Chapter 14
Kikyou calmly gazed that the wrecked porcelain plates around her, all blasted into thousands of pieces as her brother finally lost his temper. It was really quite inappropriate to loose one's composure in front of other guests. Kikyou had noted that Killua was with his group of friends, and a few more. Silva stood beside her, not giving much scrap about Kamus' ravings either.
"You said that I could treat Kastro Court like my own home, brother." She replied coldly. Kamus' eyes danced angry hellfire.
"Yes I did Kikyou, but that room is The Cell! You can't just use it without understanding or knowing what it does!"
"Hm?" Gon looked puzzled. But Killua felt his shock and astonishment numb his senses.
"Mum…you…threw big bro into that terrible place?" he stammered quietly.
"No, I did." Silva spoke up. "But it was our idea, yes. You see Killua, you were totally spot on about your brother turning traitor to the family. I will not tolerate a disobedient son."
At the back of Killua's mind, it wondered why Silva had given him such a big exception, being the most disobedient of them all, but he was too horrified by another thought. "Dad…I…made all that up! Big bro didn't say half those things I told you."
"That's not the important part Killu, it's what he has become." It was a vague and ambiguous answer but Zeno shook his head at Killua and told him not to speak no more.
The Guard and General Misha stepped into the room. Their faces were calm, cold and impassive. Misha nodded to the Guard, and he stepped forth to be questioned.
"What happened? Just tell me everything, from start to finish, preferably in less than one hundred words." Kamus sat down wearily and closed his eyes.
The Guard cleared his throat. "Silva-san put Illumi-san into The Cell last night at approximately 10:30pm. He…" he hesitated, but quickly recomposed himself. "Didn't stop screaming until only just two hours ago."
Kamus clenched his eyes shut so hard that they hurt, but he had to open them to face the situation. "Eight hours….and he's still alive? That's impossible." He muttered wearily. Misha's smile was disturbing however.
"No General, I know how he survived in there for eight hours when even the strongest men break in half an hour. Neither Karen or Doctor Faust can heal him because the boy's wrapped in the Void."
"Impossible!" Kamus roared, bringing his fist down onto the sturdy wooden table. Misha's eyes brightened with lunacy.
"But it is possible Kamus. Karen tried to stick her hand into him to fix up those wounds, but the moment her hand got within two inches of his skin, the nen around her automatically dissipated."
"But…only the Emperor…" Kamus spluttered, unable to grasp those heretical words. Misha however, dared to speak.
"Yes Kamus, your nephew is a natural nen user, through and through, probably even more powerful than the Emperor."
Kamus looked to his sister, who's cold composure continued to shock him.
"A natural nen user cannot be a good assassin, brother." She informed him without emotion. Kamus shook his head hard, his thoughts racing fast.
"That can't be possible! His nen is too weak to be a natural nen user, otherwise I would have been able to spot one straight away. When I first saw him…his aura…was as weak as an ordinary man's aura! What have you done Kikyou?" he stared at the Zoldick family in disbelief. It was Silva who responded.
"If you find out what is the fuel of the nen and find a way to block it, then you won't have a natural nen user."
"What…was big bro's…" Killua's voice trailed off, but he feared the worst.
"We suppressed his abilities with constant isolation, utter despair and loneliness, pain, a bit of torture and starvation and the cold has managed to keep Illumi in check for the past twenty years."
Leorio did the calculations in his head. "Twenty years….but that would mean that you started to…"
"Yes." Kikyou spoke up defiantly. "We have a room similar to The Cell back on Kukuru mountain. We threw Illumi in there when he was three years old, and he's been a quiet, good boy ever since."
One tear slid down Kamus' cheek. He clasped a hand over his mouth to hold back the gagging and revulsion, but there was so much he didn't understand. "A natural nen user is the greatest treasure of all Kikyou." He rasped hoarsely. "You…why…?" he just shook his head and honestly felt sick and burdened.
Killua thought back to the times at home. He had entered his brother's room once…and it was as cold as the kitchen freezers. There wasn't even a decent blanket in his brother's room and the four stone walls reminded him more of a cell than a bedroom. He then thought to the times their family had dinner together…
"Grandpa…is that why big bro never has his meals with us? Because…" Killua swallowed shock. "because you had to *isolate* him?" Zeno didn't look too happy with being questioned, but he merely nodded.
"And all those holidays and festive seasons…when I thought big bro was out working…"
Silva nonchalantly shrugged. "Probably having his meal in his own room. Killu, is no big deal, really. If Illumi has never known anything in his life but loneliness, then how does he know that there is another side to the coin? How can he compare his loneliness and despair with another feeling when he has nothing to compare it to?"
Another thing clicked in Kamus' mind. "Oh gods Kikyou…you must have starved him too…otherwise how do you explain his figure?" he buried his face in his hands and tried to steady his breathing. The main thrust of the shock came from the fact that Kikyou would personally destroy a part of Illumi's soul for the Zoldick family business…and didn't seem to understand anything wrong about it. Her head was held up high and unyielding, and she nodded once again. Kamus startled as the door was rudely thrown open. His heart broke when he saw that desolate and dead expression on his daughter's face.
"My nen can't reach him." She informed them clinically and monotonously. "We've done all we could with other medicines and treatments, but his body seems to have resisted much of the drugs that we've administered. We've cleaned him up and done our best. If any of you have anything to say, do so within the hour."
"Within the hour?" Kurapika echoed.
Karen partly turned to leave, but her hardened and cold expressionless face was clear for all to see. "I will no longer shed tears for the dying." She said with the formality of something which she had repeated continuously, over and over and left the room. Leorio and Doctor Faust entered as she left.
"Most fascination General. The wounds are fresh, inflicted about...say…one hour ago. If my hypothesis is correct, Illumi-san has activated the Void on for eight hours consistently. A might fine effort, but it's still on so we can't do anything else for him."
"Can't you tell him to switch it off?" Wing suggested.
Leorio solemnly shook his head. "He can't be reached. His eyes are blank (they always were), but he doesn't seem to be able to hear us. He's muttering something over and over again…but we can't make it out."
"Hang on!" Kurapika exclaimed. "The room was empty! There was nothing in there except for Illumi. Who could have inflicted those wounds then?"
Misha laughed out loud. "I think I can answer this question quite simply. In that room, the nen manifests into your most hideous, deepest, darkest, most painful nightmares. It materializes, takes shape and will tear you apart. We usually drag victims out once they promise to spill the beans. In Illumi-san's case however, he withstood his nightmares for around…seven hours, before his void started to weaken and he was actually hurt."
"What is the Void?" Zuchi spoke up.
"It's a legend, or so I thought it was." Wing spoke up. "It's where you create an area around you that snuffs out all nen that enters its perimeters." Zuchi imagined a figure inside a sphere, and any nen which happened to enter the sphere would simply disappear.
"Apparently, if nen gets within two inches of Illumi-san is also dissipated. It must have had a larger radius eight hours ago."
"If it has been suppressed for all these years, how is it suddenly unleashed?" Gon asked. No one could answer this question.
Kamus stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I've got to get back to work. It's your family, your son Kikyou, I concede that it's not my place to speak. If you require anything, just speak to Koran."
"Thank you brother."
"I'll get Chef to start breakfast immediately…if any of you are hungry."
Killua certainly lost his appetite, even if it was Chef who was cooking. He looked at his impassive parents and wondered why on earth he was still alive after all that he had done.
"Uncle, wait!" he blurted out to the retreating figure. "Can you take me to where big bro is?"
Kamus sought for Kikyou's silent approval then consented.
"I might as well tell your brother that the money is in his account." He looked surprised when Kikyou stood up too.
"I'm coming too."
===========
The group followed General Kamus through the procession of doors and courtyards, too immersed in their own feelings to appreciate the glorious morning. They halted outside a simple brown wooden carved door and wondered who should go in first. Kamus slowly reached up and pushed the double doors open, and gasped at what he saw.
Illumi lay just in front of them, about fifteen paces away, swathed in bandages. There was no equipment or medical machinery around him, because his body naturally rejected all foreign bodies. They gave him the simple garments men usually wear in the capital, and pulled soft covers over him. But what shocked Kamus most was the youth sitting cross-legged at Illumi's feet, a small serene smile on her face.
She looked around fourteen, fifteen, lanky and skinny as all teenagers are wont to be and had finely cut hair that reached the base of her neck. It was thin and slightly dull, and the strands clung to the side of her face. She was dressed in dark blue with a vivid dragon sewn on the front of the robe. She was not shocked at their presence, but Kamus was left in a panicked flurry.
General Kamus Kalinnan Kastro hurriedly got down onto his knees and quickly urged his surprised sister to do so.
"Good morning Emperor. What brings you to my humble Court?" he intoned the small formalities. Everyone gaped. A fourteen year old girl was the Emperor of the Arcadian Empire? She was the one who led great armies into glorious victories during the ten year war? One look into her fathomless black eyes immediately told Silva not to underestimate the child. But he spotted loneliness and pain in those eyes, all too evident in the aura clinging to her. Kikyou reacted differently though.
"Ni-chan! THIS person is the almighty Emperor? You have got to be kidding!" she exclaimed.
"Be quiet Kikyou!" Kamus tried to hiss. He stood up at the Emperor's gesture.
"Nice day isn't it?" She said in a slightly rasping alto voice. The serene and calm smile never faded from her face. "Ah yes…your question General. Someone created tidal waves so big last night that I thought the Forbidden Palace was going to crumble." She giggled a bit. "I didn't get any sleep last night because everything was just shaking so hard, so I just went on a tracking excursion to see who else apart from me can cause such a racket." She glanced down at the near lifeless form.
"He's a natural nen user." She spoke quietly. "He's mastered it better than me too. Look, his Void is still up and running. I can only make mine last for five minutes."
She looked at Kamus. "Who is he?"
The General was quick to respond. "My sister's eldest son, my nephew, sire."
Rodimostev did not bother to inquire about why the General suddenly had another sister. She was content with the answer and smiled again. "He's saying the most strangest things." She said about Illumi. Killua peered through and saw that his brother's lips were moving, ever so slightly. Behind him, he heard a loud racket.
"Illu!" Hisoka cried out, pushing past everyone and burst into the room. Even he couldn't believe what he saw. "Did…did the rebels do this to him? Karen-chan didn't say much…" he glanced suspiciously at the aura around Illumi and tried to attach his pansy gum on him. When the nen disappeared, he took two steps back, a look of shock on his face. People milled their way into the small room, a cosy room with lots of sunshine and fresh air from the open windows.
"Can you….get rid of the Void, sire? So that my daughter can save him?"
Rodimostev had a habit of making pauses to cause people to become agitated and uncomfortable. She looked slightly confused and glanced back to Illumi, then back to the General. Then her frown deepened, and she sighed, indicating that she was not too happy.
"I'd like to help General" she whined slightly "but he's saying that he wants to die. It would be nice to have someone like me around…even though I thought the Forbidden Palace was going to come crashing down last night, I was glad that I finally met someone who could reach out and touch the fabric of nen around us. Suddenly…" she sighed. "It just wasn't so lonely anymore."
"You can still save him then?"
The smile abruptly dropped and Rodimostev looked quiet serious, too serious for a girl of her age. But shortly, she managed another small smile, a pitiful smile, one that you give to the dying.
"He's in the most wonderful place right now General." She muttered, reaching over to stroke a few strands of what remained of Illumi's precious hair. It had thinned considerably…like someone tore off handfuls of it, and viciously hacked that the rest. The sight pained Hisoka most.
"The sky's clear and blue, open and boundless. He's sitting in a grass field on a warm summer's day, and butterflies dance around him and squirrel sits in his lap. The breeze carries with it the gentle fragrance of lavender, and a bit of pollen from the daffodils makes him sneeze. He looks around him, and everything seems to set his heart at ease. A woman appears, dressed like an Arcadian princess in a soft yellow gown with little flowers stitched on the hem and has flowing silken sleeves. She smiles gently at him and gently strokes his head and embraces him, telling him how much he is loved and how much she cares for him. They sit down and pour each other cups of tea, all the while listening to the melodious tune of a fine harp whose strings are plucked by the wind, drawing out wondrous harmony. And he thinks to himself: I'm finally free."
Kamus could feel tears coarse down his cheeks as his Emperor described the scene.
"That was Kim's favourite dress." He whispered.
Rodimostev looked up, slightly detached and dispassionate. "Yes, a lady ghost did come to me. She said that the person I was looking for was here, in this room." She closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly back to enjoy the bathe of sunlight and its warmth.
"He's in Heaven, General, and I would be the one to kill him by brining him back to this mortal realm. Slowly, but surely, he's drowning in his own turmoil of emotions. And when he ceases to struggle, he will remain forever, on that peaceful grass plain. Yes…it would be cruel to bring him back…"
But her look was torn and confused. "I don't get it, Kamus. If he wanted to die, surely he should have succumbed to the pain and killed himself a long time ago, and this Void wouldn't have protected from the demons of his soul if he had really given up on life."
"The nen is protecting him, no, has protected him all these years?" Zeno suggested. The little girl could only agree.
"Maybe I'll just have a chat with him. Perhaps I can persuade him to join us again."
"You can't talk to him. He doesn't seem to know we're here…" Leorio cut in. But the Emperor's aura glowered electric blue, and it enveloped her hand. Slowly, she lowered her hand and pressed her palm firmly against where his heart should be.
"Reveal your soul to me." She commanded, and Illumi complied.
Kikyou calmly gazed that the wrecked porcelain plates around her, all blasted into thousands of pieces as her brother finally lost his temper. It was really quite inappropriate to loose one's composure in front of other guests. Kikyou had noted that Killua was with his group of friends, and a few more. Silva stood beside her, not giving much scrap about Kamus' ravings either.
"You said that I could treat Kastro Court like my own home, brother." She replied coldly. Kamus' eyes danced angry hellfire.
"Yes I did Kikyou, but that room is The Cell! You can't just use it without understanding or knowing what it does!"
"Hm?" Gon looked puzzled. But Killua felt his shock and astonishment numb his senses.
"Mum…you…threw big bro into that terrible place?" he stammered quietly.
"No, I did." Silva spoke up. "But it was our idea, yes. You see Killua, you were totally spot on about your brother turning traitor to the family. I will not tolerate a disobedient son."
At the back of Killua's mind, it wondered why Silva had given him such a big exception, being the most disobedient of them all, but he was too horrified by another thought. "Dad…I…made all that up! Big bro didn't say half those things I told you."
"That's not the important part Killu, it's what he has become." It was a vague and ambiguous answer but Zeno shook his head at Killua and told him not to speak no more.
The Guard and General Misha stepped into the room. Their faces were calm, cold and impassive. Misha nodded to the Guard, and he stepped forth to be questioned.
"What happened? Just tell me everything, from start to finish, preferably in less than one hundred words." Kamus sat down wearily and closed his eyes.
The Guard cleared his throat. "Silva-san put Illumi-san into The Cell last night at approximately 10:30pm. He…" he hesitated, but quickly recomposed himself. "Didn't stop screaming until only just two hours ago."
Kamus clenched his eyes shut so hard that they hurt, but he had to open them to face the situation. "Eight hours….and he's still alive? That's impossible." He muttered wearily. Misha's smile was disturbing however.
"No General, I know how he survived in there for eight hours when even the strongest men break in half an hour. Neither Karen or Doctor Faust can heal him because the boy's wrapped in the Void."
"Impossible!" Kamus roared, bringing his fist down onto the sturdy wooden table. Misha's eyes brightened with lunacy.
"But it is possible Kamus. Karen tried to stick her hand into him to fix up those wounds, but the moment her hand got within two inches of his skin, the nen around her automatically dissipated."
"But…only the Emperor…" Kamus spluttered, unable to grasp those heretical words. Misha however, dared to speak.
"Yes Kamus, your nephew is a natural nen user, through and through, probably even more powerful than the Emperor."
Kamus looked to his sister, who's cold composure continued to shock him.
"A natural nen user cannot be a good assassin, brother." She informed him without emotion. Kamus shook his head hard, his thoughts racing fast.
"That can't be possible! His nen is too weak to be a natural nen user, otherwise I would have been able to spot one straight away. When I first saw him…his aura…was as weak as an ordinary man's aura! What have you done Kikyou?" he stared at the Zoldick family in disbelief. It was Silva who responded.
"If you find out what is the fuel of the nen and find a way to block it, then you won't have a natural nen user."
"What…was big bro's…" Killua's voice trailed off, but he feared the worst.
"We suppressed his abilities with constant isolation, utter despair and loneliness, pain, a bit of torture and starvation and the cold has managed to keep Illumi in check for the past twenty years."
Leorio did the calculations in his head. "Twenty years….but that would mean that you started to…"
"Yes." Kikyou spoke up defiantly. "We have a room similar to The Cell back on Kukuru mountain. We threw Illumi in there when he was three years old, and he's been a quiet, good boy ever since."
One tear slid down Kamus' cheek. He clasped a hand over his mouth to hold back the gagging and revulsion, but there was so much he didn't understand. "A natural nen user is the greatest treasure of all Kikyou." He rasped hoarsely. "You…why…?" he just shook his head and honestly felt sick and burdened.
Killua thought back to the times at home. He had entered his brother's room once…and it was as cold as the kitchen freezers. There wasn't even a decent blanket in his brother's room and the four stone walls reminded him more of a cell than a bedroom. He then thought to the times their family had dinner together…
"Grandpa…is that why big bro never has his meals with us? Because…" Killua swallowed shock. "because you had to *isolate* him?" Zeno didn't look too happy with being questioned, but he merely nodded.
"And all those holidays and festive seasons…when I thought big bro was out working…"
Silva nonchalantly shrugged. "Probably having his meal in his own room. Killu, is no big deal, really. If Illumi has never known anything in his life but loneliness, then how does he know that there is another side to the coin? How can he compare his loneliness and despair with another feeling when he has nothing to compare it to?"
Another thing clicked in Kamus' mind. "Oh gods Kikyou…you must have starved him too…otherwise how do you explain his figure?" he buried his face in his hands and tried to steady his breathing. The main thrust of the shock came from the fact that Kikyou would personally destroy a part of Illumi's soul for the Zoldick family business…and didn't seem to understand anything wrong about it. Her head was held up high and unyielding, and she nodded once again. Kamus startled as the door was rudely thrown open. His heart broke when he saw that desolate and dead expression on his daughter's face.
"My nen can't reach him." She informed them clinically and monotonously. "We've done all we could with other medicines and treatments, but his body seems to have resisted much of the drugs that we've administered. We've cleaned him up and done our best. If any of you have anything to say, do so within the hour."
"Within the hour?" Kurapika echoed.
Karen partly turned to leave, but her hardened and cold expressionless face was clear for all to see. "I will no longer shed tears for the dying." She said with the formality of something which she had repeated continuously, over and over and left the room. Leorio and Doctor Faust entered as she left.
"Most fascination General. The wounds are fresh, inflicted about...say…one hour ago. If my hypothesis is correct, Illumi-san has activated the Void on for eight hours consistently. A might fine effort, but it's still on so we can't do anything else for him."
"Can't you tell him to switch it off?" Wing suggested.
Leorio solemnly shook his head. "He can't be reached. His eyes are blank (they always were), but he doesn't seem to be able to hear us. He's muttering something over and over again…but we can't make it out."
"Hang on!" Kurapika exclaimed. "The room was empty! There was nothing in there except for Illumi. Who could have inflicted those wounds then?"
Misha laughed out loud. "I think I can answer this question quite simply. In that room, the nen manifests into your most hideous, deepest, darkest, most painful nightmares. It materializes, takes shape and will tear you apart. We usually drag victims out once they promise to spill the beans. In Illumi-san's case however, he withstood his nightmares for around…seven hours, before his void started to weaken and he was actually hurt."
"What is the Void?" Zuchi spoke up.
"It's a legend, or so I thought it was." Wing spoke up. "It's where you create an area around you that snuffs out all nen that enters its perimeters." Zuchi imagined a figure inside a sphere, and any nen which happened to enter the sphere would simply disappear.
"Apparently, if nen gets within two inches of Illumi-san is also dissipated. It must have had a larger radius eight hours ago."
"If it has been suppressed for all these years, how is it suddenly unleashed?" Gon asked. No one could answer this question.
Kamus stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I've got to get back to work. It's your family, your son Kikyou, I concede that it's not my place to speak. If you require anything, just speak to Koran."
"Thank you brother."
"I'll get Chef to start breakfast immediately…if any of you are hungry."
Killua certainly lost his appetite, even if it was Chef who was cooking. He looked at his impassive parents and wondered why on earth he was still alive after all that he had done.
"Uncle, wait!" he blurted out to the retreating figure. "Can you take me to where big bro is?"
Kamus sought for Kikyou's silent approval then consented.
"I might as well tell your brother that the money is in his account." He looked surprised when Kikyou stood up too.
"I'm coming too."
===========
The group followed General Kamus through the procession of doors and courtyards, too immersed in their own feelings to appreciate the glorious morning. They halted outside a simple brown wooden carved door and wondered who should go in first. Kamus slowly reached up and pushed the double doors open, and gasped at what he saw.
Illumi lay just in front of them, about fifteen paces away, swathed in bandages. There was no equipment or medical machinery around him, because his body naturally rejected all foreign bodies. They gave him the simple garments men usually wear in the capital, and pulled soft covers over him. But what shocked Kamus most was the youth sitting cross-legged at Illumi's feet, a small serene smile on her face.
She looked around fourteen, fifteen, lanky and skinny as all teenagers are wont to be and had finely cut hair that reached the base of her neck. It was thin and slightly dull, and the strands clung to the side of her face. She was dressed in dark blue with a vivid dragon sewn on the front of the robe. She was not shocked at their presence, but Kamus was left in a panicked flurry.
General Kamus Kalinnan Kastro hurriedly got down onto his knees and quickly urged his surprised sister to do so.
"Good morning Emperor. What brings you to my humble Court?" he intoned the small formalities. Everyone gaped. A fourteen year old girl was the Emperor of the Arcadian Empire? She was the one who led great armies into glorious victories during the ten year war? One look into her fathomless black eyes immediately told Silva not to underestimate the child. But he spotted loneliness and pain in those eyes, all too evident in the aura clinging to her. Kikyou reacted differently though.
"Ni-chan! THIS person is the almighty Emperor? You have got to be kidding!" she exclaimed.
"Be quiet Kikyou!" Kamus tried to hiss. He stood up at the Emperor's gesture.
"Nice day isn't it?" She said in a slightly rasping alto voice. The serene and calm smile never faded from her face. "Ah yes…your question General. Someone created tidal waves so big last night that I thought the Forbidden Palace was going to crumble." She giggled a bit. "I didn't get any sleep last night because everything was just shaking so hard, so I just went on a tracking excursion to see who else apart from me can cause such a racket." She glanced down at the near lifeless form.
"He's a natural nen user." She spoke quietly. "He's mastered it better than me too. Look, his Void is still up and running. I can only make mine last for five minutes."
She looked at Kamus. "Who is he?"
The General was quick to respond. "My sister's eldest son, my nephew, sire."
Rodimostev did not bother to inquire about why the General suddenly had another sister. She was content with the answer and smiled again. "He's saying the most strangest things." She said about Illumi. Killua peered through and saw that his brother's lips were moving, ever so slightly. Behind him, he heard a loud racket.
"Illu!" Hisoka cried out, pushing past everyone and burst into the room. Even he couldn't believe what he saw. "Did…did the rebels do this to him? Karen-chan didn't say much…" he glanced suspiciously at the aura around Illumi and tried to attach his pansy gum on him. When the nen disappeared, he took two steps back, a look of shock on his face. People milled their way into the small room, a cosy room with lots of sunshine and fresh air from the open windows.
"Can you….get rid of the Void, sire? So that my daughter can save him?"
Rodimostev had a habit of making pauses to cause people to become agitated and uncomfortable. She looked slightly confused and glanced back to Illumi, then back to the General. Then her frown deepened, and she sighed, indicating that she was not too happy.
"I'd like to help General" she whined slightly "but he's saying that he wants to die. It would be nice to have someone like me around…even though I thought the Forbidden Palace was going to come crashing down last night, I was glad that I finally met someone who could reach out and touch the fabric of nen around us. Suddenly…" she sighed. "It just wasn't so lonely anymore."
"You can still save him then?"
The smile abruptly dropped and Rodimostev looked quiet serious, too serious for a girl of her age. But shortly, she managed another small smile, a pitiful smile, one that you give to the dying.
"He's in the most wonderful place right now General." She muttered, reaching over to stroke a few strands of what remained of Illumi's precious hair. It had thinned considerably…like someone tore off handfuls of it, and viciously hacked that the rest. The sight pained Hisoka most.
"The sky's clear and blue, open and boundless. He's sitting in a grass field on a warm summer's day, and butterflies dance around him and squirrel sits in his lap. The breeze carries with it the gentle fragrance of lavender, and a bit of pollen from the daffodils makes him sneeze. He looks around him, and everything seems to set his heart at ease. A woman appears, dressed like an Arcadian princess in a soft yellow gown with little flowers stitched on the hem and has flowing silken sleeves. She smiles gently at him and gently strokes his head and embraces him, telling him how much he is loved and how much she cares for him. They sit down and pour each other cups of tea, all the while listening to the melodious tune of a fine harp whose strings are plucked by the wind, drawing out wondrous harmony. And he thinks to himself: I'm finally free."
Kamus could feel tears coarse down his cheeks as his Emperor described the scene.
"That was Kim's favourite dress." He whispered.
Rodimostev looked up, slightly detached and dispassionate. "Yes, a lady ghost did come to me. She said that the person I was looking for was here, in this room." She closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly back to enjoy the bathe of sunlight and its warmth.
"He's in Heaven, General, and I would be the one to kill him by brining him back to this mortal realm. Slowly, but surely, he's drowning in his own turmoil of emotions. And when he ceases to struggle, he will remain forever, on that peaceful grass plain. Yes…it would be cruel to bring him back…"
But her look was torn and confused. "I don't get it, Kamus. If he wanted to die, surely he should have succumbed to the pain and killed himself a long time ago, and this Void wouldn't have protected from the demons of his soul if he had really given up on life."
"The nen is protecting him, no, has protected him all these years?" Zeno suggested. The little girl could only agree.
"Maybe I'll just have a chat with him. Perhaps I can persuade him to join us again."
"You can't talk to him. He doesn't seem to know we're here…" Leorio cut in. But the Emperor's aura glowered electric blue, and it enveloped her hand. Slowly, she lowered her hand and pressed her palm firmly against where his heart should be.
"Reveal your soul to me." She commanded, and Illumi complied.