Skeleton Flower | kurokura time travel AU | chrollo x kurapika

Chapter 6

The afternoon sun bears down upon them with a vengeance as Kuroro guides him through unpaved roads and rubbish mounds smoldering beneath the intense heat. Despite not leaving Kuroro's apartment for long, the putrid stench rising in the air is beginning to make Kurapika feel ill. They follow a path towards the outskirts of the city, keeping to its less populated streets but more suspect alleyways. If Meteor City is dangerous at its best, its backstreets are even worse.

Kurapika senses hunger from the people lingering in the darkness. They search his face for evidence of inexperience as they impede his passage, only stepping aside when Kuroro intends to pass through. Rather than paying him deference, it seems that they know better than to provoke Kuroro. Even at his young age, Kuroro's reputation has reached even the most obscure parts of the city.

Overhead, the outdoor staircases from the apartment buildings tighten the space around them. Kurapika follows closely behind Kuroro, more closely than he would prefer, as they navigate around unconscious bodies and scavengers searching through the discarded trash. The narrow alleyways eventually fall behind them and give way to a vast landscape of ruined buildings. An impenetrable blood-orange smog drapes over the district, obscuring his visibility of the structures in the distance.

Even with the lapel of his suit jacket pulled over his face, Kurapika struggles not to cough whenever he breathes. He managed well enough yesterday, but somehow, his airways are finding it more difficult today. Smoke and dust settle over his hair, his face, and even the black fabric of his suit, clinging onto him like a second skin.

A sudden wind carries the stench of accumulated waste and decomposing garbage across their path. Meteor City's miasma continues its inhumation, seeping into his lungs and his bones. It may as well be draining his lifeforce.

Soon enough, a cough escapes him.

Kuroro's movements slow, and then still when he realizes that Kurapika has fallen behind him. He looks back at him with an expression of faint concern.

"Are you alright?"

Kurapika is hunched over, his fingers digging into his knees, nearly leaving marks in the fabric of his trousers. His eyes sting with the threat of tears.

Drawing in a futile breath, he composes himself and nods. As much as he tries to summon a response, no words leave his desiccated throat.

As Kuroro braves the harsh environment without faltering, there is no doubt that Nen users possess an advantage here. Those unable to protect themselves are left to wither and die in the dust. The decay festers beneath his skin, and Kurapika needs to get rid of it. After remaining in a passive state since the previous day, he releases his aura. A protective cocoon engulfs his entire body, mitigating the consequences of the poisoned air and allowing him to breathe again.

It takes a moment to pull himself back together. As the tightness in his chest eases, he can breathe without the weight smothering his lungs. He should have done this sooner.

When he catches up to him, Kuroro deliberately falls into step beside him.

While walking alongside Kuroro, Kurapika realizes the absence of height disparity between them. From what he remembers, Kuroro always stood above him—only now they're on equal ground. Despite their similarities in stature, he frowns at how oversized the clothes he borrowed from him were.

Kurapika expects more questions from him, but only silence rests between them. Perhaps he's considerate enough to allow Kurapika to catch his breath instead of forcing him to speak.

If Kuroro notices him staring, he doesn't make his awareness known.

They traverse the landscape, only coming to a stop in front of what appears to be an abandoned church standing above the rubble. Rather than resembling an impressive cathedral or basilica, the towering stone edifice is verging on structural collapse, weathered and worn by time. With a metallic creaking sound, Kuroro pushes the rusted door open and leads him inside.