CHAPTER 24
The city square was busting with people, everyone doing their own thing. There seemed to be some kind of holiday, since there was a stage with live music. Most people stopped for a couple minutes to listen for a while and then kept going. Amongst them was a hooded figure that wore a dark green cloak and listened like everyone else. Finally walked into a shop that offered tourist services and sat down in front of a desk. The man sitting on the other side didn't appear to notice her presence as he wrote down something and organized a pile of sheets. A good 30 seconds later, the figure fidgeted uncomfortably and cleared its throat.
"H-huh?" the man jumped in his seat at the sudden noise. "He-Hello there! I didn't notice you there. How may I help you?"
"Hey." The figure spoke with a feminine voice, and the man assumed it was a woman. He couldn't see her face clearly, though. "I heard you have a bus that goes up to Kukuroo Mountain."
"Oh, yes!" the man straightened up. "It's out most demanded service. It costs $20, but it's completely worth it! It's a tour that surrounds the Zoldyck property."
"I know. I'd like to go as soon as possible."
"The next available bus will leave in…" he trailed off as he checked a schedule. "2 hours. Do you wish to make a reservation?"
"Yes, please." The woman said handing him the amount of money. "The name's Hayuri Castañeda."
"All done, Miss Hayuri. Please arrive five minutes earlier; the bus will part promptly at 2 pm."
"Thank you."
Hayuri walked out of the shop and into the street. She found a small restaurant, sat down and ordered a chicken stew. As she ate, she couldn't help but feel the anticipation grow in her gut. She hadn't seen Killua in over 4 months and she didn't know how he would react to her presence. Would he be angry? Would he forgive her? Is he even home? Will his family allow her to enter? There were countless questions in her mind and she couldn't help become anxious as the departing time neared.
Ten minutes previous to the appointed time, she was standing by the shop and saw a yellow bus parking in front of it. She walked closer and saw a pink haired woman getting off. She checked that everyone who got in was on the list and, as soon as everyone was seated, the bus took off. Hayuri looked around for a moment and noticed that there were only families and couples in the bus.
"Everyone! Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today." the pink haired woman stood up and talked through a microphone with a wide smile. "We'll be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family. All of its members are assassins and they have the most terrifying reputation on that matter."
Hayuri sighed, already knowing all of this and looked out the window. The bus was driving on a dusty road surrounded by nature. The bus took a turn and, after a couple minutes, they passed a small hill and everyone gaped at the view that was uncovered.
"Please take a look to your right, where you can clearly see the mountain. The mountain is 3,722 meters high and is surrounded by a forest." The guide said and Hayuri raised an eyebrow. Did Killua really live in this place? It seemed like a scenery taken from a horror movie; the mountain had no vegetation at all and it looked really shady, since the top was covered with thick mist.
"The Zoldyck property is somewhere inside that mountain, but no one has ever seen it. It's practically a legend." The woman said in a mysterious tone.
Hayuri cursed. If no one knew where it was, how was she supposed to go and find him? She had assumed that the guide tour would take them into the property and they would get to see the house. On the other hand, it was ridiculous to have considered that; it was the Zoldyck family after all. Hayuri sighed and looked out the window.
"The Zoldyck family includes 10 members: a great-grandfather, a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and five children. And of course, all of their servants."
Hayuri took a mental note of that, since she had never really known anything about his family. Fifteen minutes later, the bus stopped and everyone got off. Hayuri found herself standing in front of a huge gate. It was craved with dragons and other mythological creatures and, to the naked eye, it looked to be 40 or 50 meters high.
"This over here is the grand front gate of the Zoldyck Estate and it's known as the Gate to the Hades. No one that has ever entered this place has come back alive. To get in you must enter through the smaller door next to the guard cabin. Beyond this door, everything – including the forest and the mountain - is owned by the Zoldyck Family, so this is as far as we'll go."
Everyone was pretty excited and run to the gate. Hayuri sweat dropped as she watched everyone make scary faces and take photos. Hayuri noticed that there was a small guard post nest to the gate and there was someone inside. She was about to walk to him, when the pink haired lady instructed everyone to get back on the bus. She noticed that Hayuri wasn't walking back to the bus and called out to her.
"Oi, Miss!" she shouted and everyone turned to look at Hayuri, and she sweat dropped. So much for not catching attention. "Aren't you getting back on the bus?"
"No, go ahead and leave." Hayuri waved her off.
"Err, but this was out final stop. We can't come back for you later."
"I know. I'll stay here."
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? Beyond that gate it's private property, so we cannot get in." She half frowned and forced a smile.
"Oh, I heard you." Hayuri waved her off, slightly annoyed. "I'm visiting someone here."
Everyone gaped at her and started whispering. Hayuri had a sharp hearing, so she didn't miss how they talked about her. That she had seemed too mysterious with that long cloak of hers, that she was signing her own death sentence, that maybe she was part of the family, the she must've been crazy or a bad person to be associated with the Zoldyck's. Hayuri rolled her eyes and walked to the guard post and knocked on the door.
"Hello there." An old man with almost completely white hair opened the door. "How may I help you?"
"Hello. Well... I need to enter the Estate." Hayuri said scratching the back of her head.
"Are you here as a bounty hunter?" the main widened his eyes in fear, but Hayuri noticed how his aura was calm; she knew he was faking. Probably part of his job.
"Oh no, I've come here to visit a Killua." Hayuri said.
"Master Killua?" the man widened his eyes and walked back into the guard post. "Please, come in."
Hayuri followed him inside and sat down in front of him in front of a wooden table. He smiled honestly and leaned forward to take a good look at her. Hayuri noticed this and lowered her hood.
"My name is Zebro." The man said as soon as she revealed her face.
"I'm Hayuri, pleased to meet you."
"Well, I must say I'm surprised. I've been working here for 25 years and have seen a visitor before. We only get bounty hunters and tourists." He spoke as he served some tea for the both of them.
"I can imagine that."
"So, are you really supposed to get in? Or are you meeting him here at the entrance?" Zebro asked as she sipped his mug.
"Actually, he doesn't really know I'm coming." Hayuri scratched the back of her head. She then looked at him expectantly. "So… is Killua home?"
"Oh yes, he came back a couple months ago and hasn't left since…" he said and looked up in a thoughtful manner as he cupped his chin. "Now that I think about it, it's strange. He usually goes out at least two or three times a month to complete jobs. It has been four months already and I haven't seen a glimpse of him."
"Maybe something happened to him…" Hayuri said and looked down to her tea mug with worry.
"Well… I think something happened on his last mission. The day he came back, there was a lost look on his eyes and didn't even greet me. It was completely out of character, since he usually is the only one to greet me and he's pretty cheerful – for a Zoldyck, that is."
Hayuri closed her eyes and figured that he must've been upset by her supposed betrayal. She needed to make things right with him and tell him everything that was on her mind. She took a deep breath in and looked up with determined green eyes.
"I have to see him, please."
"Well… there has never been a visitor before. And I can tell you that probably the Zoldyck parents won't allow you to enter; I don't think they appreciate any of the members having friends."
"What!" Hayuri's eyes widened. "But I really have to see him. I can't take any chances."
"Well… I have an idea, but it may not work." Zebro said and she nodded. He pointed out side to the front door. "That small door there is a trap. There is a big dog in there that will eat anyone going through that place. The real entrance is the huge doors going up to 40 meters high, which can only be opened by pushing. You have to be able to at least push 4 tons if you wish to enter."
"No problem. That doesn't seem too hard."
"Hold on." Zebro raised his open palm. "Once you get inside, you'll have to find master Killua and avoid the butlers – they're pretty strong. There's one butler who might give you a hand; her name is Canary. She guards the first line of security when entering the property, so if you don't find her she will find you. She's loyal to Master Killua, so maybe you can get her to help you out."
"Ok. Canary. Got it." Hayuri nodded.
"Well.. That's all I can do for you. You see, I have never really entered the property, so I'm only telling you what I've heard or seen." He apologized.
"You've helped me a lot." Hayuri said bowing as she stood up.
"You're welcome." Zebro said standing up and walked out of the post. Hayuri followed him to the 'Gates of Hades' - as they called it on the tour – and turned to look back. Behind Zebro, there was still the bus with tourist parked and observing her. She sweat dropped; apparently they wanted to watch what she did, since apparently she was associated with these people. Hayuri dismissed them and focused her eyes back on Zebro.
"Thank you a lot. I'll see you on my way out." She said bowing to him.
Hayuri turned back to the doors and placed both palms on the stone. She started pushing and opened four gates easily enough. As she passed through the gates, the faint screams and cameras of the tourist on the bus could be heard. Zebro looked with a furrowed brow as the doors closed behind her retreating form.
You're strong, but that may not suffice for your return to be certain, Hayuri-san.
- Time skip –
Hayuri had been walking uphill through a dense lush forest for about two hours. She noticed that there was a clear lack of animals in the ecosystem and assumed that there probably was a dominant species that predated on every other animal, since there didn't seem to be a lack of resources. She wondered what kind of animal would consume almost all of the other species like that. Her mind was filled with thoughts about big felines or big prey birds, deciding that she should be careful of running into a big pack of whatever they were; she didn't want to be heard or seen by anyone yet.
After some time, as she walked through the trees parallel to the dusty road, she felt a presence. She raised her head and changed her stance with caution. In a blur, a young Afro-American woman appeared on front of her. She was dressed with butler clothing and had beautiful curly hair, which was short and allowed her slender neck to be seen. She must've been a couple years old than Hayuri.
"You're trespassing private property, so I have to ask you to go back. If you don't, I'll have to remove you by force." She said with a plain and serious voice.
"You must be Canary." Hayuri smiled a bit and spoke with confidence. She liked this woman; she had fierce and controlled look in her eyes, but Hayuri managed to see that there was kindness in them. When the woman heard her name being called, her eyes widened slightly. "I came to find you."
"Me? I don't know you." She said and narrowed her eyes. "I'll tell you once again; leave."
"I can't do that. I've come to see Killua and won't leave until I see him." She said and watched the woman's eyes widen again and she swore she saw them soften a bit.
"Master Killua?" she straightened up. "Do you have authorization from the head butler?"
"Err… not really. I don't want Killua's family to know I'm here. That's why I came to you." Hayuri said and saw that Canary narrowed her eyes. "You are loyal to him, aren't you?"
"I'm loyal to the Zoldyck Family." She answered seriously, but Hayuri already knew that she was close to Killua from her previous reaction.
"I know it's your job to keep me from entering any further from here. I won't cause you any more trouble; I'll stay here and won't walk any further. So, could you please fetch Killua for me?"
Canary's eyes widened and Hayuri saw the hesitation in her body language. It was obvious that she would feel conflicted about that; she was asking her to do something that might get her fired it she was found out.
"How do I even know that you're saying the truth? Maybe you don't even know Master Killua and want to harm him. How do I know you're not fooling me? You have no proof." The woman narrowed her eyes once again.
Hayuri furrowed her brows; she should've known that the woman right here wouldn't give in so easily. She thought hard for a moment and then took a deep breath in. Canary raised her guard immediately and took a couple steps back. Hayuri didn't blame her; the two of them must've been around the same strength level and she would've been just as cautious. Hayuri released the breath she was holding and sat down on the leafy ground.
"Come, sit." She said and gestured in front of her. "I'll tell you all about it, but it'll take a while."
Canary raised an eyebrow and finally decided to sit two meters away from Hayuri, still being watchful around her. Hayuri told her everything. From how they met at the hunter exam, how they trained together and became friends, how things changed between them. She told her about how she had fooled him into thinking that she'd betrayed her. She told her everything that involved him and had happened up to the present day.
As she spoke, Hayuri noticed how Canary's body language changed. She slowly relaxed her shoulder and arms and her expression became genuinely interested on what she said. Sometime she would chuckle softly, probably recognizing some of Killua's typical behavior. When Hayuri had finished, Canary smiled for the first time.
"I believe you. Everything you said completely portraits the Killua I know." She said and nodded. "Also, from what you told me, I think Master Killua fells greatly about you. I don't know if he's in love with you, but he thinks of you as a dear friend, at the very least. I'll help you out."
"Thank you!" Hayuri smiled. "I know you're taking a risk by doing this."
"It's for master Killua." Canary waved her off. "Also, the one taking the biggest risk is you. You don't know the Zoldyck Family like I do. They do not appreciate emotions, friendship, or any of the sorts and are ruthless. You'd be safer if you went back home and forgot about Master Killua."
"I can't do that." Hayuri said with determination.
"I know." Canary smiled. "I needed to warn you anyways. Wait here, I'll get master Killua for you."
"Ok."
Hayuri sat down, leaning her weight on a tree trunk and looked up to the sun that filtered in through the leaves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. There was anxiousness building in her chest. What would he say when he saw her? Would he forgive her? Would he want to be friends again? Would he kiss her?
Hayuri moved her hand to her lips and remembered the last time that they had been friends. More than friends. Her body shivered at the thought and she sighed. It had been more than she ever thought sex with him would be like. Not only had it given her incredible pleasure, but the fact that it was him had meant so much to her.
Hayuri closed her eyes as she calmed her heartbeat. She stayed like that, aware of her surroundings, for ten minutes. Suddenly, there was a huge animal presence not far from her. Hayuri widened her eyes and frantically looked the way she'd felt it. There was a huge dog-like creature standing 10 meters away from her. One would've thought that it was a safe enough distance for an animal, but this was not the case. The beast was around 10 meters high and 20 meters long. His eyes were shining scarlet and his aura was reeking of murder. The animal was strong and, if Hayuri hadn't known nen or about wild beasts, she would've ran. Thankfully, she did, so she strengthened her presence and looked up to him with defiance. The beast looked at her in the eyes for a couple seconds, and then turned away.
Hayuri watched it disappear into the forest and, only then, allowed her muscles to relax a bit. That was a hell of a monster, which if she remembered correctly, the guard had called a 'big dog'. Hayuri chuckled at the clear understatement of the beast that she'd just encountered. Hayuri decided that it was the predator that had eaten away all the fauna of the ecosystem, and no wonder. It was huge.
Some minutes later, Hayuri felt a shift in her surrounding and stood up in the blink of an eye. There was someone coming her way at an incredibly fast rate. Hayuri felt sweat roll down her temple and her body tense in anticipation. She didn't remember Killua being this fast. Was this someone else? A member of the family perhaps? Should she hide? Would it even be any good?
In a matter of seconds and, before she had time to make a decision, the presence was close. Hayuri wondered how on earth a human being could travel that fast; according to her, the person had traveled a couple kilometers in just a couple seconds. Hayuri looked to her right and saw that there was someone standing there no far from her. It was a male and it had short silver hair, and she wondered if it was Killua or a relative. When the sun hit his face, she was relieved to see that it actually was Killua and lowered her hood.
"Killua!" she smiled. However, immediately after, she felt dread build up on her gut.
As soon as their eyes met, she saw Killua's eyes darken with rage and felt his blood lust spike. Her body froze under the pressure of his killing intent; she'd never felt anything like it. Not one second after, and before she could force her body to move, she was brutally pushed against a tree. Her breath was knocked out of her and Killua's forearm pressed against her trachea violently. Her eyes met his and she shivered under his cold and enraged eyes. When he spoke, his voice was dripping with venom and menacing.
"Who the fuck are you."
A/N: Oh damn, another cliffhanger. What happened to Killua T_T doesn't he remember Hayuri? What will happen to her? Find out in the next chapter! TANANANANANA
MadokaMagica1998: Well, I think I know what your guess is and all I can say is…. Wait for the next chapter!
Hexel-JustAnotherReader: I WOULD NEVER KILL HAYURI. I love her too much to give her away for tragedy…. Or would I?
Guest: Well… they did see each other again. Maybe it's not what we all expected.