small whip before cracking it down on my right shoulder.
Four.
It then slashed down on my left shoulder. Tears unwillingly dropped down from my eyes as I held in my screams to stop myself from gagging anymore. I shook and stared down at my lap. I was still okay. I can still do this.
Five.
I watched as his whip struck my lap. An angry red burn appeared as speckles of red began to form. My wet tears dripped down my legs.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
He continued to strike down on my lap with no rest. Every single time, it burned so much. Ripped at my skin like an angry fire. I saw flashes of white. Flashes and blurs of cold isolation. I shook my head furiously to stop the gagging reflex but to no avail, it did not help. Hot tears trailed down my cheeks, staining my bleeding legs. I wanted it out of my mouth. Get it out, get it out, get it out, get it out of me! A muffled scream ripped out of me as he moved on to my arms. I struggled to get out of the chair, never stopping the scream. The scream for help.
Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven.
Get me out of here. GET ME OUT OF HERE! STOP! My throat felt dry as if rubber had replaced my voice box when I shrieked out in pain. I violently shuddered when the tip of his whip gently hovered over the area of my faded skin that he had carefully and slowly destroyed. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Forty, forty one, forty two, forty three, forty four.
My skin no longer burned as needles and waves of pain shot through my nerves, through all the blood my lap gathered.
"Would you like to tell me where she is now?" I heard a blurred whisper in my ear as I never made a move to answer him. "Move your head if you wish to tell me. Don't move if you won't tell me." I still did not move. "I see. Then let us continue. We shall start stage two. But... Before that, let us blindfold you." I flinched when I felt my eyes being covered by a piece of cloth. "Shall we count the minutes now?"
Count? What did he mean by that? I breathed through my nose heavily until something covered my only source of air. I shook my head to get it off of me, but whatever was covering my nose did not budge at all. It stuck to my airway like a stubborn plug. Feeling desperate, more tears drenched the cloth around my eyes as I tried to release my hands, pulling them, shaking them. My muffled scream seemed more muffled than before and I felt so lightheaded. So nauseous. So dizzy. My wounds still stung as if it flaked from a burning fire.
One.
It was only one minute? Oh god please. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Please spare me. PLEASE!
I heard an unfamiliar whimper. Who was making that noise? Stop making that noise. STOP IT!
"It's you who is making that sound. Two." His voice echoed through my head. It was me? No, that can't be. I never make that kind of sound. Another whimper cried out and this time, I knew it was me. I felt it. It shivered through my throat like a bug that squirmed through a hole.
It was me. IT WAS ME.
A single touch from something cold seared my mind with white utter pain. Burns that ripped through my nerves.
"Would you like to tell me now?" I gagged as I shook my head furiously to him. I heard a small sigh and was about to give up on breathing when the sticky substance that blocked my airway disappeared. I breathed through my nose desperately as if the air around me was precious. I almost missed what he said next after he had pulled away the blindfold. "You will have a break where someone will treat your wounds." The man released the duct tape around my mouth and pulled out the drenched cloth as I coughed furiously, drained of all my energy.
"Gon, is she okay?" Mito-san asked. He shook his head.
"Kinra disappeared and we don't know if she's okay nor do we know where she is. That's why Suou is really distressed right now." He scrunched up his nose. Suou rustled through Kinra's bag that she had left behind before pausing at one certain paper.
"I... I think I found something important." She whispered to them. Mito-san led her to the table and poured her some warm tea as she gripped the old letter in her hands.
"What is it. Read it out loud for all of us." Killua said with hardness.
"Okay." She breathed in and out as everyone sat at the table, waiting for her to read. "Here I go."
Dear Kinra,
I apologize for not explaining to you properly about what was going on with the Clan and why we even summoned you in the first place. Read this carefully until you have memorized it word to word.
As you may know from before, the Clan was changing. We received recent information that someone betrayed the Clan rules. It was too much of a shock that Grandfather desperately searched for a way to make the best weapon from legends, alchemy, magic, and tricks. Among these stories, there was one that talked about a being capable of controlling time and an energy capable of destroying the dimensions. With great hope, he tried them all out. Nonetheless, none of them worked, except one. It took eight days to complete the ritual. From our drastic efforts, you appeared as our result. At first, the Elders were very appalled that a small child was summoned, in particular, a female child. However, Grandfather decided to take his chance with you, which ultimately led us to meet each other.
Once I passed the Hunter exams, Grandfather and the Elders ordered me to investigate a series of legends. Within these legends, I discovered a shocking truth. This truth is the reason why the Clan is divided into three group. The Main, the Main Branch, and the Branch family.
The Main Branch family was separated from the Main and Branch family because in the past, they tried to destroy the Main family and were thus forced into submission to protect the Main and Branch family from the Outside World.
I wish to warn you though as the Branch family is very knowledgeable of the dark history between the two families, so they will most likely be hostile towards anyone who is an outsider that tries to go near their territory. After all, they are the ones who are given the task to protect the Main family.
Just to let you know, the current Clan Leader is someone who is kind and rules with great knowledge, but recently, she has been acting strange with her decisions. That is why I want you to figure out what exactly is going on with her. It is very suspicious on why she would suddenly rule with an iron fist. That is another reason why we believe that someone is controlling her or that someone is following under her orders to control the Main Branch family. If it is her, I do not blame her though as the Main Branch family has been acting strange for the past few years. Tension has been building up as if something big is going to happen. When I found the heiress in an isolated area, that further increased my wariness towards the adults and the Elders. I can only hope that it is just my imagination and that they are not planning anything dangerous such as a coup d'etat or manipulating the heiress to rule over the rest of the families. Anyways, please raise the heiress away from the politics of the Clan and hide yourself from the world so that the Clan cannot find you. Once I figure out the entirety of this mess, I will somehow get in contact with you. If you can, try to become a Hunter as it is easier for me to find you in that case.
One last thing, if it is possible, find a way to release everyone from the mind control. I shall also look for another method. Remember, Kinra. Do not trust anyone. Do not trust me. Do not trust Yuu. Do not trust anyone when you come back. I only hope that I will not be controlled by the time this is all over, but if I am and you did not find a method to destroy the manipulation, kill us all. Let's just hope that it doesn't come to that point. Kinra, raise the heiress. Protect the heiress. Save the Clan from absolute elimination. At least, save the Main and Branch family if possible. Do whatever it takes to secure the best future for the Clan. If all else fails, force Grandfather to teach you how to time travel, despite being very skeptical of the idea that you can time travel. For all we know, it could be a misunderstanding or a wish by the person who created that legend. Despite your results from the water divination, your power can always translate into something else.
I hope you stay safe, Kinra.
From Alice
"I... I didn't get a lot of that." Gon laughed sheepishly as Suou gaped at the letter as if disbelieving what she just read.
Killua's lips tightened into a thin line. "They sure are dumping their shit onto her." He scoffed bitterly in quiet anger.
"Onee-chan..." She closed her eyes and buried her face into the letter. "I can't believe I was so...so naive, so stupid. The moment I thought I knew my sister, something else happens that destroys that assumption. And... When I try to learn more about her, the more I realize that I don't know anything about her." She sniffed as she held in her tears. Folding the letter and placing it to the side, she gratefully accepted the tea from Mito-san and drank it. "How frustrated she must have been...so confused as to what to do first...and I didn't know a single thing. NOT A SINGLE THING OF HER PAIN!" Suou felt utter disgust for herself.
A warm arm wrapped around her. Mito-san told her in a gentle voice. "Sometimes, those that take care of their important loved ones end up omitting the hardships and responsibilities from them in order to give security to those that need it, especially during the most important part of their lives. All they want to do is protect and nurture the goodness with hopes that nothing will stain the innocence of their loved ones. Do not blame yourself, Suou. From what I have seen so far, your sister is a thoughtful and affectionate person who just wanted to protect you, her precious little sister, in any possible way. She would not be happy if she knew that you were blaming yourself for what she did and had to do." A sob ripped out from Suou when she heard Mito-san's words, tightening her grip on her clothes. "Since you don't know if she is okay or where she is at, you should not stress too hard about it because nothing will change by stressing too much. Perhaps you'll have a better idea as to where she is once you clear your head."
She sniffled and looked up at her. "How do I do that?"
"Go explore Whale Island with Gon and Killua tomorrow and then take a nice warm shower with me, but first things first. We all need to sleep as it is late and it's not healthy for us to be up for too long. Tomorrow is a long day for us and by sleeping, we can refresh our bodies to prepare for it all." Mito-san pat her head gently before asking. "Would you like to sleep with me for today, Suou?" She nodded in response.
"Thank you." Her voice was quiet and uncertain.
I stared down at my bloody lap as I heard the door open. A rustling sound stopped when they stood in front of me. My arms and legs were finally released as I fell to the ground lifelessly. "You look terrible." A familiar voice. It was Midori.
I hoarsely whispered with a strained grin. "Of course not. I look amazing." She sighed at my attempts to talk and began using a towel to wipe away the blood. I cried out the moment the towel touched my blemished skin. She flinched at the sight of tears sprouting from my eyes.
"You're only thirteen years old." She hinted to me.
"I will NEVER send Rose to these crazed bastards." I coughed out. "I have nothing against the Branch or Main family for that matter, but...sending her to the Main Branch is like sending her to hell." Midori stared at me as she paused with her work. "I have to... I have to protect her. Even if...it means that I will die."
Her brows furrowed with frustration. "You're only thirteen."
"So?" She flinched at my determined tone. "Rose is my family. She has been since I left this place. So... So how...How can I bring her here as a sacrifice?" Overwhelming emotions stained my voice as I grabbed her arms in utter sadness.
"Why..." Her light gray blue eyes flickered with something unexplainable.
"The reason why I left... Do you know what it is?"
"No."
"It is to protect her from the tainted politics of this family. To make sure she develops her own morals when it is time for her to rule over the three families. To give me a chance to find a way to save this damn Clan from complete annihilation." I tightened my grip on her arm sleeves. "Dammit, Midori. Believe me. Please... You're the only one left here that I can actually... The reason why Alice died... The reason why the Clan began to act strangely and suspiciously when we were younger... The reason why we were brought forth. Do you really not know? Or do you just close your eyes from the truth?" When she sprayed the disinfectant on my injuries and spread ointment onto them, I cried as I hung onto her for dear life.
After carefully bandaging my injuries, she faced me with uncertain look. "I will believe you..." Relief pooled into my mind. "But..." I stiffened. "Only if you can survive for three days without spilling a single word of the heiress and the situation that you are implying to me to the people who torture you." I hesitated for a mere second before nodding.
"Deal." I whispered to her.
Her eyes darkened. "I might as well tell you now, but I have to take you to the isolation box. I don't know how long you're staying in there and I'm pretty sure you won't be getting any food or water during that time. Just... Just don't die or go crazy on me." I shook in fear as I got a hold of myself.
"Okay." She pulled me up gently than anyone else did in this Clan and lead me to a small box. It reminded me of a coffin. A very cushioned coffin so that I would not kill myself to insanity. Midori tied a thick cloth around my mouth, disabling me from biting down on my tongue, and tied my arms behind my back.
"Go to sleep. It might help." After binding my legs together, she helped me into the coffin with a sympathetic gaze before closing and locking it completely from the outside. Once I heard the click from the lock, my eyes heavily closed as I breathed in and out in a rhythmic motion. My consciousness faded away immediately.
Gon and Killua examined the small box that Ging had left behind, while Suou and Mito-san sat together at the table, drinking tea.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality towards us for the last few days, Mito-san." She smiled gratefully towards her. Her eyes softened as she watched the small girl sip the tea gracefully.
"You're very welcome." By this time, Killua and Gon discovered the presence of Greed Island and were listening to the tape that Ging left for Gon. Suou gazed out the window in wonders of where her sister was at and whether she was safe or not. Mito-san eyed her with concern before pouring herself more tea.
Soon, it was time for them to go.
"Stay safe, Gon!" Mito-san gave a tight hug to Gon as she closed her eyes to savor the warmth of the child who gave her light in her life.
After releasing her embrace, she turned towards them. "All of you! Send me lots of letters, okay? And please look after Gon for me."
"Yes ma'am!" They saluted as they smiled brightly towards her. She laughed and waved to them as they began to walk away.
"We should go look for a boat!" Gon suggested on their way to the port. Killua and Suou nodded in agreement.
"Everyone! I found a boat! Hurry up!" Gon yelled out to them with his big smile.
"I guess it's time to say goodbye to Whale Island for now." Killua murmured to himself. He imagined Kinra, smiling at him and walking towards him with a leveled gaze. Closing his eyes, he pretended to feel the touch of her fingers over his own, to hear a whisper of his name from her voice, and to smell the warmth of her scent near him. He opened his eyes and with disappointment, it was just the ocean and its vastness with no Kinra calming him down with her deep brown eyes.
"Killua, are you okay?" Gon asked him quietly as Suou sat down distractedly.
"Yeah. What's wrong?"
"Un... Well I was thinking... We should protect Suou in place of Kinra." He looked her from afar. "I'm still a little worried about her."
"Yeah... We should definitely protect her no matter what, so that when Kinra comes back, she will have nothing to worry about." Killua murmured as he imagined once more of her relieved eyes towards them.
Finally, after a few days, they had arrived at York Shin.
At first they looked around the city with some awe, but when they spotted a PC room, Killua quickly dragged them into the building. Afterwards, they decided to initiate a game plan.
"So we have to increase our budget to make it at least 8.9 billion... That's a lot of money." Killua muttered with a sigh. "Well let's search on the internet to look for treasures to sell on the auction."
He hurriedly grabbed a computer and began to search with Gon and Suou. "Alright! Let's do this!"
I wonder what day it is today... Has it been only one day? Two days? I breathed in and out slowly and deeply.
Is it day? Is it night? I closed my eyes once more. I imagined Killua's arms, wrapping around me, Suou's hands, cupping my cheeks, and Gon's laughter, ringing in my ears. I imagined them reassuring me that everything was okay and that it will all work out in the end. A clicking sound hovered over me and a bright light entered the darkness.
A huge hand pulled out of the coffin, dragging me, as I heard small voices around me, talking and sneering at me.
"Look at her. How disgusting."
"-deserves it."
"They should execute her."
"The heiress-"
"We must capture her."
"Bring her back at all costs."
"Find her."
"Use all information-"
"-the power to search."
"Not under the detection."
"Shatter her, break her, do everything that you can to rip the information out of her."
"If that fails, it is no matter."
"She will be executed for going against the Clan."
"We will FIND the heiress."
I felt the man chain me down on the same iron chair as before. When he left, a slim woman entered the room.
"Hello, dear. How are we feeling today?" I never answered her. She continued. "You seem like a kind child. A person who's willing to sacrifice everything. A girl who would rather be the one to get hurt than to hurt others around her. Don't you agree with me?" I eyed her suspiciously. "My name is Dani and I am here to psychologically assess you today."
"I doubt that." I whispered to her hoarsely.
"Meaning?"
Grunting, I looked up at her. "You're here to psychologically torture me."
She tapped her lips with her finger. "As I have heard, you are quite the smart one. A genius."
"I am not a genius." I muttered calmly. I kept my emotions in check as I felt her finger graze against my cheek.
"Hmm... Child, do you know why I'm here?"
"To psychologically torture me into telling you where the heiress is located." At my response, she laughed out loud.
"How utterly boring you are, child. Do you really think I'm here to do that?" I watched her eyes gaze into mine. Her high-pitched laughter rang unpleasantly throughout the room, "A genius has their limits I suppose. How sad that Alice died for a child like you. A girl who would rather harbor all the pain to herself and protect everyone like a broken shield. If it wasn't for you, then she might have lived longer and even lived in absolute power."
I twitched at her words. "Absolute...power...?"
She laughed once more. "The Main Branch family planned a coup d'etat for years to take the power from the other two families. But sadly, Alice caught wind of it and tried to stop us. So I did the one thing that I could. Chopped her head off." She placed her forehead against mine. "Right. In front. Of her lover." The woman licked her lips as if it was the most wonderful thing that had happened in her life. She never bothered to hide the amusement and joy from her eyes. I stilled at her words. "So what will you do now? Cry? Scream in anger? If you hadn't left with the heiress, then you wouldn't be here in pain and Alice might not have died."
"That's fine by me if it means that she will be safe. Alice's death will not be in vain." I growled at her.
"Again. A boring child." She cupped my cheek with her hand as I glared straight at her. "Do you truly not understand? Do you really not know the reason why she made you leave with the heiress?" She did not wait for me to answer. "It's because she thought you were too kind of a child. Too kind to kill another person. That's why she made you leave. She couldn't depend on you to do anything correctly. A mere letter is all she probably gave you and maybe a hug before you left, telling you that she loves you and that you were her family. Just another small way to manipulate you into taking her side." I never dropped my hard gaze on her. Immediately, she backed away, turning her head. "Come in. It's time." The man from my first session of torture entered with the small whip. He stuffed my mouth and taped it to stop it from leaving my mouth. I stiffened at what was to come next. He lifted the whip, aiming towards my lap.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.
I closed my eyes, trying to imagine this hell to be over in a few minutes.
Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen.
Gagging consecutively, dread and desperation pooled in my stomach. I watched as my newly healed skin ripped with scarlet red, dripping down my legs once more.
Thirty one. Thirty two.
A muffled scream ripped out of me as a new pool of a mix of blood and tears surrounded me. The smell of salt and metal invaded my nose. I wanted to throw up. I wanted it all gone. Disappeared. I could not stop myself from shaking. I could not focus on where I was. When the man walked out of the room, the woman entered once more.
"You look terrible." She burst out into laughter before tracing her finger over my wounds. I cried out in pain with no energy to look at her. "The heiress is so selfish. She has everyone bowing down at her in every corner and yet, she doesn't have the mind to try to save you."
Her voice sung softly in my ear. "To leave you alone... All alone in this empty room."
She lifted my chin, suddenly taking on a cruel tone. "Stop protecting her. Stop being kind. No wonder Alice made you leave. Made you escape this place. But alas, her efforts went down the drain. You still ended up coming back here and now, she's dead. Never to come back. Never to hold you again. Never to smile at you again."
She turned around and grabbed a bag that was thrown against the wall with a stake sticking out of it. As she released the string that tied the bag together, a horrible smell erupted into the room. Rotting flesh. Burnt flesh. The absolute smell of death. Flies whirred around the bag. Old blood flaked on the old skin. Dull green eyes stared back at me. Matted red hair glared in the light. Nausea suddenly built up as hot tears flowed down my eyes. I screamed in anger when the woman placed the stake directly in front of me at a good distance.
"Doesn't she look wonderful?" She whispered in my ear as I gagged from crying. "It's all your fault. All. Your. Fault. If only you were a little stronger, then she wouldn't be in this state. If you still think that you're doing the right thing by keeping silent, by protecting the heiress, then you should rethink your decision... Because...You're not kind. You're merely weak. A weak little girl." She slammed her hand against my lap. I winced out loud, trembling, as the heightened scorching burn spread through my legs.
"Do you still believe that you can continue being on the side of the hurt? The one who protects others like a broken shield? To this Clan, you are a weapon. A weapon of the Clan. Created to pave a better future for the Clan, for the Main Branch family. Rethink your priorities and desires for as long as you wish with Alice right in front of you." The woman finally stood up and walked out of the room as she locked the door from the outside.
I stared at the dull green and matted red. Flies landed on her once bright skin, eating at the slivers of her outer tissue like a feast. Her old blood flaked off of the stake and small chunks of burnt flesh hung from her once apparent neck. Closing my eyes, I lost all of my tears after I watched her from afar. Too weak to protect. Too weak to be selfish. Too weak.
EDIT1: Just to let you know, Killua and Kinra will see each other again in the most unexpected time and places. :)
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To TsukinoX: Thank you for the reviews as always! :)
All of my readers, I will update soon so until then, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! :D