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| CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO |
Promise
" his entire appearance had
changed into another. "
" promise me you
won't leave. "
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》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《
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A cold rush of frozen air hit against my skin ever so gently, yet still causing a shiver to run down my spine. My eyes blinked open, blinded by a ceiling light hanging from above.
Looking down, I immediately acknowledge my small body laying on a hospital bed. Around was a small room that looked like a doctors office.
"Ah, good, you're up..." A deep and unfamiliar voice gushed, causing my head to practically slam over into the direction.
"Whoa! Easy there," he smiled.
It was just a normal doctor.
"Ehh!?" I managed to squeak before rushing onto my feet. His eyes shot up, probably from my frantic action.
"Hey, you can't-" He tried to reason, but I quickly pushed past him, heading straight towards the door.
Right as my hand touched the knob, a larger hand caught my shoulder, setting me into place. It was firm and had taken me completely by surprise.
"I can't allow you to do that."
Looking back, the normal looking doctor now held a scary expression spread upon his face.
"Listen up," he says before looking up to me with dangerous eyes, "you're gonna listen to me before leaving. Then, when I'm done, you can go on with your life and do whatever the-"
"Mr. Tola, that'll be enough," an older and raspier voice interrupted sternly.
I looked over, only to surprisingly see the Chairman, Mr. Netero, standing with a smirk in the corner of the room.
"Huh?! When'd you get here?" I asked with complete confusion before shaking my head aggressively, "actually, no! When'd I get here?"
The doctor sighed and took his hand off me, then backing up.
"You fell unconscious." He put simply.
I looked to him, not understanding, before a wave of memories rushed in, reminding me as to what had happened.
"Oh."
"That clown man brought you down here. He wouldn't leave your side like his life depended on it." Dr. Tola explained with a shiver, "man am I glad I have sane friends."
"Oh, he's actually my brother," I shrugged.
The Doctor gasped and looked to me crazily, "Ehh!"
"Alright, well that's enough of this, I'll explain exactly what happened after you fell unconscious," the Chairman said walking over to me and gesturing over to the open hospital bed.
I stared to him with intense eyes.
"Listen, I gotta make sure my friends-" Not even mid sentence, a large overwhelming aura shivered through me.
"Haha, I'll sit down now," I smiled and made my way over to the bed.
Mr. Netero smiled and sat by a chair near me. Clearing his voice, I had already felt impatient.
I had to make sure everyone was okay.
"You fell unconscious while your friend Gon was in his match, I assume you'd like to know exactly what happened." He spoke looking over to me, awaiting for my approval. I instantly nod and lean forward, urging for him to continue.
"Hmm, well, he broke his arm, risk his life, never surrendered-"
"Oh my god! Did he die?!" I gasped covering my mouth in shock.
My whole world was about to crumble when the Chairman shushed me.
"No, no! He's in perfect stable condition, of course he is still passed out cold, but he had ended up winning the match," he explained.
I breathed out my held in breath with relief. Looking back up, Mr. Netero just stared at me.
"Well, what are you waiting for, hurry up I gotta get back soon." I glared while looking to him on the edge of my seat.
"Yeah, it's getting to the good stuff." The Doctor agreed, also leaning forward, wanting to know more.
"Of course. Well after their match, with Gons opponent, Hanzo, admitting defeat from Gons will to not give up... next was your friend Kurapika, and brother Hisoka."
I gulped.
"The match was... interesting. The two had gone back and fourth for awhile when suddenly Hisoka had whispered into Kurapikas ear. Now, I'm not sure what he said, but for some reason after that Hisoka admitted defeat. Leaving Kurapika to win the match."
My eyes must've been popping out of my eye sockets by now. What on earth would Hisoka say to admit himself to defeat?
"Yes, it was very odd indeed... well after that was Hanzo, Gons last competitor, against Pokkle. It hadn't lasted long before Pokkle admitted defeat. He simply couldn't handle the pain like Gon. The fourth match was between Hisoka and Bodoro. The whole thing was just depressing to see. Hisoka beat Bodoro easily in the end."
I shrugged, not expecting any less. But then it hit me.
"Wait! But that was who I was supposed to go against!" I gasped, "does this mean I'm disqualified?"
He chuckled before shaking his head.
"You would have been... but let me finish the story. Next was Killua and Pokkle, it hadn't even begun before Killua called it off. He left, saying he didn't want to be bored."
I smiled, thinking of how much that sounded like Killua.
"The next match was postponed from a suggestion of Leorio, who was worried for the old man, Bodoros, health. So in the meantime, Killua and Gitarruckur's match was held..." He took a breath before continuing. "When the match begun, Gitarrucker somehow removed the needles that were placed in his face. His entire appearance had changed into another. Turns out it was Killuas brother."
I was once again shocked. Killua's brother?
"Huh?!"
"His name, as we know now, is Illumi. The two brothers began talking, and the mood had completely changed. Illumi went on and told Killua how he was only meant to be an assassin... and basically how Killua was incapable of friendship, telling him he wasn't able to have friends."
"Ehh?!" I squeaked once again with frustration.
"Illumi spread ideas into Killuas head, telling him how he was never your friend. Killua urged though how he was wrong and he wanted to be friends with both you and Gon. Leorio yelled how he was already your friends..."
Mr. Netero paused for a moment and looked to me with uncertainty.
"And so, Illumi announced he would just kill you both."
I couldn't move. My mind went blank, not even being able to process this.
"Whatdidhesayy?" Dr. Tola spoke in a high tone.
"Illumi... well I'm not exactly sure what he did in that moment, but Killua looked scared. Illumu looked like he was controlling Killua, when Killua just suddenly admitted defeat. Illumi went on then to explain how he never would've actually killed you and Gon, then telling Killua how he hadn't needed friends anyways. Killua looked drained then... no, dead."
I felt the urge to cry.
I don't know why, but I felt a pit inside me. Just what had Killua gone through? I sat up before being quickly pushed down again.
"No!" I yelled feeling tears brim my eyes, "I have to see him!"
A sudden ringing hushed my yells. It was an incoming phone call from the Chairman's phone. He answered it.
I couldn't focus on what he was talking about. I was too angry. Too frustrated. I hadn't even known the whole minute that passed by.
"Well..." Mr. Netero spoke while shutting his phone off, "a few things have happened in the match taken placed now."
The Doctor looked to him with just as much wonder as I was.
Water was on the edge of rushing down my cheeks. It was like I was about to burst.
"I must get going quickly, but I'll finish the story now. Leorio was then up against Bodoro... this was when you had woken up. I just checked in a bit earlier to see if you were alright. And now, well, now I was just informed on how the match ended."
I held onto the rim of the bed, squeezing it tightly.
The next few words that had come out of his mouth didn't allow me to move. I was frozen.
"They had gone on for a small while, before Killua suddenly interrupted the match... killing Bodoro."
Killua... killed Bodoro?
"He's leaving now," he finished off. My mind couldn't comprehend this while I repeatedly blinked, hoping for an ounce of understanding.
"N-no! Killua wouldn't do that, h-he isn't like that!" I yelled, finally jumping up onto my feet.
"Sit-" The next words were hushed from my own thoughts. I rushed to the door.
I'm sure Mr. Netero could've caught up to me quickly, but he didn't. I only had one thing in mind. Find Killua.
As soon as I made it out of the room, the tears seemed to fall on their own.
But why was I crying?
Killua was being mind controlled. That's it. He would never just choose to kill someone like that.
The hallways blurred while running through them. I hadn't even known which direction Killua was in, yet my body just glided on its own.
The hallways were identical and had looked never ending. It was all the same thing, over and over again.
I set my goal onto finding him, though. Maybe then by talking to him, he wouldn't leave. He can't just leave.
At the end of a hallway, a bright light was lighten.
My eyes felt blinded by the bright outside lights, with a figure standing right in front of the large doors. It was a smaller figure with spiked hair. The body was slouching slightly, with hands in their pockets.
No doubt about it. This was Killua.
My feet moved on its own.
The figure walked outside. I was almost twenty feet behind. I run straight towards the body with wide open arms and water leaking down both my sides.
Then, just like that, I caught him.
My arms wrapped around his back, stopping him from any movement.
"You can't!" I yelled with my eyes permanently shut closed and tears still streaming down.
He didn't move nor uttered a word. It was like he was paralyzed. But, well, what exactly could he say?
"Y-you can't leave!" I urged gripping onto the fabric of his shirt.
He just stood there with what I assumed to be a blank expression. I couldn't see his face, and so I had no clue what he was thinking.
But I had to tell him what I was thinking.
"You can't leave... because I want to be with you!" I said surprising myself even more. My eyes shot open and a blush quickly rose onto my cheeks. Did I just... admit my feelings?
Nothing.
He still didn't move. I was here, on my knees, begging for him to stay, but he just stood there.
The sun was bright, and we were standing on burning stone. It was beautiful outside. Usually I'd be so happy to see a scenery like this. But I wasn't happy, no, I was desperate. Desperate for him to stay.
"Stupid."
I felt my body move with ease from him turning to face me. Once seeing his face, I couldn't even react.
His eyes were as blue as ever, but had little to no life in them. Those fierce, dark, ocean eyes somehow looked less bright. He as always held a bored expression with him. He looked lifeless, but yet still standing in front of me.
I couldn't even react, when he suddenly leaned down, causing my whole being to freeze.
I was in shock when a warm sensation touched my cheek. The feeling brought an even warmer feeling to roam through my entire body. It spread like a wildfire that reached from my body, to my mind.
He kissed my cheek.
I stood there dumbfounded, with a face that could pass as a tomato. He backed up, ready to turn around and leave again.
Snapping out of my trance, I stopped him again, reaching out to him with desperation.
"Promise me you won't leave!"
He paused again, probably thinking for a moment on what to respond with.
"I promise."
But then, he turned around, and he left. He just continued walking away until he was no longer in my range of sight.
He completely broke his promise.
(Note: Thank you all! This first act has already taken so much time, and so I want to be ready for the next one. Act II's release date will be finalized soon enough! So be ready for a lot more fluffy scenes once it does come. Again, thank you all so much for voting, commenting, and adding to your reading lists. I sometimes don't have the motivation to write another chapter, and seeing all those funny and uplifting comments really push me forward to keep it going! I hoped you enjoyed Act I!)
WORDS | 2136
PUBLISHED | 1/15/21