Hello, lovely readers! How have you been?

I would like to thank you all for the love and kind words! Thank you for being so supportive! It's so good to know that you guys are really interested in this story! I really look forward to hear your thoughts on the future chapters :)

I've gotta tell you guys that I am OBSESSED with Opera now. Really, I was studying some of them for a few distant chapters and, boy, oh boy, I am surprised to find out that it's a true delight! I mean, I knew they were good, but I had no idea they were THAT good! Guess I incorporated one of my Illumi headcanons to my life lol And, on a side note, they will be quite important for Cataclysm.

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and its double meanings :3

Please do not forget: updates take place every Monday and Friday from 12pm to 5 pm PST!

See you,

—Cherry

"So, Dhea…" Killua said, cutting a small potato in half. "You know a lot about meat, don't you?"

Medea choked on her wine, coughing for a moment before turning to the teenager with wide eyes.

By her side, Kurapika just looked out the window and took the glass of lemon soda to his lips, trying not to show any reaction.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your meal." He pointed to the thick steak on her plate.

"Oh, y-yeah! I do." She replied, taking her glass to her lips, avoiding even a glance in Kurapika's direction.

"How did you learn about it?" Killua asked, chewing the sliced potato. "No, better yet, what is your favorite type of meat?"

"You mean as in beef?"

"Yeah."

"Ribeye, I guess. It's what I ordered. It has a remarkable flavor which I personally adore."

"Is it better than a Filet Mignon?" Kurapika asked.

She scratched her nose. "I mean, it depends? The Filet Mignon is the King of Steaks, but, like, if you want a stronger flavor, then Ribeye is the right one. On the other hand, it's also slightly chewier than a Filet Mignon, so you've got to keep that in mind when choosing your steaks."

"So you like it tough?"

"What?!"

"You like tough steaks?" Killua repeated. "I mean, you did say you didn't care that much about tenderized meat."

"No, it's not like that!" She chuckled. "Both of them are tender, it's just that the Filet Mignon is even more tender."

"Oh, so you prefer it juicy!" He giggled. "Wouldn't have taken you by the type who like it, but okay!"

Her violet eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

"Why the sudden interest in the meat I like?" Medea asked, cutting a piece of the steak and taking it to her mouth.

He drank a bit of soda and smiled. "Nothing, it's just… My family is actually really into meats, but all of us have a different type that we prefer."

"And different cuts." Alluka added.

"Yeah! For example, Alluka and I like the T bone, but she prefers pork, which is also Milluki's favorite meat. However, he is crazy about Sirloin, and doesn't care much about other cuts." He briefly explained. "Mother likes all types of fish. Father enjoys ribs. Kalluto… Well, I can't really recall."

"What's about you, Dee?"

"Oh, I highly doubt my tastes are the same as your family's."

"Why?" Killua asked.

"I prefer my meat slightly fattier," Medea told her, knees brushing against Kurapika, causing him to tense up. "All of them."

"Isn't that kind of bad for your health?" The girl arched her brow.

"Ah, don't worry, honey! I can take fat meat very well!"

Kurapika cleared his throat, cutting a piece of his salmon as he remained silent.

"I see… But what's your favorite, then?"

"Oh, definitely mutton!"

"Not lamb?" Asked Alluka, tilting her head to the side. "People generally prefer it."

"I do like lamb, but I prefer mutton, it has a distinctive flavor. Since not everyone has an acquired taste like me, they opt for something more gentle to their taste buds, I suppose. But, truly, my favorite cut is the rump." She confessed.

Killua stared at her for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, attracting the disapproving gaze of the people around them. Medea gave them an apologetic smile and turned to the boy. "Killua, stop!"

"I'm sorry, I will! Just… I can't take it!" He said, shaking his head from side to side as he continued to laugh.

"What are you talking about?"

He dried a few tears that threatened to fall from his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Your taste is unique indeed."

"Um, thanks?"

He sighed, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Do you want to know something funny, Dhea?"

She rolled her eyes, taking her glass to her lips. "Sure."

"Your taste is so unique that it's the exact same as my brother's."

"Huh?"

"You and Illumi share the same preferences…" He repeated, chuckling again. "When it comes to the type and cuts of meat, at least."

She scowled. "You were laughing at that?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because it's hilarious. You're so different, what are the odds you both would like the same things?"

"We don't like the same things, Killua." She replied, cutting the last piece of her steak and chewing it. "It's just an unfortunate coincidence."

The table fell silent after that.

Each of them finished their meals quietly, only the occasional tinkle of a glass being put back on the table and the sound of chatting people ringing through their ears.

Medea stared at her plate, frowning.

Illumi and her had nothing in common. Nothing. There was no way they liked the same things.

The waitress removed their plates and placed the desserts in front of them. Medea smiled at the huge glass filled with brownies and ice cream, and, of course, a hot and thick chocolate sauce.

She took a spoonful of it and shoved it in her mouth, sighing happily. It was like tasting an explosion of sugary snow, followed by pure, sticky lava. It was absolutely delicious.

Kurapika only giggled, shaking his head as he ate a crêpe. "You should take it easy with the sugar."

"Never!" Medea promptly objected.

"It's too big for you," He continued, "you'll end up getting tired of it."

"You, better than anyone, should know that she likes it big." Remarked Killua, taking a spoonful of crème brulée to his mouth.

Kurapika stared at the boy, horrified. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah!" Agreed Alluka. "But it's good that Medea always makes sure to swallow it all, right?"

She blinked, wide-eyed. "I… What?"

"I know, right? Do you remember that gigantic white-chocolate religieuse she had while she was at the hospital?" Her brother continued, enthusiastically. "Then a huge ice cream cone. And then she asked for a mille-feuille. You remember when she had that mille-feuille, right, Kurapika? You were also there, if I recall correctly!"

Medea pinched the bridge of her nose, taking more ice cream to her lips before they noticed her flushed cheeks.

"Yeah, I do."

"It was amazing that she could fit it all in her mouth, right?"

"I mean…"

"And to think she could barely fit her lips around it!"

"I think it fit just fine there." He stated, knee rubbing against hers under the table, and ate another piece of crêpe.

"Her desserts are always so big!" Alluka chuckled.

"You mean freaking huge!"

"Okay, brats, I think we got it! I love sweets way too much!" Medea said, unable to look at anything besides the tall glass in front of her.

"Dee, doesn't the sudden warmth make your mouth feel weird?"

"Eh?!"

Alluka stared at her, confused with her reaction, as Killua went back to his crème brulée. "The hot sauce from the dessert."

"Oh, y-yeah! No, no it's good…" She replied. "Feels good, I like it."

"You surely do." Kurapika muttered under his breath. "By the way, did you find the room's key, Killua?" He changed the subject.

Killua nodded. "Yeah. I forgot it in the girls' room."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Can you believe it was right on the bedside table?"

Medea snickered. "You should take better care of your belongings."

Killua glanced at her and grinned. "You're the one to talk! Didn't you lose your phone at the mansion?"

"Shut up, Killua!"

"Anyway Dhea, when are you going to receive the instructions for your trip?" Asked Kurapika, trying to stop their argument before it even started.

She sighed. No one could speak clearly on the issue of the Order in public, Medea had thoroughly warned them about it. She didn't want to risk anyone hearing about it.

"Until the end of the day." She said, pulling herself together once again. "My boss will most likely ask me to come back to work before this month ends." And the Full Moon is gone.

"Can we go with you, Dee?" Pleaded Alluka. "I never had the opportunity to visit the Azian continent, it must be beautiful!"

Medea bit her lip. "I'm not sure about it." She ate another spoon of ice cream before she went on. "It's not the best moment to take you guys there. There are rumors of some political issues with a neighboring country and I don't want to put you guys in more danger after you came to rescue me in Padokea."

"We can handle it," Killua said in his usual haughty tone, "and it was nothing. We may not like to deal with our family, but it doesn't mean we don't know how to."

"I know, I just feel worried. It's not safe there right now…" She insisted. "And about your family, I owe a lot to all the three of you. Without you guys, I would be dead right now." She shook her head and smiled again. "Anyway, thank you very much."

"Just don't get used to it, I'm not gonna save your ass every time you get in trouble." Warned the boy. "Especially if it involves my family. They're not normal."

"Yeah, I could see that… By the way, what's wrong with your brother?"

"Which brother?" He retorted, snickering. "Feel free to pick one, each of them is worse than the previous."

She rolled her eyes. "Illumi, obviously."

Alluka grimaced, opting to push another macaron into her mouth.

"Honestly, I don't even know, he was already fucked in the head when I was born."

"Oh."

"Maybe he was always like that, don't know. Doesn't matter, anyway." He shrugged. "But I'm surprised he didn't try harder to make me stay. That's very unlike him."

"What do you mean?"

"Big brother is the heir to the family. He's the one who must inherit all the fortune and property when our father dies, so it's expected of him to stay and become an assassin." Alluka explained and Medea frowned, confused.

"But isn't Illumi the oldest?"

"Yes."

"Then shouldn't it belong to him?"

Kurapika chuckled. "Dhea, did you not notice anything in common between Killua, his father, and his grandfather?"

Medea took a finger to her lips. "All of them have light eyes and hair…" The woman replied. "But that's genetic. What does it have to do with being the heir?"

"Not only that, they're all Transmuters." He put a strand of hair behind his ear and stared at her. "It's like a stamp of approval when it comes to the position."

Killua nodded.

"My brothers are all Manipulators, so they're not considered fit."

"Oh? Illumi is a Manipulator?" She tittered, crossing her arms as she shook her head. And that motherfucker claimed that I was manipulating Killua. "Unbelievable."

"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing. Sorry, you can proceed."

"Well, Illumi was trained to be the heir until I was born. After that, the position became mine."

"So I guess you don't want to be the heir, and that's why you ran away." She said slowly, processing the information as the boy nodded. "Okay. Now I get why your brother is always so angry. I'd also be pissed off if I lost my title to a child who had barely been born."

He arched a brow. "Angry? Illumi?" Killua shook his head. "Illumi has no emotion."

"You sure about that?"

"Trust me, I know my brother better than anyone… Unfortunately."

Medea opened her mouth, but soon closed it.

She vehemently disagreed with Killua; she had seen a lot of emotion in the assassin, mostly anger. Still, it seemed strange to explain it to someone who had lived many years being cared for by that man — he knew almost everything about his own brother whereas she had only met him four times. She certainly didn't have enough knowledge about him to talk about his behavior.

However, she knew she'd seen something in those eyes, and it was not emptiness.

There was plenty of hatred and contempt, but there was something darker in there, something that Medea was sure she wouldn't want to find out what it was. She could remember and practically feel his gloomy aura imposing itself over hers, it was suffocating. Had he done that on purpose or had that strange glow in his gaze been responsible for it?

She took her hands to the side of her neck and massaged the skin. It was almost as if that man was still asphyxiating her.

People with no emotions did not choke others so suddenly, nor did they steal their belongings, much less took their time infuriating them.

Something was not adding up.

The woman felt Kurapika's hand on hers and turned to face him. His expression was full of concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

"Your gaze was lost for a second. Do you need to rest?"

She sighed. "No… Okay, maybe I do. Now that I have finally eaten, I feel quite tired. Taking a nap would be delightful."

"Do you want to go to your room?"

"No, I want to finish the ice cream first."

"Are you sure?" He insisted.

"Yeah." She gave him a half-smile. "I'm fine, really."

He nodded, slowly letting go of her hand. "Okay."

"Dhea, we forgot to tell you something!" Said Killua, eating the last part of his dessert. "Gon turns fourteen in a month and we're planning on visiting him for his birthday… So, I— They! They were wondering if, maybe, you'd like to go as well."

Violet eyes narrowed, staring at him with a smirk.

"Oh, they wanted to invite me to the party? Not you?" When there was no reply, she giggled. "Where is it?"

"At Gon's house, on Whale Island!" Alluka replied, cleaning her mouth with a napkin.

"Hm… I don't know… Won't his family find it weird for a random girl to show up at their house?"

"Highly doubt it." Kurapika commented.

"Really?"

"His family is pretty chill, I promise!" Added Killua. "They'll treat you well!"

Medea sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "Fine. I'll go. But only because they want me to." She teased, winking at him. "When do you go back to work, Kura?" Medea asked, eating a piece of brownie.

"Tomorrow night, why?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to help me pick a new phone." She shrugged. "You know more about electronic stuff than I do."

He grinned. "Sure, I'll accompany you."

"Good."

"Good."

Killua looked at the both of them, eyes gleaming with malice, but said nothing. Not that he needed to.

The smell of whiskey, cheap cigarettes, and, oddly enough, popcorn was strong, but Illumi didn't mind it. He had bigger problems to deal with. Like, for example, finding Hisoka.

He sighed.

He still could not quite believe he had chosen an amusement park to meet with him at, of all places. Actually, no, he believed it. It was just so… Hisoka. He should have seen it coming.

What was the appeal of an amusement park?

Illumi could not understand why people paid to spend time eating junk food and playing strange games in a crowded, smelly space. Was it just to feel the adrenaline of losing control over themselves? If that was the case, then it was easier and cheaper to play Russian Roulette.

Too bad not everyone had the courage to do it.

A soft smile appeared on his lips. He could still remember the first time he played it.

He was five, maybe six years old. It was late at night and everyone was asleep, except for him, because he was too agitated for that. Everyone had been paying so much attention to the new baby, even his father, and it was confusing. He did not understand why they were doing it. All his parents and grandfather kept talking about was baby, baby, baby all the time, even after he had already been born! He did not like it in the slightest.

Was he not good enough? Was he not doing well in training?

Was he not the heir?

Perhaps he had to prove to the family that he was stronger and smarter than the baby. Seemed logical enough.

He went to the baby's room, took him out of his crib, and carried him to the training room. And then he got the guns out. Illumi had read somewhere that Russian Roulette was great to inflict mental damage to a person and make them cower in fear. He tried to terrify him by pulling the trigger a couple of times, but somehow that round whiny thing did not even flinch — actually, he had fallen asleep as Illumi attempted to psychologically torture him. That, obviously, had made him mad.

So he shot Milluki in the ass.

His mother was not pleased, contrary to what he had believed. Nor was his father. That night, he had been severely punished for trying to kill a family member. Only after that did his family explain that it was not allowed.

Still, it was a funny memory.

Big, black eyes looked around calmly.

Leaves carried by the wind, that was what these people were. They had no control over their own lives, but enjoyed pretending they did. So tiny. So weak. They could be crushed by stronger people at any time, however, they didn't seem to realize or care about the fact.

Fools, all of them.

Leaning against a pilaster in front of the carousel, Hisoka stood with a bag of popcorn. Illumi arched an eyebrow as he approached the ally, looking at him from head to toe. "Why am I not surprised that you chose this place?"

The redhead laughed and threw some popcorn into his mouth. "Because my friends know I'm an open book." He teased.

"I already told you I'm not your friend."

"Sure, we aren't…"

"We have a contract, you know I'll kill you someday." The assassin reminded him, receiving a malicious smile from the magician in response.

"And I can't wait to fight you." He threw the now empty packaging of popcorn in the trash and wiped his hands. "But I'm afraid that's not why you wanted to meet me, right?"

Illumi nodded and started to walk, wandering aimlessly among the crowd with the magician behind him.

He looked up at the sky.

At night, it looked like a huge tapestry, with its ebony color and navy-blue hues, and the stars seemed to be diamonds and pearls attached to the fabric. It was beautiful. It reminded him of the tapestry he saw on a mission many years ago.

He was about nine years old when both his father and him were hired to assassinate a major slave trader. Obviously, the contract had been fulfilled.

As they left the place, they passed through an extensive corridor. It was entirely covered by the most exquisite and beautiful velvet he had seen in his short life, replete with multicolored jewelry and drawings in different shades of blue.

He had never forgotten the soft texture and the sweet smell it had, nor the punishment he received for leaving his bloody fingerprint on it.

Illumi never repeated that mistake again.

"My family organized a sort of selection to find a suitable bride for me, a few days ago." He commented.

Hisoka gasped, outraged. "And you didn't invite me?" He took a hand to his chest dramatically. "You're breaking my heart, dear Illu!"

"You don't have blood ties with any of the candidates, I had no reason to do it."

"Rude!"

"No, it is reasonable." Illumi said, matter-of-factly. "Tell me, do you remember the girl from Idyzanon?"

"There are many girls from Idyzanon I know, Illumi. Be more specific, will you?"

"The one you followed to Mongrel Chameleon?"

"Oh! The one you're dying to kill? Yes, I remember her." Hisoka raised an eyebrow, studying him carefully. "What's does she have to do with it?"

"She broke into the mansion."

"Pardonne-moi?"

Illumi blinked. "Ah, true, I did not tell you. She also works as a thief for an Azian sect."

Hisoka pouted as they passed the roller coaster, a line of people encircling the attraction. "You know, I'm starting to worry this might be a one-sided friendship. You're keeping things from me!"

"It had nothing to do with you."

"And do you expect me to help you now that I know you don't care about me as much as you used to?" He sighed loudly. "Oh, my poor heart won't ever recover from this betrayal!"

"She tried to steal an item from my family." Illumi continued, not in the slightest affected by the magician's dramatic moment.

"Oh? Brave one, ain't she?"

"Will you let me finish?"

He chuckled. "Sorry."

"As I was saying, Killua intervened on her behalf, so we gave her two options. She could either choose to use the Whispers of the Abyss or die immediately."

"Basically, it was six of one and half a dozen of the other… How cruel." He sighed maliciously, taking a hand to his neck and slowly descending it down his torso. "Did you fill her with despair, Illu? Did she cry before she died? Oh, I want all the most exciting details!"

"She survived."

The magician turned around, golden eyes wide and his lips partially open. "Come again?"

"I don't know how, but she survived the drug." Illumi reiterated, sighing heavily.

"Heavens, I knew she'd have enough strength to entertain me, but that?" He moaned and Illumi glared at him.

"Do I need to remind you of our conversation in Ileack?" His voice had a serious tone when he addressed the redhead, but the other just shook his hands uninterestedly.

"Don't be silly, I won't do anything with the cutie." He said. "But it doesn't kill to imagine it, right?" He provoked, taking a piece of gum out of his pocket and offering the dark-haired man. "Want some Bungee Gum?"

Illumi remained impassive as they walked, not even caring to answer his companion. "Medea."

"Hm?"

"Don't call her cutie, her name is Medea." He repeated.

"Now her face has a name, how interesting… Anyway, why are you telling me that? Don't you want to kill her yourself?"

"I don't know. Part of me was elated to see her between life and death, but another part was…" Illumi furrowed his brows, searching for the right word. "Confused."

"Confused?"

"Yes. I felt like I had been defeated." He admitted, frustrated.

"Defeated?" Hisoka narrowed his eyes. "What the hell? How come?"

"It felt weird seeing her that way, like it was wrong." He explained. "After she left, I met two suitors, and there was one of them who—"

"I know, who tried to thank you for the incredible opportunity of being one of your options using her attributes."

"No."

"No?"

"I looked at her, but all I could do was compare her with Medea. Her eyes, her hair, her behavior… I could not get Medea out of my head." He confessed with a frown. "And it did not stop when I went back to my room. I could smell her perfume, feel the texture of her skin under my fingers; all I thought about was her."

"Oh, shit… Well, at least you didn't jerk off to her, right?" There was no reply. "Right?"

Illumi took a deep breath and stared at Hisoka.

"I called her name when I came."

Hisoka blinked.

None of them said anything for exactly ten seconds. Then, Hisoka cackled. It was so loud that only the cart full of people shouting on the roller-coaster was able to muffle it. He bent his body forward, taking one hand to his abdomen and holding the arm of the assassin with the other one, trying to support himself as Illumi glared at him.

"Fucking hell, Illumi! Do you want to fuck your target?" He laughed again. "Holy shit, I should have suspected it by your reaction! Damn, I think I'm crying!" The redhead took his fingers to his eyes to dry some tears as he recomposed himself.

"Are you done?"

"Holy fuck, this is hilarious!" He put his hands in the air as if he announced a movie title. "Illumi Zoldyck beats his meat to the thought of a thief he barely knows, coming soon… Or better, cumming soon."

Illumi clicked his tongue. Maybe deciding to talk to the magician had not been a good idea. "Hisoka, I'm not here to be mocked."

"Of course not, you came to ask your beloved ally for love advice because you just found out that you want the cutie. Oh, sorry, Medea." He pouted teasingly and poked the man's shoulder, receiving a slap on his hand. "Does little Illu want to get down and dirty with the hot thief?"

"I'm leaving. I don't have to listen to this kind of thing."

Hisoka held his arm, preventing him from moving away.

"Okay, sorry, I just couldn't resist." He said, still smirking. "But what's the problem then? You desire her, there's nothing wrong with that!"

"It does!"

"Why?"

"Because she is aggravating!"

"Is she?"

"Yes! She is vain, and arrogant, and witty, and vile!" Declared Illumi, through gritted teeth. "She is a nuisance who tried to rob my family. Her accent is ridiculous. The way she looks at others is despicable. Someone like her is the last type of person I should be thinking about!" He remarked, massaging his temples. "And, for the first time in a long time, because of this stupid woman, I don't know what I to do."

"Do you at least know what you want? I mean, besides her, obviously." Hisoka added calmly.

Illumi sighed.

"No."

"That's a problem."

"I know." He agreed, looking at the other man. "I cannot help but ask myself if killing her will make me feel normal again, or if I should just try to ignore her altogether. My mind keeps feeding me with these thoughts, it's annoying."

They passed by the Ferris wheel, both extremely quiet.

There was a persistent tug on Illumi's chest, almost as if he felt worried. But why would he? It could not be because of what he said, could it?

He felt like a child again, learning about the correct posture of a member of the Zoldyck family, making small mistakes. At any moment, his father and grandfather would decide to punish him for focusing on something other than his responsibility as an assassin. Disobedience was always harshly reprimanded.

He bit the inside of his cheek. Perhaps expressing his thoughts aloud was a bad idea. It brought him an eerie feeling, like he was doing something wrong and could be discovered at any time.

"Do you want her?" Hisoka asked after some time.

Illumi took a deep breath. "I do."

"Then go after her." His voice was amused. "You never stopped going after Killua, even after everything that happened. You should do the same now. Think ahead of her, plan a situation, find a way to gain the advantage… You need to play if you want to win." Hisoka advised him.

"That's different." Illumi pointed out. "Killua is the heir, he is my family."

"And who said she can't become your family either?"

Those words caught him by surprise, causing him to stop walking while reflecting on what he had just heard.

Why could Medea not be part of his family?

His family expected him to find a suitable bride. He had never really bothered to search for one before, he was always well aware that it would be a beneficial arrangement for both parties — to her, it would mean joining an influential family, whereas to him, it would be the certainty that his child would be strong and capable. That was all he expected from the marriage.

An entire event had been organized for that very reason, one that had been planned to pick the aptest and most skilled women for him to choose from. And Medea had participated in the selection.

That made her a valid option, right?

Sure, she did not have an important family — or any family at all —, but she was determined, no one could deny that. There were not many people capable of passing through the Testing Gates, much less invading the Zoldyck Mansion.

She was not easily scared and was a good fighter, albeit she could improve her combat skills. Besides, she had accepted the condition to take that scroll with her without a second thought. She was brave, or at least a bit crazy.

And she had endured the drug. Better yet, she had survived it. It meant she had fulfilled the challenge imposed by his family, just like Willetta and Himari.

Not only that, but Medea was a Hunter. He had spent a lot of time reading about her scientific feats, and she was smarter than she looked, he had to grant that. She had considerable achievements in her career, and they only seemed to increase in quantity and importance as time passed.

A remarkable woman.

At this point, not even the fact that she had grown up in a brothel truly mattered — although he had to admit it made him displeased to think of how many men she had slept with. He was willing to overlook that. Reluctantly, but he was.

Medea was different from the other two suitors, she was both physically and intellectually adequate; a good suitor with strong personality traits. A nice addition to the family, he dared to say. He only needed to train her a little more, hone her skills to the maximum and she would become his ideal wife.

His wife.

Illumi liked the sound of that. If he had her as his wife, he could finally satisfy the desire that clouded his mind, he could finally be at peace again. He would be able to tame her.

He grinned. Yeah, he definitely liked that idea.

"I can't believe I'm gonna say that, but you're right, Hisoka."

"Always am, you're the one who chooses to ignore my magnificent wisdom."

Something caught his eye. It was a small, colorful cabin and a woman in her late thirties sat on a stool in the middle of it, surrounded by various mystical items.

Illumi marched to it and Hisoka, though confused, accompanied him, curious to know what he wanted to do there. Truth be told, not even Illumi knew why he was doing it, but it just felt necessary. Urgent.

She raised her gaze to the two men and smiled as they approached. "Oh, hello! Would you like to know your future?" She asked.

A clairvoyant?

He didn't believe in things like that, but something was certainly drawing him there. He wanted to, no, he needed to know what was it.

"How much will it cost?" Illumi asked.

She shook her head.

"I don't usually do this, but it won't cost anything. I have a feeling this is a warning from the gods to both of you."

Hisoka arched an eyebrow. "Oh, the gods want to talk to us?" He mocked. "I doubt it very much, but feel free to tell me my fortune. It's not like it's really going to affect anything in my life other than make me have a good laugh."

The woman just rolled her eyes, probably accustomed to that behavior.

She took a handful of white sand and threw it up, closing her eyes while waiting for it to fall. When she opened them again, staring at the forms on the dark wood, she frowned and started to murmur words in an unknown language. The seer blew part of the dust and stopped, eyes closed.

When she looked at Hisoka again, her voice was serious. "You wish for something. Something violent. Bloody."

"Do I?" He retorted, squinting his eyes.

"Yes. And it will happen soon, although not in the way you expect." She stated. "Arrogance will be your downfall."

The magician snickered, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

She did the same to what was left of the dust and stared at Illumi. "You are confused, but there is no need for that."

Illumi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The choice has already been made a long time ago." She chuckled softly. "Do you not remember?"

"Remember what?" He asked.

"Before Sunset, the Dragon lurks his prey, but when the night comes, he shall devour it." The woman stated, ignoring his question. "Go home, child, for your prey will come to your hands soon."

Hisoka clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"This woman is nothing but a liar!" He said, grabbing his wrist.

She smirked. "You'll remember me when my words come true. As for you," Her eyes went back to Illumi. "I wish you the best of luck. You will need it later on."

He opened his mouth, but closed it as soon as Hisoka pulled him to the amusement park's exit, muttering angrily about charlatans and how he couldn't stand them. Illumi, on the other hand, kept quiet, deep in thought.

The choice has already been made a long time ago. Do you not remember?

His brows furrowed. What could that mean?

Illumi shook his head. It did not matter. The only thing that did was the name running non-stop in his head.

He looked at the ebony sky and grinned.

He was ready to start hunting.

Killua is a little shit and I love him for that.

—

Unbeknownst to Medea, Illumi has made a life-changing decision to the both of them. What will his next step be? And will she be able to pass the final phase of the Act of Choice?

To find out the answer to these and other questions, stay tuned for the next chapters~