Phantom Girl

Chapter 26

Lucy POV

Awakened by a soft touch on my forehead, I slowly open my eyes. The room arround me is dim, but I can see a dark figure next to me. The person next to me caresses my head gently, their touch makes my heart flutter. „Feitan?" I soflty wisper, causing the person next to me too freeze for a second and then awkwardly remove their hand from me. Instead of answering me, he makes a humming sound, before turning the bedside lamp on.
„You've been unconnsous for several hours. Are you okay?" he then asks.

What happened to me? The last thing I remember is walking through the heavy rain, after Chrollo was captured by the chain user. Have I caught a cold? I nod quietly, not trusting my own voice. My troat feels kind of sore and my headache is killing me. „What happened...?" I finally manage to croak with hoarse voice. But before he can answer, the memories suddenly hit me like a lightning bolt.

She's dead.

My friend Pakunoda has died right in front of my eyes. I couldn't do anything. Everything happened so fast. I can't even recall how I got here. My heart starts to ache again, when I think of her face.

Suddenly I can feel a soft touch on my cheek. Feitan's hand gently wipes away the tears that I hadn't even noticed. He lets out a heavy sight before trying to explain: "Do you remember when Paku shot at us?" I nod quietly. "She was using her nen ability Memory Bomb. It allowed her to share all of her memories and her feelings with the six of us at once. Now we have all informations about the Chain User that she had." His face darkens as he continues: "The chain user has imposed a condition on her with his ability. That's why she couldn't tell us what happened. She would have died if she tried."

I blink at him in disbelief. Anger starts to swell up in my chest. "So it was the chain user wo killed her?" I clench my hands into fists, because my growing rage is making them tremble. "Yes, When she used her Memory Bomb, she broke the condition. The chain he put around her heart has tightened and killed her."

'That's why that son of a bitch is called the chain user,' I think bitterly.

The anger constricts my throat. Unable to answer, I stare at Feitan as hot tears run down my cheeks. He looks tired and exhausted. His face is as emotionless and hard es ever, but I could hear the cracking in his voice. His eyes are red, as if he had cried before. I have allowed myself to be comforted by him without considering how great his pain must be. He must be so angry and sad, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. Of course he is, they have been friends for years, havent they?

Slowly, I lean against his chest and wrap my arms around his torso. My trembling hands are buried in his shirt, while my tears sink into the soft fabric. Sighing, he does the same, his hands gently caressing my back. „For how long have you been friends?" I mumble through the wet fabric of his shirt. „I've known her since I was very little. We were alway together, since I can remember. Pakunoda has always been the reasonable one of us. She was a few years older than us and always looked out for us." He buries his face into my hair, his warm breath stroking down my neck. „I'm sorry," I am mumbling into his chest.

„Chrollo was also cursed with the ability of the Chain User. At the moment he can neither use his Nen ability nor contact us. Otherwise he will die too." Shocked, I break away from his embrace and look directly at him. His pale face doesn't show any emotion. „This is awful, what should we do now?" - „Honestly, I don't know. And I can't make this decision alone. We should go to the others to discuss how to go on."

I nod earnestly and get up on my feet. „Alright, lets go."