Episode 55: Naked Exposure

The silence hung above us like a suffocating shroud. Already, I was starting to regret my sudden impulse of wanting to enter this eerie place. The only sounds came from the slapping of our shoe soles on the concrete.

Maybe we shouldn't do this…

However, Kurapica's hand felt really warm, soft and dry as compared to this place.

I was not ready to let go of his hand anyway.

Just then, something inside me twisted painfully as I squeezed his hand subconsciously.

" Hikari? " the seventeen-year-old said, his voice full of alarm. " Is there something wrong? "

I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. I gasped as my throat constricted, cutting off my precious oxygen supply to my lungs. Tighter and tighter, it squeezed.

Instinctively, I dropped both their hands and clawed blindly and frantically at my neck, trying to pull away from the invisible force.

" Hikari! "

I could hear both Kurapica and Senritsu shouting my name out in the dark but it sounded all too far away like a fading echo as a buzzing reverberation resonated through my ears blocking out all of their voices. I could hear snatches of conversations here and there but they did not sound proverbial to me at all.

" They walked right into our trap… "

" Machi, that's not the right way to do things… "

" A fair trade is something unheard of, I should say… "

" We always get what we want… "

" That poor thing is choking on her own saliva… "

" We want her in one piece Machi, the boss needs her alive not dead…! "

" Can you all just shut your damn mouths up?! I know what I'm doing…! "

Who are these people…?

Why can I hear them speak…?

What's going on here…?!

My vision swam as I suddenly felt lightheaded due to deprivation of oxygen.

" K-Kurapica…please, h-h-help…me, " I whispered as I sank down to the ground pathetically in a heap, my legs unable to support my weight anymore. I coughed hard as my throat tightened excruciatingly.

" P-Please…someone, stop this… " I managed out as I lay on my back writhing, my head hitting the sodden ground, hard. " L-Leave me…alone. "

I could feel the froth rising up my throat as I continue to be suffocated by that indefinite force which I could hardly feel its source. The aura was so faint and well-obscured that it was coming from everywhere at once. I could not pinpoint the exact location. Whoever who is using this is a really highly skilled Nen-user…

My eyes rolled in my head as I was fast losing conscious and the pain was finally subsiding as the exquisite feeling of numbness spread throughout my whole body.

Suddenly, just like that, a white flash came from nowhere and broke the spell. The force that was squeezing the life out of me had disappeared just like that. Immediately, I drew in large gulps of the delightful although musty and sour-tasting air into my lungs, feeling them expand with the pressure, through my nose and mouth. I just lay there, lifelessly as I felt the warmth spreading through my body with every breath I took in, pushing the numb feeling away.

After a few minutes, I struggled back to my feet, using the slippery walls as support to push myself up.

" K-Kurapica… " I called out into the darkness, imperceptibly. " Kurapica…Senritsu, are you…there? "

I took a few baby steps forward.

" Hello, princess... "

My eyes widened at the deliberate and idle drawl that no one but he could only possess.

I froze and reeled around when I felt his presence behind me.

In the dark, I could see my saviour's outline of his tall and muscular profile.

" You… " I breathed, the word escaping from my lips even before I could stop it.

" Now, now, now, Princess. There is no cause of concern after all I've just saved you another time now, didn't I ? "

I knew he was smiling now, I could tell from his voice that he was revelling in my fear. My fear of him.

" Don't be afraid my little kitty. No one can harm Hikari, not while I'm here, " the older man told me in a mock assuring voice but I could see through that pretence.

He was not someone you would expect to be truthful, at least not with his intentions.

" So, where are your friends, princess? "

He took a step towards me to which I backed away from him.

" Th-They are going to find me soon, " I answered, stuttering. " They will come for me. "

He laughed at this.

" Your friends…they have no idea where you are now, Hikari so they can't come looking for you, but maybe that chain boy can…we'll see. "

" What do you mean they don't know where I am?! " the tremor of uncertainty was palpable in my voice.

" Hikari, there's no one to save you now… "

" What – "

The jester did not allow me to finish my sentence as he merely strode over to where I cowered against the wall, as far away from him as possible but he covered the distance between us, almost effortlessly.

" Princess, " he began smoothly, leaning in until he was staring directly into my eyes. " I simply have no patience to stay and chat with you. Let's just say that I'm not a very patient man to begin with… "

He left the sentence hanging in the air between the two of us deliberately.

" Who are you? " I demanded irritably. " Y-You don't scare me! "

Again, he laughed, this time at me.

" Maybe, it's time for you to know my name and the whole truth that chain boy, the boy you adore so much, have kept away from you this whole time…about the Phantom Brigade, those murderers that you've been running away from, like me, that you're just dying to meet… "