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The lack of a consistent sleep schedule was perhaps affecting my mind. That was a reoccurring thought of mine. Sure, I sometimes forgot where I had left the most important of things. Who doesn’t forget where they put their credit cards or cars every now and then? Sure, I opened the fridge in the hopes of getting a fork every now and then. But who doesn’t? Did I look like a malnourished zombie if I had to wake up during the morning? Yes, but that didn’t mean I was crazy.Maybe I was a bit crazy… Maybe I was just slowly tipping towards madness. That’s what I thought when I heard screams late at night. They were muffled and coming from the general area of my neighbour’s house but- I didn’t think much of it. Were they even real?I couldn’t be accusing my neighbour of some foul things, even if he was a creepy one. I couldn’t even describe it, he just gave me the ick. He felt dangerous but not in a ‘I could kill you in a heartbeat’ sort of way. No. He just seemed slimy, calculative and weak. He’d be the type to kill me to prove himself worthy, but he’d have to waste weeks gathering the confidence for it.Was I reading too much into the situation? Perhaps. Was paranoia a symptom of lack of sleep? I really ought to take better care of myself…Was it the pressure? The need to come out with great ideas and actually write them? The painful disappointment of having a clear image in my head and not being able to put it into words? Was it the fact that lately, I hadn’t a single image, a single clue, a single idea to start moulding?Even a genius writer, as the papers enjoyed calling me, could have a block. Well… This was more than a block. I had always found myself skipping between genres whenever my boredom called for new enjoyment, romance, horror… Heck I’d even dabble in comedy if I felt like it. But… I didn’t feel it. I didn’t… Have any inspiration.Was this the death of Y/N L/N, revered author, genius writer, the weaver of bestsellers?My obsessions came rarely but with a massive strength, I kept sneaking looks at Hiro. He seemed to be acting as usual. Unable to leave it to rest, to ignore the perhaps fake screams, I had even asked the elderly couple that lived across the street, the Leafsteams, if they had heard anything. How could I expect a positive answer from people that looked well rested and put together? Fair point. They probably went to bed at nightfall every day.I cleared those thoughts away to focus on the task at hand, reaching my beautiful library. My haven, my money sinkhole since it screamed of bad investment no matter how hard I squinted at the finances by the end of each month. Chiaroscuro was my indulgence, a two-storey building in the city, a mix of elegance and comfort. Everything appeared as if it could belong in a castle, yet I made sure of the cosiness of every piece. There was a huge staircase that led onto the second floor, with pillows and books scattered by the edges.I swung the door open and sighed as the sunlight that showered everything dimmed away. The day was ending and the sun was replaced by yellowed lamps, twinkling awake by the most used areas, it’d be a waste to have them all on. The occasional night costumer could simply turn on the ones they needed.The beverage machine beeped at me. Yes. I was totally going insane. How could a machine beep at me specifically? Good lords. Even my fairy-tale like indulgent business wasn’t enough to wash my growing madness away.Not many people came by, the ones who did became regulars though. I hadn’t shared it publicly, whenever they asked for my favourite place in interviews, I’d lie to them. No. This was my peaceful corner. I had even bought the building under a fake alias, Damien Redthorne. I just… I wasn’t ready to be met with fans and people who thought highly of me when I often came by to contemplate my lack of inspiration.The shift was insanely boring. It didn’t help ease my mood at all. Once the sun rose, I left the morning shift with Nerus and was met with a large crowd at the entrance of my neighbourhood, a few blocks away from the centre of the city.In the middle stood a policeman, old and frazzled. His sunken eyes fell on me and nodded a greeting as he continued to explain the situation. People were getting sexually assaulted and murdered, they were talking about a woman, Rie. The chocolate-maker, Rie. Her shop was just in front of mine. I considered her an occasional friend, I often stopped by to get myself something sweet to cheer my mood.I eyed Hiro, his face scrunched in worry, he even swiped away what could’ve been a tear. His eyes weren’t glistening wet though-  Was I seeing too much into it? Was I throwing the blame onto the man I didn’t know and didn’t like? Could I report the screams? Were there even screams? Hiro came forth to chat with a slender policeman and I simply shook my head.I was obsessing over this. It was just a coincidence… I wasn’t even sure of the screams. I made my way back home, passing by Hiro who was mentioning another neighbourhood, distant from mine, where he often had his morning runs. The word suspicious left his lips but I was already leaving earshot as I considered if I had ever seen that burly man run.×××Finally, something sparked in my mind. My fingers clacked the keys and I could see various typos already forming as the words appeared on the squared screen. I had to get it down before I forgot any of the details. I couldn’t believe this was the end to my frustration!How come good ideas only popped up at night? Over the sound of my frenzied typing, I heard loud thuds, things breaking and a single muffled scream. I paused. Silence.I had slept better. I had. This was reality.Had I said good ideas came at night? That was absolutely wrong. Bad ideas came at night. Horrible ones. I found myself considering leaving my house to check it out. It could be dangerous… but…It could also serve as writing material. As inspiration.My dumber inner writer won, my hand curled around a delicate table lamp and I yanked the wire as I sprinted downstairs, ready to storm into my neighbour’s house.Was I being crazy? Maybe. Yes. Most likely.I remembered he always let a window open, he’d often gaze out of it, into the night. I followed the sound of thuds and reached a narrow door. Light spilled out of the gap between the wooden door and the frame. It was half open. I heard a muffled whimper, very high pitched and I did the cool thing they do in movies. I kicked the door, holding my lamp with both hands as I jumped in screaming. “Don’t you dare hurt –“I was greeted by cold silence, the door slammed against the wall and bounced back at me, I fell to my knees. A loud bang echoed behind me, like a bullet hitting the door. My neighbour was tied to a chair and a man with long straight black hair fixed me with a blank and darker gaze. “Oh my god, you have some girly screams.” I scrambled to push myself up but tripped over the cable of the lamp and fell down again, saving my life since I avoided whatever was shot in my overall direction, another loud bang and the rattle of the door told me so.“Ok. Ok.” I dropped the lamp and slowly opened my hands, raising them above my shoulders with the palms facing the man wearing green. “Fuck- Well- I only came in because I thought he was raping someone… so… I’ll… take my lamp and not bother you?” My voice grew thinner by the end, I stared deep into the dark circles the man had as eyes. It was polite to look people in the eyes when talking and asking for your life.“You’re not here to stop me?” His voice sounded nonchalant, smooth, and the cadence was somehow joyful contrasting with his expressionless face. The more I looked at him the weirder he appeared. Who’d wear all green and hold large needles as if they were weapons?“I- No?” Now that my writing bubble had been popped I realized this had a been a very very stupid idea. “I- I thought he had been the one to rape and kill Rie. She sold good chocolate…”He stared at me. I tried to catch him blink. It never happened. I blinked the dryness away as he finally moved to face me fully. “This man did indeed do that. That’s why someone ordered me to kill him.”“Oh! I KNEW IT! You’re so shady dude-“ I pointed at Hiro, who was crying, his mouth seemed glued shut as he struggled in his binds. The confirmation that Hiro was indeed the man had me feeling better about myself. And he’d even be getting some sort of punishment! Be it right or not, it made me smile. That reminded me of my predicament, my smile fell and I turned my gaze onto the other man. Rie deserved to be avenged and oh look! Someone's going to kill the bastard. "Uh... Please thank your client for me, should I huh.... leave?"“You’re not my target. Killing you or allowing you to live is irrelevant.” Thank fuck for that- I tried getting up, clumsily staggering as I rose to my feet. I leaned against the door as I thought of ways to talk myself out of being killed by an apparent assassin.“Well! Huh… How about I owe you one and you ask me to pay it back later?” And that’s when it happened. My epiphany. My inspiration. It all flooded into me as I thought of the coolest ending to the scraps I had started and the various paths I’d devise to get to it. Oh please, pleaaaaaase say yes. I couldn’t die here. Not with my next masterpiece tucked inside my head-“I can’t see how you’ll prove useful but maybe you have some potential.” With that said, he turned back to his target, who immediately started squirming and struggling to free himself from the upcoming torment. “Ah. Long and painful deaths are such a bother.” My eyebrow arched at the unexpected whine, my eyes followed his every movement as he pulled a golden needle from his chest, were… were they… puncturing him? Was it not just a fashion statement with golden balls adorning his green shirt? What-I shook my head as I saw the needle being twiddled along his pale slender fingers. It was time to gain my sense. My hands clutched around the table lamp as quietly as my shivering self could. Wouldn’t want to bother an assassin, would I now?Wait… Could I truly go? I stepped onto the hallway and looked back, Hiro’s left leg was all bloodied up, his breathing was wild, his muffled wails were growing louder. An unsettling sight, yet such a good scene to describe. Gory. Intense. I didn’t feel like it was a good experience in real life… Not at all. My stomach twisted, foreshadowing a return trip to whatever I had eaten before. Heart beating wildly, I took a step away from the room and he didn’t stop me. It’d be better to get the fuck out before he decided he wanted to kill me.I tiptoed once more and stopped dead in my tracks with the assassin’s voice. “Wait.”Oh no. My heart sunk, I felt bile rising up to my throat. This was it. This was the day and place where I was to die. My hands tightened their hold on the lamp as I pondered whether to face the door. I didn’t want to. He was dangerous. Hiro was bleeding and I hadn’t heard what had caused it. If I was to die, I’d die being polite. I’d rather see someone come at me from the front than to simply be stabbed in the back. “yEs?” Lords, could I sound any more miserable?"Tell me your name, so I can find you later."I stared, my mind replayed the words and I almost jumped out of relief. Not dying today was always good news. What a win. “Y/N. Y/N L/N, I live next door.” My lips couldn’t help but twitch upward, I saw him turn back into the room and close the door behind him.My smile remained as I searched for the window I had used to get inside. It only fell when I realized, as I crawled out of the house that I was an accomplice to this whole thing. I was an accomplice to murder! If someone saw me leave this house… I’d be suspected and arrested. That man was a pro. He wouldn’t leave a trail behind him… Me, on the other hand… I sunk down to my knees and looked around.The street was empty, dark and the only noise to be heard were the muffled cries of the man being tortured inside the house.  I had to get home quickly. I didn’t want to be nearby when Hiro died. Yeah, he was a rapist bastard… That didn’t excuse that I just saw his assassin and told him to thank whoever ordered his death. That didn’t excuse the fact that I’d keep quiet about all this. I would. I was certain that I would. Was that awful?I dashed to hide behind the bushes near the fence, looked around twice before tossing my lamp to my property and leaping over the damn thing. It was no easy task and I wondered how I had managed it so easily to get in. Perhaps the excitement had helped. I picked up my impromptu weapon and ran to my backdoor, my legs gave away as I locked it behind me. The sounds no longer reached me. I had almost witnessed a murder… assassination?... I shook my head, it was no time for finding the right wording…Whatever it was I had almost witnessed it. I should’ve called the police instead of going there. What had come over me? This was what the main characters always did, it was dumb and dangerous. What an awful thing… I almost felt sympathetic for my own main characters.Could I live with this weird mix of excitement and dread? I… I didn’t even feel guilty. The man had deserved it. He killed Rie and many others that had been linked by the police. How horrible was I? Not to feel guilty as long as I lived? I wasn’t as bad as he was though… Was that my justification?I thought I should add searching for a church and praying to whatever deity to assure that not a soul had seen me get in or out to my to do list for the next day. Ugh- The clock hanging on the kitchen wall marked 5. Five in the morning!I was feeling awake. Blood rushing. Alive. It was probably the adrenaline talking through my veins, but I dragged myself to my room and sat down in front of the computer. Keying away the first part of the script of a new book. A new book about assassins, concealed weapons and power games.I didn't finish the book I was writing before but the start to the new one and the idea were thrilling.×××I woke up at 6 p.m. This lifestyle wasn't good for my health. I didn’t even know when I had fallen asleep on the keyboard but what I knew was that if I ever had to pay back the favour to that assassin I'd be in so much trouble. Like he said, I probably wouldn’t be useful and that was a light relief.Hungrily, I searched for ingredients to make something easy. Two hours later, there I was bathed, clothed and ready to pass by Chiaroscuro to make sure everything was okay. I left my cosy house and grabbed my mail on the way to my bookstore/library. Just like always. Like nothing had happened. It was a 15-minute walk and, honestly, I needed some time to set my mind straight and return to my normal life like nothing happened."Bills... Bills... Congratulatory letter... Invitation to a fancy party..." As a renowned writer, many high society people enjoyed inviting me to their parties. I attended them, whenever I felt like it, mostly for book research and pissing random people off~. "Ugh, I need to bring a date? Well, guess this bitch isn’t going~."I reached Chiaroscuro quickly, so I shoved my mail in my bag to maybe read it later and strode in."Oh. You look like shit today." I rolled my eyes at the first costumer I ever had. When I opened Chiaroscuro some years ago, we became good friends. He travelled a lot, so I usually forgave him for not returning the books in time."Why~ Thank you Chrollo!" I gasped as I grabbed the nearest book to throw.He snickered while catching the book with ease. I sulked, feeling a bit dejected at the failed attempt at violence.“Why are you in such a bad mood?” Chrollo inquired, head tilting and his loose black hair flickered to hide the tattoo on his forehead.Oh how things had changed since I had first met him. I was unaccustomed to meeting people and chatting. He was my first ever costumer and the first friend I made in this town. He used to be such a gentleman. He walked into Chiaroscuro with an easy smile on his lips and took his time to pick a book to read on the very couch he was currently seating in. I guess we were comfortable enough to be rude to each other now…Sometimes I doubted this friendship. How could I be friends with a man with such a dark aura? I had never felt in danger with Chrollo. He was a fan of my books, he often gave me precious feedback and he popped up from time to time. What he did for a living or for pleasure had been thoroughly ignored until today.“You won’t believe the night I’ve had…” The dark-haired man stared at me, eyes widening, as it was unusual for my life to be out of normal. He was wearing his usual fluffy coat, no shirt and some black pants with some lighter material crossed through each leg reaching his knees. Perhaps all people with dark auras have a weird sense of fashion…“Don’t tell me – The Y/N L/N finally found someone to shag? Didn’t live up to your sweet expectations?” He tapped the spot next to him on the beautiful cashmere sofa. I rolled my eyes at the crudeness of the guess, he could do much better. I sunk into the comfort of the cushioned seat."I wish... " I sighed loudly. "I almost died last night. Really weird story. I should sign up for some self-defence classes or whatever... " Chrollo twisted his torso to face me, arm resting against the back of the couch, surprised and curious.He was more than ready to hear what had actually happened last night. As if this was the best gossip he’d come across. What a great friend, he wasn’t even worried. Just here for the tea. "Then again- they would be pretty worthless..." I whined, turning sideways, pulling my knees towards my chest for an embrace and resting my face on the cushioned back of the sofa."Y/N, stop stalling and tell me what happened." His calm and soothing voice was all I needed to get my thoughts straight. My feet brushed against his right leg as I relaxed."This man moved in to the house next to mine and he was a creep. I felt it... I mean... I saw it… Sometimes I see certain colours surrounding people… Aaah... Whatever! I'm really going crazy." His eyes twitched slightly but his gaze remained on me, radiating some sort of understanding. He kept quiet, not wanting to disturb my line of thought. "Then I heard screams in the middle of the night. Honestly... I was aware of them last night, but I think… I heard them nights before. I’m not sure, it was really late."I gulped a little and kept describing what happened. "So... some days ago, the police asked around about a dead body, it was Rie, the owner of the chocolate shop on the corner of this street." I bit my lip, as Nerus came by to quietly tell me that she had finished her shift and that Lin had the morning one. I watched the tall blonde-haired woman leave and continued. "Last night… I heard screams, so I sort of… ran into his house… only to find him tied to a chair and this weird dude holding some needles."His face tightened, no longer looking relaxed. "Anyway, he was an assassin. I asked him to let me leave in the condition that I owed him one. He let me. I slept 2 hours after a writing rampage fuelled by adrenaline and the muffled noises coming from the house near mine." I quickly let out, feeling a tad guilty.He sighed, brushing his wild hair back, displaying the cross tattoo on his forehead. His lips parted about to say something when it clicked. I couldn’t ignore it now. Not when I had seen another person with one as dark. The assassin. "He sure had a weird dressing style, like yours~. Also, his aura or whatever… the colour around him, I'll call it aura, was really dark, darker than my neighbours, probably as dark as yours.""It is." He admitted, as there was no point in trying to hide it now. "You’re right in calling it aura and you can control it, by the way." He rose a finger and on top of it the dark jelly like substance that surrounded him drew together and formed the image of a large spider. I gasped, his dark eyes shined, what a mind wrecking discovery. I wanted to learn everything about this new thing. How could one do it? What uses does it have? What exactly does control mean?  I shook my head and forced the conversation back to the initial point. "So, do you know who he was? Long straight black hair, creepy black eyes, wearing green?"Chrollo pondered for a while. “I have a vague idea, I can’t be sure about it.” He handed me the book he had taken last time, "If you knew I lied about having a good job, and that I was a ... threatening person from my aura, why didn't you try to distance yourself from me?""Why would I? Do you intend to hurt me?" I tilted my head in confusion as his eyes widened and eyebrows raised."No." He ended up by whispering quietly."Should I be worried about how I'll be used?" I grabbed his book tightly, jumped out of the sofa. “Anything to drink?”“The usual.”I skipped to the counter, dropping the book there and getting some drinks, as he answered loudly to the other question. There wasn't anyone around."By whom?"I turned to him, holding two cups and walked carefully trying not to spill the drinks. "You... The long-haired man..." I handed him his drink, and he took it casually, unbothered by what I had implied."By me... not really. By the other... yes... no doubts about that."I leaned on the sofa. After that we remained silent, sipping our drinks, preparing our next moves."Any book recommendation? Did you publish any new book while I was away?""I did, want to take that book? Will you return it soon?" I spun around, this time followed by Chrollo as I searched the shelves for my most recent book, Made in Hell, a romance about an endless game between demons and people. Took me a lot of time to write it, but I was glad on how it had turned out. I handed the black book to the man wearing the same colour. I also grabbed a thinner book by Daisuke Mori, he was fairly new in the industry, but he had a refreshing kind of writing. Chrollo took both without a question.He knew better than to question my recommendations. "I'll leave now, just stopped by for some stuff... I’ll probably be back by next week or in 2 weeks..." He explained, as his eyes roamed the cover of the new book."What is it that you actually do?"His eyes left the smooth pages, that he had been flipping through to meet mine. "I'm a thief, sometimes I murder people too. I guess I lead a group of dangerous people." The book closed, echoed around the library, as he studied me."Huh... suits you~. When you come back… can you teach me about the aura thingy?" I pushed the thoughts of atrocities away."Hmmm... Sure, but for now try to think about it, you have it too, you have to force it out and move it around your body. Might be useful." I saw him leave the bookstore quietly. In times of desperate need, one must keep a clear head and consider their choices. Well, I'd probably have some time before I had to pay back what I owed to the assassin.×××Chrollo didn’t spend enough time explaining to me what exactly I was supposed to do. Unfortunate. Sometimes I wondered if that man enjoyed to see me struggle. I spent the whole night attempting to see my own aura, to trap it inside me or whatever he had said to do.It took me two days to realize that my aura had always been there, it was just such a thin layer, so small compared to Chrollo’s.  My confusion only grew as I tried to move it, how could I even? It was so thin and barely visible. I stole all the night shifts for the next week. They were calmer, there were occasional customers that didn’t require much attention.I must’ve looked even crazier, looking at my hands waiting to see any change. By the end of the week, I had learnt that if I relaxed completely my aura grew larger, and that if I focused with all my will, it could move.A win was a win. The last night of that week, I walked home with a smile on my face, not even the bright morning sun managed to put a dent on my happiness. I had managed to form a small circle over my index finger, held only by a tiny thread of aura. It was a step closer to what I had seen Chrollo do. Perhaps attempting to replicate his spider would be the way to go?The Leafsteam’s waved at me from across the street, I waved back with an energy I didn’t know I had. I climbed the two steps that led to my front door and unlocked it, humming a weird song. My bag was tossed to the floor as I skipped to get something nice to drink. A lovely F/B would do…My favourite drink on my favourite mug, I hummed the song once more to try and put a name on it, but it just wasn’t coming to me. Madness did start at the tiny details. I shrugged and took a sip. It was a good day, there was no need to soil it by thinking like that. It was relaxing to be home during the day. The birds chirped outside, every now and then I could hear the neighbours chattering outside. It was lovely. Sadly, I was about to crash and sleep like a log, my sleep schedule was completely messed up.I just couldn't wait for Chrollo to come back, there were so many questions I had about this new thing. How could it be useful? How was it controlled? What did it do? My legs ached as I spun around. What bad shape I was in… Even a simple walk would leave me tired. How embarrassing.In two seconds, I found a way to crash against the kitchen counter, to drop my mug and to have my heart rate increase by 200%. My eyes went wide, panic and surprise washing over me as I noticed the slim figure sitting on one of my chairs by the table. He was holding his head up with his pale arm, as if he had been waiting, bored, for too long. His dark eyes met mine and I could swear that I was having a heart attack. How could I not be? How could a man kill with his looks? His silky black hair dropped over his shoulder as he looked at the floor.He was wearing purple. Large baggy trousers, a white shirt with ballooned sleeves and a purple vest, populated with golden round button looking things – that I now knew to be needles.I did all that I could. I gasped for air. I tried to calm my accelerated heart. He peaked at my face once more, head tilted, as if not understanding my reaction. Surely he wouldn’t consider that entering someone’s house without permission was acceptable… I mean… He was an assassin, his morals should be fairly loose.“You scared… the…Sh” SHIT OUT OF ME. I felt like cursing him with every word I knew. Fuck, I’d probably make up swears to add to it. But there was something about his onyx eyes that made me fear for my dear life. My hand rose to cover my mouth and I froze, my aura was a darker shade than usual, larger, jumpier. My lips twitched upwards, my brain started working again. So it was related to emotions… That was new! I took a deep breath and looked back at the strange man, hoping that he thought I couldn’t control it. That I wasn’t aware of it even existing! that I wouldn’t even dream of it! “Scared the life out of me.”His lips curled up, a polite smile in every way. If only my bones did not felt like they were being frozen by the coldness of it. It was nothing but a shallow twitch of muscles, there was no emotion behind it and that’s what made it terrifyingly beautiful. This had come too soon, I wasn’t ready to be useless and to be discarded because of it. What if he had come to kill me? What if he had already deemed me unnecessary and decided to get rid of the loose end?“Soooo… huh…” Ah, what an embarrassing situation. How had I no words for this man? If only I could facepalm. Well, I could, who would care? I was about to die anyway. Why not just do and say whatever the fuck I wanted? “Why are you…” I gestured around, “Here?”“I found a use for you, Y/N.” That was a response. A response in a melodic yet emotionless voice that would certainly make me go mad.How could he say that with a straight face? Was this just a normal Tuesday night for him? Well… It was 9 in the morning. Was this just a normal Tuesday morning for him? Of course it was… He killed people for a living… How could I expect something different? Oh god, I just asked something so dumb! Why else would he be here? For tea? If only I could die and take with me my shame…“Good! Great!” What was wrong with me? “Glad that I can clear my debt so quickly, it was weighting on my mind.” Well, apparently, I had a penchant for lying. News to me, but here I was, cheery voice, forced smile and a trembly laugh. “What is it that I need to do?”I tiptoed around the wrecks of my favourite mug and tried not to sigh at my broken mug. A deep breath later, I was plopping down onto the chair facing him and holding my hands together, so they didn’t tremble. Wouldn’t want to show to the assassin that I was terrified, would I now?“You’ll need to find a way to take me to the Sheringtons’ Christmas Ball. You were invited.” Well, the gods had listened to my complaint about the necessity of a date. Cruel gods they were. Granting my wishes with the most unfortunate twist.“I see…” Silence stretched, my eyes roamed every surface in avoidance of his. I swallowed and prepared myself to be shot down, “Would it not be easy to sneak in?”“You’d think so, but the Christmas Ball is an extremely private one. No escorts allowed. The hosts know everyone they invited on a closer degree that would be hard to replicate.”I laid my hands down the cool tabletop and bit my bottom lip. This was really easy to achieve. I could get rid of this whole nightmare of a debt to a killer that quick. Wow. “What do you mean no escorts allowed? Your information must be wrong… My invite says I can’t attend without one.”Wait, if he didn’t need me the next task could be harder. What had I just said. I should’ve lied.“You are required to bring an escort?” He mused. “What a convenient peculiarity. My information is never wrong.”“Wh- OH.” Oh. Suddenly, everything made sense. I was indeed required to bring a date, not because everyone else had to. Because I was me. And even though the Sheringtons were a lovely couple, they had a nonsensical daughter that I enjoyed pissing off.“To think of the day that my dally dalliances would prove to be convenient… There is always a first time for everything.” I clapped my hands. “Are you going to kill someone there?” Ah- and wasn’t that the dumbest question coming out of me so far?He didn’t give me time to take it back, answering instantly with a simple, “Obviously.”“Can I know who?”He stared at me in thought. It was absolutely unsettling, I found myself shifting on my chair. “You’ll know after it is done.” He got up quickly, deciding to cut the conversation short. “I’ll be your escort then, I’ll be using your fake alias… Damien Redthorne, was it?” I gapped, what else did he know about me. “Do the Sheringtons know he set up the library you work at? It would make it less suspicious if he were to show up.” How had he found out about that? What was going on?  He was already heading towards the backdoor as if he owned the place when something occurred to me, “Wait! The ball is in 5 days, shouldn’t we… plan? Like set our stories straight for when the questions eventually come?”“I’ll plan it on the way there.” The door slammed shut behind him and I was left alone in the kitchen with nothing but worries, a bunch of unanswered questions and a broken mug. What a peculiar man- AND I HADN’T EVEN HAD THE BRAIN CAPACITY TO ASK FOR HIS NAME! Apparently obvious questions came out much easier than those… I cringed remembering those and just laid my head on the table.The coolness would have to help my poor mental state. I didn’t have time to deal with it.It took me half an hour to leave the trance I was left in, accept my reality and cry over my spilled F/B. Well… Not literally cry. I cleaned it up and went to sleep. There was no need to stay awake thinking about the absolute chaos that would inevitably happen.Before I fell asleep, I set my to do list straight. First, I had to shop for a formal outfit to wear, fix up my hair and look up some acting tips. I should also prepare myself mentally, my sanity was… not great already. After all I had gotten into this mess. Secondly, I should organize Chiaroscuro’s schedule and shifts to exclude me for a few days. I also needed to get my sleeping habits in check…How was this list getting bigger and bigger? I just needed to have a sharp mind and not have dark circles around my eyes. That’d be neat… Not that I could fix the second one, my nerves just exploded as day of the party drew closer. ×××
Next Chapter:
There are two versions of the next chapter. One in which Y/N is wearing a dress and other in which Y/N is wearing a suit. You can, of course, pick whichever you like (the plot is the same)! 
Click here for Dress Version

Click here for Suit Version

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I was going to wear out the floor with the sheer amount of stressed pacing. I followed a straight line, back and forward, as if that would help the situation. My stomach was both empty and burbling with butterflies. Where was this date of mine? Date! Ha- where was this escort of mine?My hands spent their idle time crumpling the soft material of my long black dress. I couldn’t help myself, I’d just return to crumpling it if I continued my pacing. I patted the fabric down and twirled to see how my right leg peaked through the slit that reached too high to be considered formal.  It was a beautiful formal dress, slit aside. I could be the ruling regent of some random country wearing this. Black was a bit of a grim option, but it was easier to match with since my escort didn’t really bother planning anything. I hadn’t done much to my hair, simple was best, I had sprayed it with some hair glitter thingy for some fun. Following the natural trend, my makeup was basic, matching colours to my skin tone, hiding blemishes and contouring as I saw fit.I was looking amazing. Were the shiny black stilettos giving me the uncertainty of a lifetime? I wasn’t used to walking with those, I usually went for more comfortable and casual options. I should be wearing something more comfortable, something I felt more confident with…  I was attending this ball with an assassin for the Morgana’s sake! What if he noticed I had slacked off on the shoes? My life depended on how well this damned Christmas ball went!Should I have dressed for the event? Christmas themed dresses? What bad taste. No.The clock continued ticking, I resigned to tapping my left foot on the floor as I stared at the front door, waiting for a knock.I heard light footsteps and my hands smacked the doorknob with the rush, a twist and a door slam later, I was finding a very well dressed assassin. Wearing a very fitted black suit, emphasis on the very, I could see his muscles flexing if I focused. A pain white shirt paired with a green bowtie. Cute. If only he wasn’t looking like a monstrosity with golden needles poking out of every nook and cranny of his face. How did they somehow transform his appearance from decent to straight out creepy? Where was his long luscious black hair? Why was it now a purplish mohawk?As any normal person, I simply gaped at him. It was him. It had to be. His eyes were the same. His aura was the same. No one was crazy enough to go out in public looking like this.“Let’s go.” A mechanical voice echoed, followed by several metallic clicks as his jaw worked around the words. That was the breaking point, I could feel my eyes twitching in pure disbelief. No. I’d rather die.“I’m not going anywhere with you looking like… that? That abhorrent mix of wind-up doll and just plain creep. No.” And the dam broke, all my stress flowed out as I continued, “Why do you have needles on your face? What the actual fuck were you-“ His aura expanded and darkened, I took a step back and kept my flinch in as my eyes widened. I kept staring at that disaster of a face, clearing my throat. “My bad for cursing. We’re all polite people here. Please take the golden things off? If you don’t want to show your face you can simply wear some make up… Maybe some contact lenses and… we do something to your hair.”A few mechanical clicks later, his eyebrow had risen a few millimetres at me. In all fairness, this disguise wasn’t as scary as his usual look. There was something about his cold beauty that was absolutely terrifying. The only thing that made me nervous was the undeniable dark aura that hung about, surrounding me and inciting shivers to run up my spine.I tilted my head, I wanted to win this battle. Even if it was against a man that made me flinch. "Like hell I'm letting my Mr. Redtorne go looking like that. You need to look good, not weird and threatening."Silence. Was I going to die? Was I going to die for wanting my alias to be a hot man? Was it worth it?A gasp left my lips when he pushed me into the house and closed the door behind him. In surprise, I lost balance and grabbed his arm instinctively. He didn’t seem to mind, or it didn’t show in his face. Not that I believed anything could show with all those needles. I let go as quickly as I realized what had happened, I didn’t want to push my luck.His slender fingers started reaching for the golden balls and pulling needles off. It was so casual, he was so unbothered doing what, in all honestly, must be insanely painful. I took that as a hint to search for my makeup and collection of disguise material. I had those always at hand, with fame the amount of crazed people chasing me down the streets either for good or bad were… dangerous.When I came back to the hall, he was trying to hide his needles inside his blazer. His aura was still out and menacing but it had taken a different shade. Perhaps he was annoyed...Dropping my huge case next to him, I pushed it open and quickly picked out some ice blue lenses. The box said large eye effect, I prayed that that was enough to cover his large black eyes. I snagged a hair tie and a few makeup items to drop everything over the little table at the hall. When I turned to look at him, he was already observing me, so I simply looked around him. Did he need help? Would I lose my hands if I tried anything?“Why are you taking so long?” His voice didn't sound annoyed, yet his darkish aura told me otherwise. I quickly grabbed the lenses and ambled towards him. He levelled himself to match my height and I couldn’t contain the sigh that left my lips."Hmm... You sure you don't want to put them on yourself...? huh...?" My train of thought was caught in his void eyes and I realized I needed information on this man.“I don’t know how to.” I bit my lip, took a deep breath and soothed myself with the thought that I could learn about him later. Would’ve been nice to know his name… I carefully took one lens out and pulled the skin bellow his eye."Don't close your eyes.” I warned as I shakily drew my finger closer and placed the lens. He followed my command, the air that was stuck on my lungs came out as I drew away to grab the other lens. I didn't know what was scarier, accidentally hurting his eye with my nails or actually helping him putting lenses on.Once that was done, I told him to tie his hair while tossing him the hair tie. With my back to him, my hands closed around the brushes and the contour palette as I gathered my wits. "So, what is your name?"He didn’t answer, I didn’t die. We take what we can get. It probably wouldn’t matter anyway, as soon as I paid him back, I wouldn’t see him again. I turned around to hear a faint "Illumi" and to see a messy ponytail, if I could call it that."Well, Illumi, hold this," I handed the pile of makeup to him and reached for his hair, making a quick messy bun. His hair was so smooth I almost felt like insulting him for it. Why did he have such good hair? I stepped back to admire my job and my hands reached for the makeup. I was only trying to make him look tanned and change the shape of his nose, eyes and cheekbones. That'd be good enough. "Take off your blazer and your bow tie."He shook his head as he pulled his bowtie loose, “My needles are there.”I could roll my eyes at him. “Just put them on my handbag… or keep them on your pockets or socks? I don’t know-“ He was about to snap back when I gasped, “Aren’t we late?”×××
Next Chapter:

To skip the suit version - and proceed to the next logical chapter - click here.

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There I stood, walking back and forward. Nerves accumulating, stomach feeling both empty and filled with butterflies. Why wasn't he here yet. It was a 5-hour long zeppelin ride there and he was nowhere to be seen.I was wearing a black suit, my white shirt with the top buttons untied showing my s/c collarbones. I felt powerful, my jacket was of a shinier material, and my pants were fitted perfectly. I decided to go with black since it looked more elegant and easier to match with. I hadn't done much to my h/l h/c hair choosing to keep it simple, I sprinkled a biiit of glitter but besides that it was loose. I attempted a natural looking make up too, only matching the colours with my skin tone and my e/c eyes. Overall, I looked damn good, the only thing making me restless were my matte black dress shoes, as an introverted and casual person I didn't usually wear such uncomfortable and restraining. But the shoes were nothing compared to the restlessness I was feeling as the clock ticked and he didn't show up.As I paced in my hall, I heard light footsteps near the door and dashed, opening it quickly to find a very well-dressed assassin. He was wearing a slim fitted black suit, a bright white shirt underneath and a cute bow tie. What made me panic were all those needles stuck in his body completely changing his appearance from somewhat presentable to straight out creepy. I gasped, like hell I was taking this thing to the party with me."Let's go" I heard a mechanical voice say and that was the breaking point. My e/c eyes twitched in pure disbelief. No no no no..."I'm not going anywhere with you with those ... needles? On your face....? Why do you have needles on your face what the actual f-" I saw his aura getting darker and larger, trying not to flinch and keep my eyes on that ... face disaster. "Ahem... I shouldn't curse while I'm very polite educated person~ hehhe... Take that stuff off... If you don't want to show your face just wear some makeup and contacts and... do something with that hair." I pointed to what was a purplish mohawk.I heard mechanical creaks as he tried to raise an eyebrow at me. Honestly, with him in that disguise I didn't fear him as much. The only thing leaving me a bit nervous was the undeniable dark aura that was hanging around past me, making me shiver. I tilted my head, I wanted to win this battle. Even if it was against a man that made me flinch. "Like hell I'm letting my Damien Redthorne image go like that. You need to look good, not weird and threatening."Silence was kept for some moments and I was pondering my life decisions. A gasp left me as he pushed me into the house roughly and came in closing the door behind him. Not expecting it, I lost balance and grabbed his arm instinctively. He didn't seem to mind, or if he did, it wasn't shown on his face. Shocker. I quickly let go of his arm, obviously not wanting to push my luck. He started taking the needles off casually, seemingly unbothered doing what I assumed was painful as fuck.I took that as a hint to search for my makeup and collection of contact lenses. That I conveniently kept in case I ever needed to leave this place because my crazy fans found where I lived. The danger was real. The fans were crazy dangerous but so were the haters. Picking between one or another was useless.When I came back to the hall, he was trying to hide his needles in his suit. His aura was still out and menacing but it had taken a different shade. Perhaps he was annoyed...I dropped my huge case next to him and opened it quickly. I quickly picked some ice blue lenses. The box advertised large eye effect, I struggled to open the seal. I rolled a hair tie around my wrist and balanced some make up on my hands. His eyes were on me as I dropped all that in the little table on my hall, what a good buy. I paused and looked at him. Should I help him with this? Will I lose my hands if I try?"Why are you taking so long?" His voice didn't sound annoyed, yet his darkish aura told me otherwise. I quickly grabbed the lenses, fearfully walking up to him. He politely levelled himself to my height, a loud sigh left my lips."Hmm... You sure you don't want to put them on yourself...? huh...?" My gaze was caught in his void eyes, realizing I needed information on this man."I don't know how to." Biting my lip, annoyed at his attempt to avoid saying his name, I carefully took one lens out and pulled the skin bellow his eye carefully."Don't close your eye." I warned as I shakily drew my finger closer and placed the lens. He followed my command, the air that was stuck on my lungs came out as I drew away to grab the other lens. I didn't know what was scarier, accidentally hurting his eye with my nails or actually helping him putting lenses on. Once that was done, I told him to tie his hair, politely handing the hair tie. I turned around to pick the brushes and makeup I had left on the little table. "So, what is your name?"He didn't answer and I just shrugged, it probably didn't matter anyway. As soon as I paid him back, I'd never see him again.I turned around to hear a faint "Illumi" and to see a messy ponytail, if I could call it that."Well, Illumi, hold this," I handed the pile of makeup to him and reached for his hair, making a quick messy bun. Heck that was hair goals, it was so smooth I couldn't even... I stepped back to admire my job; my hands reached for the makeup. I was only trying to make him look tanned and change the shape of his nose, eyes and cheekbones. That'd be good enough, I guessed. "Take off your suit jacket and your bow tie.""My needles are in my jacket..." He countered, to which I just rolled my eyes."Just put them on my handbag, seriously... or keep some on your pockets or socks... I don't know...!" He was about to snap back when I suddenly remembered. "Aren't we late?"

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I followed Illumi out of the house to the black car parked on the driveway. As soon as my ass landed on the front passenger’s seat, the car was speeding up and I was scrambling to shut the door. A sigh left my lips when the door clicked close, and I gripped it as if it were a lifeline as the assassin floored on the gas pedal.I had barely calmed my racing heart when the airport came into view. We passed by the entrance and my mouth opened to tell him to turn away. My words were cut short when he entered via reserved entrance and parked next to a large airship.He stepped out of the car, and I hurried to follow. My feet were barely on the floor when his hand closed around my forearm, and I was dragged to the airship.This was going fast. Too fast in fact. The ship was spacious and oddly empty. The staff greeted us at the entrance and Illumi just kept walking as if he knew exactly where to go and owned the place. Oh damn... Was this a private airship? How much did assassins make? Such luxury for taking the lives of others...My knees buckled as they pressed against something and I fell onto a comfortable sofa. Should I be panicking? Was it advisable? Why was I ogling at the largeness of this ensuite and the view of the airport growing smaller and smaller underneath?After my eyes ran every shiny surface and my mind catalogued the scenery for later use, I took a peek at Illumi. He was hot in the most unconventional of ways. He had a cool beauty to him. His icy blue eyes met mine and he didn’t seem to mind my continued scrutinizing gaze on his person. I decided I preferred his dark eyes, they matched his hair better and matched his aura. Icy blue… just didn’t suit him. I had no clue why I had pulled those out instead of any other colour, but the more I saw it… the less it made sense.“Your blazer doesn’t suit your hairstyle. Can you take it off-“ It irked me more than the blue eyes. “Please?” Politeness never killed anyone – at least not that I know of.“I will not.” My eye twitched, why would I expect cooperation from an assassin? What was going on through my mind? He lets me apply makeup and put lenses on him and now I think he’s a pliable man? His face was a mask for indifference and his blue eyes almost made him appear bored.“Ok.” There’d be no use arguing with him. Although that wasn’t it. I just didn’t want to argue with an assassin. That was a very sane point. “Shall we get our story straight?”His chin inched downwards and I took that for a nod, I straightened by back rotated my neck and heard it crack - sweet merlin I needed more exercise and better posture.“Alright then. Mister Damien Redthorne, you and I met in your library. I’m sure you’ll be able to describe it generally if asked about it. Do not, however, disclose its location.” My lips pursed.His nod was more perceptible this time. Silence stretched, his eyes didn’t leave mine and the sudden staring game had me feeling sweaty. “So… Basically just… act amicably? Smile a bit. Answer questions even if not conclusively. The usual frivolous social code… be a gentleman.”He didn’t acquiesce these pointers of mine. No matter, my mind had leapt to something much more captivating on its own, “Who will you be killing?”“Christian Dewitt.” He looked out of the window, and I simply hummed. Dewitt was an old man, quite round and greasy. He was a huge fan but every time he looked at me and smiled… I just couldn’t help but to shiver uncomfortably. He had no aura that I could see… but I would’ve guessed his to be much like my now dead neighbour.I didn’t feel… sad about his death. What kind of person was I? Where had my compassion gone? I mean… Dewitt probably deserved it, taking into consideration the mega rich that attended those balls always had their dirty secrets and had reached their wealth through despicable means.“Anything else I should or shouldn’t do to stay out of undesirable attention?”I snorted, bit my lips to strangle the laughter that tried to burst out of me and patted my mouth with my hands. Staying out of undesirable attention? With me? When the Sherington’s are hosting? Oh- “Since you’re my date, you’ll have a decent amount of undesirable attention on you.” My voice was breathy when I had managed to swallow all my laughter down. I took another deep breath, finally reaching a passable figure of composure. “There is a reason as to why everyone else can’t take escorts, yet I am mandated to bring one.”Not understanding, Illumi’s head tilted left. I sighed deeply and pushed the cringy memories out. “So… The Sheringtons have a daughter, Priscilla. She’s about my age. There was this… party or ball a while ago? She brought her boyfriend. Long story short, he seemed interested in me. A lot. Priscilla had been such a rude bitch to me the parties before… so I took advantage of the opportunity that conveniently happened.”Breathing unevenly, I sat back facing Illumi, trying not to laugh anymore. A fruitless attempt, giggles left my lips when I continued. "Conclusion. Priscilla Sherington will most likely try to seduce you... What a fun ball this will be-“His dark aura enlarged a bit, but he didn't seem particularly mad. That was good, probably?The rest of the trip went by in silence, a very unpleasant silence. I just sat there awkwardly, back straight against the comfortable first-class seat, gaze switching between the sky and the land running below every now and then. My body was still but my mind was running at the speed of light as I thought about the many ways Illumi could kill Mr. Dewitt on a place full of people. Would I be in trouble after this party?When the vehicle landed, I followed Illumi calmly to a shiny black limousine. He opened the door and gestured smoothly for me to get in. Like the gentleman I told him to be. The game of pretend had started and I wanted, more than anything, to win. There would be no bigger pleasure than to clear my debts and to rid myself of the looming catastrophe that this man was. I would play the act with all my soul.  My hand landed on his bicep, my mouth curled into a smile, and I stepped into the vehicle in front of me after a quick “Thank you, Damien.”The goal for tonight would be to get rid of Illumi and, if possible, to see how he’d pull out the magician’s trick of killing Dewitt during a ball. If I could survey for weaknesses and strengths, that’d be helpful as reference for my books.The large gates for the Sherington Manor were wide open, the limousine dragged over to the main entrance and there they were. The Sheringtons and Priscilla, smiling cordially and welcoming the guests in.I took a deep breath as Illumi opened the door and offered his hand, which I took with no hesitation. Outside, the marble steps had a few of the newly arrived guests. I smiled and greeted most of them and Illumi stood by my side, hand on my lower back giving out a few nods.We managed to reach the top of the stairs, more graciously than I would’ve expected. My smile grew sharper, from innocent to devious as we approached Priscilla. She was wearing a green dress that did not do her good. It matched the Christmas theme and her eyes, the only pretty thing on her face. The bright red lipstick didn’t favour much, it was too much contrast for her skin tone. At her side, stood a young man. He was wearing a smart suit, similar to what Illumi had been wearing before I managed to take his little bow. I had even gotten rid of the blazer during the limousine ride. What an achievement that had been. I was alive after all. Great achievement.Her escort, I supposed, had a plain brown hair matching hers, that was filled with a very intricate braided hairstyle, topped with jewels. His eyes were dull, a tired grey that could have been so beautiful if he was comfortable with himself. His face was quite handsome but that was not the point.“Good evening, Priscilla. How have you been?”Her eyes were still filled with rage as she spouted, trying to sound less bitter, "Y/N! I see you brought someone... Hii~. Priscilla Sherington." Waving her hand at Illumi, now Damien, who replied with a reserved hello.“Well, when one is required to bring one... Don’t worry dear, I won’t steal…” My eyes landed on her escort, “yours.” I winked shamelessly and slid my arm through the one Illumi was offering.Playing the part, he pulled me closer. I saw her makeup filled eyebrow twitch as she tried to smile casually. "Why~ The don't worry I won't steal yours either. Hahahah, Y/N, such a funny one, right?" Priscilla demanded an answer from her wide eyed escort with her elbow to his side.“Now that’s just settling for less. Mine’s much better. Anyway, Damien dear, let’s greet the hosts.” I smiled hoping he'd take the hint. He did, thankfully, and provided a quick cold smile to the couple.My skin crawled up, wanting to leave my body when his joyful voice sounded, "Oh, of course darling. We should also get some drinks."As we approached the Sheringtons, who had moved indoors to the greeting hall, I turned to see a thunderstruck Priscilla and her nervous date one last time.The Sheringtons looked surprised that I had shown up, I flashed them the brightest smile.Everybody knew I didn't answer the invitations, most of them thought that I was so busy I didn't have time to give an answer on time. The truth was much sourer.  The invitations had to travel through 3 continents before reaching my house, so obviously I saw them late and decided to attend or not depending on my mood. There were some real fanatics out there, thinking of me as a god or, worse, an item to collect.My eyes met Ms. Sherington's, I bowed slightly and primed my most cheerful voice. “Helena, thank you so much for the invitation. You are looking absolutely gorgeous.”Out the corner of my eye, I observed every of Illumi’s movements. He kept the small talk with Helena’s husband with ease. Almost as if being rich and stupidly elegant was his true nature. The private airship spoke for itself but… To see him thrive among the fake and deceitful was eye opening to say the least. My mental image of assassins needed a rework.  The small talk I was holding with Helena drew to an end. I looked behind her, to the large staircase that led to the ballroom, and the many people mingling about. “Oh right, where is the bar? I can already tell I won’t be able to find it amidst the beautiful decorations and the many guests.”For a spark of second, she her tired eyes loomed over me as if in agreeance. Her cheerful mask returned, and she thoroughly explained where the location of the bars and suggested seasonal beverages. As soon as she finished, I intertwined my arm in Illumi's and smiled at Mr. Sherington."Oh, good evening, Y/N dear." He was a chubby old grey-haired man, trying to grow a respectable beard. Overall, he was a good person and a huge fan of my work."How are you doing Preston?" I tried not to tremble against Illumi as I felt the enraged aura around him expand."Great, I sincerely hope you have fun. I was here talking to Damien about his business."“Is that so?” I giggled a bit, hoping it didn't look too fake and glanced at Illumi trying to check if he had said anything that would hinder my life. His scary blue lenses were already on me, I shivered. We both looked back to Mr. Sherington."You sure found yourself a gentleman Y/N. So humble about his economy and business knowledge.""Well, but of course~." I beamed Preston a smile, crossing my fingers that it looked like an I'm-proud-of-this-bitch smile. "Damien, love, we should go in and enjoy our night." I could feel my shame eating me up inside, but I forced my face to remain cheery. There was no way in hell I’d lose my composure.Everyone’s eyes were on the stairs, rating the newcomers and spreading out rumours. I took a deep breath as I took every step down. My brain kept imagining my person slipping and tumbling down. I would not live with such embarrassment. No. I gripped his arm tighter and decided to whisper the location of the bar. He nodded along. From the outside, it must have looked as if we were having an intimate conversation.We swam along the crowd of well-dressed people, stopping every time someone decided to talk to me. Which happened more often than not. Thirty minutes later, we reached the bar, I sighed and muttered a soft, "Fucking finally..."Illumi heard me over the snobby rumble and nodded, which surprised me, both for his great earing and for his reaction.There was only one free stool and being the gentleman, I told him to be, he offered it to me. I smiled and ordered a big glass of rosé wine as Illumi ordered a Dalmore whiskey. Was this man an aristocrat turned assassin? Why was he so refined?I had barely noticed the decorations or any of the usual things I like to remember from these balls because of my incessant Illumi observation. The more time passed, the more I wanted to leave this place.It was odd just resting on a stool, drinking wine. I wanted to see the assassin shenanigans happening. Everything so far had been just normal, only a bit contrived.I sipped the last bit of wine, asked for a refill and decided to look around to search for Illumi's target. Why shouldn’t I make myself useful? He clearly knew that I was watching him. The chances of seeing him do anything flamboyantly assassin-y would be lower that way. I spotted him by the corner of the large room. Gasping, I spun to grab both Illumi's arm and my precious refilled rosé.His eyebrows scrunched together were the only indication of confusion on his otherwise stoic face. I tilted my head pointing to where Mr. Dewitt was, his eyes enlarged and in a second, he went from being an unmoving rock to walking alongside with me.We passed by Priscilla, to whom I gave a wicked smile and a wink, as Illumi placed his hand on my waist. Just when she was about to walk to us with a very wicked expression plastered on her face, someone crossed her path, starting a conversation. Her eyes shot threats at me before reluctantly moving to the large lady that had caught her in conversation."Mr. Dewitt!" I said cheerfully, as I offered my hand. His handshake was rather weak, but what could one expect from someone who got rich from exploiting people into working in his mines. I had finally remembered what he did to get rich."Oh, Young L/N! What brings you here?" His voice was icking me out. I really wanted to get rid of Illumi so... I smiled as I faked innocence."You see... I'm planning on making my next book about mines and such works so I was thinking if you could give me a good explanation, maybe a tour on yours~.""Even when you come to these events you're all about work, Y/N~ Can I call you that?~" It took all of my will to stop my eyebrow and eye from twitching. I took a second longer coming up with a non-insulting answer. I didn't want my voice to sound overly sarcastic, but Illumi answered for me."Oh, that'd be quite rude, getting all flirty with my dear Y/N." Mr. Dewitt looked up to Illumi, surprised to see someone there."Good night, Mr. Dewitt, was it? I'm Damien, Damien Redthorne, Y/N's companion." As if intimidated by Illumi's presence and radiant self-contained smile, Mr. Dewitt offered his trembling hand to the blue eyed, beautiful man.Glass clinked on the floor, several times before shattering. A loud shriek echoed over the whole room. People scattered in panic as Priscilla yelled at her date, her eyes met mine and her fury switched targets. She grasped a shard of broken glass and dashed towards me. My eyes widened in shock, how could I dodge this one? Would the Sherington’s call security on their own daughter?Without even flinching at the sight of the crazed woman trudging towards us, Illumi smiled coldly at Mr. Dewitt, grabbed my wrist and calmly stated. “Time to save the… damsel in distress? Do you mind holding this for me?” Christian Dewitt dumbfounded as he was nodded as he grabbed the whiskey glass.Illumi pulled me along with levity, switching hands to hold my right wrist with his right hand, he forced me to walk to the edge of the ballroom.He stopped by a waiter to ask if there was a backdoor.That's when I saw a purple bit of aura flying somewhere. Before I could see where, he had me in a dark corridor and pulled over his shoulder as he dashed through what I assumed was the path the waiter had laid out.In no time, I was back on my feet, outside, taking in the cold air and feeling confused. The limousine that had brought us here stopped right in front of us. Too stunned to speak or move, I just stared at the vehicle.Illumi’s hands were steady and, somehow, warm over my arm once more. He pushed me inside and followed behind as the limousine started to drive away.“Oh no! Wait. You didn’t kill him!” I had not only been useless, but the whole reason we had to leave early! Priscilla had really taken the lack of attention from Illumi and my flirtatious behaviour towards her date at the beginning badly. This couldn't be worse.I laid back on my seat, feeling absolutely horrified. It was such an easy one! I just had to take him to the ball. Now…"He's not dead yet, but he will be. Soon." Calm and nonchalant. As if it had gone exactly as he planned.“What?” How could that be? How had that happened?I stared at him, waiting for answers. He didn’t provide any. Three blinks from him later, I realized I had never seen him blink before.“Take my lenses off.” My racing thoughts on Mr. Dewitt’s death halted. If my eyes could have grown wider, they would have. The thought of having to take his lenses off left me stunned. I must have looked utterly lost a while, since he blinked more and decided to bring me back to reality with an annoyed, "Y/N?"Finally processing his request, I flinched and nodded quickly. In one swift move, I was closer to Illumi, our legs scarcely touched as I disinfected my hands with a soft pad I kept on my pocket. My trembling hands moved to his right eye.“How will he be dead soon?” I whispered, more to myself than to him. A good mystery would always get me going. He hadn’t done anything… flashy… and how would he die later… “Poison?”Relief ebbed from me as I got the lens out. One to go. As if amused by my monologue about his job, he nodded before I touched his left eye. The positive feedback kept me going. With more confidence I ranted about the situation. “But when? How?” Finally catching the other lens, I sighed and pulled away.Everything was almost clicking. “You wanted a drink. That was your only request so your plan involved it. It was the drink? The whiskey was poisoned?” He simply stared at me, but I was already on my detective high and nothing could stop me. “You handed it to him. He wouldn’t drink it though…”My eyes narrowed, that'd be such an amateur mistake. I looked out of the car window. Did this mean that if he didn’t drink it… I’d be killed?“He doesn’t have to.”My head snapped back to face Illumi. "You poisoned the glass? With one of those poisons absorbed by skin!?" I couldn’t contain my astonishment. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant.”"But you touched it... The glass..." I tilted my head, deep in thought, who'd dispose of the cup then? "Why aren't you taking the antidote? Who'll get rid of the cup? More than one person will die if they touch it."The assassin only shrugged at me. Gosh, and we say we like a mysterious man… I pushed my disillusionment back. “Who's taking the glass...? The waiter… Would he die? Mr. Dewitt would probably place it on a tray… So… The person taking the glasses from the trays to the washer…”Illumi was looking out of the window, and the airport drew closer.“They are wearing gloves. Oh my goodness, they’re wearing gloves! How did you know that? How did you plan for that? What was the plan?” The waiters were all wearing some fancy white gloves to match the white blouses under the matching night blue suits. That made sense but it's just a thought, what if they weren't wearing gloves? How would he kill the target then? Did he have many plans? Did he just adjust it to the situation? Who was this guy? No wonder they were paying him so much.My eyes trailed back to the dangerous man sitting next to me. There was a purple thing flying, what was that for? What did his aura do? What kind of powers where hidden behind his deep void like eyes? Feeling my stare on him, he drew his attention from the window to me. I was about to ask how he controlled such variables when the limo came to a stop, right next to the airship."I saved your life again. I assume I can use you some other time?" My eyes widened. Ah, it had been too easy. Of course, I’d keep being used. I was owing him again. I sighed, defeated. I really needed to learn how to defend myself."I wish I could pay with money..." I muttered under my breath before looking him in the eyes. "Next time will be the last! I'm sure." I wished it would be at least. I should pray to any god for it. All gods. I should pray to every god to make the next time the last."Sure. You can go now. Farewell." He said, short and cold.I nodded, left the limousine and walked into the airship calmly. As soon as I stepped into the airship, the limousine started up and headed elsewhere. A lovely woman greeted me and led me to the main room, the one I had been before with Illumi.  Nothing much could be done so I just sat on the comfortable sofa and stared at nothing in particular. Not that there was much to see in a cloudy night sky. My thoughts went back to the purple aura flying, I needed to figure out more about that.And there was no one better to teach me than Chrollo.After this whole event, him being a criminal wasn't an alarming thing anymore, so it was time to see what he actually did and with whom.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

What did I know about Chrollo? How would I be able to find him? He had said he was a thief... Good thieves always go unnoticed. He was insanely conspicuous though... The way he dressed, the way he imposed his presence upon entering a place... How could he be a good thief?And how could a thief lead a group of dangerous people? Were they all thieves? There'd be no way to find them with just that...What other hints could he have-Spider. He had formed one with his nen. Perhaps that was a hint as well.As I typed "Spider, group of thieves" in the search bar of my clunky computer screen, I thought it would be far too simple if I managed to gather information like this. The screen loaded slowly, and lo and behold, the first entry, a wikipe page.The Phantom Troupe, known as the spider.There wasn't much information on the members of this group, legend said they had a spider tattoo. Well... that was flashy. But also very Chrollo of them...? I felt like this was it. He had always been fascinated with the use of spiders and their meanings in my books...The page went on about how dangerous they were, and several massacres associated with them. That should've been a warning flag, but I had just taken an assassin as my date to a ball in which he had killed someone... What could be worse than this?The day I penned a condolence letter to Mrs. Dewitt for the shocking passing of her husband, I decided that I'd search for Chrollo.Where did dangerous unknown people come from?Meteor City? Not a single person from meteor city has records... That'd be ideal for them. They couldn't be there waiting to be found though... And Meteor City was incredibly far from here, Chrollo had said he'd be back soon though.I took a deep breath and grabbed my trusty phone, it was time to make some calls and find out where my friend, a rather fetching young man who happened to be a thief, was. Rune screamed bloody murder at me when I asked for the information, but still managed to give me the name of a city.He wasn't even certain that the leader would be the one at that location nor that the information was trustworthy... but he usually downplayed his involvement in illegal scenes... Damned Rune.Southworth was not far, not more than a two-hour flight away. That day I left Chiaroscuro at the hands of Nerus and Lin, with instructions to inform Chrollo, if he showed up, that I had gone to look for his royal ass.I only thought I had perhaps been too hasty once the blimp landed. I had only let two days pass since the whole ordeal with the assassin, Illumi. Not only that, but I was already there, though, I decided it couldn't hurt to look for him for the day at least.By the airport's exit, there was a small shop selling maps and tours of the city. I bought a map and looked for a car rental place. I was raring to discover this new city, but travelling took so much of my time... I wasn't visiting Southworth for the sightseeing, so I looked once more at the map, wondering where I would hide if I was a criminal. Abandoned places, deserted and forgotten. Far from the centre of the city, but not too far. I crossed out most of the buildings with a pen since they didn't meet the criteria. From the few buildings that were left, I highlighted five. A sigh left my lips, and I was left wondering if gut feeling alone would take me to Chrollo. Well, one of the buildings had to be it. The first three were a waste of time, the first was being demolished as I passed by, the second was now the rubble covering an empty lot, and the third one had been made into a small antique shop. Of course, I wouldn't pick the right building right away... I didn't have that kind of luck... I rolled my eyes and parked by a small restaurant on the way to the fourth building, hunger rumbled in my stomach as I marched inside and found some sustenance for my annoyed and sleep-deprived self. I ordered some cake to take with me since I decided to walk to the fourth building. It was close enough, and I was tired of sitting. The blimp, the car, and the rough restaurant chair had not helped at all. Ranting about my life under my breath, I saw a large, abandoned church standing over the few grey buildings that filled the cobblestone road ahead.I merely blinked and walked leisurely in that direction, I had exhausted my excitement and the hope that I would find Chrollo.  I stopped in front of the decrepit entrance, considering the chances of it falling apart as soon as I was inside. There was only one way to find out. I took a deep breath and calmly tiptoed inside. My eyes hadn't even adjusted to the darkness within the church when I felt a cool, sharp object sliding over my throat. My arms were forced behind my back and held together by an unforgiving hand. A sob left my lips, "I don't know if I should be happy that I'm in the right place or sad that you just forced me to drop my cake."A sigh and an eye roll later, I understood that I was incredibly fucked and that there was no possible way out of this. "This is just great~!"The person who so steadily held me in place clicked their tongue, "You want die? What is doing heer?" A very husky and whispered voice threatened. How did my captor already sound pissed off? If I was to see the bright side in this situation, it would be something along the lines of... at least I wasn't the only one having a bad day. "Now that you ask, I wonder if it'd be better to just die..." I held a breath and forced my fear down my throat with a dry swallow as a blade was forced against my throat. A whimper left me as it slightly cut my very beautiful skin, drawing just the tiniest amount of blood. "I came here to find this guy called Chrollo, he's like huh... a friend, I guess?"The grip around my arms tightened as a snicker filled with sarcasm echoed over the empty halls surrounding us. "You? Friend with Chrollo?"Almost offended by the remark, I countered loudly, "Why is it that I can't be his friend?"This wasn't going well. What was I even expecting? My panicky voice was sounding more and more pathetic, and I resigned myself to an annoyed sigh. As if summoned by my distress, Chrollo appeared from a door to my left. His gaze landed on me, quickly widening and moving to my captor."Y/N? What..." As soon as he said my name the grip around my arms and the pressure against my throat lowered considerably. Thank Zeus, or better thank Chrollo! "What are you doing here?""Currently? Huh, trying not to move, so your friend here doesn't slice my throat." I managed a nervous smile through the burning feeling of the dark aura exuding from Chrollo's friend."Well, you're comfortable enough to play with your situation, I see." Chrollo spouted quite playfully, before signalling for my release.  Relieved, I skipped my way to Chrollo and turned around to see a short man wearing baggy black clothes. His hair, also black, reached his shoulders and was parted at the middle. Piercing grey eyes stared back at me as thin dark eyebrows arched up, the rest of his face was covered by a black bandana with a large skull at the centre, I presumed he would be scowling at me. "Hm... the clothes suit your aura... are you always that pissed off?" I heard him curse me under his breath, though I couldn't place the words he had said. "So?" Chrollo tapped my shoulder, directing me back to the question he had posed.I faced Chrollo, eyeing his cross forehead tattoo and then his deep dark eyes. "Illumi. I paid him back and somehow ended up owing him one again. I need you to teach me."He sighed, "So it was really him." His eyes left mine to meet the other man. "Feitan, your task is to teach Y/N nen and self-defence tactics... You can also go for attack strategies if you find the time." I gaped at him for a second, and when he turned to face me once again, the words he had said didn't quite click inside my head. "No wonder you'd walk nonchalantly into the spider's web, you're in trouble with a Zoldyck.""Wha-" I turned around to face the man whose name was Feitan, apparently. That was a nice name for a person who was not the least bit nice. His thin black eyebrows twitched and scrunched together, his aura grew darker and moodier as his eyes narrowed to analyse me. This was going to be great. Hahaha... As if nervous laughter made things better.Feitan took a few steps toward me, ice-cold glare roaming my body from top to bottom. The continued silence was making me doubt my decision of asking for help. How good could this nen thing be? Was it worth being taught by the guy who looked like he'd enjoy seeing me suffer?No. I was here. Might as well see my learning to the very end. How bad could it be? I glared back at him, discarding my scared thoughts away. My eyes narrowed, and I considered if he was angrier than most because he was of short stature.  Because'short people are closer to Satan?' as they say? Perhaps their bodies are smaller, so they can't take as much anger...? "Pfft... hahahahaha...""What funny?" He rasped out, and I found myself laughing harder. When his aura grew darker and sharper, I pursed my lips and tried to hold my laughter. Once I managed to swallow my wheezes down, I mumbled a fast and low apology, keeping my head down. He clicked his tongue and took large strides into the church, disappearing behind a narrow wooden door. My eyes snapped back to Chrollo, who was watching me with a small smirk on his lips, my lips parted ready to tease the priest-looking man, but a door slammed and Feitan was walking back into the room.He was holding a small black bag over his shoulder, and he stopped promptly next to Chrollo, who turned to face the smaller man. "We two meet in September one." With that curtly said, Feitan strode towards the large doors that led outside. I gapped at Chrollo for a second, and his damned smirk grew. "You can't be serious...""When am I not serious, Y/N?" He leaned forward, as if to emphasize the point. He was wearing his usual fluffy jacket, but his muscular torso was covered by a black shirt with a criss-crossed pattern of dark stripes.He couldn't be doing this to me! "You're really dumping me with a person I don't know!?" My voice rose in pitch as my distress settled."Yes, and you should hurry, he's leaving." His mischievous smile grew as he leaned back, sitting on a large church bench."WhAT?" I spun around to see Feitan reaching the door calmly, the door swung open, and I ran after him as I cursed the leader of the Phantom Troupe. So much for a good friend!The door closed behind me and cut off Chrollo's dumb chuckle, now all I could hear was my speedy heart. Disquiet filled my mind as I whined, "Wait, please!"He cursed me under his breath, I couldn't quite catch a word of what he said, but he waited for me, as his left foot tapped the cobblestone street impatiently."Where are we going?" My voice cracked as I took a lungful of air and tried to calm myself. He simply stared. "It's January... Does it mean we'll only see Chrollo nine months from now? What happened? What were you guys doing here?"All the questions I had been piling up flew free from my lips. Oh, this was just great.He sighed, and my forehead hurt, as if it had been flicked. "Ouch... What was that for?" My hand rose to pat my precious forehead."I want kill you but no can. Very... annoying person." Feitan mumbled as continued his pace down the street, I took a deep breath and followed him.A gasp left my lips when we passed by my rented car. "Oh... Hum... Feitan?" I slowed down, he kept walking. Was he planning on ignoring me forever? "I... that's my rented car... I can drive us wherever you want to go..."He stopped in his tracks and with spit a very unusual sounding word, I felt insulted by the tone of it."Na, give car back. We are walkin. Cancel ALL plan you have." Feitan's voice was serious as he spoke, he probably accepted that I'd be a lost butterfly trapped in the web. Finally! At least he was somehow communicating."O-kay?" I absent-mindedly said, as I thought on how I'd manage to keep Chiaroscuro open without my supervision... I continued following Feitan, plans unfolding in my head, until I crashed against his somehow sturdy and dense form. He was facing me with his fuming gaze in seconds. "Shi... I mean sorry~""I have work now, we are meet Yorknew city." His pale hand neared my face with two raised fingers. "Two days." With that said he turned his back on me and disappeared. Damn these people were unbelievably fast, or was I just too slow? I thought about that and all my other concerns as I walked back to the car.The trip home was tiring, and I simply flunked into bed as soon as I arrived. Sleeping my worries away was the best plan. ×××On January 9th, I arrived in Yorknew City carrying a huge bag with clothes, notebooks, and everything I might or might not need during the time I'd be 'walking'. Struggling I carried the heavy baggage through the streets, Feitan never told me exactly where to meet him, so I was obviously lost in a new town. Life couldn't be better.Two days weren't nearly enough time to take care of all the crap I had running on my life. I had managed to hire two more people to work at Chiaroscuro, to name Nerus the store manager, and to sell my cosy house in the suburbs. I had barely slept to be able to pack everything I required, and either sell or send to a storage unit everything else. What a pain...I looked around, I didn't want to go about and find the sketchy buildings... mostly because this city was already extremely shady... My gut felt imminent danger... and I was carrying a large backpack. I'd get mugged.  Obviously clueless as to where should I go, I decided to walk to the tallest building and hope for a miracle. I wondered what it was, it could be seen from far away... I should have informed myself about the city, but sadly, I didn't have the time!Hours after, my foot was tapping impatiently on the floor as I looked around, bored and anxious. I should look around for Feitan, but where would I even drop my stuff? Scanning the surrounding area, I found a cheap looking motel. Well, it would have to do.I sighed as I moved closer to the entrance of the motel. I rented a room for the night, dropped my large backpack at the foot of the bed and made sure to shove the room key under my wallet and phone in my pocket. Wouldn't want it to accidentally fall if I pulled one of the two out.It was time to go and search for that grumpy bitch. With that in mind I left the motel happily, mostly relieved that I didn't have to carry all that stuff with me as I searched. Why had I brought so many things to begin with?The tall building turned out to be an auction house. The receptionist was very kind once she saw me waltz in, asking if I was looking to enter any auctions and promptly explaining to me in the function of the building once I expressed my cluelessness. She had handed me a map of the city, and I left the auction house bowing and profusely thanking her.Once outside, I unfolded the large map, which kept all the attractive spots tourists love. Well, that was good, all I had to do was search for the areas with nothing to see, no attractions. I was running on a limb, using the same technique I had used to find Chrollo...This was in no way sane of me... but I did want some kind of adventure... one that provided a lot of writing material. I started walking through the streets of Yorknew carrying a small F/C backpack with a bottle of water and some food, understanding how important it was to be prepared in case the search took longer than expected.To wander around an unknown city was fascinating, my mood instantly lifted. I almost forgot I was looking for a rude man called Feitan. I was soon reminded of my goal, when I walked through an empty and dangerous looking street, there were some people near a rundown building to my right. As I passed by, they went silent and pierced me with their scary gazes. I was heading the right direction, right? It had to be...I maintained my walking pace, quickening it up would be too on the nose... It would show that I was afraid... which I was, my brain was screaming in panic mode. Don't show fear and they won't bother you. That was a thing, right?This city was known for the auctions, both legal and illegal, so obviously dangerous people had to be lurking about. I overhead many of the thug looking people talk about the big auction that would happen from the 1st to the 10th of September...Were Chrollo and Feitan coming here to that auction? They, too, were dangerous people... It'd make sense for them to come and steal goods.My deep thought self crashed against something. My balance skipped away from me as I fell onto the floor, butt first. When I peeked up to see what I had hit, there was a big, muscular man sporting a buzz cut. His eyes were silver, his nose was large, and he was wearing a dark tank top and leather cargo pants... Do not be frightened Y/N, he may be a nice man walking his poodle.My good humour faded away as I stood up and realized that the nice man didn't have an adorable little dog around. Some other threatening people were gathering around me. Oh, no."Oh, I'm so sorry for crashing into you, sir." Being polite always helped. I mean, it had worked with Illumi, didn't it?"What's someone like you doing in a place like this?" A skinny man with purple long hair asked, his voice was raspy and quite scary.I looked him in the eyes and smiled courteously. "Huh, I was looking for someone." I paused, thinking of an excuse to run out of this place... But then, I realized that I could ask these people if they had seen him. What did I have to lose? My life? "Have you seen a short, grumpy man? He's probably wearing all black, has a skull mask or bandana... Huuuh... Oh yeah, black hair, shoulder-length?""Why would we help you?" I heard someone to the left screech.Rolling my eyes but keeping my voice friendly and respectful, I answered. "Well why wouldn't you be polite and help someone?" Was that too sarcastic? Damn I really needed to improve my talking skills.They simply stared at me in silence, and a shiver went up my spine. Not because they were probably thinking of a way to kill me and sell my organs, but because I felt a dangerous aura nearby. It could be Feitan!I gave one last smile to the group of people surrounding me before going for the one who seemed less dangerous and pushing him aside while dashing out of there. Deep voices screamed after me, and the cacophony of shoes stomping heavily on cobblestone grew closer.Their auras were barely noticeable. They were probably normal people who couldn't control the aura, just like me. I had the advantage of seeing and feeling their auras... so I obviously hid in a corner covered by a large truck parked there.After sensing them run past me, I ran the opposite direction, finally following the dangerous aura. What would I do if it wasn't Feitan? How many dangerous people with such dark auras could there be? I mean I had met 3 recently so, why not more?My eyes landed on a tall lady, wearing an orange, frilly dress. That was... not Feitan, she was holding a bloody knife and chasing after an older woman. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on more dangerous auras around.My head started hurting as I tried to push my senses further. My eyes snapped open when I felt just the right one and in a second, I was running again. I turned right and then left, I didn't know where I was headed, but I knew that I would find him.I saw the short man, holding a reddish umbrella over his shoulder, with his dark bag hanging on the tip. He was wearing the same outfit as before. The back of his black jacket had a huge white skull, and I never thought I'd feel so glad to see a stranger."YOU! Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeitan!!" I yelled as I crashed against him, "I found yooou!"I met the floor in less than a second after and felt his rage envelop me. I sat up, cross-legged and stared at him. He was going to teach me how to control my aura. I shouldn't piss him off so much... It was time to learn! "So where are we going? What are you going to teach me? When are we starting? Why Yorknew City?""Shhush, first move nen, no loose it, medi-huh-tation. Medita- Meditation, but walking. You learn." He grabbed my arm and pulled me up with ease. "We go."Like a fish I just opened and closed my mouth, getting dragged from place to place by these weird guys was exactly what had gotten me trouble in the first place. I needed to find a way to stop being dragged about... And walk beside them. Feitan would be good practice, or so I hoped..."You're travelling with that small bag?" I glanced at the neatly tied black cloth, hanging on his blood-red umbrella."Yes." Curt and rude as always, I just felt like scowling at him. Oh my... was 99% of what I had brought unnecessary? Great."Where are we going? Can I go get my things?" Silence stretched, and I thought he had simply ignored me, but his head inched down, in a slow nod. That was one question answered out of two... not bad!I looked around searching for the tall building and started skipping that way followed by Feitan. The sketchy streets were now safer, probably because he was scary enough to intimidate the other dangerous people away~.Now, focusing on the problem of meditating and moving my aura while walking, how was I... wait... "Are we walking somewhere far away? LITERALLY ONLY WALKING?"I quickly turned to face the black-haired man, only to see him look at me as if there were no other ways of transportation. I was so fucked. Why was my life gradually getting worse? Whyyyyyyy?Already defeated, I was simply planning which things to keep from the large backpack I had stored in the motel room. I got there and picked a small backpack, a bottle of water, two comfortable and light changes of clothes, some cookies and a small notebook with a pen. That would do.Feitan just looked at me with disappointment as I mailed the rest of my stuff to the storage unit I had bought. It took me half an hour and it was getting dark. That didn't seem to dissuade Feitan from leading the way and walking somewhere. I merely followed, eyes set on his back as I whispered to myself "Meditate, meditate, chill, hold the aura", as a mantra.×××A whole month passed by. A WHOLE MONTH. Walking was painful, calluses were simply the bane of my existence. Feitan didn't seem to be bothered by such mortal occurrences, which made me feel worse. All I did was meditate and force my aura to move around, while still in close range. It was hard... it seemed intent on escaping my body!The need to cry out and whine about my life was constant, but I didn't do it. Mostly because Feitan was walking too. I was wearing thin summer clothes in January, and he had his jacket on at all times. How? I didn't want to be weak and whine about walking. Fuck no.I didn't know where we were exactly, but Feitan didn't seem fazed at all, he kept walking through the forest at night. I had learnt some things about Feitan this last month, he was quite shy, but it seemed that if I made an effort he could open up. Not that I could reach that phase... Meditation required silence, as he so annoyingly expressed every time I talked.He was unbelievably fast and didn't seem to mind the weather, he stole food for us... Not that I ever noticed when or how he did it... He simply disappeared, and appeared 10 minutes later holding some sort of food.Feitan stopped in a small clearing and left his umbrella hanging on a tree branch. Silently, he leaned against a tree, eyes analysing me. "What you learn? Show."Tired, I dropped my bag next to him and took some steps back. My eyes closed, and I took a deep breath, focusing on keeping my aura floating around me.It was so boring... My problem in keeping my aura steady was my mind... It just seemed to wander if I stood still... to thinks like... but what if my aura was made of cute F/A?A cough from Feitan was all it took for me to open my eyes. Did I do something wrong? I looked at my arms and saw cute little F/A shapes poking out of the F/C haze that my aura was."Shit." My eyes trailed back to the man laying against a big tree."That... something." I didn't recognize any sarcasm in his low, deep voice, so I smiled, taking it as a compliment."I was... thinking of F/A..." His gaze screamed something along the lines of no shit, Y/N, no shit. "Is... it ok? Can we advance?""Very ok. You good." My E/C eyes shined at the praise. Excited to keep learning, I skipped to his side and sat there, waiting for an explanation or a command. His right eyebrow rose to his forehead, "You turn to puppy."Hearing him compare me to a puppy literally made me snap. In an instant, I was trying to hit him, failing completely because he was incredibly fast. In a matter of seconds, I was laying on the ground, annoyed as hell and Feitan was sitting against a tree trunk some meters in front of me."Hooow are you so quick? Like seriously?!!" I whined as I pushed myself off the uneven ground.He just shrugged, and I could almost bet an amused shine crossed his eyes before he struggled to explain the different aura types, the four exercises of nen and how to use them.It took me a large amount of questions to actually understand how Ten was about finding a goal, Zetsu was putting it into words, Ren was intensifying the will and Hatsu was about putting it all to action. Much like writing except some parts were switched.He explained those deeply and briefly mentioned Gyo, In, En and others, saying those were for another time. He also said that we'd do water divination to find what type of aura I had. But that would have to be in the next day, since it was better to rest first.I saw him lay quietly. At night, it was rather chilly, so I stared at the stars and tried to fall asleep in the irregular cold ground. My body seemed to be used to it by now, and that just confused me. We could do this nen training somewhere cosy... Why did we have to walk so much and sleep in such uncomfortable places? I woke up before the sunrise, a recent habit I had learnt to follow. Feitan wasn't around, but I didn't panic. He disappeared sometimes, minutes, hours or days, it was part of the test. If I limited myself to stay nearby, he'd come back.I didn't have to chase him, unlike all the other times in the previous month. I couldn't actually explain how it worked out, but my gut would tell me if he wanted to be found. If he did, I'd go looking for him, that was not the case at the moment.I yawned as I stretched my arms. It was about time I learnt something new about Nen. With that thought in mind, I remembered the four principles. I had been practising Ten, it was basically keeping my aura unable to escape as it floated around my body. There was also Zetsu, which consisted of hiding my aura, stopping its flow; Ren was making my aura big as hell. When Feitan had shown his Ren the night before, I almost climbed a tree in fear. Finally, Hatsu, which was the expression of my personal Nen. I decided to try out Zetsu and Ren, since I had no idea what kind of Hatsu I had or how to even use it. Taking a deep breath, I started by restraining more and more the aura flow. It was hard at first, but an hour or so later I was satisfied with it.Feitan came back as I tried Zetsu for the last time, he was balancing a wooden bowl with water in his pale hands. So, that was what he had been doing.I tried Ren, the black-haired man didn't look surprised as he walked to the nearest tree and placed the bowl on the ground next to my feet. Curious about what he was going to do, I broke my Ren and sat excitedly in front of the bowl by the shadow provided by the huge tree.I glimpsed at Feitan, he disappeared in a second, having me blink in confusion before he returned holding a small leaf that he then calmly dropped in the water. Silently, he squatted facing both me and the bowl, his grey eyes meeting my E/C ones as he took a deep breath."Watch." He placed his hands around the carved bowl, and the aura around his hands intensified. Some seconds later, he stopped and hid his hands in the pockets of his baggy black jacket. "Y/N, drink."Hesitating, I stared at the water, but trusting Feitan (up to a certain point), I dipped my finger and brought it up to my lips. Locking my eyes with his, I licked it, only to scowl and groan. "Oh my goodness! It's so SALTY WHAT THE ACTUAL F-" His aura got rather dark, and I stopped my complaint before the curse left me. "Did you get this from the sea?""... No. Idiot- I not, sea is very far." Exasperated, he just closed his eyes for some moments before curtly explaining, "I Transmuter, so I make water salty. With aura.""Ooooh..." In awe, I looked back at the salty water, how intriguing. "What's a Transmuter?""I make aura warm. Like sun. Other make aura like string. Transmuter change aura to match a thing." Feitan replied, grabbing the bowl and throwing the water away before filling it again with a canteen. "Now you.""O-okay.. I guess." I placed my hands around the bowl and focused to intensify my aura, small dark spots started to show up on the water. Surprised, I stopped and looked at Feitan, I was about to ask what was wrong when he interrupted my line of thought."Conjuuerer, huh?" He seemed to be in deep thought but the questions kept rising in my head.This entire situation was making me incredibly inspired. I wished I had brought more than just a small notebook with me. I had so many new things to record, like travelling, walking to a far, far away location, dealing with Feitan's broken speech and foreign accent. I patiently waited for him to focus on me again, so I could ask everything I wanted.His cold grey eyes landed on me and I took that as a sign to start, "What's a conjurer? How many types of those are there? And what do they mean? Oh oh... What am I going to do next?"Expecting the rain of questions, Feitan just waited for me to slow down and realize on my own that he would only answer one at a time. I calmed down quickly, mostly because his harsh aura made me. "You make thing out of nen. Like bowl. You can make bowl out of nen.""Oooh! That's cool!" I was probably radiating light and happiness because Feitan literally squinted his eyes. "How many types of those categories are there? Besides Transmuter and Conjurer.""Six" he held up two hands, counting as he enumerated the types with the weirdest accent possible. "Enhancer, you make you strong or you make thing strong; Transmuter; Conjurer; Manipulateor; you make thing do what you want; Emitter, you throw little aura or something and Special, just different stuff." Amazed at the new world that I was discovering, I couldn't help but gasp as I thought how awesome it'd be to learn more.My mind was jumping about as I considered the immense possibilities and gathered new questions. Feitan didn't seem keen on answering anything else as his hand closed around the bowl to throw the water away. He picked up his belongings, and I took it as a cue to do the same. It was time we started walking again, apparently."Sooo... Will I manage to defend myself if I learn this? Will I be strong?"The short man wearing his skull bandana just chuckled and kept advancing through the deep green vegetation. "You want strong? Hmm..."And, suddenly, I thought of something great, "You can teach me how to defend myself, right? You know how to fight... and you're like really silent, and you probably can hide so well! I want to learn those things too, what's the point of having this power if my body is just weak?""Heh, true." Feitan agreed as he kept moving forward. I felt like my training was going to get harder and harder, and I couldn't wait to master this new ability. ×××I thought we had been walking aimlessly, but I understood everything when we reached a dump land, a massive one. I had been right, Meteor City was their origin. I could feel danger in every corner, lurking, waiting for a chance to attack.Feitan looked rather relaxed, so I allowed myself to calm down, these last 2 months were extenuating, but I could feel my senses, intuition and fighting getting better for each day that passed. We travelled through lots of places and Feitan stole some things. He always said in such a serious tone, "I thief, I want thing I steal thing." I held my smile back every time he said it.Even though I could pay for it, Feitan made sure I didn't. Now that I thought about it, it was probably so people couldn't track me. Could it be that during the last 3 months, Illumi had tried to reach me and couldn't because I was nowhere to be found? I had sold my house, it had been months since I used my cards for anything. My laptops were all in my storage unit. And I had lost my phone somewhere along the way. Perhaps Feitan had thrown it away..."Y/N" I snapped back from my thoughts to see the short black-haired man look at me rather angrily. "Pay attention, moron." He ground out before turning his back to me and walking through the enlarging road to a very weird building. Not wanting to anger him more, I followed in complete silence.Entering the building, Feitan was greeted by a large, tall man, full of scars, his hair was short and black, his earlobes stretched long and were adorned with golden rings at the bottom."Yo, Fei." His voice was calm, and Feitan just hissed. His mood wasn't the best... I had contributed greatly towards that. The man wearing a blue jumpsuit fixed his gaze on me, "Oh~ And who are you?""Y/N, it's nice to meet you. You are...?" I smiled politely, he seemed like a reasonable man."Franklin." He extended his hand for me to shake, which I did. "Why are you here with Feitan?""Oh, he's teaching me nen and how to fight. Haha~"His eyes widened and he took a step back before carving his gaze into Feitan, who just rolled his eyes."Order from Danchou." Feitan defended himself, growing more annoyed as he sat on a bench made of car pieces and other things. The lighting wasn't the best, but once my eyes adapted to the dark, I saw that we stood in what looked like a bar. It was deserted though, maybe it wasn't rush hour yet?Franklin seemed rather satisfied with Feitan's answer and decided not to meddle in. Feeling quite uncomfortable under his curious gaze, I sat near the short man. He scoffed and looked at me, clearly implying I looked like a child hiding behind their parents. Except Feitan would be a cold, mean father, and I didn't even want to imagine it any more."Danchou order all meet Yorknew City on the one of September." Feitan quickly moved the subject to what he had to say."I see. It has been a while." Franklin simply stated, before leaving the room through a big door behind the counter. I just looked at Feitan, I had a lot of concerns about how to use my nen, but I had polished the final idea, it was time to tell him about it."Fei~?" I teased, earning a threatening glare. "Hahah~ I think I have an idea on what to do with my nen." He laid back casually against the uncomfortable couch and nodded to make me explain the rest."Well... Huh.... You talked about restrictions and how it makes it stronger... so what if I only materialize weapons used in my books?" His eyes seemed thoughtful for a while, but he kept his silence. "And if I use one weapon in a fight, if I want to switch I'll have to use weapons from the same book..."We remained silent for a while before deciding to get up and mutter, "Hmm... good, we try."Franklin came back as I happily squeezed Feitan in a tight hug. "Yayyy~" I had gotten used to his fast movements, so I often managed to catch up and hug him. He hated it.A sigh left the short man's lips, he had learnt to accept that sometimes I would simply be a nuisance that needed to be ignored. It wasn't like he could kill me. And with his eyebrows furrowed, he turned to Franklin, my dead weight meaning nothing to him."Find Nobunaga?" To which Franklin just nodded and we went back to walking again, I swore these people did not know of the existence of cars."Hey... Feitan? Were you born here?" I was really curious about these people, they seemed to enjoy their life under Chrollo's command.The air seemed to freeze. "New test, walk to there" He pointed in the opposite direction we were heading. "For one day... then find me."Oh boy, some things were not meant to asked, huh. I sighed but feeling up to the challenge I smirked to the bandana boy before running away giggling. "Hay hay, my Saltiness"Running back to Meteor City, I dodged all the rocks and what could be described as rubbish that the raging Feitan threw at me. I just shrugged, he had some tantrums once in a while and that was quite the challenge, I could practice my new idea and impress him when I found him.I hummed my favourite song happily as I focused on Meteor's City landscape and the landscape beyond. The city was rather chaotic, there was misery, murder and many disturbing things on the streets, but I kept going.I was almost leaving the city for the open deserted land when I felt a familiar presence behind me, it wasn't Feitan, nor Franklin.Shivers went up my spine as I turned around to see yet another black-haired man, except his hair was long and was floating around his back. It did create an atmosphere of creepiness, his floaty straight hair.He was wearing purple today, and his whole frame was filled with needles. Deep red blood was dripping from his face and, when his void eyes met mine, he took a second to recognize me."Oh, Y/N. Just when I needed you."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nervous laughter bubbled out of me as I took two steps back. "Illumi... what a weird coincidence... finding you here." Oh hell, what was I saying? My sense had decided to run away from me...His response consisted of a mere head tilt as he approached. It didn't matter that I was backing away at the same pace, his steps were larger than mine, and he was soon violating my personal space. How was it that Illumi was still scary after I had spent three whole months with Feitan? Well... his emotionless face didn't help. What was happening on that pretty head of his?I gulped, my nails dug into my palms as I fisted my hands. "So... what are you doing here?" I forced the corners of my mouth to inch upwards, into a polite smile... I hoped.Was he here because he had been looking for me? Was I that unlucky that faith had simply made us cross paths?"Just finished a job." Well, I could certainly tell, he was, after all, dripping in blood. "Talking about work, it seems that people enjoy ordering me to kill people in social events. It makes them fell like they look less guilty.I found myself nodding along. It made sense. If you hired someone to kill a person at a party, even if you were particularly close with the victim, there'd be more potential culprits. More culprits meant less attention to each..."You've been invited to a party... It'll be hosted tomorrow. I had planned to pick different parties, since I had more things to do... but you're here, so I think I'll manage to complete it.""Oh my... what good luck you seem to have." I heard the words leave my lips as I considered the penalty for finding Feitan with a few days of delay. Illumi's good luck was my bad luck... What a fucking joke of a life!Illumi didn't seem to catch my sarcastic tone and simply nodded, before turning around and walking away. It took him three steps to notice that I was still frozen in place. "Why are you not following me?"Ah, right. Of course. That was totally the next logical step. A heartfelt sigh left me as I rushed to his side. "Tomorrow, was it? I have some things I need to do beforehand... Can't we meet later near the venue?"It took him a whole minute to answer me. I had already accepted that he had simply ignored my question... "No. You don't have time to go back to your house and travel to the site. It is impossible." Really? Fuck me. Of course, going back home would take more than a day... I had been travelling for so long, I had completely forgotten about it-I couldn't mention my plans to Illumi, so I simply accepted that there was no way around it and followed him in complete silence. We embarked a sole private airship and landed at an airport a few hours later. Curiously, Illumi handed me a ticket and entered a tour bus.My mouth opened to ask if he had his mental capacities in order when the cheerful guide interrupted me. All my questions were answered seconds later, once the guide started by explaining that the destination of the bus was Kukuroo Mountain, the home of the Zoldycks, the famous assassin family.Well... Fuck.I listened to the guide attentively, not because I was particularly interested in Illumi... but because learning about his family and the jobs they did could prove useful. It was not until I saw the greatness of the Zoldyck estate from the window that my clueless self managed to understand what was about to happen. I was about to enter the fucking estate! With a Zoldyck beside me, no less!"Aaah..." I whispered, much to my doom I was in too deep to back out, so I'd simply have to go with the flow. "Much work during these last three months?"Illumi simply nodded. He was obviously not the conversational type."Do you enjoy it?" I wondered out loud, and held back a grin once I noticed his small shrug of an answer. Typical... Did he even know what else to do? Did he have a choice? From what the guide had said, it didn't seem like the Zoldycks could stray from assassination...I was about to ask another question, simply to bother the assassin standing next to me, when the bus stopped in front of a humongous gate. The passengers walked out to take pictures and the guide was explaining what we were seeing, but I simply ignored all background noise to move closer to the large stone walls.My hand caressed the smooth stone of one door, feeling its coolness seep into my skin. It felt older than time, grandiose... like an ancient ruin would.A group of men forced the gatekeeper to hand over the key to the smaller wooden gate, only to be eaten by some sort of creature. Yeah... that was dumb.This was Illumi and his family... they'd probably waltz right through the unbelievably large gate like it was nothing. Well... I was about to watch it happen... my heart picked up its speed, as excitement filled me. I spun in place to look for the assassin, only to find him standing casually right behind me. Goosebumps crept over my skin once more, and I felt myself being absorbed into the voids of his eyes, the guide's voice sounded incredibly distant asking everyone to gather round to make the return trip.I remained frozen, only shaken when the voice drew closer. "You, two, back in the bus, please!"Illumi broke our staring contest to answer curtly that we'd stay. I patted his arm and added a cringy, "We're catching them, isn't that right?"Obviously used to bounty hunters, the guide simply shrugged and left. If I had been sitting, my leg would be bouncing with excitement... Since I wasn't, I simply watched the bus disappear into the curves back to the small town we had landed at. I just wanted to see Illumi open the fantastic gate.The gatekeeper respectfully bowed to the black-haired man, "Welcome home, Master Illumi."Illumi, however, ignored him completely to push the large slabs of stone, the gate incrementally smoothly opened up to the very top. He motioned for me to enter and when his hand left the gates, they automatically closed."Is it heavy?" My curiosity was something I couldn't stop."They're seven gates, the first two doors weigh four tons, they double the higher you go..." Illumi stated as he led the way."That's... huh... 256 tons?!" I gasped, obviously not able to keep the astonishment to myself. He merely nodded.We reached a young-looking woman who was guarding a smaller opening, she also bowed and welcomed Illumi back. Many people repeated the polite greetings to the assassin as we continued our climb to the very top of the mountain. We reached a massive manor at the very top. The first building we had seen was the butler's headquarters, the one right in front of us was at least six times larger. I deemed it safe to assume that this one was in fact the family's manor.I had spent my wows and gasps on the way, I had no words left to spout once we entered the mansion. Nothing I could come up with would do justice to the place. After crossing three doors, my eyes landed on a woman wearing a light pink bustle gown, a broad-brimmed matching hat with feathers and a weird visor thingy covering her eyes. Odd to be wearing a hat inside.In a heartbeat, she stood in front of us, as if I had missed every frame of her movement to approach us. I gulped, knowing she had to be incredibly powerful, more than all the butlers I had seen around combined.Her shrill voice greeted Illumi happily before her red blinking dot of a gaze landed on me, trailing my body from top to bottom. Not creepy at all.Illumi's voice sounded nearly bored, "Mother, this is Y/N."
Wait... WHAT?!?
Complete and utter shock coursed my veins, I managed to close my gaping mouth quickly to stare back at Illumi's mother. I forced a clueless smile to appear on my lips, as I tried my best to sound polite, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Y/N L/N. I must say that I simply adore your dress."I slightly bowed my head, mostly out of courtesy. She did the same, clearly amused with my quick recovery, "I'm Kikyo Zoldyck, it is also a pleasure... wait y/n... Y/N, the famous writer?" The screen of her visor glitched as her lips formed a soft 'o' shape."Yes... have you read my books?" My back straightened, feeling more confident with myself. This was known territory, I could almost ignore the fact that I was inside the infamous assassin family's mansion... or that I was in close vicinity with two of them..."I most certainly have! They are incredibly raw in the exposure of human nature... Filters are for the weak!" She rambled on, hands moving as she did.My smile widened, and I nodded along, looking for a small break in her speech to offer to sign her books. No such break appeared. In fact, I had been using the enhanced version of Zetsu ever since I had left Feitan's side. Just the smallest coat to look like a regular person... so when she drowned me in her violent aura, which exploded as if I had personally insulted her grandmother... Instinct took over, much like in the many months of training with Feitan, I increased the nen shrouding me, so I could protect myself.Her lips turned into the most wicked of smirks... God she was good. There goes my secret. I couldn't guess if I was in trouble since the visor covered her eyes.I rolled my eyes and arched an eyebrow at the lady of the house, waiting for the outcome of this silent exchange. Kikyo however simply shrugged and muttered "I like Y/N" under her breath. Her cold hands grabbed mine and dragged me deeper inside the huge mansion.The walls were richly adorned, gold was as abundant as silver and little precious stones locked within intricate sculptures. As if owning a whole mountain didn't show how rich they were..."So, Y/N, why are you here with my Illumi?" Kikyo asked, curiosity dripping from her. I could probably guess Illumi didn't bring people over often... Ah, what a pain."I have a debt to settle with him... by helping him with a job tomorrow..." I explained as we reached a beautiful balcony. She sat on a beautiful dark blue camelback sofa with intricate details in gold, which was nearly eclipsed by the sheer amount of fabric of her dress. My hands, finally finding themselves free, moved to my sides as I patted my dirty trousers, feeling incredibly out of place. I took a seat facing her, in a matching sofa with the colours reversed.I secretly wished I had enough monetary stability to arrange and maintain a house with similar decor... It would however be a pain to clean... and the thought of hiring people to have access to my house left me reticent."You are his pass to the Council's ball?" The council invited me? Well... My new book must be wrecking records. Instead of gasping in surprise and doing an embarrassing victory dance, I smiled politely and nodded. It was time to divert the attention back to the hostess, "You have a beautiful mansion, Mrs. Zoldyck."Smiling wide, she clapped her hands together before quickly correcting me. "You can call me Kikyo."
That was a friendly thing, right? A good sign... RIGHT?
"Oh, would you like me to sign your books?" I offered humbly, and she nodded excitedly before nodding to a butler-which I had not noticed-who seemed to understand exactly what she needed immediately. Illumi was nowhere to be seen and, honestly, leaving me to handle his mother was a very low move."Will you be staying the night?" She squirmed in her seat... Excited to have some company? Or perhaps someone to torture in the meantime?I wasn't sure if that was Illumi's plan... but he should've thought better than to leave me with his mother without a word! I'd rather get on the good side of the lady of the house. "If you don't mind my intrusion, of course, Mrs... oh... Kikyo.""I do not, obviously. It is interesting to have you here, Y/N." Interesting? That was not a good or friendly word. Was she amused? How much trouble was I in? I widened my smile, not willing to lose whatever game it was that I was playing."Thank you for your kindness, oh and if you wouldn't mind I wanted to use a computer to order a fitting attire for the party. I was travelling... I hadn't planned to attend, but alas-"Kikyo nodded, and the butler showed up again, carrying all my books as if it was nothing. Those were a lot of books, heavy books but sure. Why would anyone be normal in this place? The unfriendly looking man placed the books in front of me and handed me an expensive pen. Was there anything not expensive nearby?I started signing her books immediately, glad to have something to keep my hands from fidgeting."Were you travelling for your new book?" Ah, and the conversation had bounced back to be about me... Damn it."You could say so, I've been brainstorming ideas and seeing new places." Should I write a small dedication for Kikyo? Perhaps on the last book? Something along the way of me hoping to be good friends? Yep... yep..."How great... I can not wait for the next one~" She continued. I nodded back in response, finally done with signing the books. "Gotoh, walk Y/N to a guest room and arrange for a computer to be placed in it.""Yes, my lady." His voice was deep, and calm. "Please, follow me." Definitely colder when directed at me... I decided it was best to follow Kikyo's orders... What else was I to do in unknown territory? Gotoh led me through large stone corridors to a beautifully decorated room. It lacked some substance, some warmth, the small trinkets and forgotten things people leave laying about. He left only to come back carrying a laptop and installing it on the empty table on the right corner. I felt uncomfortable and watched him right until he bowed and left the room.When the door closed, I dashed to the computer, typing my way into a clothing store website and gathering information about the location of the ball. I had just picked something incredibly elegant and F/C, and inserted the address of the nearest airport to the venue, picking for it to be delivered an hour before the ball... when the door swung open to reveal Illumi."Ah, Illumi. I have to say... Great job leaving me alone with your mother."I hit confirm and stood up silently from the large mahogany desk, facing him in the dimly lit room. My soul felt like it was being sucked by simply staring at his dark eyes. I took a silent step, something Feitan had taught me, since he was always annoyed if I made any kind of noise. I forced my eyes to remain locked with his, tilting my head in curiosity.I wasn't going to lose the stare down... nor was I going to break and inquire about his presence in my room. I hoped he would somehow understand that.Was he angry that he hadn't noticed I had learnt nen? I had let my aura flow freely once it had been outed. Had he been startled? Hehe... if so... it felt good, to startle this unfeeling guy..."You." His voice didn't seem as indifferent as before, it was cooler. Someone was a biiit mad. That slight difference was really important, it meant he wasn't a machine. He was human and if I pushed the right buttons I'd get various reactions. The thing was... What did I want from this rich assassin boy? And how could I find what buttons to press?I left his statement hang in the air as I moved to sit on the edge of my bed, over a beautiful scarlet red bedspread. Oh, how comfortable... The luxury of a bed after sleeping on the floor. My gaze fell to my swinging feet, and I took note of my worn down sneakers, needing a replacement. I needed elegant shoes as well... Life was really hard with Feitan... Oh boy... I sure was going to be in trouble with him..."When did you learn Nen?" Ah... expected... It was best not to talk about the Phantom Troupe. Not that anyone was afraid of anyone but... They didn't seem to be on good terms."Started learning after the Christmas Ball. Why do you care?" I narrowed my eyes, focusing on Illumi and Illumi alone, the shifts in his expression were so minuscule that I had to fully focus to notice them. Was that a flinch? Was I seeing things that weren't there?"You weren't travelling, either. What were you doing in Meteor City?" I looked around the room, it sure felt like he was questioning me, but why...? What would he win with this knowledge? How could I answer without mentioning the Phantom Troupe? I shouldn't lie... he, too, was focused on me, ready to see through my bullshit."Why do you want to know? Is it important for your next job?" Diverting the conversation with questions wasn't gracious of me... Unable to meet his dark eyes, I made mine roam around, I saw his left foot moving lightly, he was probably shifting his weight to the left leg. What did that mean? Silence meant hesitation. So it wasn't about the job? Was it about Kikyo? She had whispered that she liked me when she realized that I could use Nen. What did she want from me? Why was Illumi the one questioning me?My confusion only grew... Just when I felt like I was unveiling something, I was startled with a knock on the door. I stared at Illumi, eyes meeting for a few seconds before I cleared my throat and answered. "Come in."Kikyo seemed like a child that managed to steal the entire cookie jar after seeing Illumi inside the room with me. Soon enough, she directed her attention to me. "Oh, dear Y/N, I came to help you choose your attire!""Oh, I'm sorry I already picked it..." Her head snapped to the computer, inspecting my choice meticulously from the distance... Could her visor enhance her vision? A polite but cold smile sprouted on her face."It is simply marvellous! Allow me to pay for it." Oh... that wasn't a good thing. Like hell would I be owing anything more to another Zoldyck.I got up to my feet and approached her, a cold smile on my lips as well as I dangerously tilted my head. "There's no need for that, Kikyo. You see, I have more than enough money to afford it."The window cracked when both of us released our auras."Oh, I know, but I really want to buy you something~". She took my hand and insisted, squeezing rather harshly. It was nothing. Nothing after the three months I had spent with Feitan. This pain was rather dull compared to any time the fucker got angry at me.Narrowing my eyes, I placed my hand on top of hers only to politely shake it off me. "Why would you want that? You're already allowing me to stay the night, that's enough."The red dot on the visor was shaking like crazy, almost glitching, the room felt heavier as tension grew, yet my smile didn't leave my lips, my eyes gazing her visor unwaveringly. "I see. You sure are an interesting one." Kikyo announced, clasping her hands together.I wouldn't crumble under the tension. No. I felt a thrill... the thrill of rebellion. I was not going to owe this woman money, never in my life. I learnt my lesson the first time.The argument was resolved when the computer screen cracked under the tension. She hummed loudly, finally accepting my refusal and turning to Illumi. "Forgive my interruption, do continue what you were doing." Her smile was still in place when she dashed out of the room.My whole body relaxed when the door closed behind her. A sigh left my lips as I returned to the edge of my bed, feeling the soft cushioning of the bed take my weight. No time to rest. My eyes moved from his feet to his face, "Your mother seems to have plans for me. What does she want?""What were you doing in Meteor City?""You don't want to ask that, why do you need to know?""Who taught you Nen?""Why am I in the Zoldyck Manor? I could've stayed somewhere else.""Did they teach you how to fight too?""Why don't you answer me first?" Rolling my eyes, I realized this was going nowhere. I would get no information if I gave no answers... and even if I did, there was no way he would return the favour. Whatever Kikyo wanted of me, I'd find out without Illumi's help. With that decided, I left the bed and moved to the bathroom door. "This seems really useless, so... Mind leaving? I want to have a bath."Three golden needles appeared in Illumi's hand. They weren't thrown at me, they simply spun between his fingers as if to calm his anger or nerves. "I will not leave until you answer."I considered answering for a while, but why would I? He didn't answer any of my questions... nor did he compromise by answering some. "Fine, stay then." I shrugged and started undressing. Anyone with the least bit of common sense would leave... right? I tossed my shirt aside and my hands roamed around the hem of my trousers, Illumi seemed to have no intention of going away. Such an annoying man, ugh...My trousers fell on the cold floor, next to my discarded sneakers, and I strode to the bathroom with all the calm I could muster. The bathroom was large, nearly the size of my living room back at home. The clawfoot bathtub was huge, and next to it several shelves with a myriad of products prodded from the wall. "Aaah... why are these people so rich..." I muttered while trying to figure out how to fill the bathtub."You wouldn't believe the price people are able to pay to take someone out of their lives."My heart tried to leap out of my body via throat, and I jumped around to find Illumi leaning against the doorframe. His lifeless eyes never leaving my face. "Fuck." Was I really sure Illumi was human? He didn't seem to be... "Are you going to stare at me during my bath?" I snapped back at him.He didn't seem too surprised, he merely blinked before using his joyful and absent-minded tone to shock me further. "If you do not answer me before bathing, yes."An exasperated sigh left my lips, but I abruptly pushed all my frustration away when I noticed him fidgeting with his needles, faster than a casual twirl... If the needles meant security and order... for him... The fast pace at which he was twirling them between his fingers had to mean he was thrown out of balance... right? It was hot... the way he twirled the fucking needles... his agile fingers keeping them all in movement... Fucking hell.I shook my head and decided to bet on my guess. "Might as well bathe with me then... How about it, Illumi?"He nearly dropped one of his needles, his fidgeting came to a complete halt. A victorious smile filled my lips when he shrugged away, closing the bathroom door behind him. At last, a win!×××I floated out of the bathtub, feeling like a new Y/N. I felt like kissing the beautiful tub for the amazing relaxation it had provided me. A genuine smile finally graced my face as I slid into a fluffy bathrobe and left the bathroom.My happiness was, however, cut short. Unfortunately, Illumi was sitting on the edge of my bed, back perfectly straight as he faced the bathroom door. How could someone sit on a bed and not look the tiniest bit comfortable?"Illumi." I tilted my head as if to greet him. As if he wasn't being incredibly rude to a guest. Was I a guest in this fucking manor? I sure hoped so..."Y/N." He returned the nod, and I sat next to him. Good lord, what a fluffy bed that was. I was going to have a good night of sleep. It had been far too long."Feitan's going to kill me..." I whispered, suddenly aware of how much trouble I was in, as I laid on the bed."Who's Feitan?" Illumi moved slightly to look at me. Not to take in my beautiful face... I had to remind myself. He wanted to make sure I wouldn't lie."What does your mother want?" A few minutes passed with both of us simply staring into each other's eyes. It would've been romantic, if he wasn't an assassin with the creepiest swirling black holes for eyes. The staring contest was surely less pleasant for me because of that.He closed his eyes for a while before finally answering. "She wants you to be a spouse option." If my eyes could pop out of their sockets, they would have... What the fuck? How could that be a thing? "Who's Feitan?""The man who taught me Nen." He nodded softly, finally getting some information out of me. "Why are you so interested in knowing what I've been doing?""Just assessing how dangerous you are. I also need to know what to tell mother to justify your ineligibility to be my spouse."His tone held no hostility, but I still narrowed my eyes at him. It was rude to consider me ill fitted. Thankfully, I didn't want to marry him, it was good that we were on the same page regarding that."Did he teach you how to fight?""Yes, do you plan to kill me if I'm proven to be dangerous?" I stretched my arms out in the bed, rolling around for a while before returning to the same spot. I suppressed a yawn, feeling the previous months weighting on me."Yes, what were you doing in Meteor City?" Well... that wasn't surprising. It was Illumi, of course he would kill me if he felt threatened by me..."Travelling with Feitan~... Why did you bring me here?""You seemed different, well now I know you're a nen user. What are your abilities?" My lips stretched wildly, wasn't that a big question?"Wouldn't you like to know, Illumi?" I was saved by the light knock on the door. Was the universe granting me these small moments to compensate for my lack of luck as of late? "Yes?"Gotoh entered the room quietly, carefully placed clean clothes on the mattress before announcing dinner was going to be served in 15 minutes and leaving. "I guess we could continue this conversation later. Can you please leave this room?"He nodded and I thanked all the saints. As soon as he left I rummaged through the clothes Gotoh had left for me. It was a beautiful F/C frilly attire... I wasn't sure it would look good on me... It would have to do. I started to wonder why they had gone for the regal cut and frills, but quickly passed it off as necessary dress code for a dinner with the infamous assassin family.I made sure to finish all my purchases for the Council's Party. I left the room to find a butler waiting for me, ready to lead me to the dining room, I supposed. The older man had a blank expression and wore the same attire as every other butler I had seen within the Zoldyck estate. I could feel that he was a good nen user... Just not as good as Illumi, Feitan, Chrollo, Kikyo and also Franklin.Two large doors with dragons painted over them opened for me and the grey haired butler. He showed me where to sit and backed off to stand right behind me. Kikyo was already sitting on the table, a small black-haired kid with a cute haircut, wearing a dark kimono was sitting beside her, Illumi soon entered the room talking to an old looking man with a long white beard, white spiky hair and a weird saying hanging on his clothes. The old man seemed to inspect me with his gaze, before sitting next to me and smiling. I smiled back, politeness above all. Illumi sat in front of me. All the butlers that were playing statues seconds ago quickly started serving dinner. The silence continued, only broken by the sound of soup being skilfully placed on the plates.I waited for everyone to start eating to do the same. I was almost finishing the richly flavoured soup when Kikyo finally broke the awkward silence. "Oh, I wish Silva was here, Y/N is just sooo interesting!"A meek smile stretched my lips as a response to her. What the fuck did she mean with interesting? Marrying Illumi was a no-no! On a more important note, I did not want to be killed for being rude, soo... Maybe not the best time to display my displeasure. I wasn't sure what to make of myself. Who was Silva? What should I do? I begged Illumi for help with a disgraced look that he simply ignored. The piece of shit.Well, I was left to the wolves... would rather die than marry one. "Oh my, Kikyo you are even more interesting. Talking about interesting people..." I turned to face the old man, "You also seem very interesting.""You mean powerful?" The old man snickered, obviously amused with my lack of good sense. Well, this was a dangerous situation alright, why I was trying not to make it worse? With that thought in mind, I smirked."Yes, a very powerful old man. Nice to meet you, something Zoldyck I assume?" I questioned as my smile widened."That's right. I'm Zeno, Zeno Zoldyck." The empty soup plates were taken away, new delicious looking food was spread along the long white marble table."Illumi's Grandfather, I assume?" Zeno's beautiful blue eyes seemed to shine, he was having fun and honestly, so far, he seemed like the sanest of the Zoldyck."What makes you say that? I could be his father..." The smirk plastered on my face didn't falter with his playful response, and I narrowed my eyes to not let myself drown in the huge sea of his gaze."My guess is that Silva is Kikyo's husband and Illumi's father. Mostly because there's an empty chair on the top of the table opposite to her. Also, you seemed to ignore each other, and that's not very married-like." I replied."Ohoh, all that to say I'm too old to be Illumi's father without insulting me? Mhm, you seem to be holding up just fine." While dining with assassins. I completed his thought for him. Haaa.... I was fucked. Zeno's gaze left me and landed on Kikyo only to agree with her stance. "You're right, Y/N is indeed interesting."Fuuuuuuck. Illumi was glaring daggers at me, one of his eyebrows arched and subtly twitching, as if asking me what the hell was I doing. I obviously shrugged because, in all honesty, I did not know what I was doing. A sigh left my lips, giving up on all the hopes I had of leaving this place alive."Well, I do seem to have a soft side for dangerous people." Literally! What had my life become? I was having dinner with the most renowned assassin family, I had met at least three members from the infamous Phantom Troupe, and I was probably going to meet more... If I ever returned to complete my training with Feitan.I gently grabbed the fork and started eating silently, Kikyo and Zeno were paying attention to everything I did, Illumi was probably losing his mind, trying to find a way to make me look less of a marriage option. The only one eating and not caring at all was the cute looking kid with black hair and a kimono. Thank goodness."So... what is Y/N doing here?" Zeno asked, only to be fed all the information by Kikyo, who was ecstatic at the interest the old man was showing. She started by my current occupation as an incredibly famous writer, detailed how I had responded adequately to her Nen test, and finished with the actual reply to his question, that I was going to help Illumi with a job.Zeno just left a surprised "oooh" leave his mouth."And Illumi brought Y/N here! So it means he is probably interested, right, my son?" Kikyo beamed her shiny smile at Illumi, who was taken aback by everything."That is not correct, mother." Illumi tried to debate and hold back all the adoration Kikyo seemed to have for me. But before explaining his stance, a very, very muscular man with long white hair who was somehow facing Kikyo, sitting on the other edge of the table, interrupted. When had that man come in?!"Is this Illumi's future spouse?" I assumed he was Silva, and that he probably had entered during Kikyo's detailed explanation. How had I not noticed him? How was no one else surprised by this? My hand gently landed on my forehead, feeling myself go down the drain with the question."If you don't mind me answering, sir, it seems that Illumi doesn't see me as a person."I'm something to be used. "It simply seems to me that marriage isn't really fitting of our current situation." I mumbled, my eyes landing on his, as blue as Zeno's. His feline-like stare had my spine shivering. Savage. Unfiltered power. That's what exuded off him. I just knew, there was no such thing as reasoning with this man. He wasn't like the old man. Already discouraged, I was deciding between holding his stare for longer or shying away from it."Hmmm... Interesting." FUCK WHY DID I... My eyes widened, my heart started beating out of rhythm and I took a deep breath. Well, what more could I do to bury myself deeper? Oh! I could start picking wedding dresses! WHY WERE THESE PEOPLE SO UNREASONABLE? "Y/N will make a good spouse for Illumi, well thought, dear wife."My gaze trailed back to Illumi, that ever since his father's statement seemed to just accept it. WHERE WAS HIS WILL TO FIGHT??! DID HE LOSE IT?!??!!? UGH! Offering him an eye roll, I just focused on eating, since every time I spoke the situation got worse. Should I just say no?Somehow, we were already eating dessert. I had been spacing out. I hadn't enjoyed this dinner as I was planning to. "N- Y/N? What do you think?" Kikyo's voice awakened me from my dormant state."Excuse me? What do I think about what?" She just laughed, unbothered by my lack of attention. What a controlling woman, she was probably a manipulator too."About marrying our Illumi, of course!"My lips stretched, matching her smile, before I heard my monotone reply. "I'd rather not to."At that moment, all I thought was that if I survived, I needed to start taking drugs like crazy, so I could start blaming everything on them. The room's temperature dropped. I really went and threw polite out the window... how else could they get my point, though? If I was killed by these people it would be quick, that was a good thing, I could already picture Feitan torturing me if I found him too late. Maybe dying here wouldn't be that bad.I took a deep breath and looked up from my empty plate to Illumi. His mask had cracked, and he was donning a full look of surprise, arched eyebrows, wide eyes, slightly open mouth... Huh... so he did show emotion, that was good to know. My lips stretched at that thought, and I diverted my eyes to take in the rest of the room. Kikyo was in awe, Silva was frozen, the young little girl had dropped her fork and Zeno was trying to hold his laughter.I was about to roll my eyes at the older Zoldycks reaction when all the glasses cracked under the pressure of Silva's unbelievably strong aura that had seemingly blasted out of nowhere. My instincts made my aura coat my body in a thick layer as I moved to look back at Silva.My gut was telling me to run, I couldn't even dream of grabbing a weapon. Nothing would work against him. You know you're in real danger when your instincts kick in. Mine were yelling at me to run away, which I did as soon as I saw Silva disappear from his seat, I leapt to Illumi's side with all my might.He had underestimated me. Feitan was a fast fucker, so I had caught up quickly on how to dodge out of the way. Silva would be faster next time, though, and I couldn't handle such speeds yet. My quick response gave him pause. Oh dear Hades, these people really knew how to fire me up to become stronger, but I WISHED THEY DIDN'T. I was about to give my last prayers to Hel... and maybe even Hades... so I'd have a good reception as soon as Silva took my life when-"Father, I need Y/N for a job. Can you do it afterwards?" Can you delay this a bit?" A bit? Why not delay it forever? Cancel it. Abort the mission! Speechless, I stared at Illumi, wondering if I should kiss him for saving me or hit him for not standing up to his father instead... This was just delaying my sentence since I wouldn't find Feitan on time. Why was life so hard?"Yes, please, delay it a bit. You can also not do it at all, since as soon as I find my mentor, he'll punish me for missing my training. No need for you to dirty your hands when he'll gladly kill me." I blabbed on to calm myself down. The high pitch was mostly because I couldn't call Feitan my mentor with a straight face. Silva seemed to understand that I should help his son before perishing and sat quietly back on his seat.Done with this insanely tense dinner, I stared at Kikyo and with a calm smile I justified my departure. "It seems the mood here is rather tense, and I already finished eating, so if you'll excuse me, I'll go first." One of the butlers started moving to show me the way, it wasn't his fault, but I shot him down rather harshly. "Don't trouble yourselves, I'll find my way back to the room."Did I look cool walking out of that dining room? I hoped so. Even if that wasn't the case since I was wearing a cute F/C frilly outfit. Well... The badass moments don't choose the badass outfits.I roamed around until a different butler found me and led me to my room. There were silk F/C pyjamas neatly folded over the bed. Did they know it was my favourite colour? Maybe Kikyo knew it... I changed and laid on the bed. Such softness, I really missed sleeping on a bed for a change. Aaah, maybe all that Feitan needed to cure his bad mood was a really comfortable bed...×××I woke up with someone roughly shaking me. I rolled around groaning, "Ugh Fei~ Just more 5 minu...""I'm afraid it's not Feitan, Y/N." In a split of a second, I jumped out of bed, wiped some drool off my face with my sleeve, as I lost balance and landed disgracefully on the floor. A deep breath left me as I laid there, thinking about the ridiculousness of the ordeal.A subtle "ouch.." left my lips, when I sat, looking at the man who had woken me up. There he stood, wearing a beautiful black suit to match his long black hair, neatly tied behind his back. His dark ominous gaze on me, his face showing nothing but blankness. I thanked the gods, I didn't want to see Illumi laughing his ass off in this situation."Looking beautiful Illumi, what time is it?" I sarcastically spouted, my humour in the morning was certainly not the best, as I prompted myself up. A full body stretch after, a habit I had learnt to dutifully follow after months of sleeping on the floor, I opened my eyes. Illumi had an eyebrow arched at me, and I tilted my head in pure confusion."It's four in the morning, I need you to do something." Rage filled me as I stared at the tall man in disbelief, an eyebrow twitching madly. Why would someone wake me at four a.m.?"I don't bury bodies, sorry..." Jumping on the bed, I rolled back into the warm blankets."We have to leave in half an hour to get there on time, and I need you to put the lenses on me." Pushing my blankets over my head, I just groaned."Ask your butlers to do it, they did the ponytail perfectly!" My plans for the future? Getting a bed this comfortable and marrying it. Illumi pulled the covers away from me, throwing them to the other corner of the room. I guessed he too wasn't very compliant in the mornings, huh."They couldn't do it. Dress yourself... We ARE leaving in 30 minutes." Could my eyes roll so hard that I managed to see my brain? I could probably find that out if I dared to spent more time with Illumi. Haha. His pale hands placed a small box on mine, and he levelled his height to mine, so I could apply the lenses easily.Who would've guessed I'd be doing this a second time? My life was not going the way I planned, my life wasn't going well at all.  ×××
Next Chapter:
There are two versions of the next chapter. One in which Y/N is wearing a dress and other in which Y/N is wearing a suit. You can, of course, pick whichever you like (the plot is the same)! 
Click here for Dress Version

Click here for Suit Version

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I ended up following Illumi's orders, much to my chagrin. I got up, slid into the frilly outfit I had worn for dinner, and embarked with him into a small airship. I sighed, the butler said that the trip would take about 6 hours... We still had to stop by a hotel, so I could get changed... So much wasted time... Feitan would kill me if he knew I was simply resting on a zeppelin.I took a look around the cabin, spotted some pillows on the corners of the large sofa like seats. I could sleep there. Would Illumi be mad? My gaze landed on him, sitting with his back perfectly straight, no bags under his eyes, no yawns or tired sighs... He simply stared outside, in a beautiful and terrifying stillness.Honestly, fuck this. A good thought. A great thought even. I laid on the soft seat and adjusted the pillows to maximize my comfort. Illumi wouldn't kill me in my sleep just yet, after all, he needed me for the Council's party.I had to enjoy it while I could... If Feitan didn't kill me, I'd go back to sleeping on the floor soon enough. I closed my eyes."I still have some questions, Y/N." Illumi returned to the conversation we had before dinner right away.I didn't open my eyes, I simply sighed and mumbled softly, I knew he would listen no matter how low I spoke. "I'll start, can you please tell me about your Nen abilities?" I shifted around a bit to find a good position to fall asleep, there was a big pause before he answered."No, that would put me at a disadvantage." His annoyingly carefree voice almost made me snap, but I kept my composure."Good. That is my answer to your question." The next silence told me I was absolutely right and with a victorious sigh, I drifted to a peaceful sleep.×××Nothing much happened on the way to the hotel, I checked in and Illumi followed me inside the small room. I stared at him, scowling, he was seriously such a clueless man. "Illumi, get your gentleman Damien Redthorne persona out and understand that I need to change."It took him a few seconds until he realized that he had to leave the room. Facepalming at his delay, I wondered how a person could be both a clueless dumbass and a highly skilled assassin. When the white wooden door closed behind him, I grabbed the bags I had picked up in the way and quickly slid into the beautiful F/C ball dress. My hands reached for the zip on the back, except they didn't make it, not the first time nor the next 50 times I desperately tried.Giving up wasn't something I particularly enjoyed. My eyes rolled as I moved to open the door to find Illumi leaning against the opposite wall."Help me with the zip, dear Damien." I dryly smiled, my head in pure agony as I thought that I should've picked an elastic dress with no zip. The man in the navy blue dinner suit simply nodded and walked inside, the colour was rather mysterious since when he woke me up it seemed black, but who was I to question my colour distinguishing abilities?I unintentionally slammed the door shut. I needed to consider my strength... My hands clasped the soft tissue of my gown, it was beautiful, the skirt part had three layers and the top one was of a transparent with silvery floral patterns. When the light hit it right, the silver switched to gold, it was mesmerizing. I felt Illumi's cold hands nearby, one grabbed the zip and the other gently clasped the cloth nearby, the next five seconds seemed like centuries as he pulled the zip up.The sound of the zip was the only thing breaking the silence, I felt my dress perfectly fit me from the bottom of my back to the top. Some unavoidable shivers went up my spine as I exhaled deeply. That moment made me realize that even though my love life was non-existent, there were some sparks for the wrong people that shouldn't be happening.When he stepped away from me, the curse lifted, and I adjusted the v-neckline, smoothly pulling up and checking the off-shoulder straps. Everything was perfect, from the colour to the fit. The money I had spent on it was worth it.I turned around to search for my comb to see Illumi standing there, expressionless and silent. Tilting my head, I wondered why he was like this, before thinking too much, I ordered, "Find me a comb please."In a second, he was staring around, searching for it. Huh, so he was actually useful, that was great.Grabbing some hairpins with charming silvery white flowers on them, I saw Illumi handing me a small comb. "Thank you." His eyes seemed unbelievably real, someone had picked just the right colour, it seemed to shift between blue, grey, and green. The lenses gave him such a singular and whimsical look. I felt myself smile at him while using the comb to sort out my hair and adding the hairpins to hold some pieces in place, making sure I looked extra fancy."Illumi, you improved your Damien Redthorne character, I'm pleasantly surprised." I spouted as I put on gorgeous silvery white high-heeled shoes, I obviously picked something I was comfortable with and made with expensive materials for my comfort. Not because I'd wear them for long, but because I'd probably need to run or something like that."You improved your social facet too. You went from odd extravagant to savage extravagant." I casually put the comb and plastic wrappers in the shopping bags to throw away when I left, before thanking him."Should we go now?" I questioned, my impatient and curious self couldn't wait to see who'd get murdered, as I hadn't asked."Actually, we should arrive late, let's have dinner first." Oh, so he did have a plan, I wondered what it would be like... Aaah...~"Sure, do you want to order room service or want to go out?""Room service." He quickly replied, before sitting on the bed and staring at me, expecting me to do all the work.I clicked my tongue and grabbed the phone on the bedside table. I wouldn't ask what he wanted, fuck him. I ordered some pasta with shrimps for two, Illumi didn't voice his displeasure with my choice... Deep inside... I had hoped he was allergic to shrimp... I wanted to quickly end both this dinner and the ball, so I could go back to hunting down Feitan. Also, not to be indebted to Illumi sounded like heaven to my ears.×××
Next Chapter:

To skip the suit version - and proceed to the next logical chapter - click here.

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I ended up following Illumi's orders, much to my chagrin. I got up, slid into the frilly outfit I had worn for dinner, and embarked with him into a small airship. I sighed, the butler said that the trip would take about 6 hours... We still had to stop by a hotel, so I could get changed... So much wasted time... Feitan would kill me if he knew I was simply resting on a zeppelin.I took a look around the cabin, spotted some pillows on the corners of the large sofa like seats. I could sleep there. Would Illumi be mad? My gaze landed on him, sitting with his back perfectly straight, no bags under his eyes, no yawns or tired sighs... He simply stared outside, in a beautiful and terrifying stillness.Honestly, fuck this. A good thought. A great thought even. I laid on the soft seat and adjusted the pillows to maximize my comfort. Illumi wouldn't kill me in my sleep just yet, after all, he needed me for the Council's party.I had to enjoy it while I could... If Feitan didn't kill me, I'd go back to sleeping on the floor soon enough. I closed my eyes."I still have some questions, Y/N." Illumi returned to the conversation we had before dinner right away.I didn't open my eyes, I simply sighed and mumbled softly, I knew he would listen no matter how low I spoke. "I'll start, can you please tell me about your Nen abilities?" I shifted around a bit to find a good position to fall asleep, there was a big pause before he answered."No, that would put me at a disadvantage." His annoyingly carefree voice almost made me snap, but I kept my composure."Good. That is my answer to your question." The next silence told me I was absolutely right and with a victorious sigh, I drifted to a peaceful sleep.×××Nothing much happened on the way to the hotel, I checked in and Illumi followed me inside the small room. I stared at him, scowling, he was seriously such a clueless man. "Illumi, get your gentleman Damien Redthorne persona out and understand that I need to change."It took him a few seconds until he realized that he had to leave the room. Facepalming at his delay, I wondered how a person could be both a clueless dumbass and a highly skilled assassin. When the white wooden door closed behind him, I grabbed the bags I had picked up in the way and quickly slid into the beautiful black f/c pants, followed by a matching button up and a long f/c overcoat. My hands reached for the tie. It didn't come out as expected, not the first time nor the next 50 times I desperately tried.Giving up wasn't something I particularly enjoyed. My eyes rolled as I moved to open the door to find Illumi leaning against the opposite wall."Help me with the zip, dear Damien." I dryly smiled, my head in pure agony as I thought that I should've picked a pre-made tie... maybe a clip-on even. The man in the navy blue dinner suit simply nodded and walked inside, the colour was rather mysterious since when he woke me up it seemed black, but who was I to question my colour distinguishing abilities?I unintentionally slammed the door shut. I needed to consider my strength... I clasped at the soft tissue of my thick overcoat, it was beautiful, the buttons were incredibly elaborate and handmade, sewn with sparkly silver line. I felt Illumi's cold hands, one grabbed the collar of my shirt and the other gently clasped the soft tie, the next five seconds seemed like centuries as he knotted the tie perfectly.The sound of the fabric shuffling was the only thing breaking the silence, I felt it tighten slightly around my neck. Some unavoidable shivers went up my spine as I exhaled deeply. That moment made me realize that even though my love life was non-existent, there were some sparks for the wrong people that shouldn't be happening.When he stepped away from me, the curse lifted, and I adjusted the tightness, smoothing out the tie on my torso. Everything was perfect, from the colour to the fit. The money I had spent on it was worth it.I turned around to search for my comb to see Illumi standing there, expressionless and silent. Tilting my head, I wondered why he was like this, before thinking too much, I ordered, "Find me a comb please."In a second, he was staring around, searching for it. Huh, so he was actually useful, that was great.I saw Illumi handing me a small comb. "Thank you." His eyes seemed unbelievably real, someone had picked just the right colour, it seemed to shift between blue, grey, and green. The lenses gave him such a singular and whimsical look. I felt myself smile at him while using the comb to sort out my hair and touching up with a few accessories to hold some pieces in place, making sure I looked extra fancy."Illumi, you improved your Damien Redthorne character, I'm pleasantly surprised." I spouted as I put on gorgeous silvery white dress shoes, I obviously picked something I was comfortable with and made with expensive materials for my comfort. Not because I'd wear them for long, but because I'd probably need to run or something like that."You improved your social facet too. You went from odd extravagant to savage extravagant." I casually put the comb and plastic wrappers in the shopping bags to throw away when I left, before thanking him."Should we go now?" I questioned, my impatient and curious self couldn't wait to see who'd get murdered, as I hadn't asked."Actually, we should arrive late, let's have dinner first." Oh, so he did have a plan, I wondered what it would be like... Aaah...~"Sure, do you want to order room service or want to go out?""Room service." He quickly replied, before sitting on the bed and staring at me, expecting me to do all the work.I clicked my tongue and grabbed the phone on the bedside table. I wouldn't ask what he wanted, fuck him. I ordered some pasta with shrimps for two, Illumi didn't voice his displeasure with my choice... Deep inside... I had hoped he was allergic to shrimp... I wanted to quickly end both this dinner and the ball, so I could go back to hunting down Feitan. Also, not to be indebted to Illumi sounded like heaven to my ears.

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Dinner with Illumi was silent and awkward. Not that I had expected it to be different. My understanding of him improved with the amount of time spent with him. He'd only talk or fake kindness if he had something to win with those actions. He would rather sit in silence than waste time with idle chat. It seemed like he had his mind set, and he knew what he wanted. Which only made me more curious of his motives, his goals... It seemed fitting that just when I found the answer for his silence, a few more questions would pop up. How great. Once we were both done with our meal, Illumi stood up and walked out. I stared blankly at the open door before thinking that perhaps he'd like me to follow him. I hurried behind him to the car, and the ride to the ball felt much quicker than it should've been. I wondered if my nerves had anything to do with the way time seemed to contract.The moment the car came to a halt, Illumi was stepping out, his posture perfect and his manners pristine as he walked around the car, and reached for the door handle on my side to open it. I didn't feel ready for the fake smiles and contrived conversations, so I took the time to close my eyes and take a deep breath. My aura quieted down into a gentle flow, and I relaxed further. I always did this breathing exercise before fight practice, Feitan seemed to agree that a clear mind made better decisions, so he had always waited for me to complete my little ritual... Thinking about Feitan reminded me that the 24-hour deadline was probably over by now, and that I should start searching for him as soon as possible.It took me a few seconds to take the hand Illumi was offering me, a smile growing on my face as I started my act. I blinked twice once out of the car, blinded by the bright lights, a myriad of bodyguards stood alert on each side of the carpet, one of them bowed and offered to accompany us to the entrance. Huh, the Council's party sure was over the top. As I wondered who had invited me, I slipped my arm around Illumi's, letting it rest there. Massive doors opened for us, only to close as soon as we passed them. Well... at least they were putting up a wealthy show. Two good-looking butlers, whose faces crinkled in disdain at our lateness, stood in front of us, guarding the next set of far too large doors. Why had we arrived late? What was the plan? I smiled apologetically, and one of them opened the guest list, "Y/N L/N?""Yes, that's me. I'm truly sorry for the delay, you wouldn't believe what happened-." The butlers' eyes grew dull, and I noticed two round protuberances right in the middle of their foreheads, I gapped and turned to stare at Illumi, whose face betrayed nothing. "Do not write our names in the guest book. In 2 hours, you'll kill yourselves." His voice was low and smooth. I couldn't help but blink aggressively as they bowed respectfully and opened the doors for us. Who was the target? Why was I getting an eerie feeling about all this? Regret washed over me for not asking who the target was. There was nothing else to do but to smile, as if Illumi didn't order two people to commit suicide in two hours, and greet all the fancy people, who came to me expressing their love for my writing. After a million smiles, greetings, shaking hands, bowing and even hugging some excited but filthy rich fans, I was thankful for having my arm being held by Illumi, as he was supporting most of my weight. "I thank the gods for the gentleman that Damien Redthorne is..." I muttered as Illumi and I finally got rid of the huge greeting crowd. Illumi smiled, nothing too flashy, just a lift of the corners of his lips. I wondered if he thought my sarcasm was funny, or if it was simply what he thought a gentleman would do.Suddenly, there was a round of applause and I saw some old men waving and tilting their champagne glasses at people, so those were the Council people, interesting. One of them, a white grizzly haired man, spotted me in the crowd and smiled, before happily advancing to meet me. Fuck!I barely knew the names of anyone in the Council. I gave a pleading stare to Illumi who seemed to be surprised at my lack of knowledge before leaning forward and whispering unnecessarily close to my ear, "Quentin Hargreave." Keeping my act, I gently slapped Illumi's chest as I chuckled lowly, the man was almost reaching us and Illumi reacted with a nonchalant shrug."Y/N L/N! I am a huge fan!" Mr. Hargreave offered me his hand, and I took it, only to be surprised as he lowered himself to place a kiss on my S/C knuckles. Keep your act Y/N, do not slap this old man. Keep your act! Forcing a smile as Mr. Hargreave looked at me seductively, I discreetly tapped Illumi's arm to ask for help. "Oh, Mr. Hargreave it is an honour to know you read my books." His smile widened as he stepped closer."Please, call me Quentin, haha... And it is a delight to finally meet the beautiful mind behind such plots." Ok, that was it, I pinched Illumi who was clearly ignoring my pleads and he, finally, slid the arm that had been around mine to my waist, before pulling me closer and smiling politely to Mr. Hargreave. Thank fucking Zeus! "Mr. Hargreave, it is a pleasure to meet you, I'm Y/N's spouse, Damien Redthorne." As his right arm was on my waist, he glided to the right switching his right arm with his left one before offering his hand to the man. Smooth, just smooth, Illumi was a great escort when he was playing Damien. I also let my arm rest around his waist, mostly to make the old man leave. His aura was too sticky and disgusting ever, and I had noticed it darken as son as he had set his eyes on me. I couldn't help but shiver with the proximity."Damien Redthorne, I see. Well, I'll just have to steal Y/N from you~ Haha." I wondered if the cold blue lenses weren't as good as his void black eyes in intimidation before Mr. Hargreave's voice cracked, "f-for a sp-speech obviously, a-a writer is ... huh... good with words! So, why not g-give a speech?" Was it to bad to wish that Illumi's target was Mr. Hargreave? I had to force my eyes not to roll at his behaviour. A buzz started from afar and a few people dropped to the floor, a few of the waiters started stabbing people and suddenly screams were all I could here as chaos broke out. I looked around only to realize Illumi was no longer next to me, but swiftly killing every single person he came across. When had he thrown the pins to the waiters? Was it when I was busy greeting people? Ugh! I sure was the perfect cover. Quentin Hargreave was still in front of me, ignoring the screams with a disgusted look. His eyes shone dangerously as he too noticed that Illumi had left my side.His hand closed around my arm tightly, and he yanked me with him. Surprised with the turn of events, I followed... If I had it right, it seemed like Illumi wanted to kill everyone in this building. It'd make sense not to want our names in the records if that was the case.As screams and screeches echoed around me, I took out the knife Feitan made me keep in myself at all times. The blade was smooth from the tip to about halfway, and from there on it sported a serrated design. It looked like something the military would use, not that it mattered, Illumi was busy killing everyone. The waiters and butlers didn't last too long and now Illumi had to finish the job, his needles flew as he recruited more people to continue his killing. It was incredibly efficient to split his workload like that.That left me to deal with this weird old man by myself.Rolling my eyes, I broke the man's arm, only to hear him creepily laugh instead of cowering away, and my instinct told me to kill this man before he could pull a trick out of his sleeve. My common sense told me not to, but as I saw him pull a gun from his pocket... My body moved on its own. I leaped behind him and slit his throat, mostly out of habit, as my fights with Feitan only ended when the knife was pressed against someone's neck.And that was it. He was dead. That quickly. Human life was that fragile. I had killed someone, yet I felt no guilt. It was horrible, this feeling of indulgence, I stared at Mr. Hargreave's body in horror and awe. His blood abandoned him quickly, and I was terrified by my own actions. I really went and killed someone. What path was I going down? Was it worth it? I glanced around, emptiness filling my heart that seemed to be slow on the beats, why wasn't I panicking over killing someone? Why was I oddly calm and collected?There were a dozen people left, and the bodyguards entered the room by force as the bodies of the two butlers who were guarding the doors fell behind them. Every single one of them would be killed by Illumi, or someone controlled by Illumi anyway. I needed to make myself useful, as my destiny wasn't decided yet. As for all these other people on the corner, shivering, crying for their lives, death was inevitable. No matter the wealth they could offer Illumi. I looked at Mr. Hargreave's gun, took a deep breath and grabbed it. I could try something new. A Y/N special, something I had been thinking about... One of my books was about gangsters and one of them had a very special skill, he always hit the target. I had never tried using nen this way, but it was worth the shot. I took a deep breath and another gun appeared in my left hand, it was just like I had pictured for my book. I looked at it in awe before focusing on the task at hand. The character, Loki, was a lefty, so I had to use it on my left hand, I dropped Hargreave's useless gun and closed my eyes before pressing the trigger. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.There were only seven bullets in Loki's gun and I opened my eyes to see seven of the ten bodyguards fall to the ground. I was so going to hell, I was sooooooooo going to hell!Illumi made the three bodyguards left his puppets with a hand flick and this time I paid close attention, I saw the needles dig through the flesh and instead of adverting my E/C eyes I admired his skill and nen ability. With the help of the bodyguards, the dozens of people were reduced to none in three or four minutes. I walked next to my seven victims, only to see all my shots landed exactly in the middle of their foreheads, Loki was such a badass, I should write a sequel with him as my main character.
Waait... Just how insane did I become? What was I thinking while staring at these poor people, they were doing their jobs, it wasn't as if they were the targets, they just got in the way. Somehow hot tears flowed down my face, the old man's fate was decided but these seven people, they were mere pawns in a bigger game. Just like me, a pawn in a game. I tried to stop my sobs to no avail, I just had to let it all out until there were no more tears left to spill. I watched as a blurry Illumi approached me, holding his needles and fiddling with them."You're dangerous, Y/N." Was my fate being decided? These strong people deciding fates for others were so unfair. But what could I do? A hiccup left my lips and I sobbed harder. OH! Oh my goodness... "Oh! I am so dumb!" Illumi tilted his head, in pure confusion. "I could've aimed for you. One of the seven bullets had to hit you, if not the seven." And just as they had come, my tears dried up as frustration overtook me. Frustration at my own fucking stupidity. I was thinking about making myself useful instead of beating the person who will continue to force me until he thinks I am no longer of use. My mindset was wrong to begin with. I shouldn't get stronger to be useful to this man, I should do it to beat him."AAAAH! STUUUUUUUUPID... NOW YOU KNOW THIS ABILITY SO YOU'LL BE ON THE WATCHOUT AAAH IT WAS SUCH A GOOD ONE!" I fell on my knees, I had so much rage but no way to get rid of it. Because it was all my fault. I didn't need to be useful if I was stronger than him... How had I failed to realise it? "Are you going to kill me because I'm dangerous?" I didn't know if my ability would work, if it failed, and I had the gun aimed at Illumi I would've been fucked. My E/C eyes widened at the realization I wasn't that dumb after all! It was only for some seconds before I induced some fake sniffs and sobs to make sure he didn't realise that I wasn't self-loading any more.He was thinking about killing me, no doubt. Illumi didn't have to answer for me to know.A window shattered behind me, and I turned quickly to see a dark figure dodge Illumi's needles effortlessly while landing on the floor. His black hair was dishevelled from the fall, and when his cold grey eyes met mine, I knew I was in trouble, his tongue clicked."Tsk, Idiiot y/n... What are you do?" Followed by a string of curses in another language.Shit shit shit... Feitan walked towards us, his rage visibly pouring out of his body. My eyes trailed back to Illumi. His ponytail was messy now, there was blood both on his face and his beautiful suit, he looked unbelievably hot, and I couldn't help but to feel that if he had no ice blue contacts on, I would've fallen for him. His void like eyes were an interesting part of him, and I started to hate those blue lenses, even if they were nailed on Feitan, who was approaching. Not that I could hear or feel him, I just knew. I felt sick, knowing this wasn't going to be good. Not at all. I immediately stood up and spun on my feet, facing Feitan who surprised me by being a few centimetres away.I jumped back, before smiling awkwardly. "Heeey~ Long time no see... Haha..."Feitan's silver eyes were picking a target, me or Illumi. Eventually they landed on me. Trouble, I was in deeep trouble."Idiot." Oh no, his voice was calm, "Day passed, what you doing?" He stepped forward, I scurried back, getting closer to Illumi while running from Feitan. What had I done to deserve this!?"Not... looking for you?" The short man narrowed his eyes and disappeared, my right arm twisted, and I flew to the nearest wall. If I wasn't so used to these sneaky attacks, I would've died. My feet landed against the wall, knees bent to take in the impact, and the entire wall cracked under the strength the bastard had used. My shoes had sun in so deeply I had to leave them there before jumping to the floor. "Feii~ That was mean!""I want kill you, fucking useless." He muttered as his hand surrounded my arm forcefully, and I was dragged away from Illumi. He seemed to stand there dumbfounded. Maybe he didn't care for what was happening... It'd be good for him if Feitan killed me, less work... I came back to my senses outside the building as Feitan decided to stop abruptly. "Fei... those were some very expensive shoes..." I was about to keep rambling when he shut me up with the fiercest look. He was scary. I remained quiet, waiting for him to finally unleash the chains holding him back and scold me like the wild beast he was.Unfortunately, his tone was calm and cold, letting me know I was probably already dead. "You... fucking idiot. I no kill you now. I kill you with training."I froze in place, perhaps it would be better to go back and beg Illumi to kill me, quickly and painlessly. Would he still be there? Would he even kill me? He had watched me use my powers successfully only to follow it with a mental breakdown because I could've killed him instead... He had to be thinking I was crazy. Maybe I was... Was I?I followed Feitan in silence, he kept on walking and walking, not caring that I wasn't wearing any shoes. Nor that what I was wearing was meant to be pretty, not functional and comfortable for long periods of time. I wished I had got clothing for walking long distances... He didn't do the usual pause for sleep, I was getting tired, I had had a bad day. I went through an entire rollercoaster of emotions, I was scolded, I was being deprived of sleep and the last thing I had eaten was when me and Illumi ordered some food at the hotel. Was he going to starve me too? I was so not surviving this training. My feet burnt and felt every pebble on the way sinking in. My eyes were heavy, every time I blinked, they remained closed more and more time, yet Feitan didn't slow down his pace nor did he stop so we could get some rest.Why was he so mad at me anyway? It wasn't like I could control when Illumi came and decided that I would be useful for his next mission. I rolled my eyes, but that just made me sleepier, everything that had happened was just so stupid. It wasn't my fault this hot- I mean- this piece of shit assassin showed up and decided that he would take that one job.My legs were stinging, but I endured it. I wasn't going to whine to Feitan, if I did he'd probably speed up and force me to accompany him. This pace wasn't good, but it could be worse. I needed to get strong anyway, so I could say no to Illumi next time. All this suffering had to make me into a strong bitch."Strong strong strong.... I need some shoooes... shoooooooooooes...." I mumbled, half asleep as I followed the black figure in front of me. "Hey Fei..."He didn't answer, obviously pissed that he had to come get me as if I was some sort of lost child and that he had to meet a Zoldyck. I didn't care, I was too tired to. In an effort to keep myself awake, I decided to talk. "I killed eight people today. And only one of them deserved it."A long sigh left my lips, poor people, why would anyone want to kill so many people? Did the assassins get a justification, or did they just... take the order as long as the person paid them?Could they live with that? What a sad life. "Illumi is really powerful, I want to be as powerful as him one day..." This time I heard Feitan scoff, "do you think I can't?"He sure knew how to do the silent treatment. "Do you think I'm soft because I remember those I've killed? Am I soft because I remember them?"My E/C eyes rose to the night sky, it was cloudy, the moon couldn't be seen and there were little to no stars. Was I feeling empathy? How soft was I really? Would being soft make me weaker? Aaah... I was going to die on this training anyway, so who cared. "Fei... The Zoldyck's place was so beautiful, seriously everything looked reeallly expensive." With that, the black-haired man turned to me looking dumbstruck, in pure confusion I tilted my head only to jump back when he screamed. "YOU... WHAT?"

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After hearing that I went to the Zoldyck's Manor, Feitan ran making me accompany his speed. I ran and ran till I collapsed as my limbs couldn't keep such pace that long after the day I had.I was woken up with a violent shake, pain spasming through my shoulder, and a voraciously cold voice, "Y/N~ Wake up now or I kick harder." I rolled around telling my body to work, everything was sore, I opened my eyes only to wince and close them again. The daylight was too intense. I sat up and took a deep breath, hoping it would clear my head and make everything stop spinning. I had had few hours of sleep, my body was screaming about it, I tried to open my eyes again, looking at my surroundings, I was in the exact same place I had collapsed at. He wasn't going to make this easy.I looked around to see Feitan laying against a tree nearby, the path we were on was rather rural. I praised all the creatures for that, who knew if Feitan had the decency of moving my body to a safe place if I collapsed on a main road. "Fei..." My voice was hoarse and my throat was burning, when was the last time I drank water? He pretended not to hear my failed attempt to call out his name, my eyebrow rose, I knew he could hear me.Why was my going to the Zoldyck's Manor such a huge deal? I tried to explain last night but he started running before I explained how I had gotten there. I obviously couldn't keep up and clarify it. Stopping wasn't an option so I kept my mouth closed and ran. Clearing my throat, I tried to stand, a failed attempt at keeping myself balanced. After that I stared at Feitan and heard my less raspy voice, "Feitan, I didn't go there for the fun of it. Do you think I'd survive saying no to that... huh... person?" If I called Illumi a monster what would Feitan be?He shrugged, obviously negotiating wasn't his best feature. Mostly because he'd steal stuff instead of negotiating for a good price, yep everything made sense. I sighed before walking up to him, ready to be trained to death. At least I thought I was ready...Feitan looked amused at my determination and I cursed myself for looking so perfect in such a shitty morning. He simply ordered me to follow him and started running full speed. Thirst, sore body and lack of sleep seriously not ringing a bell on his head.After a few hours, I ended up screaming for water and food, as he got farther and farther away. Wasn’t he going to give me anything? Rude. I was really going to die. Thinking about my death I stopped in my tracks and looked around, there was a forest to the right and a town to the left. Feitan was at least 500 meters away, my mind was numb. A plan formed, foggy in most details. I ran to the small town, taking my wallet out. I grabbed some comfortable looking shoes, throwing the money at the old lady. I'm sorry, it is a matter of life and death. I did the same with a piece of bread and a big white t-shirt.I went back to running, with the bread hanging in my mouth and holding the rest until I saw faintly Feitan's silhouette. That only made me beg my legs to run faster, which they couldn’t. Was I going to faint again? Isn't surviving an option? The distance between me and the torturer didn’t grow but sure as hell didn’t get smaller. How was exhaustion going to make me stronger? Was it to know my limits? Was he just being a fucking dumbass? Gah I couldn't even think with the heat, the burning feeling in my legs, the sharp pain in my lower abdomen and the fact that I couldn't seem to manage to eat and to run at the same time without choking. How long was this going to last? ×××In the next months, Feitan made me run insane distances, lift huge rocks and practice fighting, all while nen training. By July, I was stronger and able to sustain all kinds of physical torture. It took me all the way to August to finally clarify that I didn't go to the Zoldyck manor as a way to run away from him. How dumb would I have to be to run away from Feitan and go to the Zoldyck manner?From there on, the black-haired man was slightly less harsh on me. Maybe it was just me getting used to the mistreatment. In July I was too tired to even move, we had met some troupe members on our way, apparently the path wasn't random. Machi, a girl with pink hair that turned her nen into thread, was kind of nice, Nobunaga was seriously annoying and Franklin was the nicest of the four spiders. As everyone was rather tired, we stopped in a forest, an isolated place near a mountain, I didn't know where I was, but all the landscape was beautiful and natural, something I'd never experienced before. They were settling their things and I dropped my bag, that I had made with my very expensive and beautiful ball attire, on the floor. One good thing about Machi was that she knew how to sew really well so all my fancy clothing was made into things I could actually use on a daily basis. The fresh air made my H/C H/L flutter around, I decided to walk around the forest by myself, there were many old trees giving out magical eerie vibes, I ended up sitting on a rock near a small river by the shadow of a large oak tree. Found myself playing with my nen, making F/As and other cute shapes around me, while thinking how much I craved writing. When I talked about how I used my ability at the party, Feitan cursed me and told me that I should never show it to people, so they cannot guess or know what I can do. "It's the best defence mechanism" Machi then completed, her voice completely disinterested. I wondered how far were we from Yorknew and what were these guys doing in September… Would I be a badass nen user by then?"Y/N, training. Swim up river. Swim down." I heard a cold and raspy voice behind me, followed by a feminine laced one. "Dinner is at 11 p.m. don't be late." I rolled my eyes as I stripped most of my clothes and jumped into the cold water.

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I realised how much I had grown in the last months. I desperately missed my normal writer lifestyle, even if some people deemed it crazy. Yet nothing could be done, we remained in that forest for a considerable amount of time, for most of which I trained with Feitan, Machi, Franklin and even Nobunaga. I was so used to fighting Feitan that I had to force myself to stop the bad habits I had created and analyse the style differences. What was better and worse in each. It was a good experience, not everyone fights the same. I had to pay much more attention since I wasn’t used to them.  Then we continued our walking, I asked Feitan where to, surprisingly he didn't answer. When I implied that I knew we were going to Yorknew City he didn't correct me, so I assumed I was right.Sometime later, Nobunaga had a slip of his tongue and confirmed all my suspicions. Feitan cursed as I walked around him."HA! I knew it! Why didn't you tell me Feeeeeeeeeeeei?" I yelled, full of mischief, only to be hit with a leg out of nowhere and, thank hot chocolate, I managed to dodge the umbrella or else I'd have no left eye by now.What a dangerous man. Somehow thinking of danger reminded me of Illumi, he'd never come back, right? So why was I still training? Did I want to go out and find him only to show him how much stronger I’d gotten? That I'd never be bossed around anymore?That'd be very dumb and dangerous. A chill went up my spine, I looked around to distract myself, the more we walked the more the landscape changed. We had passed by cities, forests, mountains, lands filled with ice and now the air was getting drier, so I guessed somewhere along the way we'd cross a desert. "So… can you guys tell me what you are going to steal in Yorknew city?" My curiosity knew no limits and it was a good thing, it meant the silence could be broken at any time. They took their time to answer, probably because they didn't know themselves. They ended up leaving their guesses, "Books, Danchou likes those".I stopped, angry at them. How could someone steal books? Rude, rude people."He doesn't steal books... at least not mine..." I tried to make it right but, to be honest, why was I defending Chrollo, he was a part of this group. Worse, he was the leader, he must be as strong or stronger than Illumi. I cannot trust these people too much, letting my guard down would be too foolish. There were few people to trust in this world. As much as I could trust my life to them at the moment, everything could change when we got to Yorknew and my training finished. What was I going to do after all this? I wondered, lost in thought I didn't realize that Machi and Nobunaga were staring at me, eyes filled with surprise, but I did notice when Nobunaga exclaimed, "You know Danchou?"In pure disbelief, I looked at them and Feitan was rolling on the floor laughing, holding his belly. "Why I train idiot? Danchou order." I rolled my eyes, how could he be so harsh and detached? What made him this way? If Feitan was my character, what messed up thing would I make him go through so that he was left like this? Some really horrible things... I imagined."He's kind of my friend." Answering him, made Machi's mouth hang open and Nobunaga lose his words when ‘friend’ left my lips. Lord chocolate, these were the weirdest people. Knowing that no matter what I said, they'd be shocked, I just shrugged and led my E/C eyes into the distance. Feitan was trying to catch his breath, whispering foreign curses, "Haaa. Too funny." I saw buildings cutting the clean line of the horizon, a city slowly appearing. That was it. That was the end of my training. When was Feitan going to tell me that it was time for me to leave his sight and never come back?Chrollo was in YorkNew City, right? I could just go and visit him, thank him for this sadistic teacher and the lesson on the perseverance of the human body. I thought about my future as I followed silently behind Feitan, Machi, Franklin and Nobunaga through the busy streets of the city. Salesmen were in every corner, I could only guess that these four spiders were going to steal something very valuable.Could I watch? These people were such unique characters, I felt the need to observe and find out their motives and backstories. But this wasn't a book and I certainly wasn’t the main character, so I shrugged and hummed a cute song.We ended up in a dark place, far from the centre and obviously abandoned. Typical spiders. How could they be so extra? Was it one of the requirements to enter the troupe?Unable to keep it to myself, I smiled a little and Feitan called me gross, his disappointed stare falling on me.Some people were inside, their power oozing out, making my body shift to defence mode. I took a deep breath, my eyes followed Feitan and the rest as they greeted the others casually. I had five seconds to realise that I didn't belong there and three for a creepy clown guy to come up to me.His hair was fuchsia, filled with hairspray I assumed, as it was defying gravity, his face literally white with two symbols drawn on each cheek skilfully. He was wearing a white outfit with another 2 card deck symbols on the top. Was that a crop top? Damn… To match his randomly clownish attire, he wore purple bracelets and some yellow heels, not very high but definitely heels."My My... What do we have here? A little lost lamb?~☆"His voice was undoubtedly provocative, my spine shivered as he patted my shoulder harshly.

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Doubt filled me as I thought whether I should answer to the clown. His clothing style was oddly similar to Illumi's and it scared me. Ahead of me, a loud "tsk" left Feitan's lips. That meant he wanted me to deal with the scary dude by myself, uuuh why isn't Feitan helpful when I need it?Rolling my eyes, I dodged Hisoka and walked further into the room, my eyes picked up Chrollo's figure and I happily leapt to his side. "Hiya! Hiya! Chrollo! Finally someone I know around here~"Chrollo took a good look at me before releasing all his aura, my early training helped me act on the second it happened and protect myself instantly. I tilted my head, was he testing me? A sadistic smirk flashed on his face before he threw a series of punches and kicks, easily dodged by me. "Here I was expecting a hug and all I get is this? Lord Chocolate may take my disappointment..."Finally, Chrollo stopped satisfied and I sat on a big piece of what used to be a wall, maybe it had been the ceiling of this wrecked building. I gazed at every single person in that room, those were the members of the phantom troupe, huh?The weird clown looked like he had had the best orgasm of his life, Machi was already creeped out, Feitan was socializing (I know, shocking) with a tall blond guy who was holding onto an Egyptian thingy, a helmet? Slim Nobunaga was laughing with a huge muscular man, the difference between them was nearly comical, the large man was wearing a tank top and some torn shorts, a savage aura seemed to exude from him.A beautiful blond guy was laying against a wall playing on his phone, a short haired girl was sitting nearby, she was wearing a turtleneck and seemed so out of it. What was she thinking?Before I could judge the rest of the very extra people with my E/C eyes, the grey-haired savage looking man was already screaming, hyped to know what they were there for. Without hesitation, Chrollo started explaining the plan, I guess he knew I wouldn't stop them, not that I could if I wanted to. I observed in pure amusement the different reactions to the plan. It was incredible, no wonder after all Chrollo had made it.Wondered what I was going to do now that my training was done. Could I hang out here? Should I go back to Chiaroscuro and live my life as a fantastic writer? Wouldn't it be a dull life after all this? Should I just look for Illumi and tell him that I was stronger so he couldn’t use me anymore?  Lost in thought, I didn’t notice when the phantom troupe dispersed. The tall blond man, who was laughing with Feitan at the beginning, headed straight to me, inspecting me from head to toe. "So… this is what Feitan's dear student looks like. Who would've thought someone could actually survive and learn from that sadistic ass." He smirked before offering his hand, "I'm Phinks~ You're actually a very interesting one." Taking his hand, I scowled as I thought that that was all people had been calling me these days. Like was I not beautiful or ugly or something? Why call me interesting, when you could say “Aye nice shoes...???”"Sure sure, I'm Y/N. I'd love to chit chat and know what great stories you have. Some tricks to piss off the angry midget buuuut.... I need to talk to Chrollo." I said as I spun around, ready to talk to the head of the spiders."Oh, you've lost your chance, he just left." Shiiit. What else could I do? I wanted to sort stuff out with Chrollo. Could I hang out here for a while and could I use all these people as characters in my future books? Of course, omitting many things. Defeated, I sat near Phinks and Feitan and I heard the blond one telling me all about the pranks that he sometimes played on the gremlin. He seemed like a cool dude, pushing aside the fact that he was strong enough to be in the spiders and actually stole shit or killed people.The next day they were going to kill everyone in the underground auction, so I couldn't tag along. I decided to tour the city, in search for some good prices and new clothes. I was finally free from that angry midget. I returned to their hideout after their job was done, Uvogin was missing. They were torturing a guy from a group called the Shadow beasts for information on the missing auction goods. It was a huge mess, I decided to go back to my hotel room, which I rented so I could sleep calmly and avoid being surrounded by dangerous and creepy people. Hisoka, the clown guy still creeped me out. The troupe agreed to go find Uvogin. Apparently, some random dudes were keeping him in the hotel I was staying in. Great. Just great. I was happy to have some company on the way back, worry filled me, wondering if they were going tear the hotel down while freeing Uvogin. I silently followed Feitan out of habit, as he seemed rather happy to finally have some action. I'd never understand these people... when we arrived, I observed from a safe distance as Uvogin released his anger at the chain user I assumed. The whole building shook when they left and I walked back to my room, deciding to see the other side of this story. Who was the red eyed boy that fought with chains?Instead of sleeping, I walked around the corridors, waiting to see someone interesting... And would you believe it, I actually did~A blond-haired boy, black contact lenses, some weird clothing (all it took was the clothing to make me think he used nen, apparently, they all liked to dress to impress) passed by me, late at night. I made sure to focus on his pretty face and I smiled to myself as I went back to my room. He exuded some insane thirst for revenge, I wondered where the hell he was. Why wasn't he guarding Uvogin? What other plans and schemes did this boy have? Maybe the next day, I'd focus on him. As all I could do was watch anyway, I didn't want to get in the Troupes business.

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I could guess that after being captured, the big muscular Uvogin was riling to fight the blond boy, both to assert his dominance and to feel the thrills of a fight with a good nen user.It wasn't such a hard thing to figure out, Uvogin was an enhancer, him wanting a fair fight against the red eyed beauty was as clear as the sky on the next day. I woke up rather late, but it was ok as I still had time, the one I was interested in was Kurapika. How did I find out his name? Well, a small lady with a very pleasant and low voice was screaming it as he left, his face filled with a turmoil of emotions. Being the curious Y/N I was, I followed him. He arrived in a deserted place, the sun was setting and I decided to intensify my zetsu, to make myself less noticeable as I climbed to one of the big highland-like structures around the place. Uvogin showed up, thrilled to fight and the battle soon started. Listening to their screams and beautiful moves, I learnt more about Kurapika.His clan was murdered by the Spiders for their rare crimson eyes and he was on a revenge quest to retrieve all the eyes of his loved ones. A noble story indeed. He was strong but lacked experience. How many restrictions did his power have? Some incredibly harsh ones I could bet.I held my breath as the judgement chain pierced Uvogins heart. Watching from afar, I noticed the chains using Gyo but in the fight I'd probably be caught, just like the big dude.When Kurapika lost his patience and killed Uvogin, I felt sad. Not because I particularly liked Uvogin, even though enhancers have this unusual charisma to make people like them, but because killing wouldn't make a difference to Kurapika. He was cleaning his clan's blood with more blood. How was that right? I slowly shook my head as I saw Kurapika bury one of the Spiders, I remained sitting as the night grew darker. After what I thought was one hour after Kurapika left, I got up grabbed some flowers and said my goodbyes to Uvogin. How would the Spiders react to Uvogin's loss? Would they keep going as if nothing happened? Would they seek revenge and spill more blood?I wandered around town until it was nearly lunchtime, my mind hazy, body numb, thinking about this dark side of the world that no one knows. Only nen users got to do things like this, yet nen users were such a small percentage of this world. People were living their lives blinded, not knowing the real advantage others had. Such a good plot but I had to think on how to hide the fact that it was true. Wouldn't want people after me for revealing the secret of Nen to the masses. Who would come after me if I did such a thing? Sooo many questions!!!A limousine passed by and I felt a somewhat familiar aura, surprised, I looked at the vehicle disappear as it turned to the next road, trying to point out who could that be?It wasn't Illumi for sure, but could the person be related to him? Who'd come to an auction city from such family? My mind warned me of the danger I could be in, I decided to go to the spider’s headquarters to check out how they were doing. ×××Nobunaga and Machi left to pose as a couple to draw out the chain user. I guess they did care about each other like a family, the thought made me feel guilty. I knew who the chain user was, I knew what happened to Uvogin... This was exactly why Kurapika's view was wrong, now there were people seeking for revenge on his revenge. Not a nice cycle... I was rolling around on a big piece of wall, ha! who would've thought, as Machi and Nobunobu~ returned. Two kids were with them and my eyes grew wide as I saw cold blue eyes, fair skin and white hair. "Holy shit, you look just like your father!" I spouted, getting up and staring at the boy. My bet was that this boy was Killua, Kikyo talked a lot about her children when I was there. Killua looked at me in surprise. His mind probably running at the speed of light to find out who I was. Hahah, this boy was definitely a Zoldyck. "Y/N, who this?" I spun to see Feitan and to see a relieved Hisoka staring at the boys. Hoho, someone had stuff to hide. The magician’s eyes fell on me and I smirked widely, winking at him before answering. "Why Fei~, he's the brother of my potential fiancé", his eyes went wide and switched targets. I gazed at Killua too, seeing his pale face growing paler as he thought on what he had missed by running away. "Your mom misses you sooo much~ " and at that he shrieked. Nobunaga who was having none of that after losing Uvogin, stopped my playtime. "Y/N these are matters of the Spiders, why are you even here?" The smile I had till moments ago disappeared, that was rather rude, sure I was doing nothing and he had just lost a dear friend, but still. Rolling my eyes, my gaze zigzagged between Hisoka, Killua and his friend. Landing on Hisoka, I winked to let him know that we had to talk and left the building the building. So much stuff happening, I just couldn't keep up. Slightly pissed off, I walked back to the hotel to see a blue haired girl run past me. Poor girl tripped and fell, I helped her up. "Oh my! Thank you so much. You see I'm... huh... late to the auction." She muttered before going back to running. Auctions huh... I stared at the entrance of my hotel, only to shrug and look for the place of the big auction. It was heavily guarded from blocks away. Were they expecting thieves? Guess I was in the right place.

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The place was undoubtedly boring until I heard that there was a team of assassins ready to take action if the infamous Phantom Troupe came. That was something I'd love to see, yes...It was nearly sunset when I saw some dangerous looking people go into a room, I shrugged it off, they weren’t that powerful. Everyone was wearing fancy clothes, I felt out of place and decided to explore the building. People seemed to steer away from me so I assumed the casual clothes came out handy, that was until I saw old man Zeno and Silva next to me. Shit, I had done a sloppy job covering myself. Staring at them, I smiled, "Oh my~ the people here have enough money to ask for two Zoldycks? This will be very fun." Zeno just snickered as he pulled me along to the room the other assassins probably went into. "I sure wasn't expecting meeting you, Y/N. What brings you here?", I kept my polite smile as we walked in and all the eyes fell on us. Silva had an expressionless face, much like Illumi, that made everyone get on defensive stances. They sat on a small couch near the corner and I stood there near Zeno as I thought of an excuse. "Well, I'm not into collecting expensive things but I thought this would be fun. I guess without company it isn't enjoyable...." I sighed as I looked around at the people in the room. I heard someone whisper something along the lines of "oh so these are the Zoldycks..."I felt a bit of mockery, yet Zeno and Silva seemed unbothered, they must’ve been to being doubted. Poor assassins though, one of the Zoldycks would be stronger than all of them together. Zeno patted my back snapping me back to reality, "Oh, should I not be here?"Zeno was about to answer when three men walk in, one of them being Kurapika. I fought the urge to hide, but shook it away when I realized he'd never seen me before, so this wouldn't be awkward for him. The two other men, probably important in the underground business, started talking and then Kurapika talked a bit too. I was more worried about the fact I could feel Chrollo nearby. Everyone had a foot nearly stuck in the spider's web. The two men then left and Kurapika's eyes landed on me. "What is this one doing here?" I gasped, slightly offended that he assumed that I wasn't an assassin out of the people in the room. Did I not look dangerous? Probably not…"Excuse you, -" My eyebrow rose, twitching as I prompted my left hand on my hip. Sadly, I was cut off by Zeno before I could complain more."Oh. She's here with us, don't mind her." The old man grinned, sitting back on his chair."Dear chocolate, if I'm in the way I can just leave. There’s no need to defend me old ma-" His stare fell on me and I shrieked, "Huh... I mean Zeno." He sighed and got up stretching his arms and back."Here I was hoping for Grandpa..." My e/c widened and I started coughing caught by surprise and fear, Kurapika's eyes were still set on me. I just calmed myself down, smiling awkwardly."The thing is... I won't be a part of your family, Zeno." The mood suddenly grew dark and serious, mostly because my voice was much more dangerous. "Oh! Look at the time, I should go find myself a boyfriend haha..." my voice turned silly as I skipped to the door, quickly closing it behind me, before nearly running to one of the big social rooms. Should I escape without seeing the massacre? This wouldn't be fun, nor productive then. If the Troupe started their requiem, this would be very risky, plus the Zoldycks were also here. Too many dangerous people in one place. I was pacing, everyone who was trying to socialize and make connections looked at me weirdly, so I just left and rummaged the halls. Wouldn't it be exciting? Zoldycks vs Spiders? There was no way in hell I'd lose that. Suddenly I was pinned against the wall, a rough big hand around my throat, it was one of the assassins from before. A wicked smile strained his lips and his eyes had a murderous spark to them. "I better warm up with a Zoldyck." If he hadn't said that, I'd probably negotiate and leave him with a nice life. But that seriously pissed me off, what was the problem with people wanting to prove themselves like this? In a flash the man was dead, twisted neck, a little bit of nen and a body on the carpet of that fancy corridor. "Shit... Do I hide the body?" I asked myself out aloud, before I heard sirens, explosions and general panic. "Heh, just in time." I skipped following Chrollo's aura. He was hiding it but not that well, he wanted to be found. What was he plotting? I jumped down the stairs happily, if I got to Chrollo first, I could ask what I should do now. Maybe going back and writing a book would be good. I was reaching the lowest levels and somehow an ambulance was stuck on the wall, half of it on the inside. How could that happen? The spiders were going crazy. Great. I wanted to watch a bit of that, so I stepped outside cautiously and a complete massacre unfolded before my eyes. Feitan was cutting heads off as he ran to the building, Phinks was twisting necks and I was pretty sure there were guards shooting each other back there. Chaos and cries where all I could hear, yet everything seemed melodic, planned, cold. Shaking my head to stop my daze, I went back inside and reached the bottom floor. There was only one person who could have planned all this and it was indeed Chrollo. He was seating in a big empty room, reading a book. His eyes met mine as I walked in and a smirk played on his lips before he carefully closed the book. "I've finished it, so might as well return it." He threw it to me, I took another look at it, it was the book he took the last time we saw each other at Chiaroscuro.I smiled, that was the answer that I was looking for. "You should come by and borrow more~. I need clients to buy me hot chocolate." That was a perfect farewell message, I thought proudly, turning my back to him and heading to the door that swung open to reveal...

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Zeno and Silva walked in, closing the large doors behind them, their eyes landed on me, yet their faces didn't show any surprise. I could only guess that they were already in work mode. I didn't fake my surprise, my enlarged eyes and gaping mouth betrayed me. During the few seconds they took to walk to the centre of the big ballroom, my brain was working non-stop to justify my presence there."Oh, there you are!" My voice relieved voice echoed on the walls as I stepped closer to the Zoldycks. "I went looking everywhere for you! You see… I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." I forced an innocent smile, praying it'd look merely acceptable before adding, "That would be quite rude, right?"Zeno’s thin lips twitched upwards, before nodding in agreement. I noticed that I had been holding my breath as I relaxed, happy for my quick thinking. "Well, it was nice to see you again" Let's hope I never do get to see them again, "Have the rest of a good night.~"I skipped out of the ballroom, "Oh~ Do I not get a goodbye Y/N~?" That piece of shit. How could he even? My heart nearly stopped but I turned back casually, embracing the character that I was thinking about. During my talk with Chrollo, I decided to put my nen to the test and Anera was the character I had picked. She was a complete bitch to everyone but somehow got away with everything by using her spy skills.I looked around the ballroom and using my nen, I placed hidden cameras on the best spots."Oh but dear, I just hooked up with you... don't think I'll ever see you again. ~" A smirk grew on my face as I winked to Chrollo, he, on the other hand, had the most scandalized look ever. He deserved it."What the - Y/N, go to the headquarters, we'll have to talk about that."I tilted my head slightly "Headquarters? Oh… like your room? Dear chocolate lord these people never give up do they?" I rolled my eyes as I slammed the door behind me. Shit. Chrollo really wanted to stall some time there.Why? How was he so sure that he would survive when two Zoldycks were paid to kill him? What was the plan?Did he account for the Zoldycks to be hired? Why? Chrollo was always some steps ahead but what would make this plan work? It wasn't like the Zoldycks could quit killing him, that sure sounded bad for business. Well, I sure hoped to figure it out as I pulled out a small screen that I had just conjured.I picked a spot that looked safe, as safe as it could get with all the mess that was going on, and I watched the fight unfold attentively.I could only stare in amazement at how quickly everything went down. It all looked so cool, so smooth, premeditated moves, experienced dodges and just the right movements to spare energy. Deep down, I kept thinking about what it was that I was missing.Chrollo was a good nen user, I knew slightly about his speciality so I could simply enjoy. As for the Zoldycks, it would be something rather irritating since they’d have to be on the defensive side. The old man sure knew how to fight, when he grabbed Chrollo while Silva jumped with two huge electricity balls forming on his hands, it felt like I had just dropped some of my internal organs. My s/c hands were glued to the small screen as I saw Silva land on the floor gracefully, taking out his phone and picking up. Somehow Zeno had let Chrollo go and they both left. I should've conjured some mics here and there with the cameras, but I wasn't sure how much straining this was going to be on me. So, I played it safe, thank goodness, I was already feeling extremely fatigued just from the screen and cameras.The screen faded away from my hands, I slumped back tiredly, thinking what could've made Silva and Zeno stop the fight. It felt like I was missing something really important. I stumbled as I got up but somehow managed to walk to the hotel only to faint on a random corridor. God damn, nothing was working today.×××I woke up in a dimly lit room, I shifted my weight to sit on the comfortable bed. My head was aching slightly, but I had to force it to think as I looked around. There wasn't much in the room, it looked like mine, except my things weren't there and I was incredibly sure I had fainted on the corridor. The first rule I had to memorize, when training with Feitan, was to always remember the exact spot I had fainted on, as soon as I woke up, so I could be ready.Now I found it useful, back then… I thought it was just another way to bully me. I got up feeling nauseous, holy Zeus, that was a nen needy skill. I had to keep it working from a distance, that was mainly why. I sighed as I reached for the door handle, it twisted open and the door swung back to hit my head seconds later. Well, wasn't I lucky?"Oh… I'm sorry" A soft voice reached my ears. The hand that instinctively went to my head, to pat it as if that would soothe the pain. My knees quit me, I fell down as I looked to the blonde boy, his dark eyes flickered with a bit of worry and a swing of distrust, he was wearing his dark blue and gold weird clothes, like every other extra person in this place. Ugh. His pale hand grabbed my arm as he pulled me to the bed carefully. "You should rest a bit more.""So you can have time to question me? Haha. No, thank you. I’m fine, I could fight about five starving wolves right now so..." I wasn't lying, yet he shook his head and pushed me back to the bed as soon as I tried to get up. Did I really have to fight the justice seeking dude? He should learn that revenge would only lead to empty hearts and shallow souls before he met his fate.Oh, that would be tragic, I should take notes of these epiphany moments. You never know when a good plot could come to mind."How do you know the Zoldycks?"

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"How... how do I know the Zoldycks?" I stuttered, surprised. For some seconds, I thought he knew that I hung out with the Spiders. Well, this was more relaxing, all I had to do was to not fuck up everything. He wanted revenge on the Spiders for all I knew, so I should play it safe and not connect anything. "They... uh… it's kind of a long story..." I shyly muttered as my eyes ran away from the dark scarlet ones, how bright did they have to be to show over the contacts? How could I explain it without lying or including the Spiders? I took some time to wonder and choose my words. "You see... I am a very good writer, and all was fine 'till I crossed paths with one of them, Illumi, he kind of spared my life so now I am bound to help him out occasionally.""He spared your life?" The distrust in Kurapika's voice was rising. No wonder... Why would Illumi spare someone's life?"I wasn't his target. I just happened to see him and his victim." I laughed dryly, as the young Kurta's face shifted to pity mode. Well, maybe I was pitiable, an innocent bystander, who was always in danger and got tied up in all of this because I walked into the wrong place at the wrong time. His next questions were asked with a gentler tone and I didn't feel threatened anymore. Not that he’d threaten me, most of the restrictions on his power only worked if he was fighting the spiders."You met Illumi, how do you know the old ones?" The blonde boy quietly sat on the edge of his bed, waiting patiently for an answer. Now that I had some time to recover, my mind was sharper, I could escape if I wanted to."Well... Illumi once took me to his manor and I met them there ... His mom is a big fan of me..." I looked around the room, there was a jar with two scarlet eyes floating in some random liquid, on the small table by the left corner of the room. Was he getting them back? Well, that made sense… Murdering and creating a cycle of violence didn’t quite show that the wound had been healed. It was not like the Troupe would end just because some of them were murdered. Would it?"Have you met all of them?" After the white-haired kid, all I had left was the nerd who locked himself in his room that day... "Nope... Missing some of the kids. Not like I want to meet them all, honestly, I just want some peace, quiet and for the mother to stop forcing marriages between me and her kids." I sighed as I shifted in the bed, drawing closer to the edge.My brain was running miles to figure a plan out but there was a hurried knock on the door followed by a melodic low voice saying "Kurapika-kun, we have a situation here." Kurapika seemed unsure of what was more important but decided to go as soon as he heard the next panicked knock, grabbing his weapons, two wooden sticks, to leave. He faced me as his warning echoed. "Do not leave this room, I have more questions." The door closed behind his beautiful blonde hair. I had the urge to jump out of the bed and leave, yet I held myself back with a sigh and rolled around the bed for a few minutes. I silently left the bed when the coast was clear, stared at the scarlet eyes one last time, if those were expensive there'd be no way Chrollo would've let them go. So... probably a copy? How could they be a copy? I shook my head slightly, my H/C hair shifted, following the movement, and I ran out of the room. It was time to leave before everything turned worse than it already was. I had to pass by the Spider's hideout to kick Chrollo's ass first though. I passed by my hotel room and packed everything neatly in a small suitcase, paid for the services and left. Carrying my suitcase to the Spider's headquarters. A bad decision since it was a really weird location and I couldn't call a taxi to take me there. Well after Feitan’s spartan training, carrying heavy suitcases felt like a vacation.I waltzed inside the wrecked building, there were little to no people inside. Odd. Well, they were mourning Uvogin, couldn't blame them. He had something that made people root for him, wonder what it was...Chrollo wasn't there, so I picked a vacant room with nothing but a falling apart roof and shards of other walls. What had happened to this place anyways? I took out a pen and a beautiful blank notebook...×××I was awakened from my trance by a heated discussion, I got up from the shard I was laying on. Writing had felt good, but I felt incredibly sore, stretching I assessed my physical situation. Not bad. Almost tripped on the way out, lazily walking I met the source of the mad voices. There stood the troupe members, their voices carried urgency since something serious had happened. Not wanting to interrupt I laid against a wall, only to cough like hell and make everyone aware of my presence. Way to go. They mentioned that Chrollo had been taken by the chain user."What is it Y/N? Know something? Why are you here?" Machi said hurriedly, she seemed to be almost panicking, weird for a member of the Phantom Troupe but, heh, their leader had been kidnapped. Hisoka was laying against a wall, right in front of me yet something was wrong. He wasn't chilling in a creepy way like usually, he seemed stiff, the perverted aura gone. I raised an eyebrow at him before my eyes went back to the pink haired girl. "Well, the chain boy caught me last night. He kind of questioned me about some unrelated stuff, so I answered and he didn't think I was worth it, I guess... But Chrollo is, huh?" I rolled my eyes, "Karma's a bitch I guess, I came to kick his ass and someone is going to do it for me!~"

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After dodging and blocking most of Feitan's attacks, I winced as I patted a rather uneven cut on my right arm. I sat down to hear the whole story, apparently Pakunoda had just gone out with two kids, Killua and Gon, to return them to the chain user, Kurapika. No one besides her was allowed to leave the premises and somehow Kurapika promised to return the great Danchou. Some people didn't quite agree with the plan, such as Feitan and Phinks. I honestly saw the good in it, Kurapika probably had a wild card on his sleeve though. All in all, this was a weird situation wonder how it even happened.I gazed at Machi, the one who explained the situation, for a while. "So... how did you guys lose Chrollo? Heck, I wish I had that ability on me!"I felt some burning stares and a big chunk of a random wall flew in my direction. Damn Feitan was really pissed today, I dodged it with grace before hearing a sigh and glasses girl started walking in circles, Shizuku was it? "Well, we went to this hotel and then there was a blackout, next thing we notice Danchou is missing.""Hmmm I see~." With my curiosity satisfied, I skipped near Hisoka, he was closest to the door. "I was waiting for Chrollo here but I guess my plans were spoiled. Aww~ " My e/c eyes land on some faded gold ones. A big smile crept on my face once something clicked, this wasn't Hisoka and the real one was where all the fun was happening. "Maybe I should stay..." I muttered as I turned to face the fake Hisoka. Heard Feitan cursing under his breath and rolled my eyes before answering "I know you're so happy to see me stay Fei-chan~ Guess you've grown to love me haha~". He didn't even bother with replying.My royal bottom landed on the floor next to ‘Hisoka’, he was facing the door. "So... Hisoka, dear, how's the family?" I whispered much to his surprise. "Fun thing met your brother recently, he was in danger till some time ago, not worried?" The eyes turned murderous, as he understood exactly who I was talking about. Hehe~ Well playing with fire was fun but, as soon as Chrollo was released, he could kill me so maybe it would be better to leave. "Hmmm... Wonder if Chrollo will take long..." I muttered out loud enough for everyone to hear. The blondie beauty of this group, Shalnark, had a sudden realization and screamed, "Wait, you're not part of the Phantom Troupe, you can leave, go see what the fuck is happening and get Danchou back!" Everyone turned to me, a slight wave of hope and satisfaction on the revenge I could help them get."Pffffft... You’re such genius, do I know where they are? Would I get there on time?" Silence fell down as if rain, hitting every corner of the large room, "I mean it's not a bad idea to leave this place, nothing fun happening here... Might find Chrollo on the way..." And that was the cue to leave the large room, pick up my things and leave the wrecked building. For a few dozens of meters, my pace was calm and collected but soon I found myself running. Illumi was there, Illumi knew of my connections to the troupe now, what did that mean? Hopefully, nothing bad. Caught the first zeppelin out of town, it was directed to a random city, I was going to catch at least 3 to random places before going back to Chiaroscuro. That way no one would follow me and I could also see different places and settings for my new stories. ×××I finally got to Aeclos, after long days of travelling and stopping in random cities. I got a hotel room nearby Chiaroscuro and slept for the next day or two. Everything happened so quickly, my mind could barely keep up, so when I found myself alone and calm everything hit me with a big wave of tiredness. Why did I come back? I needed to make sure everything was alright and going well before disappearing to somewhere else, rebuilding my life in a distant place was a plan. Training hard so when these dangerous men decided to show up on my doorstep, I'd be ready for everything, including fighting back. It was nearly dusk when I ordered room service, a mountain of food showed up at my door. I gulfed it all down, sleep wasn't the only thing I needed, I picked some plain clothes, a black shirt made with flowy light material, it was slightly see-through but who gave a fuck? Slid into my favourite f/c shorts and slid into the most comfortable shoes I had. Who knew when one had to run? This was one of the great lessons Feitan had taught me, always leave the house as if you're not coming back at night. Along with the outfit, I filled a small black leather bag with some weapons, cookies, water and essentials. I skipped down the busy street, the surroundings were all too familiar and a sense of nostalgia grew within me, I sighed as I kept reminding myself that I couldn't come back here. Turning around the corner I saw my beautiful Chiaroscuro. The ever shifting black/white font was still the same and that somehow comforted me, the store was classy, there were some white and black columns against the grey front. The windows alternated between black and white, everything was messy but neat at the same time. Organized chaos. It was a masterpiece. I walked inside to be greeted with the smell of great coffee and a gasp from Lin, as she left the counter quickly to meet me. Yet someone stepped in front of me blocking the way, I saw a black fluffy jacket. My eyes snapped to his dark ones and above those was a cross tattooed in full display since his silky black hair was parted down the middle. I almost fell down as I stepped back. "C-Chrollo? What the actual f-""Y/N, we need to talk."

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Holding a F/B cup between my hands, I listened to Chrollo, we were both sitting on the couch and, apparently, Kurapika had put a chain in his heart, forcing him not to use nen. He’d get the sweet death if he rebelled. He couldn't tell any troupe member, Kurapika was a smart cookie. I sighed, didn't manage to run fast enough from this dude as I saw him, disappointing... "Well, Chrollo- Fun thing I remembered just now..." I pointed my S/C index finger to him, my bad mood coming over again. "YOU JUST WENT AND TOLD THE ZOLDYCKS THAT YOU KNEW ME.""Why... Y/N... Don't be mad at me for that~" Chrollo just shrugged it off, not feeling guilty at all. My life was about to get worse, I could already feel it and I shuddered just from the initial taste of it."No, no and... NO! You know what? I'm done getting dragged by you guys into dangerous situations and honestly, a bit of peace and quiet is all I need." He didn't seem to understand what I had just said as he furrowed his eyebrows and absent-mindedly patted his leg."Aren't you happy that you have so much writing material all over the place?" he scooted over, and I held all my cells in place, he had done it in such an animalistic way. My urge to escape didn't diminish when the great Danchou placed one of his large hands on the other side of the small couch we were sitting in. Trapping me between him and his large, muscled arm.This could've been great, in a sexual way, if he wasn't oozing bloodlust through the roofs, my skin was revoking its function and asking to do something else at the sheer intensity of his display of power.Talking about sexual ways, didn't have any of that in the last long months. Wonder why... Oh yeah! Being dragged along with killers and thieves is not a good way to meet someone you'd be interested in and keep them alive.That aside, I stared into the dark greyish brown eyes of the beast. "I am. So happy. Couldn't be happier!" The sarcasm in my voice grew stronger, his eyes seemed to hesitate to face my unwavering bitching. "Oh wait. I COULD! If only I had time to write ANYTHING instead of being dragged by someone else this time." My S/C hand fell on the arm blocking me and my nails dug in. A fun trick Feitan taught me. Small streaks of blood started to land on the couch after travelling down his arm. He didn't move it, I rose my eyebrow, continuing my whisper yelling. "And now, I can't even write comfortably because I have to hide from a certain family of assassins. If being insanely beautiful was enough to make the crazy lady want to marry me into the family, wonder what being associated with spiders will make me... hahah."My grip kept tightening and after what seemed like way too much time for a staring contest, he gave up, grabbing the place my nails had sunk into carefully. A weak attempt to stop the bleeding. I got up instantly, instincts kicking in. "It may not seem like it but I have needs too… So no, thank you, have a great adventure, I may meet you somewhere along the way. Or not... Who knows… Maybe I’ll find a good boy, marry him and live forever hidden in a nice cottage surrounded by the nothingness of some rural place. Maybe I’ll eat sweets until I drop, sugar overdose..."After what I had been through, it seemed like a fine plan. Wouldn't I grow bored of such plain life? I'd think about it after finding a place and writing for a while.My eyes flickered back to the black-haired man, "Now if you don't mind..." I forced a polite smile, gave him a goodbye wave as I turned to meet my employee, Lin.We talked a lot of stuff out and I planned to come back by the end of the year just to make sure everything was working out, Lin was put in charge while I had to be gone and I trusted her.Time went by too fast at Chiaroscuro and my mind kept telling me I had to leave. After ignoring it for a while, I got up, said farewell to Lin and walked out.Chrollo was laying against the wall next to the door, a cold wind rose up and I shivered. "You've changed, stepping up for yourself... So, for once I'll give in. Get ready because I'm only counting until 30, if you’re close enough, you’ll be dragged by me." A smirk played on his pale lips as my eyes widened. He was such a playboy, ugh, I was into playing this game though. I got my legs ready, steadied my nen and ran away as soon as he said "One~~."I just ran, until my legs hurt, until my lungs burnt begged for air and I found myself at my hotel room, packed as quickly as I could. There wasn't much to pack anyway. I left to catch a random zeppelin. Now it was just me and a huge backpack. Ready for some peace and quiet. Maybe I could write something interesting. Everything I saw was beautiful, snow covered mountains, the sunset on all kinds of beaches, different coloured sands. Every time the zeppelin stopped, I left and explored. The plan was always the same, finding an inn, writing until I felt like exploring the area, sleeping a bit and leaving the place for another random location. Never believed in destiny but random picking had taken me to some funny places. I grew tired of it sooner than expected, three weeks and I felt lonely and useless walking around. All I had written felt too simple, too basic… But what else could I do? I wondered as I adventured inside this really calm forest after jumping out of the last zeppelin. Pure boredom. Maybe I could keep doing the whole jumping out of flying stuff, that’d raise the randomness…The sun started to be blocked by the big trees and the previously magical green forest turned slightly too dark, too scary… Should I go back? I thought that but my eyes landed on a big - more like humongous - white dog. Soulless eyes staring at me. Wait... this can’t be it…
Oh crap, please, no.

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The Zoldyck’s dog, Mike, stood there. Silence settled down and a big hairy paw rushed towards me. Only a dash of luck and some random primal instincts made me dodge that unharmed. "F-uuck... Bad boy!" My feet landed on the thinnest tree branch, a loud creak had me flinching as it threatened to break under my weight. I quickly jumped to a higher, safer branch only to hear the tree shake and whine under the next attack of the soulless hound. It was his task to ward off the intruders, though he seemed excited at the prospect of an extra snack. I had to leave as fast as possible, but where could I head to?The thought of climbing the tree for a higher view was shut down by a loud snapping sound, it was being torn apart under Mike's violent tries to get to me. I picked a strong looking oak and leapt over, noticing that the big wall was unbelievably far. I’d rather be dead than to head for the manor’s direction and, deciding on the hardest path, I dashed and jumped from tree to tree, trying to either dodge or hide from Mike as the big walls surrounding the Zoldyck's propriety got closer.  I blessed all the gods as I struggled to end my run right next to the huge wall, I was nowhere near the gate yet, and I didn't have a single idea of which direction to pick.Trees were crashing and creaking loudly behind me, at the loss of anything better to do I just ran for it again, following the thick dark wall. My legs burnt craving for a break but… Between the leg pain and being a chew toy of a big dog...I could handle it. Yes... At least I hoped so…My breathing was hitched, h/c hair probably a mess and I was sure I ripped some of my clothes during the run so, all I could do was to pray that none of the Zoldycks had decided to take a walk through their big ass garden. My breathing raged, I wished desperately to see the gate, yet it didn't seem to show up and this was a fucking huge mountain. Irritation was building up faster than expected as Mike drew closer with every lunge. His teeth grabbed the material of my excuse of a jacket and the wind hit my back as the fabric flew away.! "WHY AREN'T YOU A GOOD BOY, MIKE? WOULD IT DO YOU MUCH TROUBLE? NO! SIT! YOU... YOU DOG..." I screamed, I couldn’t take it much longer, my lungs were on fire, my legs stung, and my feet ached, my shoes weren’t picked to dash around on pebbles and fallen trees and it showed. Minutes later, I noticed that I was running but nothing was chasing me, the huge noise of a grotesque hound following me wasn't there anymore. My heart dropped, worse than the sound of impending dead was the silence, the threat level had to be raising. Stopping on my tracks, I let myself fall on the ground to rest even for a minute. Mike would never stop chasing an intruder, he'd never obey me either, I was clearly not a Zoldyck... Meaning..."Y/N... How interesting seeing you here..." The old man ran his hand through one of the parts of his white moustache, his face wrinkling as his smirk grew larger. There stood Zeno Zoldyck, Illumi's grandfather, and thank Freya that he was the one to find me. HOW LUCKY COULD I BE? THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL MIGHTY GODS!"Good night sir, hope you don't mind. Whenever I'm feeling unmotivated, I come to your garden and run around trying not to be killed by your dog." The geezer's eyes sparkled as he clicked his tongue calling the family pet, Mike. His stare still empty, soulless unlike any dog I had ever met. "So… where do you pick up your dogs? Hell? I’m very interested… May want to get one for myself."I chit-chatted, hoping he didn't set the creature free again. I stood up, my legs and back yelled in pain and was sure some things cracked as I stretched. I just patted my H/C hair down, getting rid of the dust and dirt and fixed my clothes the best that I could. "You see Y/N it would be bad to let you leave, but… I have something I need done and- look! You're right here.""Oh my- You're clearly a Zoldyck. Yep! No doubt on that sir, what do you want me to do? In exchange for 5 seconds of tolerance before you release the hound and perhaps the direction to the gate?" He seemed to understand my sarcasm and who I was talking about. He looked around with a not-so-satisfied smile, making sure nobody was watching before continuing in a whisper, that was only loud enough for me to hear."My grandson, Killua, is going to retake the Hunter Exam, you’ll participate and evaluate his skills. Just plain curiosity on how he's doing." My H/C eyebrow rose, I'd love to hear the backstory and explanations, some answers to my questions but the reasonable thing to do was to step away from this weird family. Spying on each other and such... That certainly wasn’t healthy, not that I could say much about myself… "The exam will start on January 7th, you have the skills to find where before the day, I'm sure. The testing gate is facing south. And a friendly advice since we're here... We may not be a good family, but I wouldn't mingle with the Spiders if I was you child." "Ha... now don't you say..." I whispered more to myself, good advices seemed to come rather late. Obviously very useful now. "Well, I'm guessing Killua is your favourite… Wouldn't doubt it after all he is the spitting image of you and Silva... It was very great to meet you, love the huge garden..." I bowed plainly and politely to a surprised Zeno, who clearly didn't know that I had met Killua before. "South was it...?" When I looked back Zeno wasn't there and Mike only tilted his head in confusion as to why he couldn't have a late-night snack, patiently counting down the seconds. The hunter exam was it? I ran south, mind farther away from anything but the exam.Seemed interesting, I heard a bit about hunters on the last weeks, lots of perks and new stuff to learn... Since my writing didn’t seem to be coming out as I wished, it'd be nice to drop it. I never thought I’d come to the day where I didn’t feel like writing. I also didn’t want to think why being chased by Mike had been more fulfilling than the peaceful last weeks. What day was it? December 28th? 29th? How would I find the exam site? E/C finally landed on the huge grey stone gate and, almost crying in joy, I pushed them with all my strength, opening four of them. Free from the chasing, my steps felt lighter even as the shoe’s sole felt like thin paper.  Searching for a nice village to ask about the hunter exam and transportation was the next step. Would Killua remember me? I’d prefer to keep a low profile… But if he was a Zoldyck…

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Somehow, I had managed to get to the site quickly, I said the password to a lady on a clothing store and she took me down to a nearly empty room. In the elevator, I was handed a circular white plate with the number 7. I pinned it to my F/C tank top and soon the doors mechanically opened to show a long room.There were 6 people there waiting, their eyes scanned me, checking for threats or weaknesses to exploit. I walked slowly into a corner next to the door so I could see the young Zoldyck enter. As he wasn't neither an old man nor a brunet.So much time passed, I nearly thought Killua wouldn't show up on the now full room, some fat short man called Tonpa tried to poison me knowing I was a newbie. So, these people were already fighting before the exam started... fun... I had my laughs as the Tonpa dude walked away scared as he said, "No, no, not again". All types of people were walking around, some making friends, some looking threatening, some just staring into space, and then there I was staring to the door waiting for a certain white-haired assassin to show up.I was nearly giving up when the blue-eyed kid walked in, the number 1219 pinned to his baby blue tank top, I kept my eyes on him as he walked around looking for someone. Soon enough he found three similar looking boys, slightly older than him I'd say, they chatted for a while as if they knew each other. Perhaps they were on the last exam? I wonder how much longer would I have to wait till the exam started, never taking my eyes off the white haired boy. Weird that the rest of the siblings were black haired, would be a nice question to ask if I ever got into trouble again with the Zoldycks.Suddenly, a man wearing some rectangular glasses and a weird large white jacket with some purple details and red pants, burst into the room from a grey door, his hair was greenish, and he wasn't wearing a tag, so I assumed he'd be the examiner. "Thanks for coming everyone, this year 1489 participants have made it this far."He kept going on how he had to only have 300 participants before the exam started in 2 hours and that to pass this stage one had to knock out 5 people, take their badges and go see him on the other side of the door. Seemed simple enough. The door closed and hell broke loose, my eyes remained on Killua though, he quickly jumped knocking out people, clearly a transmuter as I saw pieces of lightening here and there as he moved incredibly fast, he knocked more than 5 people out and I soon realised what he was up to.Well, better to win this too~. I thought as I started slamming people to the ground with a newfound ease, nearly as fast as the young Zoldyck, he clearly hadn't had enough training with his electricity. He'd be good enough soon though, he had potential. I hit people left and right and soon, there was few left to spare between me and Killua, his cold blue eyes landed on me, recognition laced with panic flashing on his face as I knocked the rest of the people out."Hello, little Zoldyck~. Now, do not worry I am not here to hurt you-" I was about to keep going but he showed up behind me preparing to fry me with his electric aura. I didn't move, after knocking out half of these people, seven hundred or so, he must've lost a lot of power and it wouldn't do more than tickle me. Feitan sure enjoyed the last year, I grabbed his hand and felt the ticklish power going through me. "Oh! Now that I think about it your father and grandfather use lightening too, fun!" That made him stop struggling, and I carefully let him down."I'm not here to harm you, grandpa Zeno thought it'd be nice to hear about how you passed this exam. So here I am, now let me collect some tags and finish this." His clear eyes seemed to doubt me, but he didn't try to attack me as I grabbed the nearby badges out of the bodies on the ground. "So half-half? Or do you feel like racing?" I turned around to see a youthful glimmer in sky blue and a smirk as he started picking up badges as fast as he could. "What a cheater, didn't even count to 3..." I whined, unable to hold my laughter as I ran to pick more and more. By the end I was dragging 6 shirts filled with badges that I had stolen from random participants to the door along with Killua, that had found a net. Who would bring a net to an exam? Weirdos. Then again… Illumi fought with needles, what a psycho.My S/C hand reached for the doorknob, as I heard his shy high pitched voice, "Are you really my brother's spouse?" I almost rolled on the floor laughing, as I tried to regain some air to explain."No, your mom would enjoy that very much but dear Illumi hates me~, now can we finish this? We can chat a bit after. I'm kinda hungry..." I opened the door and the examiner took his cigarette off thick lips and rose, must’ve hurt to be sitting on some stairs for that long."Took you long enough!" He was about to start rambling before his eyes fell on the collection of number tags that me and Killua had gathered. "Where are the rest of the participants? It has been an hour.""Took a while to collect all the badges." Killua stated with the most innocent voice. Sneaky little kid haha~. “They're all knocked out, asleep, in the room.” Hopefully they were all asleep, I may have used my strength too much…  "What is the second phase?""Is there a second phase?" My eyebrows knit together, this could be a lot of fun, Killua sighed."I was here last year, there were many phases." My eyes must have shown my curiosity since he continued, "you're thinking it'd be fun? Illumi took the exam last year so… it wasn't.""Aw but it would be so fuuuun with Illumi. He’s really nice to piss off once you find how to… I bet Hisoka came too. Strong opponents~!" I daydreamed as the pale boy's nose scrunched thinking about it.The examiner was calling the chairman of the Hunter association and soon enough, he turned around to announce, "Applicant 7, Y/N, and applicant 1219, Killua, congratulations you passed!""Well, that was quick... I was hoping it'd be more fun...~" I complained as Killua walked away. "Wait, wait~ tell me about last year. I feel like I got the most boring Hunter exam ever!!!"Soon we were seating on a coffee's table indulging in the sweetness of a chocolate cake as Killua told me all about the exam and the people he had met his adventure after. "Aw I barely met you in the manor!" He had all the reasons to escape his family, so I just nodded along as he continued about a game called Greed Island.I felt like I had made a friend and gave him my number in case he ever needed some help. I even complained about having to head back to talk to Zeno before we parted our ways.

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Killua invited me to go along with him back to Greed Island, but I had to give my evaluation to Zeno. The old man wanted to know how good Killua's skills were and I didn’t want to stay in his debt for longer than necessary. So, I sighed hoping to meet the rest of his friends someday, they seemed like an interesting group.Now, how would I find Zeno? I certainly didn't feel like going back to the Zoldyck Manor, but what else could I do? On the way there I prayed to all kinds of gods for luck, and by January 10th, I was in front of the big testing gates of the Zoldyck Manor.There were tourists taking pictures and walking around so I had to wait and listen to the guide's lacking presentation on the family of assassins. Clearly secrets surrounded the whole family making it a fantastic yet real attraction.I sighed and as soon as she finished and incited everyone to go inside the bus, I said I'd stay behind taking some more pictures. The young woman stared at me as if that was the weirdest request, I knew... Who'd want to stay behind near the nest of the famous or infamous assassin family? A crazy Y/N, that’s who.I strolled around for a while, watching the bus leave, and even waited 'till it was out of sight. The gatekeeper was looking at me surprised even left his post to come and ask me if I had missed the bus. I beamed him the happiest smile as I cheered. "Nah, I’m good, going to meet the old man. Tell Mike I said hiya~", before furiously pushing the gates and opening 4 or 5 of them. "Last time he nearly killed me! Now that I think of it, entering by the gates is so much better."I'd say that if the poor man's chin could fall to his feet it would, eyes widened as he saw me skipping through the "safe" path, I could also guess he stayed looking at the gates long before they closed wondering who I was and how did I know so much.If I remembered the path from last time when Illumi brought me, I'd reach a cute stone wall, not even comparable to the outside, as it was the second test and a little girl with a stick would be there. I saw Mike come closer from the right side slightly hidden by the big forest, "Didn't get a piece of me last time, are you hungry?" I joked as my sight set on the excuse of a wall, and an opening followed by a large tree. The young girl was there, her eyes were clear and a watery colour, her skin a beautiful shade of copper and her clothes gave her a pristine and serious look. I sure liked the uniform the Zoldyck butlers and guards used, I was some meters away and her cold professional gaze landed on me. "Hello, my name is Canary and you shall not pass this –" and with her baton she drew a line in front of her feet "line, or else I'll be forced to use my strength to make sure you don't."These challenges were quite cute, wonder how many people had fallen at the hands of this girl, misjudging her innocent and thin appearance for weakness. "It's nice to meet you Canary, I'll just try not to hurt you much~", her eyes widened but it was too late, I had conjured an assassin's knife from one of my many books, the wielder could disappear and appear wherever he wanted and I was now, standing behind her, knife on her throat. I knew she wouldn't give up so as she prepared to attack with her baton and throw me out, I rotated the blade so I could hit the back of her neck with the handle. Her coily hair jiggled as she fell on the ground and I could feel Kikyo's eyes on me. "Seriously, Kikyo why not just let me pass, I've been here before~ Are you into testing me?" I said more to myself with a smirk on my face as I dashed to the place she was hiding in, covered by trees."Oh, Y/N you have to agree that this is always very fun!" Kikyo stretched a smile on her face, the line on her monitor waving with happiness. I walked along with her to the manor, Kalluto wasn't following Kikyo around, wondered where she could be. Didn't voice that question but answered cordially to the usual questioning."How have you been?"“More relaxed now.”"Have you seen Illumi recently?"“Thankfully not.”"Been keeping contact with your friends?" A smirk grew on my lovely lips, the Spiders?“Hard to keep contact when I disappeared out of nowhere, my poor friends must be confused back home.”I thanked Athena when we reached the manor, I'd finally be rid of the passive aggressive Kikto. The wicked woman had on point questions. "Well, if you don't mind, I was here to chat a bit with Zeno, is he around?"I could never guess where we were going as the manor was enormous and Kikyo was skilfully leading the way through the corridors. Very maze like, no doubts that it was on purpose. "Oh sweety, he just left for a job. You barely missed him! But Illumi is –"Before she finished, we entered in a large room, seemed like an office, filled with books, records and a huge expensive writing table- that was messy, papers everywhere, but what made me wish I was dead was the man sitting behind the table. Illumi, wearing some square thin reading glasses and a very casual white shirt, the top buttons were undone, I could see his pale collar bones, and in contrast, his very silky black hair flowing around his body. Could someone forget how to breathe? Because I did, when his hypnotizing onyx eyes met my e/c ones. "Oh… Y/N, mother...""Illumi dear, look who's paying a visit? Isn't this great? Anyway, I shall leave you two to catch up~" She squealed happily, "Oh, and Y/N stay as long as you like I'm sure the grandpa won't take long." With that said she leapt out of the room, slamming the door behind her."Hahah... this is... huh... " I had to be dumb to not think it would end this way. Walking into this manor as if he didn't live here. Fuck me...

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His onyx gaze pierced through me as his dark purple aura made its presence known, I winced at the silence, looking around defeated and seating on a beautiful padded scarlet chair. A sigh left my lips knowing that talking wouldn’t do me much."Need anything?" His harmonious voice echoed on the large room, I looked around to the fancy bookcases full with silver and gold covered books, there weren't windows so I assumed we were on one of the underground floors, the walls were made of some kind of white stone and there was the most charming carpet on the floor."No... not quite... I was here to see your grandfather; I assume your mother would love me to spend some time with you." My eyes travelled around the room slowly, making sure I was distracted and didn't stare at Illumi, that sincerely looked like husband material."What did you want to discuss with him?" His monotone voice showed how little interest he had in this, I could bet that if I dared to look at the dark-haired man, he'd have a brow slightly arched as a hint for me to get the hell out of the room."Shortening the story… let's just say I may have skydived into your backyard by accident and had the most invigorating run of my life as I barely escaped being Mike’s chewy toy. And your grandfather asked me to check on Killua as payment for huh... pointing to the right way out." With that my eyes laid on Illumi's figure, observing, looking for all the little hints. He had leaned forward slightly, his head resting on his hand. So, he was interested now, probably wanting to know what his little brother had been up to since running away. He sat more upright, the papers he had been studying laid abandoned. "Oh yeah… Just by curiosity, why is Killua the only one with white hair from all of you? Does it mean something?"His eyes narrowed considerably, perhaps that wasn’t the right question to start with… All my senses were focusing on trying to figure out what the oldest brother of the Zoldyck family was thinking. I thought I was getting quite good at it, his porcelain fingers tapped on the table absentmindedly, his eyes were clouded, and his aura had thickened.All was silent, maybe I should've held my curiosity until I met Zeno. Maybe Illumi wasn't the right person to ask this, he seemed to notice my restlessness, I mentally cursed myself, before he changed the subject. "Where did you meet Killu?""Oh... In the hunter exam, I heard that last years was way more interesting as you and Hisoka both participated, guess I was kind of late to the party..." I joked to lighten up the air, didn't seem to work, how could I think it would? This was Illumi… Wished I could smack myself without looking any more mental. Inhaling softly, it was my time to break the silence. "He's a good kid, Killua... bright and skilled, as all of you Zoldycks I bet. Anyway, do you think old man is going to take long?""Probably, his job was quite far so..." Pressing my lips together I pondered whether I should stay and wait or leave. I felt like I owed something and that was a bad feeling to live with for a while. "Ah! Y/N do you know where Hisoka may be right now?""Oh! He's in Greed Island trying to get Chrollo's nen back so he can fight him, why?" I had put together the pieces when a certain white-haired boy told me what Greed Island was about. I actually knew that the Phantom Troupe was there as well, since Machi found a way to track me and invite me to go with them. Where else would he be?"He didn't answer a call, it seems he's busy." My head tilted slightly, H/C hair following the movement, with his lips pursed eyes switching from paper to paper in his desk, Illumi was scheming."Needed him for something? A job?" I could see Hisoka joining in just for the pleasure of a good hunt, sick clown. "Also, that’s an unusual friendship you got there... wouldn't have guessed it~""Yes, and no. He is not my friend. He's just useful." Yes, that was very Illumi adequate, he rated people on whether they were of use or not. I sighed, there were clear differences between him and Killua. "You seem to have nothing to do, I need someone for this job so mind coming?""Pft..." I nearly cussed, "And what would I win with it?" Damn right, two can play that game."A share of the money." I rolled my eyes, money wasn't everything."Does it seem like I need money?" His eyes left mine to inspect me all the way down and back again. I was wearing worn out clothes, my tank top was slightly dirty from the trip here, how had I gotten it dirty? No idea. I understood the point of his arched brows and almost snarky face, looking like a homeless on this house seemed to be my hobby. "Yeah, I may see your point, but I do have money...""I'll pass your message to my grandfather and drop you out somewhere you want on the way back home." A smile crept to my face."Desperate much?" I got up stretching, and when my back cracked I sheepishly whined, "I may need some training.""Deadlines to fulfil, and that can be arranged. We leave in 2 days. Now please go play with someone else, I'll tell mother you were here the whole time." My eyes widened, understanding it better than he did. The dumbass."No. No, don't say that. Are you an idiot? I wasn't here the whole time! I left right behind her after saying hello, I don't need an arranged marriage, much less with a person like you." He seemed to get my point immediately and gestured me to leave as he focused back on the papers spread over the table.I sneaked out of the room and stared at the corridors, how was I going to find anything here? Oh well, all I could do was walk around aimlessly until I found someone.

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While wandering around the corridors it didn't take long until Kikyo found me, a smile on her face as she dragged me around. "Ugh, my children are all leaving, can you believe my Kalluto went away? He went ahead and joined the spiders, just when we said that it wasn't good to mess with them...""He?!" I spouted out loud, unable to stop myself, all this time I thought the kimono wearing Zoldyck was a girl. Oh, thank Helios I didn't mess up in front of them. Managed to quickly hide some surprise and my brain was flying at the speed of light looking for the best line to follow my surprise, "Ha- hard to bel-ieve, I was thinking he was still training you see. To join the Spiders... It is hard to believe he left your side, whenever I paid you a visit, he was always accompanying you..."Was that convincing enough? Why did he wear a kimono or whatever? Why do all Kikyo's kids look fair and pretty? As I was thinking that a very large – let's be real, chubby kid showed up, - dark eyes, black short hair and arched black eyebrows. A fat short-haired Illumi? The similarity was uncanny. "I know right? Cannot believe my sweet Kalluto left...""Maaamaaa~ Papa doesn't allow me to buy more figurines without taking a job that requires me leaving the manor!" He whined in a rather childish way, voice raising in pitch as he leapt to Kikyo's side pleading. When he noticed me though, he stopped in his tracks, putting on a completely different expression, a wicked smile filled his lips when he inquired, "Who is this, mother?""This is Y/N, Illumi's future spouse... And you should discuss that with your father." She imposed strongly before I could deny anything, as she took my arm and led me down the corridor, "Let's chat in the garden until dinner!"Like that I was pushed further around the Zoldyck manor to a beautiful garden in the back, there were swings a sand box and a whole playground nearby. Neatly arranged flower beds filled with white roses and other white flowers, the sun was setting to the left and the whole place looked mythical, the last rays tinted everything orange, dark pink and purple. "Have you given it any thought?""Excuse me but… given what any thought?" Confusion filled me as I narrowed my eyes at the woman wearing a frilly purple dress, the whole trip to the garden had been silent so I had no idea what she was talking about."The marriage, darling, I know you've been messing with the spiders too but what can I say after my sweet Kalluto joining them..." Oh, okay… This woman wasn't joking around, her lips were tight with determination, she wouldn't give up easily. Also, messing with the spiders? If only it had gotten me away from her wishes of marriage…"First, what do you mean messing with the spiders?" Inspecting her little gestures, pale nails hitting an (also frilly purple) fan repeatedly as she looked around."Well, you pass time with them, so you must have a relationship of some sort with some..." Now here was something I could probably manipulate, if I made it seem as if I was in a serious relationship with a member of the Phantom Troupe, would she stop this nonsense? I pondered for a while before vaguely answering."Well, that is indeed true." I tried putting on a mysterious smile on, wondered how that went, before moving on, "Also, why do you think Illumi needs help finding a spouse? Did you also have an arranged marriage?""Oh no, nobody arranged my marriage. It was love. About my Illumi, he may not need help, but I think you'd match good..." That made absolutely no sense, but I couldn't tell that to the host who was probably giving me a bed to sleep in until Zeno came back from his job. I smiled awkwardly as I followed her around the garden. "You two have some sparks, I'm sure it'd work out!""I don't see what makes you think that Kikyo. Illumi is very cold, I find men I can relax with more… enticing? It's getting cold, do you mind if we go back inside?" It was indeed getting chilly; my homeless looking clothes had their limits. Kikyo didn't seem to notice my poor choice of clothing to visit her and nodded."True, I shall ask Gotoh to find you some warmer clothes and get a hot bath ready for you before dinner." That said in a heartbeat, Gotoh showed up, his strong emotionless face still the same and soon he was the one leading me in the maze of the manor's corridors. The butler came to a halt in front of a door but before he could open it the one opposite to it did. I turned around waiting to meet some other butlers, but my eyes widened as they set on a dripping wet Illumi, covered only by a very fluffy white towel from his waist to his knees, displaying all his well-trained muscles. The small droplets of water sliding down his jaw line down to his neck, a race to meet the towel that covered the ends of the two angled lines to his crotch.  I shook my head; I had been clearly watching the water escaping his long black hair. Focusing on something else, his thick aura and head tilt he was mad at something, "Gotoh, this whole corridor is mine. Why are you and Y/N here? Aren't there other rooms in the manor?"If I was sane, I'd be thinking Kikyo was the one who set everything up but, my eyes were busy. Of course, I was slightly needy. No wonder! Ever since meeting Illumi I had got no action whatsoever and it was getting in my nerves how his muscles tensed in his stared contest with Gotoh. I was sure the butler answered something that shut the hot-bad assassin- man up as he started opening the door."Y/N?... Miss Y/N?" Awaken from the daze, the blessed daze, I looked at the person calling me, Gotoh."Yes?" My voice was several pitches higher, but who gave a fuck?"Shall I prepare your bath?" I could cry, tears of gratitude, from Gotoh's professional tone and way to act."No, it's ok I'll do it by myself. Thank you, Gotoh." I smiled as he handled me a key and left quietly. I stepped closer to the door but was stopped before reaching the room.

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"Y/N?" Illumi's monotone voice appeared to be close, I turned around and nearly entered a dreamy daze, this time I controlled myself and looked at anywhere but the man standing in front of me."Need something?" Why was I getting nervous? There was no way that what I expected to happen would actually happen… I should stop deluding myself."Yes, about your training, tonight after dinner and tomorrow morning. That is all, you should not be late for dinner." I rolled my eyes, I didn't know what time dinner was, did everyone expect me to read minds around here?"What time is dinner?" He stared at me as if I asked the most ridiculous question in the whole world and turning back to enter his room muttered."At eight, it's always at eight." With that said he closed his door, and I was left staring at it for a while. He had a nice back too, and I needed to stop thinking about an assassin's body. Was that the thrill I was seeking? To die?Finally entering my room, I looked around fascinated by the decoration, everything was so beautiful, and all tied together to a dashing F/C. A small knock on my door scared the crap out of me, and I almost tripped over air as I jumped to open it. Gotoh had a tower of clothes well folded handed to me, after I carefully held them, he excused himself and left.Glancing over at the clock on the left bedside table, I gasped and ran to take a quick shower, I didn't want to guess what they felt about late people.In a heartbeat, I was dripping wet dots onto the carpet as I observed the clothes Gotoh had got me, there was nothing plain. A purple kimono with pink flowers, some really edgy dark clothes, baggy comfortable clothes, a formal white shirt and f/c flowy dress pants that could probably reach my ankles.Had no time to look at the other outfits so I just grabbed the white shirt, the f/c pants and some matching slippers from the closet, they had them in different colours, rich assa...-people, I shrugged as I quickly dried my hair with a blessed towel, like seriously smelled like heavens and it was so fluffy. No wonder the chubby Illumi didn't want to leave this place, bet it had the fastest internet too...I spotted a vintage vanity on a corner and was going to look at my beautiful complexion when a sudden and quick knock echoed across the room. I shouldn't have opened it so easily because Illumi was looking dashing. His silky dark hair was dry and shiny, his complexion, now less pale, probably from the steamy shower, showed some glints of a soft pink, he was wearing a loose dark tank top, showing off the curves of his muscular arms and some comfortable looking pants, slightly baggy but honestly who cared? His hypnotizing eyes fell on me, analysing me, top to bottom before trailing up again."Will you train in that after dinner?" His voice showed no hint of sarcasm, but I could feel it burning to my cheeks. I completely forgot about that small detail as I was more bothered thinking about the... the hotness of the man standing in front of me. He must have taken my widened eyes and slightly open mouth as an answer before muttering, "Whatever, let's head to the dining room."He didn't wait for me, so I had to rush to turn off the lights, close the door and run after him, soon after many turns and twists in corridors we reached the dining room. Kikyo was seating already, with her husband Silva and the one kid that didn’t abandon the house apparently, Illumi sat on his usual seat and there was only one more plate served empty, so I sat there. "Y/N" a strong voice rumbled, I stared at the cat eyed dangerous man, somehow his pupils were abnormal, and the ice blue stare didn't help."Silva, it's been a while." I nodded, by the corner of my eye, I saw Kikyo and Illumi start eating and I assumed I could do that too. Silently I took a heavy spoon, diving in the rich thick carrot soup."Yes, since my fight with Chrollo Lucilfer." I gulped, feeling the chills going through my spine. I shouldn't have said that, now I’d be stuck with this conversation."Oh yeah, how did that go?" My eyes now were on the soup, not because it was particularly interesting, but because I had messed up by bringing up the last time I had seen him."How do you know the leader of the Spiders, Y/N?" Bluntly ignoring my question, he seemed to have picked not to give up on knowing my connections."Ahh... he's an old friend, really likes my books." I answered truthfully, lying wouldn't do me any better, I didn't even know how to get to my room from this place. The maze made sure of it. So, the changes of leaving this place with these guys hunting me… Zero. I’d go as far as to say negative if those were a thing. Maybe that was what they did on family weekends! Oh! hey let's release random people in our maze house and have a hunting feast! Seemed about right... Sadistic but I could picture it."Could it be you're dating him? You didn't give a very solid answer when I asked you..." Kikyo assumed, how much could I bury myself? I wondered as I stared blankly ahead before meeting Illumi's onyx eyes, he seemed a bit interested, probably to know my connections, as well. How should I answer this?"Well yeah he's attractive but I'd rather not get into messy situations." I tried showing all my might answering but, sadly, more questions came."So is Illumi not attractive?""That's... he is attractive, but the reason is the same, I'd like a peaceful life." The more I said that the more I felt that I was lying to myself. I'd rather die than to be married to a random farmer in a peaceful environment. Now was not the right time for introspection though, I had to change the theme of this conversation as soon as possible."Yes, but if you had to choose..." Kikyo today was really into it, huh. Well, I was already fucked, might as well try and make my death quicker."The strongest one." My lips curved as I squinted my eyes at Illumi, and then trailed to Silva. "Silva here must have a nice opinion on that, you fought Chrollo and probably know what Illumi is capable of..."

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The chubby kid dropped his silverware, mouth hanging open in an attempt to reach the floor. Silva's wide stare was still holding mine, I didn't feel afraid or threatened. It was almost as if I had caught him by surprise, truly amazing.Aware of this sudden pause, my eyes switched to Illumi, his face a tiny bit scrunched, was he angry? His aura was bubbling black even though he was trying to supress the fact that I had somehow hit bullseye.My cute lips were still curved when my e/c eyes jumped to Kikyo, passing by the poor boy who was still frozen on the spot, wide eyes staring at me, lips dirtied from his gluttonous way of eating."A fight to the death would be very enjoyable. Did I answer your question, dear friend?" My question was a cordial and as fake as my smile, because my stare was ferocious, I seriously wasn't enjoying being dragged along anymore, not that I have ever, but now it was for real. I finished this conversation with an innocent head tilt, demanding a clear answer from the slightly agape Kikyo. Damn all these people masking their reactions and the other kid even dropped his spoon. "Don't think you'd want to figure out that~"That was when one of the Zoldycks finally broke the silence, the not so frozen anymore boy intervened, "I- I think I haven't huh- in-introduced myself hm... yet. I'm Milluki, second son." He looked around and left a sigh filled with relief noticing the mood change. So... I went along with it, casual conversations would do just fine untill the end of the dinner. I really wasn't ready for another heartstopper like that one that I had just pulled out of thin air."Ooh, second oldest? So, it's Illumi, Milluki and then... Killua? Or Kalluto? I feel like Killua's older…" Milluki nodded wiping his thin pale lips to a silk napkin with beautiful embroidery. "Oh did you do a play with words!? That is so fun! Wait no... Kalluto doesn't fit... Awe~" I laughed lightly, "Is there another son I haven't met? The tour girl said there were only four..." I stopped my words as the air tensed up again, no one took my clear joke as one which was seriously suspicious, they all kept quiet. Was there indeed a fifth child? Or a fourth between Killua and Kalluto, that would be called Alluka? Damn why was I so good with word plaaay! My brain was nearly fuming, writer instincts coming out, I kept my curiosity on a leash even as it barked many questions. I couldn't piss them off twice in the same dinner, not even the gods knew what would happen…I would like to find out the secret, secret, though~ My happy expression wasn't fake now, I was interested, not for the right reasons but decided to break the short silence."Oh, I'm sorry. It must be weird hearing me talk about the tour. Honestly it is a bit creepy that they stalk and make some business out of your family. I wouldn't have taken it if there was a normal bus to take me to the gates... This is just awkward now... hahaha... ha" Could this work? Oh, please let it work, seriously this dinner couldn't get worse! That was when Kikyo chimed."Oh! The tour girl is indeed right, seriously raising four children was enough of a challenge, I did take that bus once, it was delightful~" Her red tinted lips, curved upwards. "Don't you think that offspring is nice but enough is enough? How many children would you like to have?" Oh there she went again, not this time though."Oh, none, I'd rather travel the world than change diapers, plus one only thinks of kids when they're sure they've met the right guy... Or so I've heard say" She seemed to agree with it somehow, as the next question had nothing to do with dealing with children."I've heard you'll be aiding Illumi on a job. That is just wonderful~ If you're ever in need of something just ask our trusted butler Gotoh, yes?""Oh, thank you so much, and yes since I'll be around waiting for Zeno, why not do something useful?" The chitchat went on, and little by little the dinner became more normal than 'oh boy please don't kill me'. I had made some rough moves, but all was fine, still alive, thank the chocolate gods for that!Milluki finished his fourth share of dessert, grumbling satisfied. As soon as he deemed his dinner finished Silva, Kikyo and Illumi got up instantly, clearly already tired of waiting for Milluki, the couple left the room together as if telepathically communicating somehow. The long-haired assassin walked to me, tilting his head slightly a sign for me to get up and leave with him, his pace was calm, back relaxed (on his scale of always straight) yet something felt incredibly off.His aura was being freed as we walked deeper into the maze of corridors leading to my assigned room. I hoped, just feeling it float around me made me shiver and the thought of the training we were about to have turned into a fear of getting beat up by a very mad Illumi. Maybe going on about Chrollo wasn't such a good idea if I knew it would have such an impact on Illumi. The thing is it kind of accomplished the goal of not getting forced into a wedding and having to walk down the aisle under the eyes of an emotionless future husband, so I congratulated myself.I mean I could only wait, Kalluto's visit wouldn’t happen soon so he could tell his family how everyone's looking to get Chrollo's powers back and how currently he was probably weaker than Illumi. What were the chances though? Kalluto, coming back? He's probably having the time of his life with the spiders away from an overcontrolling mother and a crazy family.We reached my room's door, and Illumi's voice was chilly, "Change. It's time for the training." Spine frozen, I walked inside to change into a comfortable and light outfit with which I could run away fast enough.

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The training room was large, well-lit and two of the four walls were filled with all kinds of weapons. I gulped as I followed Illumi, gloom all over my E/C eyes, the air around the long-haired man was thick and dark."Huuh Illumi, why are you mad?", but no answer could be heard as he just stopped in the middle of the room and turned to me, cold dead eyes staring into my soul, "You know that I only said that to shut up your mother right? I don't think you're particularly worse than Chrollo..."My lips curved upward as I thought they were both annoying and crazy. Between them, may the devil come and choose. My words didn't seem to soothe his anger, so I just yelped as he charged nearly ripping my arm off, felt a warm liquid running down it, but I was too busy already running and dodging every attack that followed.He was fast, and I had procrastinated on my daily required training, I bet Feitan could be shivering in anger if knew how lazy I was. And, of course, he didn't answer, his aura full blown into the room as he started using Nen to slightly enhance his blows. Already panting and feeling as if one of his attacks actually touched me I'd probably be awfully injured, I freed my aura, beautiful f/c bubble aura flew around me and time seemed to stop for a second as I dodged and analysed what could I do besides dodging. He had no blind spots, his form truly perfect as he kept fighting, by now I had a shiny shield around me and thickened it around the areas seconds before he hit them. As I now blocked instead of dodging, I could try and hit back, but I didn't want to, it seemed like a trap to try. I felt it was way more dangerous than anything else."Ugh..." I cursed, even though it came more like a whisper than anything else, why was he so damn mad. "Whyyy are you bothered? Wasn’t it a good way to get your mother to stop planning the wedding?” Silence continued and I gasped as rage filled me, “Are you scared that dear Chrollo steals your toy?" He stopped for a split of second, "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! What are you? A child?" My voice grew louder, now mad at the stupid reasoning of this man. My aura thickened and darkened with my anger as I kept going "I am not a toy, Illumi, what the fuck is wrong with you? How can you be so childish? How would I be your TOY?"Right there I saw an opening, and I charged, kicking him in the ribs and using the impulse to jump out of his range. While doing it though, I saw something shine in the walls, and my mind was completely illuminated.There were weapons in two opposite walls, this wasn't a fair fight. There aren’t fair fights in real life anyway. I could just use the things around me. Fuck Illumi.I bet my eyes were shining with excitement as I thought of a plan to catch a weapon without letting Illumi reach any. He seemed rather impressed that I managed to land a blow, but it was short-lived. He was onto me, following with more power than before.I faked weakness, backing against the wall, step by step, as if I was struggling to handle his strikes. "I am not mad." He whispered, probably to himself as I barely managed to hear it."You sure? It seems like you are~ Why don’t you assess your feelings?" I mumbled sweetly, I was right where I wanted to be so I let the incoming punch hit me in the belly, it didn't hurt, I just thanked the impulse as I hit the wall my nen barrier working perfectly and it was just enough to grab a small knife, that I quickly hid on my sleeves.He seemed to hesitate, and I could hardly contain the laughter, it really was when people underestimate me that I had it easier. I pretended to land a frontal blow on his jaw, which he swiftly dodged, "You always go right~ Illumi" I said as the blade slid against his neck, much like a cat he just jumped back, feline instincts kicking in, his neck slightly bleeding. "Damn these weapons must be sharp!" I spouted truly surprised.He kept watching me from afar, was he evaluating me again? Uuuh fun ~ Though I didn't want him to think my abilities were as good as they really were, it was always best that they didn’t know. Just in case."Done with your tantrum? Maybe I should have taken Chrollo’s offer to go on an adventure with him, at least he knows when he's being childish… Also, the sexual tension is off the roofs~" Before I said anything more than a dozen of slim needles were flying against me. I didn’t think much of it until I realised they were coated with Illumi's dark purple Nen and activated my own abilities. This was about to get serious. I just thought of Triumph, and how I had used it slightly on Canary, the book was filled with nice characters, a sharp katana appeared on my hand as my eyes focused on Illumi. Against Canary I had used the assassin's tactic, to switch places and kill his opponents, now I had picked a trained samurai. That could easily avoid all the needles and counterattack with his large katana. And I did, using Jinichi Kawakami's strength, my blade hit three needles as I swung it against the long-haired man, he was holding them in his hand and stopping the attack with them? Wow. Impressive, this was exciting, my blood was warm rushing through my veins, my heart was beating faster and faster, I didn’t want to think about the smile that had crept up into my lips.Soon enough we were running, attacking, defending, trying to outsmart each other. It had become about endurance and smartness and I didn't want to lose, even though my body was all burning from the heavy strain and my nen wouldn't last much against Illumi’s.I had to think of something quick, I begged my brain for something as I grabbed some weapons from the wall and threw them at the man to slow him down, it didn't really work. What was I even expecting?

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My limbs were heavy and numb, it had been way too long, and I needed a break. Sadly, I was pretty sure the word "break" didn't exist in Illumi's dictionary. Who would've thought? Droplets of sweat dripped from my body, I was a mess, a sweaty, tired, nearly dying because Illumi freaking grabbed a fallen knife, like he didn't have the advantage, sort of mess.Should I ask for a truce? Did he even know what that was? Oh my god, taking the hits instead of running was draining too much energy and I could feel my limits running to slap me in the face for thinking I could manage to fight the long-haired man without any sort of plan. His moves were still precise, and very spot on. I, on the other hand, could do nothing. Without having time to even spout some white flag words I noticed the man's leg way too late and got knocked down, the air was taken from my lungs, my ribs felt too numbingly close to death, the pain burnt through all the bruises. I didn't feel like getting up, my limbs probably wouldn't allow me, and it was hard to breathe after that kick. Suddenly I felt like crying, like leaving all this behind and have sweet caresses and whispers in the arms of someone, Illumi stepped slowly and carefully closer to me, like a cat wondering if its prey was already subdued enough to be eaten.Maybe he was just expecting me to have some sort of plan after not getting up. I didn't. My mind was blank, and from my position there wasn't much I could see. He was now beside me, towering, but only because I was laying down on the floor, belly up trying to recover, my lungs were hungry for oxygen.The knife dropped alarmingly close to my head. He was staring at me with those gorgeous dark eyes, so I just let myself drown in the dark maze they were. Was I going mad? Why did his eyes felt good?Don't really know how much time passed, seconds? Minutes? How could I know? I was just way too tired and he stood there as if he had nothing to do before asking in a low voice. "Are you done with the training? Or shall I wait for your recovery?"Oh, my dear goddesses, how I wanted to be able to get up and kick his ass. I tried supporting my body with my elbows and some nauseous feeling rose from within, scowling I sat. "Huh...""Are you very injured? Somehow it didn't occur to me that you’d have such a frail body." His head was tilted, an idiot would think he was worried, I could clearly see he was learning from the experience so he could adapt it to the circumstance when killing. I broke his deep thinking with a casual remark."Do you even know what I am like?" I laid down again, spreading my arms on the floor, suddenly wishing there was snow so I could do a snow angel. This place seemed high enough for snow, wonder if the Zoldyck brothers had their fun playing in a winter day. Probably not, this whole house screamed behave and watch your manners. He narrowed his eyes, clearly intrigued with my words."What do you mean?""Nothing, nothing, dear Illumi, your mentally is probably way too young for that..." And I just laughed, it was really funny to see that some people had different experiences, I forced myself to stop as it still hurt. "Aw... Anyway, I'm done, I shaaaaaaaaaaall not waste more of your time, young master Illu~"He stared at me deeply confused for a while and left. My head felt lightheaded, and I sighed, feeling the thick wet air. "Didn't even have the kindness to help me out...""Chivalry is not his strongest virtue." A strong calm voice said, I nearly jumped to sit upright as my eyes set on Silva. The need to throw up becoming more and more evident, unable to stop my hand to land on my head as the headache that followed those quick movements decided to intrude."Does he even have virtues?" I questioned, there was nothing insulting on that, I just didn't feel like I knew any of his virtues and was truly curious. Silva seemed to understand my question but didn't answer for quite the time. He inspected the whole room, now that I looked around it looked like a hurricane had passed by, I felt bad for whoever had to clean this mess."Why don't you discover them by yourself?" A suggestion, nothing more. Even though anything coming from that huge body and with that kind of voice seemed like an order."Why would I spend time with your son when he's rude and thinks of me as an object?"Clearly Silva didn't have an answer to that, so he kept quiet, his feline like blue eyes staring calmly at me. A cat -more like a panther- who had just woken up and was still feeling lazy."Does it snow here?""Yes, in the winter.""You look a lot like Killua, but he seems to lead a happier life than yours." His eyes narrowed, guess there was really a bit of Silva in Illumi from that simple expression. Even though they didn't look alike at all. "I guess… Killua looks a lot like you and not the other way around…"With that said I left the second confused Zoldyck as I slowly got up, nearly tripping and calmly staggering to the way I thought my room was.Clearly my sense of orientation in this place sucked because I ended up in a large room, one of the walls was made of glass, now showing the dark blue night sky flickered with dots and the moon peeked under some clouds, the room was filled with comfortable looking chairs and small bookcases with casual books to read when here. It seemed dark and gloomy but as soon as the sun rose, I could bet it'd look warm and less constrictive than the other rooms.Obviously tired, I laid down on a large couch, grabbing some of the decorative cushions, and soon enough drifted to sleep. It was not like I could find the way to my room if I went out anyway… so why not sleep here?

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When I woke up, my back screamed in pain, and my whole body was unbelievably sore. There was too much light, I sat feeling so nauseous, a hangover even though I hadn't drunk a single drop of alcohol. Trying to open my eyes was a real struggle since I seemed to be in a well-lit room and the sun was already up, burning through my closed eyelids. Of course, no one would come to find me, and no one would have the care to take me to my room and tuck me in. This was not the kind of household that harboured such warm and compassionate people.After what seemed like an hour, I finally managed to open my eyes. I was squinting look around, but the room seemed as beautiful and warm as I had imagined it last night. The corners of my lips twitched a bit upwards, until a stinging pain hit them, and I realized I was in horrible shape."Oh. You're awake, Y/N." If my body had a tiny bit of energy left, I would've climbed the walls in pure surprise. Currently though, it was trying to not move at all and recover, Illumi (who else could it be, so many people in this fucking mansion and somehow, he was always the one that showed up) walked around the large sofa, I had spent the night on, and sat at a considerable distance from me.My heart could've skipped a beat, if I hadn’t looked at his face and seen the bored, unamused look he had stamped. My bet was that one of the butlers found me and Kikyo had kindly asked Illumi to wait for me to wake up. I wish I had seen the request, seeing Illumi squirming unable to deny it, that sure as hell would bring a bit of joy into my day."What time is it?" I rubbed my forehead, why had I picked such room? It was suicide for these vampiric barely woken up eyes. The long-haired man took a while to answer."Nearly mid-day, mother asked me to accompany you to breakfast but not to bother you. This is not an adequate time to start the day, but I shall take you to breakfast, as I've already wasted enough time here." Ooh, look who was so chatty today! A bit of ‘ugh Y/N can you not waste my time?’ was just what I needed to brighten my day. I tried getting up, I wasn't going to inconvenience this rude man anymore. My head felt light, my gut turned around and my vision started to fade into black. I sat again confused and frustrated at my own body.How weak had that looked like? That wasn’t what I should be thinking… not when my vision wasn't returning, and I had this ominous feeling I'd pass out soon. Not when the couch under me felt less and less solid. "Y/N?" I heard in the distance, I waved my hand, maybe it was just the fact I hadn't eaten yet, I laid down a bit, and I'm sure my voice came out wobbly as I tried to answer."It's ok, it'll... be alright in just a second..." That was more to try to convince myself, who cared about Illumi, I meant besides the fact that he could see I was completely useless and kill me in this moment of weakness? Hahah... I wished for someone to help me... Feitan would’ve laughed at me, but would he kill me in my weakness? No, he enjoyed the screams and the despair. Chrollo… he seemed so distant but he was my friend… Why didn't I go on an adventure with... "Chrollo...?"This time I woke up as if floating on feathers, everything stung but at least the thing underneath me was soft and soothing. Was I in a bed? There wasn’t an intense light anymore… What had happened to me?My E/C fluttered open, and I curiously took in the place, it looked like a hospital room. Why was I in a hospital? My head ached and as I tried to move my arm, I felt a needle move in it. "What the..." there was an IV drip connected to the thin transparent tube that snaked around my S/C arm. "Oh... oh no..."I sat up, repressing my wince. "Oh, my dear chocolate lord...". I saw Kikyo storm in, running to my side her lips pressed together in worry."Oh my... I have to apologize my lovely Y/N, our incompetent butlers switched the plates." Her visor seemed to be shaking. "Do not worry! I shall have them punished for their mistakes!" The lady added quickly, not that it made any sense in my head I was still confused over the first sentence."Plates?" I managed to inquire, Illumi entered the room with a dead calm, not putting on a panicky worried show like Kikyo, he seemed to find it amusing by the glimmer in the look he casted me."Oh, right! Your food was poisoned, and the useless servers last dinner forgot that you would not have a meal on the level we usually do." Poison? Why would their food be..."Oh..." My S/C hand patted my H/C hair, a nervous reaction. Even in their meals they would improve their skills. What a wicked household."I couldn't be more surprised that you didn't seem to die in the first bites, what an interesting guest, you are~" Kikyo beamed, obviously satisfied with the results. Was it really a mistake that they switched the plates? I smiled politely at Kikyo, it did sound like something she could’ve done with no remorse. I shouldn't have lowered my defences thinking nothing bad would happen. Who knew how the fuck I had managed to survive?My heart was jumping out of my ribcage, my lack of sight was terrifying me. What was worse is that… even after hearing I had been poisoned a part of me wanted to shove it in Illumi’s face, that I fought him with that in my veins. That I was much better than my performance last night. The fact that my anger at the moment wasn’t even because I was poisoned."You shouldn't punish them since I'm alright. No wonder I felt so weak after my training with Illumi, all that exercise must've accelerated the circulation of the poison. Hahaha..." I had to leave as quickly as possible, who knew what would happen to me if I stayed long enough... This was a dangerous game I was playing. Perhaps leaving right away and letting a note for Zeno to meet me somewhere would be wise… But I had already agreed on helping Illumi with his job, whatever that will be. How had I lowered my guard so much?I gazed at Illumi, no wonder his mom had sent him to get me, after all her plan did involve me probably dying. Probably? Scratch that, absolutely."Well, can I go to my room? I really feel like taking a bath..." The less time spent near these people the less probable it would be for me to suffer any assassination attempts. That was the logic for now, I needed a clear head to formulate a better plan.

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Kikyo surprised at my request, took a while to get her act together and answer me in a cheery voice. "But of course, Illumi why don't you accompany and make sure Y/N arrives safely?"Something made me tremble, was that a warning? The lady of the Zoldyck family was clearly crazy, how could I have trusted this place to be safe? Never, never again. My newfound clarity yelled that I needed to leave this place as soon as possible. I had that job with Illumi tomorrow, could I survive that long?I sat up slowly, doing my best to not show any weakness. I wasn't going out like this, and oh how I'd get back at Kikyo. With a grace I didn't know I had, I lifted the bed sheet and slid my beautiful B/S body out of the mattress, returning the sheet to its position with a flick of my wrist and going as far as smoothing it out. I took a deep breath, fortifying my resolution and turning slowly to face the annoying long-haired man."Let's go Illu~" I chirped as I took small steps to the door. He followed casually, accompanying my pace as he led the way. Tsk, it would've been sweet if he wasn't a emotionless person who killed people for money.After we distanced ourselves enough from the infirmary – that’s what I’d name it –, I grabbed his arm for support. "Did you know your mother was going to poison me?"He didn't flinch at my strength as I gripped him nor at the question, but this was Illumi, a stone would probably jump before he did. "No.""Hm... what is the job we’ll be doing tomorrow?" I could only hope for it to be far away so we could leave soon."We're taking out a guild of mercenaries." Oh, Nemesis should gift me patience, this man didn’t know how to elaborate on a matter..."Where?""In a mountain, 4 hours away from here." Four hours? That wasn't enough..."Can we go there sooner so I can see the place? And train there? I'd rather know the field, brings a certain advantage..." His onyx eyes landed on me, for the first time in the whole conversation."That is a very good idea, being used to the place plays an important part in assassination." My lips curved, I wasn't happy to be complimented by an assassin, I wasn’t, I just couldn't release all the air I had kept in my lungs in anticipation as relief hit me."So... When shall we go?" I noticed we had stopped in front of what I assumed was my room's door. I cursed all the doors here for looking the same. I finally let go of his arm and, thank heavens the wall was nearby, I laid against it. Did they even give me an antidote? I was feeling unbelievably weak. He took a while to answer, probably thinking about it."After lunch, which will be soon. Maybe you should have your bath later. Aren't you too weak?" Weak? What the – and indignation aside my body acted up and all I could do was hope this coughing fit would stop so I could kill this man.It seemed like years had passed until I finally caught my breath and stood steadily. "Weak?" I locked my E/C eyes onto his, and inched closer. Pain and fuzzy mind now forgotten. How dare he? "Excuse me, oh great assassin, I was a writer until very recently. It's not like I've been trained all my life or get off on challenging others to fights." My breathing was getting messy, and I grabbed Illumi's shoulder, nails sinking through the fabric of his purple shirt. "I also don't lead a criminal organization or anything like that? It was nothing from my world until recently. And you call me weak? I fought you even though I had poison running through my veins."His head tilted to the right, silky black hair flowing over my hand, ticklish and smooth. He was seemingly oblivious to my rage."The people we're fighting can't be stronger than you." I forced a smile as I let go of him, pushing him aside to have enough balance to reach for the door. "I'm feeling ill, but with a bath and a bit of rest I'll be good. I’ll be better than good. Can I excuse myself from the lunch table?"Without waiting for an answer, I slammed the door in his face. Great. That was a good excuse, I was mad at Illumi, he was so insensitive that he got on my nerves and since I was feeling ill, I’d be skipping lunch. Now, time to create a plan.My eyes leapt to a pocket in the worn-out pants I was wearing when I arrived. I could... call Chrollo... Why was it that I didn’t want to go on that adventure with him? I could contact Killua but I didn’t want to get closer to more Zoldycks… Feitan wouldn’t be welcoming… Was any of those better than to finish this job for Illumi and to find a way to never step in this country ever again?Over the neatly done bed there was a pile of clothes, I hadn’t slept there but I could assume it’d be meticulously arranged even if I had. The butlers here were insanely good. I went through the clothing, and picked a simple f/c outfit, that'd fit me well and was comfortable. How did the butlers know my size perfectly? Down to the underwear? Creepy. With a shrug I headed to the luxurious bathroom. A relaxing bath, that would help me decide the course of action to take.It took me a while to get off my sweaty clothes from last night's training, mostly because I was sore all over. It was probably already lunch time, before I got into the bathroom the clock on the bedside table displayed 12 o’clock sharp.I started with an overall rinse before filling the tub with warm water, I sat on the edge of the bathtub picking the best scent of body soap. A trip of selfcare that was all I needed. Humming a happy song, I carefully stepped into the bathtub, and sat down getting comfortable. The warm water made my sore body complain, but it was a good ache. Relaxing in a bubble bath smelling like pure heaven~. Who would've thought not long ago I had been poisoned? "Hehe~""You seem to be enjoying yourself, Y/N" My eyes widened as I turned to see Illumi standing by the doorframe, what the actual ... Was it too much to ask for a relaxing bath, dear god? "Why... the fuck?" My voice had already given up on me and, to be honest, I had given up. How come not a single moment of happiness was given to me? I must have been a really bad person on my previous life.

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My mind was running miles trying to figure out an answer when Illumi satisfied my curiosity. "Mother was worried that you'd drown since you're weak."I could bet she also told you to apologize too, the devilish woman, I rolled my E/C eyes, "Illumi, I know you don't know what minimal decency is but there's a thing called privacy." He didn't budge from his place, unaffected by my snarky remark. My eyes met his maze-like black voids as I tried my best to ask any god to make Illumi leave the fucking bathroom.He didn't get the hint, and if that didn’t allow me to be as sarcastic as I wanted and choo him away, what did? Sighing I shifted in the large bathtub to hide a bit more of my skin, conveniently the water was filled with white foam and bubbles."Do you have anything else to say? ‘Cause I don't see you leaving, and I don't see you wanting to suddenly take a bath with me so..." I waved my hands around, water droplets following the movements, not knowing what more to say. He tilted his head, clearly not understanding my irony or forced sympathy."Why would I join you? And I've already said mother told me to-" Oh what was that? What was that that I heard snap?"Do you seriously not understand that I DON’T want you here? I'm taking a bath, I value privacy, and unless you're stronger than Chrollo and every other insane murderer, I don't see any point in appealing to any kind of lust or romance." No matter how hot Illumi was, he’d never consider me a person much less his equal.“Currently I am stronger than Chrollo.” The audacity of this man, I couldn’t."Oh? But at least he tries to show some feelings, fake or not still better than a creep like you.  Does it look like I’d marry someone who thinks of me as an object? So, go tell that to your mom. She can stop testing me I am not going to be your..."The whole bathroom seemed to freeze, his dark purplish aura filling most of it. Perhaps being so blunt had been a bad idea. Many thoughts crossed my mind as his murderous eyes landed on me, he drew closer, hands landing on the border of the tub. "Y/N, you don't seem to understand many things but this one specifically..." The marble border cracked, and my heart started panicking when one of his pale porcelain hands landed on my chin, gripping it with inhumane strength and forcing me to face him. "As long as you're useful, you'll keep being used by me. Your will won’t matter. If you ever become good enough to be my spouse, I’ll make sure you’re well taught and obedient. I do not enjoy certain spiders trying to steal my pawns, are you feeling lonely, my weak toy? Just this once I’ll soothe that for you."His thin pale lips crashed into mine, his right hand sliding from my chin to my s/c neck, not nearly carrying the same strength. Illumi's eyes shut, water splashed as he placed his knees around my legs. He didn’t seem bothered to be soaking his pants and when he backed away all I could do was gasp for air. What the actual fuck was happening? After recovering my breath, I looked over at Illumi to protest, his shirt was off, thrown to the floor, his hair was half wet, a hand pushing it back as the other was grabbing the bathtub near my shoulder. "Hey, wha-"

[WARNING + TRIGGER WARNING: FOREPLAY + NON-CONSENSUAL-ISH ACTS – Please skip the rest of this chapter if you’re not comfortable reading this.]

"Shut up, misbehaving puppet." Chills went up my spine, as his cold voice cut through me. Was he going to kill me? No, wait, he had taken off his shirt, what the... His mouth fell on my neck, sucking lightly, his hands wandered around my body, groping here and there, unable to say anything. My voice wouldn’t come out due to shock, I just laid there but when his sharp nails gripped my hips I whimpered. A small spot of the water turned pink from the diluted blood, resolve was on my mind as I attempted to push him away but all I got back was a hard bite on my neck, his body didn’t move a millimetre, it was if I was trying to move a wall. His hands started to move lower, and my throat closed up, my breath was ragged, and my hands now trembled, not exerting enough strength to possibly tickle the assassin.Kikyo was right, I was too weak to be taking a bath, moreover, to be in a bathtub with a crazy Illumi… Could I run away? The bathroom door was open but seemed so far away. He was pissed off and trying to prove a point, I had pushed the wrong buttons.This could not be happening… not this…His tongue was nonchalantly reaching for my ear when I was pulled out of the water way too easily, shivers ran over my body as the cool air touched my goose bumped skin. I arched my back when he slid an arm over it and the other to my knees, he held me in bridal style as he stepped out of the bathtub, his eyes looked through the open door to my room.“You don’t deserve the bed…” I was laid on the cold hard floor, my bones seemed to freeze but what had me shivering was when his weirdly warm body covered mine, his pants no longer a part of the Illumi set.“Yo-ou cannot be doing this… to me right now, Illumi.” His lips found the spot they had left on and decided to go down, licking and biting through my wet skin.“Watch me then.”

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"Illu-" My complaints were cut short by Illumi's lips on mine, his hands forced my legs to spread, and he settled between them, his hard member pressing against my thigh. A warm tongue lapped over mine, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I wouldn't dare to... When his warm lips left for my throat I gasped, filling my needy lungs with air as I pushed and pushed his shoulder away to no avail. My legs wouldn't budge over his grip and when his face reached closer and closer to my thighs, I closed my eyes. "Don't do this to me." My voice cracked believing a useless plea wouldn't do much.Warm, wet and textured, that tongue of his slid over my clit without a single warning, my eyes snapped open, focusing on the stone ceiling for a second before losing themselves as the warmness started circling the mount, wringing out a pleasure I shouldn't be feeling. My body twitched under the undivided attention it was getting, itching forward and snaking away from the stimulation that didn't stop, the cold floor was a blessing as I felt myself grow warmer and warmer, heat spreading over my cheeks and the need for release driving my body. I wish I could become as cold as that floor, the spasms started as the large wave of pleasure inched to crash over my body. I lost myself, there were loud moans echoing in the bathroom walls, my moans, my moans as I came undone when Illumi slid a finger inside me.Instead of slowing down for a moment, the assassin was bold enough to add another finger and continue licking, "Please- No- Stop--!" My cries fell on deaf ears, overstimulation had my poor body try to squirm out of his reach, try was a keyword, Illumi's grip on my hips didn't falter, worse, his nails sunk deeper displeased at the attempts to escape the painful pleasure that itched me closer to another moment.I kicked him, body raising supported by my forearm, my elbow complained about the arrangement, but it was only when I focused my gaze on Illumi that he stopped and looked up. His lips were shiny, his eyes hazy, his hair wet and a complete mess. Why did he look good? Why was I thinking he looked good? Why? Why when he had done this?He had stopped just as the urge to continue had unleashed itself from under the overstimulation, his void eyes were swallowing my entire universe and keeping me enchanted. I didn't want to be a toy but did it even matter? I wouldn't have a say in this, not while I was weak - weaker than him."Oh? The complaints stopped, do you want to play more, my toy?" He licked the slicky shine off his lips, a wicked smile appearing on them. I had never seen Illumi smile, it was terrifying, tears streamed down my face, warm, the only warmth for me. Did I want to play more? I knew that Illumi was a cruel man, I knew it and I still ended up here, crossing every single line. How could he...?A shiver ran up my spine, my wishes of being as cold as the marble floor coming true, his hands were on my thighs, andI felt nothing but disgust. I wasn't an object that could be used whenever he liked, I knew that I should be raging, yet the anger I was feeling wasn't bubbling hot. No. I felt the rest of the room freeze with my aura, if I was to be used by him I'd reciprocate the treatment. I would never cry again for this thing, he was no longer a person. He never deserved such title.I felt more woke than ever, the daze I was in disappeared, a nick of strength had returned to me, the poison was surely nearly handled by my body. His smile faded along with my tears, almost as if he had enjoyed my breakdown, he tilted his head in disappointment. I cleared my throat before my hands landed on his shoulders, "Well, sorry to disappoint, Illumi." I pushed him with all my strength, and he fell on his back. Before he could react, I was straddling him.I instinctively reached for my h/c wet hair, fixing the mess it was. "I do feel like playing you. Care to satisfy me?"His right dark eyebrow arched up as if asking me what the fuck was I doing, his pale thin lips parted to say something, sound came off but it was being muffled by my icy wrinkly hand, the water wasn't doing me good. "Shhhh honey, weren't you asking if I wanted to have fun?"A cruel laugh I never thought I'd have in me left my lips, as I tilted my head staring at the well-built body this thing had. I traced lines down his chest with my nails, they weren't as sharp as his... I wished they were, I wished I could draw bloody lines over his body... I dragged my waist lower until I was on top of his boxers, he was hard. Lifting my hand from his mouth I grabbed the hem of the last piece of clothing he had, "Did you get harder by watching me cry? You perverted little thing, here I was about to tell you to get stiff so we could play - I guess you do feel like being useful."Puzzled was a look I had grown to appreciate on Illumi's face, he used his elbows as support to lift his torso and reach me. I narrowed my eyes, considering leaving, using him for release and leaving was also an option... Dropped my hand on top of the shape of his member, this wouldn't be fun without some teasing. "Maybe not..." I started pulling myself up, but strong hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back, grinding against my core through his boxers. "Oh?"My lips curled, "So you do want to be played..." It was just what I wanted. I yanked his undergarments down, sparing a glance at his cock, a pulsing slim and long thing that could ease the fire this creature had started. His hands on my hips pushed me closer, oh but that wasn't going to happen.Swiftly shooing his hands away, I grabbed his warm member, and slid it along my very wet folds. Who trembled in pleasure? I couldn't tell, as his shaft began to slowly enter by me. I sat there for a few seconds enjoying the feeling of being full, the desire subdued just a bit, I wouldn't last long after the overstimulation this despising man had forced on me.It was about time I started moving, so I did, at first rotating my hips, feeling his cock run along my walls, then I forced my knees on the cold hard floor as I pushed myself up. His member was nearly sliding out when I sunk back again, my back curling with pleasure. The rest was mechanical, rising and dropping, the cold floor blessing my knees with some freshness as I felt the heat rise between my thighs begging to be satisfied. I slapped Illumi's sneaky hands away as my toes curled, my movements became sloppy and pleasure hit me.Illumi was still under me, his guard lowered, his chest rising and lowering faster than usual, his dick still rock hard inside me, waiting for his release like a good boy. Too bad it wouldn't come. Not with my help at least.I smiled and rose my hips, letting his cock slip out and bounce, I placed a little kiss on his cheek before hearing the sneakiest voice coming out of me."What a good boy you were, thanks for letting me use that cock~". I trembled as I stood up, feeling empty, there were juices dripping down my legs and I hadn't finished my bath properly but there was nothing I could do about those issues. His dick was there pulsing and wet, and that was his problem.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Illu-” My complaints were cut short by Illumi’s lips on mine, his hands forced my legs to spread, and he settled between them, his hard member pressing against my thigh. A warm tongue lapped over mine, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move, I wouldn’t dare to… When his warm lips left for my throat, I gasped, filling my needy lungs with air as I pushed and pushed his shoulder away to no avail. My legs wouldn’t budge over his grip and when his face reached closer and closer to my thighs, I closed my eyes. “Don’t do this to me.” My voice cracked believing a useless plea wouldn’t do much.Warm, wet and textured, that tongue of his slid down my dick without a single warning, my eyes snapped open, focusing on the stone ceiling for a second before losing themselves as the slickness started circling the tip, wringing out a pleasure that I shouldn’t be feeling. My body twitched under the undivided attention it was getting, itching forward and snaking away from the stimulation that didn’t stop, the cold floor was a blessing as I felt myself grow warmer and warmer, heat spreading over my cheeks and the need for release driving my body. I wished I could become as cold as that floor, the spasms started as the large wave of pleasure inched to crash over my body. I lost myself when his hand firm stroked what wasn’t engulfed by his mouth, the other muffling the loud moans echoing in the bathroom walls, fingers being coated in my slick saliva. I felt the absence of the sturdy cold fingers for a second, his grip tightened around my cock, his strokes violent and I came undone when he inserted his digit inside my arse mercilessly.My watery eyes met large black circles as his lips popped off my cock just in time to avoid the small spurts of cum that landed on my belly. He forced a finger in and continued to jerk my now extremely sensitive member, “Please- No- Stop--!” My cries fell on deaf ears, discomfort and overstimulation had my poor body try to squirm out of his reach, Illumi’s grip on my cock didn’t falter, worse, his nails inched closer to my fragile skin with every stroke, his fingers inside spread and I lost my breath. I couldn’t take it. The discomfort. I couldn’t run away from it, not when there was an iron grip on my…I managed to kick him, body raising supported by my forearm, my elbow complained about the arrangement, but it was only when I focused my gaze on Illumi that he stopped and looked up. His lips were shiny, his eyes hazy, his hair wet and a complete mess. Why did he look good? Why was I thinking he looked good? Why? Why when he had done this?He had stopped, my bullied member deflated, finally, yet the urge to continue had unleashed itself from under the overstimulation, his void eyes were swallowing my entire universe and keeping me enchanted. I didn’t want to be a toy but did it even matter? I wouldn’t have a say in this, not while I was weak – weaker than him.“Oh? The complaints stopped, do you want to play more, my toy?” He licked the glossy shine off his lips, a wicked smile appearing on them. I had never seen Illumi smile, it was terrifying, tears streamed down my face, warm, the only warmth for me. Did I want to play more? I knew that Illumi was a cruel man, I knew it and I still ended up here, crossing every single line. How could he…?A shiver ran up my spine, my wishes of being as cold as the marble floor coming true, his hands were on my thighs, and I felt nothing but disgust. I wasn’t an object that could be used whenever he liked, I knew that I should be raging, yet the anger I was feeling wasn’t bubbling hot. No. I felt the rest of the room freeze with my aura, if I was to be used by him I’d reciprocate the treatment. I would never cry again for this thing, he was no longer a person. He never deserved such title.I felt more woke than ever, the daze I was in disappeared, a nick of strength had returned to me, the poison was surely nearly handled by my body. His smile faded along with my tears, almost as if he had enjoyed my breakdown, he tilted his head in disappointment. I cleared my throat before my hands landed on his shoulders, “Well, sorry to disappoint, Illumi.” I pushed him with all my strength, and he fell on his back. Before he could react, I was straddling him.I instinctively reached for my h/c wet hair, fixing the mess it was. "I do feel like playing you. Care to satisfy me?"His right dark eyebrow arched up as if asking me what the fuck was I doing, his pale thin lips parted to say something, sound came off but it was being muffled by my icy wrinkly hand, the water wasn't doing me good. "Shhhh honey, weren't you asking if I wanted to have fun?"A cruel laugh I never thought I'd have in me left my lips, as I tilted my head staring at the well-built body this thing had. I traced lines down his chest with my nails, they weren't as sharp as his… I wished they were, I wished I could draw bloody lines over his body... I dragged my waist lower until I was on top of his boxers, he was hard. Lifting my hand from his mouth I grabbed the hem of the last piece of clothing he had, "Did you get harder by watching me cry? You perverted little thing, here I was about to tell you to get stiff so we could play — I guess you do feel like being useful.”Puzzled was a look I had grown to appreciate on Illumi's face, he used his elbows as support to lift his torso and reach me. I narrowed my eyes, considering leaving, using him for release and leaving was also an option… Dropped my hand on top of the shape of his member, this wouldn't be fun without some teasing. "Maybe not…" I started pulling myself up, but strong hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back, grinding against balls through his boxers. "Oh?” My lips curled, “So you do want to be played…" It was just what I wanted. I yanked his undergarments down, sparing a glance at his cock, a pulsing slim and long thing that could ease the fire this creature had started. His hands on my hips pushed me closer, oh but that wasn't going to happen.Swiftly shooing his hands away, I grabbed his warm member, and spit on it, making sure it was slick enough. Who trembled in pleasure? I couldn't tell, as I dragged his shaft closer to my entrance. I sat there for a few seconds enjoying the feeling of the tip pressing there, before pushing myself down slowly, the desire subdued just a bit, I wouldn't last long after all this despising man’s sneaky fingers had carefully molested the best spots.It was about time I started moving, so I did, at first rotating my hips, feeling his cock run along my walls, then I forced my knees on the cold hard floor as I pushed myself up. His member was nearly sliding out when I sunk back again, hitting deep, the need for air on my lungs increasing. The rest was mechanical, rising and dropping, the cold floor blessing my knees with some freshness as I felt the heat rise begging to be satisfied. I slapped Illumi’s sneaky hands away as my toes curled, my movements became sloppy and pleasure hit me.Illumi was still under me, his guard lowered, his chest rising and lowering faster than usual, his dick still rock hard inside me, waiting for his release like a good boy. Too bad it wouldn't come. Not with my help at least.I smiled and rose my hips, letting his cock slip out and bounce, I placed a little kiss on his cheek before hearing the sneakiest voice coming out of me."What a good boy you were, thanks for letting me use that cock~”. I trembled as I stood up, feeling empty, there were juices dripping down my legs, cum on my abdomen and I hadn’t finished my bath properly but there was nothing I could do about those issues. His dick was there pulsing and wet, and that was his problem.

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My body was still feeling the aftermath of sex after a long time dedicated to abstinence. I ran to the room, grabbing the easiest thing I could put on along with a long jacket. I looked at the window as I struggled to slip on some flimsy white slippers.Deducing that this was the first floor, jumping out wouldn't be much. I slammed the window open and stepped on the windowsill taking the impulsion to hop outside. I wouldn’t bother with the probably insanely confused Illumi that I had left behind and trusted that all the other assassins were still sitting at the lunch table.My feet landed on the uneven stone path, my soles ached for a second but I was glad I hadn’t broken any bones. I didn't care where the path took me, I could see the butlers housing further down the hill and if I followed it I'd be on the right path to the testing gates soon enough. Feeling sticky and still wet from the many things that happened instead of a relaxing bath, I just ran as quickly as possible. The slippers would have to go as soon as I was far enough, the pebbles sunk into the thin material… I wondered if it wouldn’t be better to just go barefoot, I was already feeling every unevenness and sharp edge of the way.Where could I go?How could I be safe?What did I just do?I slammed three doors of the gate open and followed the road the tour bus usually took to reach the gates. Where was I going?Feitan? He didn’t like me that much… Chrollo? Was he going to be mad that I ran away from him at Chiaroscuro? Where else could I go?How would I even find him? I knew the phantom troupe was "inside" a game called Greed Island looking for a way to undo what Kurapika, the blond-haired beautiful boy, did to lock Chrollo's nen.Now I had a choice to make, search for Chrollo or find a way into Greed Island, hang out with the spiders and eventually find their boss... A bit afraid of what would happen if I met the so great Danchou of the Phantom Troupe and worried that I may not find him since he was probably travelling alone, I decided that when I reached the city, I'd do some research on the game.It took me a few hours of running and walking when my legs started burning and whining for a stop, but I reached the city where the bus tours started. The first order of business was looking around for some internet access but since most of these people lived off the fame of the Zoldycks, the great family of assassins, that turned to be unsuccessful. Food was also not one of the city's specialties, so my mood only worsened. Apparently having a library with access to the internet was too much for this town. I rolled my eyes and decided to buy myself a ticket to a random place, I had to make sure Illumi wouldn't track me.He also had that one job that I totally skipped by running away… So his search, if it ever came to be, would be delayed… All I had to make sure was that I didn’t go anywhere near the mission site. Things would work out… right?He and his sexual frustration would be scary to face, so I'd better not even cross his path in the next months... maybe years... At least long enough for him to forget the details. Who knows maybe I'd get lucky and never meet the long-haired man again! Though that seemed extremely unlikely, my bad luck started with my dumb actions back at home that one night and I couldn’t seem to shake it off…I withdrew as much as the ATM allowed me and bought myself a ticket.“It’ll depart at 18 o’clock today.” The old lady behind the counter warned, her eyes still shining with distrust after I paid in cash. I had an hour or so to buy some new clothes, a nice travel backpack to store all the things I had shoved into the pockets of the jacket in the run. A room in a shabby hotel was all I needed. I wouldn’t stay the night, but I had to at least shower.Now wearing a light f/c t-shirt, some black pants and black sneakers, I left the hotel carrying my lovely backpack. There wasn't much to see, so I just patiently waited at the airport, nibbling on a very expensive but not remotely close to delicious sandwich.After some days of traveling around random places, I searched for Greed Island in the random towns I stopped by. Apparently, it was a pricey game, costing more than 8 billion Jenny in auction. I had the money to buy it but the auctions were over and… Collectors aren’t fond of sharing…  I ended up in front of Heaven's Arena. It would be nice to make some money and use it so no one could track me. How was I going to get the game? If I remembered correctly, the phantom troupe stole it, Killua entered by asking some rich dude who bought the game. Now which of those would be better?I quickly reached the top floors of the Arena, gaining myself a room on the top, the view wasn't as great as it was from Kukuro Mountain but just the fact that I wasn't surrounded by assassins made it blissful. In my breaks I did some research on the people who had the game. Most of them weren't keen on handing out 8 billion Jenny games to strangers and I didn't want to ask for stuff, so my planning started. It wasn’t like stealing would be the first illegal thing in my record…Mr. Wesley Wilcox had a copy of the game and wasn't that good of a person, so he'd have to do, he lived on the other end of this continent, so I deemed him far enough to be stolen. I booked the flights with the money I earned in Heaven's arena making sure I switched airships at least 7 times, it would be a long ride, but I had to get into Greed Island and find them spiders.Watching the land move far away from the window, I wondered how come I had been traveling so much but getting nowhere. I missed writing, but this adventure was being a roller coaster of emotions and I didn't want to deal with them before putting them into a book.Time moved so slowly when nothing exciting was happening, but I enjoyed it, managed to get some good rest and put my mind in the right place. When I got to the large mansion, that wasn't nearly as big as the Zoldyck's butlers accommodation house, my mind was blank, the plan was already in motion I didn't think it was wrong to use my nen to unlock the service door, nor that I picked a thief character that I seemed to dislike when writing but that now was being extremely useful. I tiptoed around the house making sure not to touch anything, until I found a well secured vault, that seemed like it.There were two guards at the front but with a little noise in the back of the house one of the many distraction techniques they left to check it out leaving me to quickly sneak into the vault grab the game and leave unnoticed. The cameras? None could catch me all they could notice was the vault scene, which is why my next stop was on the surveillance room, to delete all footage from the last month.Holding the game with my gloved hands, I got outside and felt incredibly surprised and suspicious at how easy it was to waltz inside and steal this 8 billion Jenny game. Shaking my head as if that would shake my thoughts away, I carefully saved the game in my bag and went to catch a train.Nearly four days later, I arrived on my apartment in Heaven's Arena, laying on the bed dead beat. The ride was more tiring than sneaking inside Mr. Wilcox's house and stealing from him, I had no more time to spare, who knew for how long would the spiders stay inside this game? So, I got up, leaving my soft bed behind.I already had a JoyStation ready on top of the small tea table on the living room, at least the long trip had been good, I didn’t despair waiting for the JoyStation to be delivered at my place… I grabbed the game and inserted it slowly in the slot, afraid to break anything, and activated my nen.Seconds later I was no longer in my living room.

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There I was, in a weird looking room with very bright white walls… So this must be the hall where they explain the rules of the game? I noticed a door with some square and rectangular black shapes pulsing. As I walked closer it split in four and each part moved to the corner to let me pass. What a fancy door."Welcome to Greed Island." A feminine yet somehow mechanical voice echoed, when I looked at the source, a weird looking girl was sitting on a floating desk all with the same electronic pattern, she was wearing a helmet and the only thing that didn't match the black and white theme were her blue eyes since her hair was a greyish white and her skin could blend into the white of the walls.A small cling made me look at my hand where a ring showed up. "I will now explain the rules of the game; do you want to hear the explanation?" I nodded and she continued. "In this game, whoever has the ring can use two spells. Book and Gain.""Now please show the hand wearing the ring and say 'Book'." I stared at her for a few seconds before lifting my right hand and hearing my bored voice repeating the word. With a poof, a book showed up in the air, "All the items you can find in the game can be converted into cards, this book is used to store them. The goal of the game is to complete the book, now please open your book in the first page." Slowly grabbing the edge of the book, I opened it, there were empty slots with different numbers on them. "There aren't any cards inside, but you can see each slot has a number, those slots only accept cards with that number. They're called Imposed Slots, if you turn the pages, you'll see there are some slots with no numbers, those are Free Slots.""Meaning I can put any card there, right?""Exactly." She chimed, "There are 100 Imposed Slots and 45 Free Slots, you must complete the 100 slots to finish the game. Therefore, you need to collect 100 items turn them into cards and store them in the book. When you acquire an item it'll turn immediately into a card and if you want to reverse that you'll use the spell Gain." She went on about the Items turning and the limitations for a while, "If you die during the game the ring and book will be destroyed.""Oh yeah, wouldn't want to destroy those, would be so pissed on the afterlife." Unbothered about my sarcasm she indicated that I could enter the game, so I went down the stairs that showed up.A beautiful green grassy field went on as far as my eyes could see, and I could sense someone watching. Well… might as well have fun while looking for Chrollo, I thought as I disappeared only to appear behind my watchers, they were laughing thinking I'd be an easy target. After beating the crap out of them, they gave me some cards and told me the directions to the nearest town, Masadora. "Book", I inspected the cards, I had Steal, Trace, Return, Accompany, Magnetic Force and some others, the names of the poor bastards I had beaten up showed up too. Hmmm interesting...I walked around, killing some beasts and acquiring random cards until I reached a town, there was a trade place and I traded repeated cards for money cards. It was weird that money came in cards. Looking around I saw a creepy old man staring at me, of course, many people tried to steal me on the way, but after a time I got used to knocking them out before they could use any cards, it was very effective and good training on my speed."Book" I heard someone say behind some trees, focusing on the unknown person my body assumed a fighting stance."Book..." I whispered, "Return on Masadora". Evading the attacks on the wild, Masadora would be a good choice after slaying some cyclops.Also bought an expensive map, and the city of Love, Aiai, called my name. Of course, it did, I had been walking alone defeating cyclops and other monsters in this game and it wasn’t like my love life had any potential now that I knew these crazy strong men that were hot but felt nothing. Suddenly the bathroom scene passed by my head, and I shivered. I was so dead if Illumi found me. Very lost in the game and considering I had zero idea where to start looking for the spiders I headed to the city of love.When I reached Aiai, it became clear why it was called the city of love, especially after a mildly good-looking man approached me impressed with my beauty. The people here seduced and tricked people for cards, I walked around not caring for much and opened my book to pick another city when I saw the name Chrollo Lucilfer in along with many others I had passed by in Aiai. Of course, he couldn't be here, he had no Nen but it was my only lead, so I grabbed one of those teleport cards and activated the spell.I landed in an open field, there was Hisoka and surprisingly Killua, another kid and some other older people. "Ugh! Of course, it had to be the freaky clown!" I cried out loud, catching everyone's attention. The older men with the matching suits, ha cute, stood prepared to attack."Y/N!" An adorable voice screamed, coming near. I smiled fondly as I rubbed a white fluffy head. "What are you doing here? Did you decide to come and have an adventure?""Aw~~ Killu, I should've come with you from the beginning, damn I can't handle your household." He seemed to freeze at my comment, "Anyway what are you doing with the freak there?""Aw~~ Y/N- Sweet birdy~ Why are you so mean to me? Did you come looking for Chrollo?" Astute as always, I felt his gold eyes on me, analysing."No, I came to see who was stupid enough to use his name, guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you. What are you doing with these children?""Oh? They asked me to come along and help them...~" I couldn't hold my laugh at that, what... I wheezed looking at Killua that didn't seem amused at the fact."Seriously?" The incredulity in my voice made it rise several octaves.

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"Oh, I see..." A sigh left my lips after listening to their explanation, apparently they had to beat this really strong dude and asked Hisoka to help. The perv decided to agree since he was waiting for something... Why wouldn’t he though… Strong people are his type. "Well you shouldn't trust Hisoka, okay?" Killua and Gon both smiled and nodded. Good kids, they seemed to be having fun.“Now we have to ask team Tsezgerra if they want to join!" The excited children left to meet the men with the matching outfits, and I approached the fuchsia-haired man."Well, well, Chrollo's friend and Illumi's toy~. Isn’t life going well for you, little birdie~?" I blinked before releasing all my bloodlust, a shriek and a yelp rose on the background. That didn’t bother me, Hisoka released his nen, as if this was a competition on size. It was a crazy sweet bubble-gum pink but clearly as dangerous as Illumi's."I don't like you, clownie~ And I know you're here waiting for something to happen, maybe for the troupe to find some nen exorcist?" His golden eyes sparkled, and he pulled himself closer. His chest barely touching mine."Oya~ this little birdie knows stuff... You seem to be glowing, something happened with Illumi?" The most disgusting wink followed, of course the horny clown would somehow guess when sexual stuff happened. I kept my poker face yet my bloodlust betrayed me and grew larger and darker. He couldn’t dim his scornful smile as he continued, "I'll meet the ones you want to see soon, but as they search why don't you have some fun with me?"His hand reached to touch my H/C hair and I gracefully caught it, using only the strength needed to keep his long nails and pale hands from my hair. I knew he'd probably have the time of his life if I let my rage blear my judgement."What a masochistic clown you are, sweetie…" He seemed to pout for a moment, but his signature mocking smile showed up seconds later. "About having fun, I will gladly have fun with the strongest of you all, or maybe with a farmer in the fields... Ahh such a hard choice~ What do you think? Anyway, why don't you contact them so I can get going?""Oh~ but don't worry, I'll fight Chrollo first... and then Illumi~ so wait a bit more and I'll tell you who's the strongest~"I smirked, "What if you lose to one of them?"His smile turned more sickening at the thought, his bloodlust matching mine in strength, "That's to be decided hehe~ And I told you, I'm helping these unripe fruits, you can tag along and after that we'll meet the spiders.~"I rolled my eyes and tossed his arm away. It wouldn't hurt to tag along and get to know Killua's friend. My E/C eyes landed on a small blonde girl, wearing a pink frilly dress. She was powerful, I could feel it. A smile formed on my face as I skipped next to her and away from the creep. "Hello! I'm Y/N, are you Killua's friend?"She returned the smile, "I'm Biscuit, I trained him and Gon.""Oh, I see... Interesting, well would you mind if I tag along with you guys for a while?""Not at all, why don't you help out too?" As she asked that both Gon and Killua walked closer, overhearing her proposal. From what I saw they had been jumping around in the air, competing to see who reached higher."Oh yes! Y/N deals with brother lots of times. Must be very strong, can you help?!" The white-haired kid excitedly announced to his friend. I hadn’t had the time to pass the message to Zeno about Killua, but I would only spend one more day on that house over my grave.A pale muscular arm landed on my shoulders, and I saw his white hand and nails, as I heard Hisoka's annoying voice. "I find it more interesting that this sweet bird is friends with the Spiders, you know the guy who almost broke your arm?" His gaze stopped on Gon. "He was Y/N’s mentor. Unbelievable right?~"Both kids seemed to take in the information, now wary of me. Unbelievable was this damn clown, spouting shit like that. "Says the man who wants to fight the Spider’s leader just for the thrill of it… Want to talk about danger, perverted clown?"That seemed to lighten the mood but I could feel that these people would keep their guards up at all times when near me. "Well let's just get this over with then, we have to beat people at sports, right?"The group had a plan already, when we reached the large gym building there were 15 people, they had recruited some other people to do nothing at all just to have the right number of participants. When inside my gaze landed on the muscular man with short black hair, he was strong and not just physically. As the rounds moved forward, boxing, basketball and such I kept an attentive eye out for that man. Soon enough a large dude rebelled and revealed that Greed Island was in fact not a game. I wasn't that surprised, the setting of the game seemed weird from the beginning.The guy they called Razor killed him with one hit, showing off his power to the cowering convicts he controlled I could guess. Hisoka explained that to Gon and Killua who seemed genuinely surprised. A soft smile spread on my lips, they had a lot to learn but they'd manage with their talent, for sure.Dodgeball time arrived, and the useless people who were just filling in chickened out, leaving us with one less participant to play. Some of the matching uniform men asked them to stay but after witnessing Razor's power they wanted nothing to do with us.Thankfully one of the people who stayed materialized a monkey like being to stand in for one more, which was allowed by Razor since all his team was made that way.The referee explained the rules, and Killua posed one more. Soon the game started and Razor granted us the ball, which was very suspicious. The monkey man grabbed and hit two humanoids in Razor's team."Okay…" And the monkey man seemed rather shaken at Razor's actions. "I'm ready to defeat you now!""Heh, that's funny." This dude was over, already boosting with confidence as the game had barely started and the ball hadn't been in Razor's hands. Dumb and inexperienced. I rolled my eyes. The man used his nen on the ball and threw it to Razor, why give him the ball? How dumb could he be? Razor caught it with one hand, and everyone gasped except me and Hisoka, who also seemed quite bored with all this."Right then, time to counterattack." Razor's aura was purple, and I saw everyone flinch when he surrounded the ball with it. It was about time we got rid of the pleasantries.

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The yellow and black ball was engulfed in a fiery purple nen. Razor stood back and I tried to hide a smirk as I took two calm steps to distance myself from Goreino, the man who thought this was going to be easy and handed out a free ball. Soon enough the game master threw the ball and Goreino’s face contorted, face wide open, eyebrows scrunched together as he whispered some random words and changed places with his nen monkey, whose head exploded at the hit of the ball, disappearing right after and rebounding the ball back to the muscled man."Nice rebound." Razor turned around to see Goreino outside the court. Gon and Killua were surprised at the quick decision, but anyone could see that the man wouldn't be of any help from there on. He was trembling in fear after experiencing the difference of power between himself and the large, muscled man.Restarting the game, the tall man passed his ball with an incredible amount of strength to his nen teammates, that passed the ball to the next and so on, locking us in a square. Suddenly one of them aimed for Tsezgerra the leader of the men with the matching outfits, Gon and Killua yelled his name, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge or try to catch it. The ball hit his ribs and rebounded on the flood before Killua caught it, his blue eyes widened as his two hands held it tightly."He focused his aura on his back and avoided a lethal blow. Hey, patch him up." That was certainly true, at least this one did a sufficiently good job and the ball is now in our possession. Tsezgerra stood up trembling and left the court as the referee announced that if a player is unable to play, they'd be disqualified.Killua was dribbling in deep thought, Gon called out for Hisoka, his voice low."Okay~, ball?" The clown used his power, Bungee Gum, to hit the players and retrieve the ball. "Now, try to entertain me." As cocky as ever he eyed Razor, I could almost roll my eyes. For now, it was a good strategy but would it last? "Surely this isn't everything you have."Why was the damn clown spicing the mood? Well… the sooner we finished the sooner we'd meet the troupe so maybe I should be helping out. Using nen wasn't forbidden but what could I, a conjurer, do to play dodgeball?Killua asked if the last player to be hit could use back to keep playing, and the referee clarified that such was against the rules.When Hisoka threw the ball once more, number 6 and 7 merged and caught it, trying to pull the ball back his bungee gum turned out to be ineffective as the strand stretched thinner. Number 13, the two enemy team players merged was stronger, huh?I was still wrecking my brain trying to think of a useful character to use."Now it's my turn to attack again." That was a dangerous statement by Razor. Everyone took a step back and the kids yelled "Ken" making their auras larger. "So, you know how to use Ken, that means you won't die… assuming you won't get hit on the wrong spot."It was getting dangerous alright~. "Here I come, Gon!"Well, shit, going for a child, that was low. Gon gasped before answering with confidence, "Bring it on!" What a brave little boy. Gaining balance, the large man threw the ball at an unbelievable speed, I wouldn't want to catch that. Yikes.Laying both hands on his head, he yelled "Ko!" and did his best to receive the ball. Really brave, just like Killua described. His feet flew out his shoes and the ball spiked up, hitting the ceiling. Gon's body was pulled away from the court, rolling and crashing against the wall. Killua and Biscuit ran to help Gon and I could see that with a bit of training both the kids would be on my level, I was glad for them but decided I had to keep pushing the boundaries and continue up on the ladder of strength. "I'm just fine! Next time, I'll catch it!" His fearless voice filled the gymnasium. Well, it was time I did something for them."Estimated the ball's likely drop point...Team Gon gets the ball, but the ceiling is considered an extension of the floor, Gon is out." Gon and Biscuit were arguing on when to use the 'Back' to get Gon back into the game. The game started, Goreino and Killua were switching the ball between themselves when Goreino grabbed it and walked further away attempting an attack on Razor that didn't go well because of the speed of the nen puppets. Monkey man ended up with a ball slammed on his face, and knocked out fast, the ball back to Razor's team.Four vs three, yet Razor was a major strength on the smaller team. A bit of a disadvantage, but maybe we could work with this."Well then, who's up next?" Razor says as he throws the ball with immense strength, I was in front of Killua but dodged it easily landing a gracious arm away from the trajectory of the ball. Maybe I should've caught it since Killua had a lucky decision there. Had he turned left he'd be dead.The vicious ball passed by Biscuit and Hisoka, landing on the enemy's hands that threw it back to Hisoka. He caught the ball well considering the surprise attack and he looked so hot when he stood up blood running from his nose and forehead, and a fun smile on his face."Heeeh, isn't the masochistic clown having a good time?" I cheered; his golden eyes fell on me as he licked his lips seductively."Biscuit is out." Oh? I peeked at the small figure, her dress was a bit ripped, clothes counted as part of ourselves? That was a problem. She walked out slightly defeated."Well pass me the ball, my turn to have fun~!" Skipping next to Hisoka, one of his fuchsia eyebrows arched, his lip twitched up, an interested bloody smirk, as I grabbed the ball. "Mhm... it is time... what should I do... what should I do..." Mumbling to myself I wondered as I spun the ball on my S/C hands."Oh, I know!" I took a deep breath, letting the ball between my left arm and my hips not to let it fall. My F/C aura ran loose like a good dog excited for a walk, slowly a pinwheel appeared on my right hand.

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Still trying to relax my body, I waved the pinwheel around. This could either go very well or awfully wrong. The character I drew was Areli, a wind goddess, a very sad story I gave her. If I knew I'd use my characters for my powers I would've written more overpowered people. I could now but when in hell would I find time to write a full book and publish it?Anyways, Arellie was a tricky character henceforth the reason of me never using this pinwheel. It would take so much of my nen to even use her. I should be careful not to exhaust my body too much. That was an important rule taught by Feitan.My e/c eyes fell on the pinwheel, and it started spinning colourfully. This was mostly a transmutation power and would be very draining, I had to try these sometimes though. How else can I improve myself?My aura started getting lighter, gas like, it was time to make it turn into air. It took me a while, and a lot of focus, trying to hide my panting I kept taking deep breaths as if meditating. I should make Razor use up his "back". Closing my eyes, I only felt their auras, it was all that I needed, the pinwheel was spinning at such a violent speed and the ball started levitating as well. I needed a bit more power, should I draw it from myself? I did it... This could not go wrong; I can't turn back now.My aura was spread around the court as air, creating currents faster and faster. Legs don't you dare fail me now. Soon enough I let the ball be taken by the currents and I flinched as I dug deeper to change the places of the currents. The ball just swung against Razor's back as he dodged left, aura doesn't lie. More power, I needed to bring the ball back or make it hit the floor.In the split of second I thought that Razor tried to counter with his nen puppets, but it was too late I drew more power and made the ball hit the floor in front of me.My legs gave out and I shut my eyes open as I dropped on the floor and grabbed the ball. It was alright, it was alright I told myself. I needed enough aura to use as a barrier if I was hit by Razor's attacks. Now I didn't nearly have enough. Maybe this was not a good idea, Arielle demands too much focus and power.Hisoka whistled, his gold eyes meeting mine as he waltzed on front of me. "Ugh that's a horrible looking bloodlust clown, calm that dic............... hmm down.""Oh, why little bird is so interesting, wanna go for a round after this?" My eyes narrowed at him, this man was dangerous, I shouldn't trust him too much. I bet the look of disgust was very clear in my face as he laughed it out and winked.I needed time to get the feel in my legs back, but I guess I wouldn't have it as I heard a dangerous voice saying "Back". Alright it was time, I pulled myself up, using more arm strength than a normal person would use my legs were still wobbly. "What an interesting power you have there, what was your name?" I rolled my eyes, and shook my left leg waiting for it to regain its strength. It hurt a bit. I should train more to get back in shape spending time at the Zoldycks made me lazy.I stared around, Hisoka had his hand a mess since he caught that ball, Killua was good, I hoped. Gon was outside the court waiting to use back and Biscuit was on the opposite side to catch the ball. Taking my time I wiggled my legs, and got my arm ready to throw, maybe I could take out one of these puppets, Biscuit nodded and I threw the ball aiming at the lowest number (besides the referee), as it neared the puppet though it curved to Biscuit's hands who then in the brink of a second made it hit the target and then the floor. The remaining puppet dashed to catch it and delivered it to Razor.That was not good."I should take you out before you regain your strengths." He said eyeing me. Oh, not good at all. I couldn't catch it with the amount of nen I had.I grabbed Hisoka's arm for support as I took a deep breath, "Cover me in Bungee Gum.""Oh! Y/N! That's kink-" I slapped him weakly."Shut that dirty mouth clown, do it." He smiled and crouched to start at the bottom, intentionally touching my body, oh I wished I had the strength to kick the shit out of him. Unfortunately, no would do, I needed to have my legs ready to sort of dodge.He ended ruffling my hair, with a creepy smile on his pale (I mean white wall) face."Ready?" The ripped man asked, as if he'd wait if I said no. Ah how come I got myself into this? Take notes not to help puppy eyed children ever again."Not really can we have a f/b break?" I sarcastically spouted, damn where did these come from? Soon enough there was a super-fast purple covered ball coming in my direction and holy shit, well that was it. I thought as I tried to dodge, more like try to get hit in a less useful place. Maybe my leg... arms are important and legs too but ... Still having the pinwheel spinning slightly in my hand I forced the ball to go down as I dodged. "Bungee Gum better work or I'll fucking kill you, Hisoka dear." I screamed madder at the situation than in pain. The ball hit my right leg under the knee, and I felt it break as I tried not to get kicked out of the damn court but it was too much for my poor weakened legs and I flew outside not before Hisoka pulled the bungee gum from my leg so the ball could fall on our team's place.I managed to not hit the wall with my back my sharpening my nails and holding my body an arm away from the wall, like an extreme push up. My nails would be stuck in that damn wall for a while.

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What a bad plan... an horrendous plan. Who thought about this? Oh right. Me. Damn these kids that make me want to help. I slid to the ground slowly as R azor spouted something about medical assistance. My nails were stuck in the wall, I could hear Hisoka snickering, trying to contain himself from rolling in the floor laughing I could bet, the bitch.Soon some of Razors minions tried their best to mend my leg as others didn't even manage to get my nails off the wall. I stood quietly my mind paying attention to the game. Gon had used Back, he was using Rock Paper Scissors to beat the shit out of one of the remaining puppets, but I could see Killua's hands weren't really having the best time, Hisoka had a broken hand so no tossing, and Gon... He didn't seem happy over the throw.When one of the convicts stepped in front of me to once again try to pull my nails from the wall, I hissed at him as I pulled them out by pure rage. How could he stand in front of the damn game? He jumped away and they never bothered me again.When I got my vision back Gon was meditating and gathering his power, that was awesome. He was going to do the Rock thing again, oh poor Killua. And fucking clown looked like he was having the best time. Razor received the ball, was this volleyball? Damn he should've tried to catch it that'd make things easier. His form was perfect, what an incredibly strong man."Amazing!" Wha... Gon just... got impressed? Ah this kid was weird.Someone called for a timeout, I growled as they discussed something and Hisoka headed my way. "So does this mean I can carry you around, Y/N?~" My face scrunched with disgust as I grabbed anything nearby and threw it at him. Some small rocks, a pair of scissors left by the convicts, a bottle of medicine... flew in his direction but of course he had to catch them all gracefully and place them near my feet and out of my hands reach. "I shall take that as a yes—Wonder where I could carry you to...~" He escaped before I had any time to look for more thigs to throw and the game soon started, everything was the same, so what was the discussion about?The ball was in Razor's hand and the three boys in the court were planning something, oh how amusing would it be? My lips curled up as I watched attentively."The game will now resume."As soon as he said that Razor's nen beasts disappeared, he was drawing all his power back to himself. He gathered his aura in the ball and threw it up for a spike, so much was happening I thought as my eyes strayed back to the boys to see them in a weird combo position. I'd imagine Gon would catch the ball, Hisoka would use bungee gum to slow it down and Killua would manage the forces. Huuh... would this work? I couldn't wait to find out.After the huge blast of smoke disappeared, I saw Gon holding the ball and Killua being a bit strained but ok, and well Hisoka didn't matter. Killua did good supporting both the impact and bracing them so they didn't fly off. What a prodigious talent, could that be the reason for him to be the heir of the Zoldycks?Gon drew all his power out, impressing everyone as Killua held the ball. The final play was being made I could feel it. Unable to catch the flying unbelievably powerful ball Razor received and directed it back at them. People were yelling at Gon to dodge and both me and Razor were sure he wouldn't dodge except I knew Gon would pass out from drawing so much power and apparently Razor didn't account for that.Aw that would suck for Gon to win like that, but Hisoka's smooth voice reached me as he said "Not quite yet." His hands positioned so the ball would be caught between the bungee gum that was between them, "Gon wanted a total victory, right?"I smiled, it seems that Hisoka also had been infected by the 'I want to help these kids' syndrome and the veins of his muscular arms popped out as the ball was stretching bungee gum but he held it and managed to bounce it back with the momentum given by Gon. Razor prepared to receive again but the ball was stuck.I couldn't hold my laughs anymore, tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched Razors face. He was pulled outside the court with the ball still glued to his arms and my loud laugh echoed in the whole gymnasium as the referee yelled that Razor was out.I wished I could aw at the sweet conversation the winners were having but my laughter attack hadn't stopped. Would it stop? "Call this a victory for the team.""That doesn't sound like you at all." Gon spouted and every hope I had for my ribs left me as I kept laughing.Hisoka walked my way, Killua was getting his hands bandaged and Gon was talking to Razor about his father. My beautiful ass? Still trembling from so much fun, but at this point who'd care."It seems like you had a fun time watching Y/N~☆""Who are you even?" My s/c hand whipped a tear away from my now flushed cheeks, "Victory for the team?""Oh I love doing things in teams though~☆ Specially teams of two~" He sat near me and waved his injured hand in front of me, I instinctively grabbed the first aid kit that was delivered to me as soon as the game ended. But then my eyes loomed over the fuchsia haired man."Do I look like your maid?"

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"Not yet, you don't but wonders can be made with one's imagination~", with the most disgustingly perverted look on his face the clown eyed my body, making me instinctively shiver."It's of no use to reason with an idiot." I sighed, tiredness was getting to me and I was not in a safe place, not with this fighting-to-the-death-makes-me-horny clown nearby. My eyes loomed over to Gon chatting with Razor. "God, why am I here with you... will you really meet with them?""Who knows~? Stick close to me and we'll find out!""Gah! What was that sticking isn't something I do, unlike you my nen doesn't revolve around BUNGEE GUM – THAT HAS THE PROPERTIES OF BOTH RUBBER AND GUM!" Soon after people approached us, probably because I said the last part with the most mocking salesperson voice. "What now?" I question the white-haired kid, as I attempted to get on my feet. The pain hit me harsher than I thought it would, damn muscle man Razor. It was to be expected, I sighed."Oh~ would you look at that it seems someone needs help." My eyebrow raised at Hisoka yet had no time to spout a probably not so witty comeback when Killua pushed me up and tried to support a bit of my weight, so my leg didn't ache so badly."Ah, Killuaaaa you're so nice!" I hugged him tightly careful not to squeeze hard, he was also injured after all. "I wish your brother was as nice as you!! Are your hands ok? Let me see!" He let go of me for a while to show his white bandages, and I blessed him for helping me getting up and switched all my weight to the good leg, there were some blotches of blood here and there tainting the tissue, just thinking about such a young kid hurt like this made me go back to hug him cautiously and pet his head. "I know you're probably used to the pain but I'm so sad to see you like this... You kids should be more careful when picking battles alright?""You too, Y/N!" Killlua playfully added as he pointed to my leg."Excuse my attempt to help you guys, where's my thanks? I didn't shine as brightly as you and now I'm treated like I did nothing!" I cry in an overly dramatic voice, a smile on my face as I pinch Killua's cheek."Oh dear! If you want a rewar-" I punched Hisoka who had gotten closer without me noticing it, I was indeed very tired. "We can play that way too~" If my eyes could roll eternally, they would after being so done with the clown.After that the NPC took us to a window and started blabbering about the game story. Hisoka helped me get up the stairs to get there, a bit of kindness I would later have to repay I could bet. They got a card called Plot of the Beach and were talking about cloning it when Hisoka grabbed me princess starting to carry me out."Wait aren't we saying goodbye?" My voice left my throat strained, my leg needed some fine rest and my body was too exhausted and sore for any of this."Hisoka, Y/N, do you really want nothing?" Gon's voice caught up to us."No, it was fun." The pale man smirked, Killua walked toward us as well."Why don't you join us?" Hmm, the boy wanted some information on the troupe as well? Smart. Keep your enemies where you can see them. When I noticed I was smiling at Killua, proud, maybe I should hint a bit."I'm not interested in collecting cards." Was Hisoka's reply, and I only added, "We have stuff to do... People to meet, like a doctor that would be nice..." Golden eyes fell on me, lack of trust, a bit of annoyance, that's what they let through. "If anything comes up, use Contact and I'll use Accompany or Magnetic Force and show up.""That's a generous offer, sir Clown." I winked to Killua as I waved goodbye to the boys.×××We were in a hotel after visiting the doctor and using some healing aids from the game, Hisoka looked bored. But soon after Phinx used Contact and showed up. He took us to the hiding place of the other spiders, these cards in the game were quite useful.Feitan, Shizuku, Shalnark, Franklin and Bonolenov were waiting. "Feeiiiiiiiiiiiiii-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan~~~~~" I shrieked as I used my crutches to get closer to him. "Aah how I missed you!" In a second he was no longer in my line of sight. "Hey! That's not playing fair I'm hurt, didn't even have time to rest!!!!" I cried out."What happened to you Y/N?" Kind Shalnark asked, ah there was someone with some manners, at least that."A muscular dude broke my leg in a game of dodgeball." The 6 visible phantom troupe members looked at me with a bit of a surprised look, and I could see Shalnark wondering if his politeness could top his curiosity. "He was really strong, Hisoka almost came, or maybe did... ew don't want to think about it! Glad I've met you guys, do you know where our lord and saviour Chrollo is?""I thought you were with him." Shizuku said now unbothered by everything, or maybe she just forgot what I just talked about."Ha, no. Now don't mind me~ Do your business...""Y/N is being rather boring when hurt I'll leave her to you~. Where is our friend?""Machi and Nobunaga are tailing him." My attention then turned to Shalnark's finger, a thin nen string was tightly tied around it. "He's just up ahead.""Were willing to let you negotiate with the exorcist, and pay any price, just make sure he agrees to do it." Oh, so they are dealing with the whole no more nen for Chrollo situation, cute."I understand, I wouldn't be able to fight him otherwise." And, of course, that is his reason. We then moved to the place where Machi and Nobunobu were. And they discussed something with Hisoka. I could feel a familiar presence around."You in the shadows," Hisoka's voice got louder, "was it through your power?"After Nobu called the clown freak, deserved, he explained he was sensitive from his battle. Real freak. And Kalluto came out of the shadows."Was my Zetsu not good enough?""No, it was perfect." Machi reassured."Hello, big sister.""Oh, it's amazing. A while ago I saw Killua, now I see you. Life is never complete without a Zoldyck~ Heheh. How have you been? Your mother was quite lonely without you..."

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The young Zoldyck then turned to face Hisoka and was presented as his replacement, number 4. "I cannot tell you how my power works, but we found him by using it." Hmm... now that I thought about it didn't Silva say something about how it was bothersome to get involved with the Phantom Troupe to his kids?Boy, what a surprise that would've been. Or maybe it was all planned? Well one couldn't guess the inner workings of that messed up family even if determined to understand them. Apparently, Hisoka was really horny to fight Chrollo and willing to help out the troupe. I peeked at the nen exorcist, he was wearing a beige cloak with a yellow poncho on top, what interesting outfits these weirdos go for."Big sister did you annoy big brother Illumi?" Kalluto asked, in front of everyone, in the most innocent voice ever. If only I could've avoided the instant shiver that went up my spine when those words left his mouth... "Oh? Mother was worried about it... what is it?"My face felt warm, undoubtedly warm, too hot. I facepalmed, my whole body betrayed me with the simplest question, I had expected it from Hisoka, maybe Feitan if he felt like being a prick, but not from the innocent looking boy wearing a kimono. What an error this was, but there was no turning back. "If Illumi was annoyed wouldn't he kill me? Well, I sure am alive so..."That was somewhat reasonable right? Illumi sure didn't like stones in his shoes, and Kalluto probably knew that. "Indeed. Then why is he acting weird?" the youngest Zoldyck whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear of course."Maybe I'm annoyed and feel like killing him?" I tried to put out in a teasing voice, yet the young boy didn't catch my change of tone and looked more enlightened than ever."Wow Y/N big sister, you truly are family then." I could feel my right eyebrow trying to shoot for the sky, my eyes squinting at the quote. How did I manage to make it worse for myself every time I spoke to a Zoldyck. "I'll let mother know, she'll surely feel relieved.""Ah... relieved... yes... why would she feel relieved though...? I sure dig my grave deeper by the day." I whispered; a true whisper only caught by Feitan who was now standing beside me and snickered at my last remark. I eyed him, "Feii-chan, are you happy to have me here? I know you must've missed me so much right?""What an utterly disgusting thing to say Y/N, do you feel like being beaten to death?""Oh! My! What's that romantic proposal? I may be interested. Are you willing to fight a Zoldyck for my love?" I mocked in my news announcer voice, which only made Feitan kick me harder than I was expecting, for I sure was a hurt damsel in distress but alright. I let myself lay on the dusty ground, wondering what was worse, crossing paths with Illumi or sticking it here with the Phantom Troupe and have my every move reported to Kikyo by Kalluto. "Damn Fei, that was so rude." I very carefully tried to sit; my whole body was aching before but now it rose up some levels. I needed to rest, not to go around with these dangerous people who didn't mind kicking me when I was hurt. I could force myself to be with them here, Illumi wouldn't come to drag me back and torture me in his dungeon if I was surrounded by Spiders, right? Yet he'd probably easily know all my moves now that Kalluto was a part of the Troupe and even if I went to rest somewhere far away, he'd easily find me.This all came down to the very interesting question: Was I more afraid of Illumi finding my beautiful person and what he'd do to me after that or afraid I'd break more bones by hanging out with the Troupe?Won't the Spiders get annoyed at my weakness? I would only delay them in the search for Chrollo...Hisoka crouched down next to me, "What is the maid thinking about?~ Regretting meeting the Spiders? If you weren't injured, I wouldn't mind your company~~""That I am so sorry that I'm not horny enough to fight you to death, clown." My best choice would be searching for one of the healing cards and see if I could keep up with the spiders. Just as I thought of this, Kalluto handed me a card leaving me speechless. "What...""I think big sis needs a bit of strength to go back quickly to the Zoldyck Manor." A creepy smile formed in Kalluto's lips, that little kid had better manicure than I did. Wow. Life sure shines to the rich."I'm not going back anytime soon." I tried to say innocently."Sure you are." And with that Kalluto walked to Machi, starting a friendly conversation about the best ways to trick people into falling into your traps. My mind was blank. I wasn't going back to the manor by myself, I'd be dragged there by a very pissed of Illumi. Oh, why was my life such a disaster?!?!?I called the card and healed myself. It felt truly amazing being able to run away from Feitan's blows, so the plan now was either stay with the troupe and hope for the best some creepy dude didn't kidnap me when they weren't looking, or go on a wild search for Chrollo. He was probably a bit bummed since I didn't take his offer to go on a fancy trip with him, but any kind of annoyed Chrollo was better than a raging Illumi.I trembled in fear as I looked around to the woods surrounding us, it was getting late. The sun was nearly setting, and I started to fear for a Zoldyck hidden in the shadows.The most nervous prey is the one who is sure that it's being chased.

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Deciding I wouldn't be much helpful with the troupe I decided to give my number to them and start searching for Chrollo, that way when they finally convinced the nen exorcist to cooperate they should just call me and we'd plan the meeting somewhere.The problem on this plan was the fact that I would have to travel alone, and the possibility of being tracked by a certain long-haired Zoldyck was higher, besides he'd know I was looking for Chrollo because Kalluto would inform him, that can only make him more mad than he already is.Truly a problem, but with my bad luck I'd probably cross paths with him sooner or later so if I had to set things straight with him, might as well do it soon so I don't suffer in fear. I said that to myself but as soon as I left the game, the first thing I did was check all the apartment for any break in hints.There were none, maybe he was embarrassed! That would be good. I grabbed my phone to call Chrollo, not really expecting him to pick up, yet he did. "Y/N, you really ran away from me.""I know, felt lonely on your trip? I just came from seeing the troupe members and well they are negotiating with a nen exorcist so I thought I should go ahead and find you. Didn't think it'd be so easy." I hear my surprised high-pitched voice answer back. Guess he was a bit mad, but well nothing compared to Illumi I could bet."I was so lonely, you have no idea Y/N. And if you want a harder job, I won't tell you where I am." Lord chocolate, Chrollo was being the annoying friend I knew and missed since all this crazy stuff happened. That made me relax more."Just tell me the continent." I heard Chrollo's joyful laugh from the other side of the line."You turned out to be a really interesting friend Y/N." I looked outside; it was raining. I should pack a warm change of clothes in a portable bag soon."Oh my god, don't ever call me interesting again I swear to my chocolate god..." I was so done hearing that word attached to me."I'm sure you'll have a lot to tell me, it has been a long time since we had a calm conversation over some nice f/b." I nodded dumbly before realizing this was a phone call and he couldn't see me."Indeed, I have so much to ask you about your life, that plan on the auction was a full magical moment." After a minute of silence, I heard the thief's voice now deeper, almost a whisper on my hear."Oh, you enjoyed it? That's... Amazing. Well I'm in the Azian continent, have fun looking for me, Y/N." I trembled with the sudden change but shrugged it off and smiling replied."Just you wait until I find your royal ass in record time!" With that said I turned off the phone and started quickly packing all the essentials for the trip. Since I had to cross an ocean and then search one of the biggest continents.As I was leaving the arena, I saw on the corner of my eye someone with long black hair. My heart started racing, yet when I looked with more attention it was only my brain playing tricks on me. I let my nen roam free to make sure Illumi wasn't around, and I didn't feel his very recognizable aura. With a sigh, filled with relief I walked to the airport.×××I arrived in Kakin's port city after a long and uncomfortable trip. My mood was ruined, I picked a small hotel near the port to rest for a while. I didn't know much about the country but they sure were different from what I was used to.I walked around downtown to look for maps or libraries, the feeling of being watched suddenly hitting me. I kept telling myself I was becoming paranoid, but somehow my gut kept telling me I was in danger. Was it Illumi danger? Or a different kind of danger?When I left a restaurant after dinner, the night had fallen and the streets were empty, seeming threatening. All my senses were heightened, yet I was unsure if I should keep using Zetsu or use En, extending it all around me to make sure I don't miss anyone approaching me. I decided to go with Zetsu, keeping my cards hidden and rush my steps as all I wanted at that moment was to reach the hotel safe and hopefully all this threatening aura turning out to be pure imagination.All my hopes were thrown away when I heard a single step behind me and turned to look at a tall blue haired woman, holding a knife, oozing bloodlust. "Heheheh, new flesh in the streets~~" I heard her screech, that was a scary animalistic thin voice huh. There is a first time for everything, I decided to roll out my En, feeling the presence of two other people in hiding and surprising the dangerous looking woman."Well, good night to you too kind lady. If you don't mind, I'll get going." She seemed to mind, her eyes widening as she jumped to attack me. I quickly dodged her and the two figures in the shadows tried to get me, thinking I was distracted. When the lady striked again I pulled her knife and stabbed her in the belly, she seemed surprised by my strength. None of the others seemed to know how to use nen, and both seemed frightened to see the lady easily overpowered by my sweet self. So I dropped her knife and decided to do a quick dash for the rooftops, it would be easier to get to the hotel this way.This all seemed like a bad omen. I couldn't help but think that this was the wrong country to look for Chrollo. Before I walked inside the hotel, I fixed my hair to look more presentable, the receptionist seemed surprised to see me return when I asked for the key to my room. I just wanted to reach my room, I locked the door behind me and turned on the lights to see none other than a long-haired assassin, sitting on the small bed, waiting for me.

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"Fu- " I managed to spit out before grabbing the doorknob violently only to remember I had locked it. What a way to shot yourself in the foot, Y/N! Panic took over my thoughts as he slowly got up from the old bed, that creaked slightly over the weight change. Knowing I couldn't possibly unlock and open the door on time, my hand ran over to the knife Feitan had given me as a gift. I always kept it with me, and now I didn't regret it.Pulling it out with a flick I stare at Illumi, who seemed to assess the situation with a cold stare. My spine was trying to shrink itself to nonexistence and trying to run away at the moment, the dark purplish aura drawing out the survival instincts buried inside. If my guts weren't attempting an escape from my body I could've made a snarky remark, maybe joke about the situation, but the whole mood of the room wasn't set for jokes, the hairs were standing up on my arms and the assassins cold void eyes were on me.I take a cautious step to the night table, right hand slowly coming closer to my chest as I held my knife backwards, the edge being a dangerous continuation from my little finger. My heart rate was truly wild, the surprise of seeing the one man I was running from right in front of me after locking the door behind me was too much. My thoughts were flying faster than the speed of light, there was a gun on my night table, a nice thing to have in hand if I wanted to replicate any kind of gun using nen. The knife was helpful too. But how exhausted could I become if I kept making knifes and failing my target?Illumi got in the middle of my trajectory to the night table. I could hear me sigh, my heart was no longer beating like crazy, it was slowly returning to its normal pace, even slower, my eyes never left my adversary, the minimum move would mean I had to dodge. I knew that. I knew that and when I saw him shift his weight to the right leg I didn't react. Soon enough he was standing in front of me close enough that our auras mingled fighting for dominance, I dodged a thin needle, unlike the others with large balls at the end, more dangerous looking too. Just at the time to touch his side and materialize a knife on his ribs. Unsure about the effectiveness of the move, yet it sure took him by surprise. And soon I was sent flying towards the mirror that was part of the large vanity table on the other side of the room. Large chunks of broken mirror fell on me, it wasn't much damage since I had enough time to switch the density of my aura from my belly where he kicked me to my back before crashing.I was on my feet in a heartbeat but so were Illumi's hands around my neck. I grabbed his left arm as he pushed me against the wall, his legs carefully positioned between mine so I couldn't hurt him much if I attempted to kick him. A small warning lit up inside my head, my idea was using my assassin's technique to rush to the door and unlock it, giving me some time to escape. But right now, Illumi's slender fingers where wrapped around my throat slowly increasing the pressure, that was not how my disappearing ability worked and the ruined plan broke my thin layer of control over my emotions. I made the knife on his ribs dissipate into thin streaks of my f/c aura that then joined my body, the dark stream of blood that followed didn't faze him, nor did the knife I stabbed on his upper arm with all the strength I could muster, he didn't even flinch in pain, uncaring.Suddenly it dawned on me, this wasn't cold calculated rage. He didn't care if it was not very effective not dodging my blows, he just wanted me to slowly suffer at his boiling anger."You started this, Illumi. Why are you so –" suddenly his strong hands closed tightly around my neck, I tried to gasp for air, I wanted to keep myself from panicking, that of course was deemed impossible as my heart exploded into a fast race, my lungs burned requesting for oxygen and my primal urges were to try to shake him off me."Excuse you, Y/N. You attacked me first as soon as you entered the room." I wanted to be snarky, add a sarcastic comment, yet at that moment I had more important thoughts going through my mind, like the need of oxygen for a living. Almost on autopilot I felt a sharp knife materialize on my hand, my knees fell weak at the sudden pull of energy from a needy body, "You lost your chance of talking your way out of this. Broken toys are useless."I moved my hand from his arm where it was pleading and fighting for release to his shoulder, clawing my nails through clothes, skin, and more. His body wasn't that far away, so using that as a distraction, I prepared myself to use all my strength. ItI raised my blade to his other shoulder, I assumed, all I could see were dark spots on a tear blurry portrait of Illumi.And I sank the knife into his neck, feeling almost no resistance to the sharp knife. But I knew it was buried into Illumi, sadly I couldn't see his face of surprise or how deep I stabbed him because everything went black, my strength left my limbs, and the silence took over.

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I came to my senses, all my body ached, a stab of unbearable pain in my head made me scowl. I wanted to open my eyes, but if I wasn't dead something went terribly wrong. Well, my head was hanging low and I was sitting, there was some strong binding around my body. How great! He tied me to a chair! Did I not hit his neck? If I didn't stab him in a fatal spot, why was I not dead?As horror filled my body, yet I forced myself to keep a steady breathing as I decided to slowly open my eyes... bloody ropes from my wrists to my elbows an intricate knot was joining my forearms tightly. I felt the same various ropes pressuring my torso against the once white soft chair, that many ropes between my chest and my waist was overkill, the glimmer of hope I had to escape when I saw ropes, fading away when I focused on my feet feeling over the soreness and pain, a metal coolness. I wanted to move see if I had any movement space whatsoever, yet my body didn't seem to agree with me. My belly felt icy, and that combined with my headache, made me want to throw up.I heard a soft noise in front of me and cursed when my skin betrayed me as all the hairs rose. Just what I needed, a scared cat look to complete my utter dismay.Illumi's hand reached for my chin, his slender fingers tracing my jawline, pulling it upwards. I glanced over to see his clothes filled with blood and a huge slash next to his collarbone, ah it was so close. My eyes roamed to his face; his void eyes were empty looking he had black circles probably from the blood loss. "You will obey me." His voice seemed to echo inside my mind, I flinched at the sudden jab of pain in my forehead and in a satisfied voice he repeated. "You will obey me, Y/N...""W-What?" My voice cracked, coarse. "Are you out of your mind, Illumi?""No, but you are. I prepared something very special and now you'll behave." His thin pale lips curled up, a small smile. My spine shivered; the ropes felt tight against my body as I tested their strength. There was no way out. I was doomed. Illumi's words echoed in my head and all I wanted was to shake them off me, red flags raising up in every corner of my brain. "Now what should I do with you? You haven't had your punishment yet..."I snapped my head up facing him, he looked oddly amusing, eyebrows arched condescending smile. Seeing Illumi smile was making me believe I had died and ended up in a personalized hell. Feeling pain? Check. Being tormented by the worst person in the world? Check. Yep, I died and ended up in hell, for sure. "Ah yes, I knew I'd end up in hell when I died but damn.""You'll wish you were in hell, Y/N." He walked slowly leaving my field of vision, "But right now, I think you'll have to reassure that friend of yours."The chair I was sitting on was yanked and dragged next to the bed, Illumi sat on the soft covers soiling them with his blood, he was holding a small first aid kit and he cut the ropes on my arms with his modified sharp nails. "First, Y/N tend my wounds." I gasped."I was the one who made them why would I help you-""Tend. My. Wounds." He recited again, this time his voice demanding. Ordering me around, I couldn't feel more outraged, oh to be a witch and to curse his life, I could only wish.Before I had time to fight back, my hands grabbed the white box carefully opening it and pulling gauze and disinfectant out. Oh my god, he hit me with one of his needles.The scary needles infused with nen, this was his something special to me, this was why he was so sure I would obey him. My mouth gaped unable to say anything for a while, my hands carefully patted his collarbone with the soaked gauze, my brain filling up with ideas on how to quickly patch the cuts I had made. His eyes were on me, a proud glimpse of light on his eyes. He fixed his toy, and now it was useful whenever he'd ask. I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe you did that.""Did what?" He tilted his head to the left, faking confusion."Get a Nen infused needle in me." His lips turned into an oh shape, and he turned his torso so I could fix up the big wound on his ribs."I feel like you have become more and more of a useful toy, your attitude was just the problem. I wouldn't have thought of getting a needle at first, but a nen-using puppet with the connections you have. That's something." I scowled. I felt like spitting on his pale white face and ripping his silky hair until he was bald. But god knows what he meant with punishment and right now there's not much I can do to help myself other than to be compliant."You are a horrible person Illumi.""Hm. Ok." His hypnotizing eyes met mine, he obviously couldn't care less about what I thought of him. "Also... Y/N... You are forbidden of taking the needle off. Alright?"Ah... How f*cked was I?"Don't take the needle off.""Why do you always repeat it?" I wondered, talking more to myself than to him. Yet he answered, unbothered."Because you are one stubborn idiot." Oh...? Could it be he wasn't sure if it would work well on me? Because of my very contrary feelings to what he ordered?I finished treating his last wound on the arm and after checking if everything was to his liking, he turned to me and ordered."Now, you're going to this city called Darlat. Where you'll find Chrollo, and leave soon after you find him. You can't tell him about the needle on your head. You'll return to this room in two days.""Ah crap."

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Illumi had the decency of untying me before he left to do god knows what. I stared blankly at a wall for some time before realizing I had to go meet Chrollo and assure him that I was alright. Nothing wrong going on. Maybe I could play with words, see if I could let him know my very messed up situation. That could only be experimented there, in Darlat.He cut short the fun I was going to have looking for the hot piece of man that was Chrollo. But I was somewhat relieved that I wouldn't have to venture through this continent all alone looking for him, I didn't enjoy the vibe this city was giving off and I wasn't sure if the other places would be better or worse. It made me remember the creepiest guy I've ever met, his name was Tserriednich, he was a prince of the Kakin Empire, meaning he could be around this place and that gave me some shivers. How could I always draw out the weirdest men in the world? Seriously...Fingers crossed so I didn't have to meet any more horrible men, I packed a backpack with the essentials, nothing much since I wasn't sure I could get rid of Illumi's control so easily. At the moment, dying of hunger in the way compared to returning to his hands was a very appealing thought.I left in the morning after applying some ointment on my sore spots, took me a long time to find the train station, besides that small delay I got to Darlat easily, a small city filled with expensive looking buildings. Made sense that Chrollo would be hiding here. I could bet on the fanciest house. Ever since I looked at the city, the tallest building in the center was calling my name, it had small lights in the five corners, and it was overall shimmering under the highest sun. Was that gold sparkling in the handrails of the balconies? Well that was it. I could sense it.Didn't take much time getting there by foot, it looked farther than it actually was. I supressed an awe when I finally arrived at the entrance. It was too glorious and precious. A tall man wearing the fanciest of uniforms walked in my direction, a smile on his face. "Miss L/N. Are you planning on staying at the Silver Crow Hotel? We can arrange one of our best suites! Please, care to accompany me.""Oh my... such good reception, truly worthy of the compliments this hotel. I couldn't say better myself," I laughed coldly, if the porter knew exactly who I was at the first glance so would everyone else around the hotel and drawing attention to me wasn't exactly my plan. "Tell me, I have an acquaintance of mine waiting for me.""Our beloved forth prince? Or Mr. L?""Oh... Tserriednich must have a lot of his private parties here. I was talking about Mr. L, but if I cross paths with the prince a chat over a cup of tea would be most welcome." My lips curled into a polite smile, ah Y/N what are you getting yourself into?The porter took me to room 13, where he proceeded to knock professionally on the door and wait patiently by my side until the Phantom Troupe leader opened the door. He politely gave his goodbyes as I walked inside the room. "Mr. L, huh?"My eyes peeked at the man, his dark hair was down, wet, he was smelling like mint and citrus and was wearing a large slightly see-through white linen v-neck t-shirt, glued to his muscular body and some casual black pants. His feet were bare over the cold marble floor. Travelling up his body, my eyes met his dark chocolate ones and he smirked slightly."I was not creative with it, yes." Chrollo's smooth voice seemed amused, "I wasn't expecting you to be so fast finding me.""Ah well, where else could you be if not somewhere where the riches are at?""That's right, I guess that was predictable of me." My lips curled, a genuine smile. How did my life change so much that I'd be relieved to see Chrollo...? I twirled around to stare at his face once more before plopping down on the most comfortable of couches."Oh, the comfort!" I purred as I rubbed my face on the soft fabric, "So, what have you been doing?""Enjoy the interlude.Search out new allies.East is the direction to go.You will find one who awaits you." His eyes sparkled ready to adventure, after the cryptic recital that didn't exactly make sense."Very poetic, what the heck though?" I asked, my eyebrow rising and my eyes looking for clues in his expression."Oh, it's a prediction of my future, Y/N I should've gotten yours. I stole it from a girl, the nen ability to write a poem predicting the future. She must've died because I lost it." He sighed, "such a nice one too..."We stood there silent for a while. It was time to test how far I could go and what would the needle forbid me."What about you, Y/N?" Chrollo muttered, as he sat near me in the couch offering me a cup of F/B."I'm in deep trouble... Oh Danchou, can't you help me?" He furrowed his eyebrows, in confusion. "What's wrong? What mess did you get yourself into?""I... Illumi..." Illumi used his needle on me, I wanted to say, but it didn't come out. It couldn't come out, I was frozen in place. So it did work on me...."Illumi, he..." I tried again to no avail. With a deep sigh I resigned. "I pissed him off, we had the sexy time, I ran away leaving him huh... you know with unfinished business and I'm sure I'll be killed or heavily punished for that when he finds me again." I laugh nervously. He looked slightly surprised, but I couldn't tell his real mood now that his nen was locked. Not knowing was somewhat scary."Enlighten me more about it, Y/N, how did you and the Zoldyck go from him being angry to sex?" His voice now low, dangerous. Oh boy, telling about the needle would be less dangerous than this but it didn't come out and now...

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"Well, first he forced himself on me, but then I was like bitch two can play at this game." A nervous laugh came out of my lips, as I looked at Chrollo's face, one eyebrow arched, lips parted, eyes expressing some serious concern and distress. "Are you seriously that dumb? Tell me everything... Every single detail." His voice was lower than I expected, didn't make it sound like sarcasm, which wasn't good. After explaining how that went down, Chrollo kept his eyebrows furrowed. He smirked a bit when he heard about me mentioning him to Illumi and how that drove him to do the unspeakable things, but after that he kept his mask on, the only thing betraying the relaxed look being his eyebrows. Still the mask didn't look very pleased."You look mad, and without your aura around you to tell me about your murderous tendencies I'm feeling very confused." My S/C hand landed on his shoulder. "But look that's not the point, the point is I'm in big trouble because of that, I can't tell you what it is..." My forehead was pulsing with pain, that was the limit. "Well, it's not like you could help without nen anyway... and this is really delicate I can't trust any person."My head sank in my hands, the pain was slowly subduing... "Ah crap...""You're dancing to his tune, Y/N..." He pulled me closer by my hips, "You should be dancing to something else. I can't help you because you're being manipulated by his nen, right? Like Shalnark..."The pulsing turned around and speeded up in the pain scale, as I whined in pain."Oh, right." Chrollo gently hugged me petting my hair in silence for the longest time, until my pain became bearable. "On the sex thing though... Gutsy leaving a professional assassin hanging... Though a sane person would've never gotten into that situation in the first place...""Absolutely, a sane person would create a criminal group that steals highly valuable things and kills whoever gets in their way..."He laughed, "That's right, I take things I want, I don't get taken." Chrollo squeezed my arm before getting up, "I assume you'll have to leave soon to deal with your... problem?""Yup... Also, I need to leave this place without anyone noticing it. The staff knows me, and there's also a prince of this empire who's not so much of a nice person and I don't want to have a tea break with him...""So, you're sneaking out in the morning before breakfast? What a heartless woman... Who's next? Hisoka?" I couldn't contain my laughter at his obvious sarcastic voice."Ah..." I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself, it was hard, just imagining any of that happening. "No dear, Hisoka would leave at dawn. That wouldn't be fun." I winked at him and looked through the windows. It was the first floor, I could easily jump and run for it... but I was sure the cameras installed in every corner of this damned place would capture it all."Oh, so the clown is a no-no because he's a player too?"I glanced at him, he seemed amused leaning against the couch. "I bet you're more of a player than he is... Like you couldn't fool anyone with that look of someone who's expecting each and every person to get on their knees for you...""Wouldn't you though?" A playful smirk showing up on his lips, an eyebrow arched and that see-through shirt, yes, that was a player move."But of course, I would love to pray to my lord and saviour, Chrollo, the Phantom Troupe leader. Great Danchou!" My crazy fan voice, high pitched as I ran to his side with my best look of innocent admiration. "To be this close to god... I-" I was ready to continue but he broke down snickering and soon he was laying on the couch laughing."Not fun, Chrollo, I was ready to find more people, create a choir, sing about your grace. Ah, well. It's getting late, I should start planning my escape from this place..." I winked at him, "Can't keep the same hoe for long.""I'm a good quality hoe, you should keep me." He retorted, now with a more serious sad tone as he got up and looked at the cameras through the window. "You should go before they turn on the night lights all around this place.""How did you get a room at the most expensive hotel?""Talking like you're the only one with high society connections, I'm a charming man, I can get anything I want.""Oh, confident much?" I called Shiro, the spy from my first book Silver Eyes, and broke the cameras pointed to my escape route with the small light gun that materialized on my hand. "Charming man, I'd love to meet you again~ I'm sorry I can't stay for breakfast, I'm sure the pancakes would be as great as the sex."He seemed impatient, a melancholic shine on his grey eyes, "Sadly, I have problems to deal with, plans to build and can't stick around with you. Best of lucks on the whole not becoming a Zoldyck puppet thing.""Blessed words, my lord and saviour!" I opened the window and hopped outside shot Chrollo's window, and one on the floor above it. "Oh my, Mr. L what's this you're being robbed!" I yelled before running back to the train station, careful not to get noticed by people. Soon I was on a train back to the port city. Somehow my head was aching the whole trip back and when I walked into my hotel room, now clean without mirror shards on the floor and blood stains, it vanished. So that was the extent of Illumi's manipulation, I could stray from it as long as I withstood the pain. That was not a good thing, also not a good thing to tell anyone I didn't completely trust that I was being manipulated by a Zoldyck... I sighed as I fell on the bed, I still had a spare day until the deadline Illumi gave me, yet this whole trip was mentally extenuating, I should rest the best I could, who knew when I'd have the chance of recovering and resting completely while being controlled by him. I bet I'd be having fun looking for allies with Chrollo, but fate didn't want it that way and I was pretty sure east in that poem meant more than Kakin, and the Azian continent. In the back of my head I felt that Chrollo had a lot to do until he got his nen back.The next day, Illumi arrived, his mood seemingly less frightening as he locked eyes with me."Shall we return to the Zoldyck Manor?"

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The familiar trip back to the Zoldyck's Manor was silent. Was he going to lock me up in the dungeon and punish me for eternity?Was this the calm before the storm?Did they have different kinds of dungeons for different kinds of torture? Until now all I had seen were the living quarters of the family. There was still so much unknown, so many horrifying rooms to discover, I guess this was the time. What else was hidden on the enormous building?As I dreaded the arrival to the Zoldyck's estate, it was getting closer. Illumi opened the testing gates effortlessly, and we walked quietly past Canary, who bowed before the young master and winked back at my warm smile. The air was incredibly fresh at nightfall, such were the benefits of having a personal forest in the premises.A sigh left my lips when we entered the building, leaving the refreshing air behind and meeting the cold grey stone walls that would probably surround me until my last breath.Gotoh showed up almost immediately, which made me wonder just how did the information travelled so fast? I knew they had telephones and contacted each other but sometimes it was freakishly quick for phone calls..."Young master," he bowed gracefully, "Miss Y/N, I shall warn master Zeno of your arrival.""Thank you Gotoh, I have a lot to tell him." A quick glance at Illumi, he didn't seem bothered by the delay, his face was like stone, unmovable. Could Zeno help me out? Probably not... I didn't know enough of this family's dynamics to assume such thing. They had rules."Gotoh, take her to see my grandfather and then accompany her back to her room." With that said he went on navigating through the labyrinth of dim lit walls.Ah yes, this was what my life now, following people around. I tried focusing on the turns and the doors we passed but soon I was lost. "Gotoh, how do you know where to go in this maze?"His voice seemed a bit amused when he replied, "We have a blueprint of the building for newcomers and soon they get used to the place.""Oh, so it makes sense that I feel lost every time that I walk around here? Great." He stopped in front of a dark metal door with dragons engraved, "Is it here?" Gotoh nodded, knocking on the door to hear a confirmative sound from inside."I'll be waiting for you here." He slid the door open and gestured for me to go in."Thank you, Gotoh." The room was wide, thin red see-through curtains hanging from the center to the corners, the old man was sitting in a black padded bench with elaborate dragons carved in the backrest, "Old man! Long time, no see!""Y/N, I heard you were here for me but had some important business to take care of." His silver eyes glittering in amusement, "I, for once, think my grandson ticked you off."My eyes widened, heart beating faster, that wasn't a good way to start a conversation. "Well, if he was half of the angel your Killua is, I wouldn't be so bothered with his very lacking company."He laughed wholeheartedly, "I think you could help him out, to be a better company. Now, child, sit and tell me about that exam."I looked around spotting some large pillows against the wall and quickly grabbed them and laid them on the floor, in front of Zeno. When I was comfortably sitting, I started describing the exam and how Killua knocked half of the contestants out and would've done it to all of them if I wasn't there. "A rather quick exam if you ask me, I heard then later from Killua that last years was much more interesting.""Ah yes, Illumi was there." Zeno nodded."Among others, but yeah. Killua must be leaving Greed Island soon, after completing the game, he was being trained by a Hunter called Biscuit, along with his friend Gon. Good friendship they have there. His nen abilities are based on electricity, he'll be a very powerful young man, but I guess you knew that." I smirked at Zeno, he seemed pleased with the news. "It's good that you care about your grandsons, I saw Kalluto too!""On the exam?" Zeno's white eyebrow arched up, quivering slightly. What a great confused look, so the Zoldycks can display emotion! What a discovery!"No, no. When I left after being annoyed by Illumi, I went to Greed Island, saw Killua again, his friend Gon and his Nen master, Bisky, which is a very interesting woman I must say. I helped him out with a game task and sometime after I crossed paths with the Phantom Troupe, I saw Kalluto.""How is my youngest doing?""I think for him to be with the Spiders is an interesting combination, a place both to grow and to prove himself." He seemed to ponder for a while."Well I ask for news about one grandson and get two? What an interesting deal." His pale lips curved on a wrinkly smile."It's to compensate the delay, old man.""Haha, you're a smart kid. Tell me now, what are you doing back here?""Me and Illumi fought and he stabbed me with one of the powerful needles. So, I guess I'm here to be useful." It was a quick but truthful explanation, I was proud. Finally, to be able to tell someone without a massive headache."Oh... this certainly brings you together" Pensive, he got up and stretched, "What an unexpected turn of events, hihihi" Holding his hand out to me, he tilted his head. Zeno sure was a polite old man, I thought as I laid my S/C hand on top of his and was easily pulled back to my feet. "Come child I'll accompany you to your room, let's hope my company is slightly better than Illumis...""Oh, you don't have to trouble yourself, Gotoh said he'd wait for me.""I insist." Zeno retorted, sliding the door open and dismissing the butler."I'm glad I won't be getting lost soon." I sheepishly mumbled."Oh child, you've strayed so much from your path, instead of feeling lost, enjoy the ride and own the road."

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Zeno's company was pleasant, but it was sadly over as he stopped in front of a door that now had a shiny gold tag attached with my name on it. How thoughtful of them, that way I knew that was my room, now how to get there... That was more of a solve your own problem b*tch mindset. He knocked on the door opposing mine, and it was almost as if Illumi was waiting for it because one knock was all it took for the door to swing open revealing the man wearing a black tight casual t-shirt with some dark green sweatpants. Behind him, his "hotel room", similar to my own guest room, impersonal without the someone lives here touch. Like I was thinking before, creepy fast answering time. His calm mask unravelled a tiny bit, his eyebrows lifted, eyes widened, and I saw his bottom lip quiver with the need to fall down. He sure wasn't expecting to see Grandpa Zeno. "Illumi, we need to talk." The old man looked at me wisely, "It's great timing because that way our Y/N here can change into more comfortable clothes while we do it." Illumi's stern cold face was back to normal as he glanced at me for a few seconds. "She does look like she needs a bath." I gasped loudly; mouth open in pure indignation ready to curse the not so gentlemanly comment. My long wash of hatred ready to spill out was stopped by the old man's slightly forced laughter. "Ah yes, I see how you consider this grandson of mine not the best of companies..." His grey eyes were now serious, and that, if ever directed to me would make my skeleton scream 'nope' and leave my body. It wasn't even a threatening look, but Zeno had a lot of power, all covered in the facade of old man. "Go and take your time, child." I assumed that was for me and tiptoed to my bedroom as fast as I could. Inside everything was in place and clean, the faint smell of lime relaxed me and on top of the bed was a note, the handwriting was beautiful, it said: ' Y/N, the wardrobe has a gathering of clothes, if you state your likings, we shall personalize it more.-Gotoh ' How would the punishment work if no one knew I had pissed off Illumi? Good question left unanswered, as I carefully placed Gotoh's note in the dark mahogany bedside table and decided to pick something from the closet. It was kind of creepy how they had this arranged for me, or how fast they arranged it when I arrived. This manor worked in mysterious ways. I picked a white t-shirt, large F/C overalls and some underwear. A glance at the bathroom door made me wince, memories surfacing back. But I knew he was talking to Zeno, and somehow that was a reassuring thought. A quick shower was all I managed even though everything in that bathroom was perfect. It was enough though, with my outfit on I wondered if I should go out waiting for Illumi or wait inside the room. A better thought popped up in my head, I could run away. What kept me from going forward with it was the fact that a life on the run would be horrible, always looking over my shoulder thinking Illumi could show up. Along with the fact that Illumi could find me easily, now with Kalluto on the Phantom Troupe the probability of me successfully running away was low. I laid on the bed, still thinking about the window and how I could easily jump from it. A few minutes after, Illumi walked into my room. "How polite, knocking on doors is overrated." My resigned voice wasn't as loud as it could've been, but it didn't matter he had probably heard it. "You didn't run away." Rolling around in bed I turn to face Illumi, he was leaning against the doorframe. Did they change the wallpaper? It was a lighter shade of beige. "I thought about it." "What kept you from it?" "Just thinking about how fast you'd find me was enough to think that it wasn't worth it." He nodded, some of his black silky hair falling over his shoulder. "Saving both you and me some work." His melodic voice had a sprinkle of happiness. "What did old man want with you?" He tilted his head, wondering if he should reply or keep me in ignorance. The silence remained, so I assumed no answer would come. "If they don't know I pissed you off, how are you going to punish me?" His dark mesmerizing eyes landed on me, "Y/N, you will not kill me, this is an order." Those words made my headache, yet it quickly went away. "I'd like for you to not run away but since you know you won't get far; I shall not forbid you." "Oh, ballsy move." He was already planning on that, there were no bars in the window, and I could bet nothing harsh on the floor where I had landed when I jumped from it. "So are you going to torture me? Kill me? Well if I stay here long enough, I'm sure your mother will do that slowly for you." "Oh, now that you mention her, mother told me to bring you this." He rummaged his pocket and walked closer, leaving some folded papers on my bedside table. I grabbed them, blueprints of the floors, "That's thoughtful from the lady who poisoned my food..." "Your punishment, you'll know what it is when it happens." Ah great, to live on the edge, wondering when is it going to happen along with what is it... I could feel my eyes rolling. "Oh, such a mystery." Sarcasm overflowing from that sentence alone. I was going to stay here for quite the time... "Illumi?" "Yes?" "Can you get me a clock?" His eyebrow arched, probably thinking if I was building some sort of plan. "What for?" What would one need a clock for? I was about to facepalm, but I held it in, suddenly proud of myself. "I don't want to be late for meals." A long silence followed, Illumi was looking at me. "Want anything else?" "Notebooks and writing materials..." I let it slip, he nodded, understanding my need for those. He stood there, quietly. Did the conversation not end? "Illumi?" "Yes?" "Did you dodge when I aimed for your neck?"

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"Did you dodge when I aimed for your neck?""Yes." I sighed, so I had it on me, to kill Illumi, the man was now looking around the room. After a few seconds he added. "It was very well executed, surprised me."I stared at Illumi, incredulity in my eyes. "Illumi." His eyes slowly met mine, "Did you just compliment the technique I used to try to kill you?""Yes." He answered, clearly not seeing or understanding my point. "It still inflicted a lot of damage, didn't expect so much from someone being strangled."I must've looked like a fish, opening and closing my mouth. There was no way I could get my message through."You forbid me from killing you. But not hurting you...?" I mumbled to myself. Illumi was a big mystery. What went on in his deranged mind? Did I want to know?"Yes, killing me is forbidden." His voice chimed nonchalantly. "We'll see about other restrictions...""You fixed your toy?" His onyx hypnotic eyes fell on me again, swallowing me whole, taking me to the depths of doubt and trepidation."To be decided." His voice low and serious, dragging the syllables just enough for the grim effect. "It's almost dinner time, we should go.""How do you know the exact time though?" I wondered as I pulled myself off the comfortable bed, covered with a f/c bedspread."Training." I tilted my head in confusion as I strolled to the door."Huh, you must've had a lot of different trainings" His hand rolled the golden doorknob, swiftly opening the door."Yes.""I feel like you're saying that a lot... OH WAIT" I stopped in my tracks, turned around, going through the door once more to grab the blueprints that were laying on the bed. "Ah, better to not get lost." I dashed to Illumi's side, he was waiting on the corridor, his porcelain mask impassive."Why are you waiting to punish me?" I asked as I followed him through the corridors, I had done this path more than once yet it still seemed like a foreign thing to me, what a good maze this was. Silence followed, "Illumi?""Yes?" His oddly cheerful voice, devoid of feeling seemed absent-minded."Where did your immense bloodlust from back then go?" there were a lot of blank spaces in this story, and it simply didn't make sense that he wouldn't immediately punish me once we arrived. I mean just being here was sort of a punishment, but this couldn't be it.He seemed less talk talkative outside the room, could it be the walls had ears in this place? That wouldn't be surprising, actually it would explain some stuff...Not wanting to look distrustful I decided I'd pay more attention returning from the meal. I could insist on returning alone, so I could get used to the endless corridors, and look extremely lost needing to pay close attention to everything...Glad with my good idea, I glanced at Illumi, envying his silky flowy olive hair, "How much poison will be in my food?""Not enough to kill you." Ah, yes, slow punishment, the torture of knowing no one in this building was on my side."Exquisite spices you Zoldycks seem to enjoy, deadly..." Sarcasm appeared to grow at alarming rates whenever I was in this manor. Unbelievable. I was about to add another remark but we had arrived to the large dinning room, Kikyo was already there, sitting at the left corner of the long table. She was wearing a gorgeous deep crimson dress, the bottom looked even larger with the unnatural fold on the seat."Ah Kikyo, we were just talking about poison. What are your favorites?" Her red lips curled into a devious smile, her visor light trembling, today her whole outfit was asking for blood."My dear Y/N, what a most wonderful conversation theme you brought up." I sat on the usual place, in front of Illumi and close to Kikyo. "I have a better one, why did you suddenly abandon our very welcoming manor?"So nobody bought the story of me having something more important to do, huh? Shocking. My e/c eyes switched targets to Illumi, "Your son must've told you, Kikyo." The door opened revealing large Silva, dropping drastically the room temperature. Icy people, the Zoldycks. "I remembered an important promise I had made."The blue feline eyes of the head of the family were now on me as well, he sat on the other corner, facing his wife. Who promptly kept the inquiry going, "Promise to who? Your spider friends?""That was a missed guess there. I also had to go check the management of my businesses." I smiled politely, swallowing the venom that I wanted to spit out. The food was quickly served, a dark green thick soup in the red bowls with intricate gold dragon drawings."Excuse my meddlesome behavior, I was merely wondering if there was something lacking in my host manners." Ah yes, rule number one of good host manners: poison your guests. I contained myself from a massive eye roll and smiling innocently, mimicking her humble fake speech I heard myself echo in the large room."I promised I would help Killua in a Greed Island task. I assumed it wouldn't offend you if I quickly left to honor my promise to your son." By the corner of my eye I think I saw Illumi smirk, but that couldn't be. I refused to believe it.Kikyo was now quiet, they knew I had gone to Greed Island and that their son was also there. It was Silva's time, "What task was it?""It was like a team sports challenge, that dodge ball game was intense. Your friend Hisoka was there too, Illumi.""He's not my friend, Y/N, I've told you that.""Oh true, he is just... Useful, was it?""Yes." I leaned back on the fluffy black chair, deciding to leave Illumi and glance to his parents. Milluki wasn't here today, nor was Zeno somehow and that only made the room feel more awkward.

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I finished my soup, feeling a slight bitter aftertaste on my mouth, now they didn't even try to hide the poison. "Well, talk about not connecting with people...""You seem to be on good terms with him." Illumi shot, challenging me as we locked eyes. I, of course, matched the intensity back."So do you, yet I don't see neither of us trusting him with important tasks he doesn't have an interest in doing. Calling that good terms is an overstatement..." The bowl was taken away, and the plate under it filled with a triangle of rice, surrounded by colourful vegetables and an egg on the side, all of this coming from my peripheral vision, since I was on a stare down with the mesmerizing void eyes.Illumi seemed to agree with what I said, resigning to not having a way to snap back."Kalluto said something about you two fighting, I see it is true." Kikyo decided to take the silence as a cue to take over, I saw Illumi's eyebrow twitch before he caved and turned to face his mother as he replied."Yes mother, Y/N doesn't find me a good company." I scoffed, bringing the fork to my mouth and munching on the rice. Taking my sweet time."Going by the way you treat me, it feels like you can't stand me, there are times where you're incredibly rude." His eyebrow arched, eyes narrowed as he looked at me, his lips now a straight line. "How much of that can be your quirky personality?""A lot," Kikyo answered instead of him, probably feeling left out of the conversation. Silva had finished his meal in silence and was now just staring at what was unfolding as he waited for everyone to end the main dish, so dessert could be served. He looked so done with everything already. "one needs to be ruthless to be an assassin."For a second, I wanted to look shocked at what his mother had just said but then I remembered this was a seriously messed up family and household. Why wouldn't the emotionless and cruel behaviour be rewarded when what they wanted was to raise killing machines and not children?Killua was different but he was a child, he ran away trying to discover new things... If he hadn't found a challenge worth, he would come back and be moulded to the shape of these cruel people. Illumi could've been a pure angel but he was raised by these people. So yeah, he was a complete asshole but a lot of it came from his education.The people we are today are shards of the people who interacted with us since birth untill now...I must've stayed in silence for quite the time because Silva seemed pleased at the speed everyone was eating and Kikyo didn't meddle into my deep thinking.The meal progressed quickly, now a perfect slice of strawberry cheesecake was in front of me. I grabbed the golden dessert fork and felt myself melted away with the creamy deliciousness."Y/N dear, do you have any more promises to keep or will you be staying for longer?""Well," I looked at Illumi, after all he was the boss right now, and thank the chocolate lord, he complied."She'll be staying a long time, after all, she did miss the mission that she was going to help me with, but I am sure more will come along in the future." Kikyo and Silva nodded, clearly having more information than me on the matter. "Also, I believe you should keep testing her, mother."I glanced up, panic filling me, Illumi was looking at me amused. Kikyo's loud gasp overshadowed my low cursing, "Oh, really? I knew you two seemed to be fighting like a couple. Ah can't wait to test her to the best of my ability!" She stood up from her seat, fixing up her dress, signalling the end of the meal and walked towards me. "I can't contain my excitement, my oldest son possibly marrying..." She went off, casting a hand to caress my h/c hair. I decided it was time to leave and avoid Kikyo's traps already. The danger alarms on my brain going off all at once."You should prepare yourself, Y/N dear, it won't be easy..." So Illumi was going to kill me before the wedding if I passed Kikyo's exam. Who knew if I could survive it... Obstacles just kept piling up in front of me, couldn't life be easy for once?"Yes, I'll do my best, and I have to thank you Kikyo for the kindness of the blueprints. I shall attempt to return to my room by myself." I smiled politely."Surely you could stay for a bit more, maybe have some tea as we talk?" How was I getting out of this mess?"I'd love to, I'll have to delay my writing. I've had the most interesting idea some days ago and was waiting for a good time to start it..." Would that work? I forced my sad look."Oh really? What is it about? It sure has been a while since a new book came out..." Relief washed over my face, and I slowly got closer to the door."Oh... I can't tell the idea when it is just raw, to a reader like that. It needs to be polished to shine its brightest. I'll let you read it, when I finish and everything is set to publish though. A little treat for the kind hospitality."She seemed pleased with that, I had quietly reached the door and looking one last time to the room, now only with the butlers, Illumi and Silva had evaporated as soon as the meal was over. I opened the door for Kikyo, remaining courteous. Exaggerating a bit on the fake smiles, but from the next day on it was going to be war. She would be cruel, manipulative and would try to break me in every possible way. I saw her walk away, devious red smile on her face, before pulling out the blueprints.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I looked for the dining room, that was softly pointed out with the same handwriting from Gotoh's note. Dragging my finger towards the square that had "Y/N's Room" on it I started my adventure.The walls all looked the same, I inspected carefully, sometimes using Gyo, sometimes I could see the remains of nen here and there but nothing much, I kept a finger on the blueprint representing where I was as I turned and turned again. Thinking of ways to get rid of Kikyo, I couldn't possibly kill her. That was the easy way out, to die by the hands of a Zoldyck or a butler...I could see how Illumi was always on alert mode when in these halls, the small pockets of nen where here and there at the same distance from each other. I could guess it had something to do with Kikyo but uncertainty kept me from elaborating on it. I reached my room sooner than I expected, casting a dubious look to the door that lead to Illumi's room.Was he there? A sudden chill went over my spine as I thought about what could happen in this exam by Kikyo. If she asked me anything about Illumi, my 'supposed' fiancé I wouldn't know how to answer.He wouldn't help me anyway, at least not right now. I walked into my room, changing for the F/C silk pyjamas as I sat on the unique looking unique looking writing-desk, there was a stack of thick rose scented paper over it, next to small open mahogany box, with a F/C soft cushion supporting a delicate rose gold wrist with engraved diamonds, my S/C fingers travelled along the borders of the extremely expensive watch. So... I was going to be tortured, tested, punished but they'd still spend a lot of money if I asked for something. That somehow didn't click in my head. There were at least 20 different kinds of pens on the table, and where once was a chunky desktop computer now laid a thin new laptop.I shrugged the thoughts of wasted money when I could very well do without any of this fancy things, as I sat in the dark bergère chair, sinking into the soft cushioned seat. It was indeed comfortable, but it was time to start working on my pin extraction plan.I couldn't take it off myself, so I had to make someone else yank it out of my forehead for me. I smiled as I started a character sheet on the most seductive lady, someone who could have anyone on their knees with a simple touch. I'd have to train my manipulation nen skills, thankfully as a conjurer I had 60% of affinity to manipulation and could reach level 6... I'd have to start small, and not be found out. I was Level 2 from Feitan's training, I needed a small living being to train with... But having asked for some stuff recently it'd have to wait, I'd have to focus on the book and start meditating and training more, I didn't want to force any of the butlers to take it out of me, I'd feel terrible if they were punished, that cut the easy way out of the situation... If I ever get into a very difficult situation, sadly manipulating one of them will have to do...I wondered how bad would this test be, as I slowly filled the main character's sheet, the book had to be as good as all my others else Kikyo would notice something was wrong with it, and proceed to ruin my plans...I forced myself to continue, and write as much of the context I needed until late night, when I decided to rest, I had to keep the perfect balance between not being killed during Kikyo's bridal examination and writing fast enough to get rid of Illumi's needle.As I laid down on the fluffiest bed in the world, I noticed a small f/c table clock in the shape of my favourite animal on the bedside table. Two? I would think more about the quantity of clocks, but I soon drifted to sleep, exhaustion taking over.I woke up to the soft timed knocks in my door, dragged myself out of the bed slowly as I rubbed my eyes and twisted the doorknob, Gotoh stood there, his glasses shiny, his dark hair slicked back and his clothes without a single wrinkle."Good Morning, Gotoh. How are you today?" He smiled for a slash of a second before returning to his polite butler mask."I'm good, Madame wishes to know if you'd like breakfast before or after the first tests." I stared at him for a while, wondering what the catch could be. Would I benefit or suffer with this decision? Probably. This could only mean the test was physical, but physically exhaustive or torture... I wondered if the food was also poisoned during breakfast, the dinner portion was a notch stronger than what I could bear, and my body couldn't fail me this soon. Looking into Gotoh's eyes, I smiled, questioning."What's breakfast?" His mask stayed on, but his eyes trembled for a while, wanting to leave mine yet forced to stay for politeness. "You know what I just woke up and I'm not feeling hungry, are the tests right now?""Yes, Miss." I took a deep breath; it was time to deal with the Madame."I'll get dressed quickly then." I carefully close the door, and dash to pick up the most comfortable clothes I could find. I stepped into the bathroom jumping as I shoved my left leg into some nice grey sweatpants, one look at my face in the mirror and I rolled my eyes. I had had better days. After adjusting all the clothes, I splashed my face with cold water, to awaken my senses. "I'm ready." I said loudly as I ran back to the door, opening it.Gotoh was there, waiting patiently for me, and Illumi was coming out of his room, with a tiny smirk on his pale lips.

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Illumi seemed oddly amused, as he walked out of his room. "Y/N""Love of my life, my future husband and father of my future children." I spit out with a sarcastic smirk on my face even though the thought of it chilled my spine. It didn't even make him flinch, I guess after the other incidents I'd have to raise my stakes to draw out any reaction. A small "Hmph" left my lips as I nodded to Gotoh and proceeded to follow him. I didn't have to deal with this Zoldyck problem just yet.When we turned around the second corner, I cursed myself, I had forgotten the blueprints in the room. Well, that was a problem for the Y/N that survived whatever was coming her way.We walked longer than usual, my hairs standing up as chills ran through my body. Kikyo could be cruel, I knew she had it in her.I was about to joke about how the whole long walk to my demise was just building in the suspense, but we had arrived. Gotoh looked at me as he opened the metal door with only a small square window at the top, yet even that small window had bars. Ah, yes these must be the dungeons. I tiptoed inside, Kikyo stood in the nearly empty room, she was wearing yellow today.Her broad brimmed hat, with small pink flowers, was matching the bustle gown. She looked like a cupcake as the top of the gown was yellow yet the under fabric that ran to her feet was the same pink as the flowers in the hat. I wondered how many sets of matching outfits she had. Behind her hung chains from the ceiling with large thick wrist shackles at the ends."Oh my, the madame brought me to the sex dungeon." I heard myself say aloud, it had to be said. It was worth it. I knew she was going to punish me for that later... Hinted by her devious smile."Y/N, darling there's nothing to fear in the morning phase, I'll test your body. Assassins must be strong." I smiled, so I was right, it was physical."Let's not wait more then. The sooner we're done the better, can't wait to pass this test and see the look on your son's face." Spite would keep me alive, yes it would.I neared her, and she locked the cold metal shackles around my lovely S/C wrists. The walls were all the same cold grey stone as the corridors, and I sighed, so much money and we poor tortured souls don't get nice decor in the pain room.She nodded to Gotoh, who promptly left the room, probably to grab something for the test as she grabbed a whip that was hanging on the wall. Without warning she whipped me, I wanted to gasp and maybe whine a little in pain, but I knew what was up. I could bet my ass that her eyes had the same cruel and sadistic glimmer Feitan's had during torture. They could totally hit it off, drink some tea. I could imagine Feitan cursing as Kikyo used the fanciest words. My lips curled, my skin burnt as the warm leader hit my skin, displeased she soon changed to hard chains, those hurt a lot more. Instead of whining, I was trying to hold down my laughter because yeah, we get tortured once in a while but it's not every day one can imagine the hilarious conversations between Kikyo and Feitan.It was when she stopped that it all piled up, my warm body cooling down, wounds aching, blood dripping over sore spots. I tasted something metallic in my mouth but how impolite would it be to spit blood out?This all made me reminisce the times with the troupe. The cookie lord had blessed me when he gave me a sadistic angry cat to train me."Very well Y/N. I am very impressed, surpassing both physical and psychological direct hits." Psychological? Oh my god, had I ignored everything that Kikyo had been saying? Well, my body did go into torture mode so that made sense. "I was a bit disappointed with the poison resistance, but this was perfect.""In my defence, I do not have access to as many poisons as you do, but I can surely improve that." I smiled; this torture couldn't be possibly over yet. As I thought about that, Gotoh walked inside pushing a metal machine in wheels. Ah crap, were they going to electrocute me?I wasn't as good with that as I was with knifes, whips, chains... As kinky as that sounds.Kikyo pulled my tank top up with her frilly yellow hand fan, I almost felt bad for her, it would get dirtied up with blood, but then I remembered that she was super rich she could definitely buy new clothes. Gotoh placed the cold sticky receivers in my lower abdomen, and along my back.Kikyo stared, the worst part of this were these breaks. "Just do it. I'm kind of getting hungry." It was a good call, wouldn't want to throw up my breakfast after the zappidy zaps. She turned a lever and I felt the hot pickling energy crossing through my body like needles on a field trip. I trembled, closing my eyes not to cry in front of Kikyo, god knew what else would she do if she saw the pain through my mask. That is how they get riled up.She kept turning up the voltage, I let my body snap, twitch, tremble. The pain was getting unbearable, I wanted to bite my lip make sure not a sound could come out but I couldn't control my body, the waves of current passing through the muscles made them snap I was afraid I'd bite my own tongue off, so biting my lips was a big no-no. I tried to keep my poker face, but the feeling of being stabbed by a bunch of really sharp objects that prickled and made my brain feel wobbly, wasn't really a walk in the park.It stopped but the aftermath was still going on. Oh, I would've totally thrown up if I had any food in my stomach, a huge nausea hit me, my eyes were still closed, thank god I thought. I couldn't take more time though, I sighed and opened my eyes, seeing a yellow splotch that I assumed to be Kikyo through a view filled with too many black dots."Kikyo..." I cleared my throat, since it was too rough. Giving me time to compose myself, "I really need to ask...""What is it, Y/N? Want to quit?" The amusement in her voice would've made me roll my eyes, but my brain was mushy, and my body would rather to be dead."No." I blink as my vision slowly gets less spotty. "Why do you wear a hat inside?"

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Her screechy laughter filled the room, echoing on the walls, it took all my self-control to not wince in pain and to only shrug it off."Oh Y/N..." I saw the large yellow and pink dot get larger, "I'm wearing it because we'll go outside sometime soon."Would I survive this day? I was starting to question myself. "Fresh air sure is what I need right now.""Oh, not yet." Of course not, was she going to drown me next? Oh my goodness, she was going to drown me next. I gently pull the hair off my face, I had broken into a cold sweat, probably during the electrocution part of this test. "You are handling this fairly well.""Well, I didn't have Zoldyck training, but these do seem like important skills." I joke, but it pains my heart knowing that little kids, every Zoldyck kid ever has been through this since birth.My vision was becoming clearer, and I could finally make out a large container with liquid moving inside. Well that would surely wake up my dormant twitchy brain. Cold water I hoped.Still feeling incredibly nauseous, I peaked at Madame Kikyo, she was leaving the splotch phase her silhouette becoming slightly more distinct.I moved my legs, could I hold my own weight? Probably not. That was a big problem. My belly grumbled, clearly unsatisfied without any food. I closed my eyes and when I opened them there the water was closer to me, in an unfocused white table."But you always wear it... Even if you're not going out-" My hair was yanked back with an insane strength, and suddenly my head was being pulled down. I gasped for air before sinking into the water, my hands gripping the table until my knuckles hurt, trying to keep myself up after the shackles left my hands no longer holding me up.Holding my breath was alright, Feitan made sure that I knew how to swim in any kind of situation and not die breathing water. My eyes closed, my lips curled a cold-water splash would help a lot waking me up, I felt my leg and arm trembling still strained from the electrocution.I tried to remain calm, which was hard because I couldn't take a deep breath, as time slowly passed. This was tedious, soon I'd feel the need for oxygen and the primitive urges of survival would try to kick in. It would be a pain to control myself.I was yanked out of the cold water rather quickly, I took the nick of time to exhale and pull a deep breath, the cold hair filling my lungs before my head was underwater again. This could be doable, what else could she throw at me?I kept repeating that as the tested my reaction time by throwing me knifes, my adaptation skills by throwing me into a freezer and then follow that by a sauna visit, along with many other weird tests made specifically so I could go through some pain slowly building it up to an excruciating level. Currently, my endurance was based on Mrs Zoldyck dragging me outside, calling Mike as she chimed "Fetch boy, tear her apart.", with the most glacial look one could possibly give with their face covered in bandages and their eyes hidden under her visor.I was a gasping mess, sore all over, sitting on a tree, thinking about how I could end up running from Mike again! This time was worse, mostly because I had been driven to the limit all day long. They were humane enough to have a lunch break before they released the hounds on me.I sat on a tree branch, taking deep breaths, my legs were making themselves heard, they were sore, burning and bleeding as some cuts from the first test of the day, the whipping session opened after their short lived closure. Some of them were leaking a yellow liquid and that was concerning, my arms didn't even had time to create crusts every time I moved it felt like daggers were piercing all over my poor excuse of a body.As I stared into Mike's soulless eyes, so dark with glints of light looking like stars. A mesmerizing yet terrifying view, the animal that was so tamed it wouldn't listen to any commands if they did not sprout from the lips of his master.I wished I was a manipulator like Illumi, I'd just throw a needle and make this gorgeous dog not want to shred me to pieces, and feed off of what I could assume was badly seasoned meat."Mike, I don't want to kill you. But you're putting me on the spot right here. It's my life or yours." My E/C eyes fall over his luscious white fur, if only he wasn't a soulless killing machine, I'd love to pet him and whisper 'good boy'. My patience was running thin, the tree was whining under Mike's attacks and claws, threatening to break."You don't have to kill Mike, Y/N." I heard an old man's voice from afar. He then showed himself, leaving the shadow of the large trees and snapping his fingers making the hound stop. "Kikyo said your exam ended hours ago, she just didn't feel like calling off Mike and seeing if you were alive.""Sounds cruel and twisted, but I guess that's her specialty." My anger boiling up, thinking about all the things the monster put me through. "So..." I cleared my throat. "I passed?""The physical exam. We'll give you plenty of time to heal until the final exam." His eyes sparkled, what could be the last exam? I wondered, as soon as Zeno disappeared and Mike decided to go chase a butterfly away, so he was a good boy when he wasn't trying to kill me.The Zoldycks... All of them professional assassins, a test to become part of the family, to marry Illumi. I winced as I slowly made my way down the tree and walked up the mountain, now that the adrenaline was leaving me, the excruciating pain was settling in, ready to drive me mad. What anguished me the most was the fact that the final exam would involve me killing people for money...

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I managed to reach the Zoldyck manor hours after the small talk with Zeno. He was the sanest person in this whole family, but that didn't mean that he was a good person. He was better than the others.Gotoh popped up soon to accompany me to my room after a few steps into the manor, the fact that they left the doors unlocked somehow made sense but didn't stop being a bit comical."Can you bring me a first aid kit, please?" I heard my strained voice say, as I limped slightly following the butler. He simply nodded, and I couldn't be more appreciative of his silence, his clean presence calmed me almost enough for my body to shut down and go into hibernation mode.When we reached my room, he opened the door for me and politely bowed before leaving. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do first, sleep or take a bath to clean all the disgustingly sticky blood out of my body. When I closed the door behind me and stared at the bed, I realized I wouldn't be getting any of those anytime soon.With his black long silky hair, Illumi sat straight on the corner of my bed, his hypnotic eyes ran my B/S figure. "Impressive survival, it seems like mother didn't want you to live a day longer.""Your mother is worse than a poisonous snake, and I would gladly have lunch with a feral snake." I hobbled next to him, releasing a hiss as I sat on the bed. "What are you doing here?""I want you to put these lenses on my eyes." He handed me a small box; I didn't take it. My eyes met him, wide in incredulity."Illumi, every movement I do hurts like hell. I'm shaking as my adrenaline is finishing its reign. Want me to hurt your eyes?" He turned away for a bit, staring straight ahead into the beige wall. Pondering."I did account for this," he continued pulling a large first aid box from underneath the bed. "All rooms have these." He explained seeing my shock, a very painful shock moving the muscles in my face left me suffering. He dropped the large red box in the bed, opening it swiftly and pulling out a flask and gauze. His eyes landed on me, "Strip.""What?" I managed to say after jumping on my feet, feeling pure agony wash over me, my lunch raising from my stomach and the room slowly going dark. My legs gave out and my consciousness left me as I landed on the soft bedsheets it felt like a thousand spears had punctured me. I heard Illumi sighing in the distance.I forced my eyes open through the pain, Illumi was leaning over me applying a white cream on my wounds, "Mother really raised the difficulty of your test, almost surprising how you managed to survive." His hands were relaxing, the coolness alleviating the ache gradually."Why are you helping me?" My mind couldn't simply believe Illumi would be gently patching my wounds, maybe the torture affected me in the psychological level. Horror filled my belly as every hair in my body raised up. His eyes turned to meet mine, some hair strands getting loose and caressing my arm, his dark thin eyebrow lifted."I need you to put the lenses on me." His joyful absent-minded tone ringing in my ears as he continued his task swiftly. A shiver went up my spine, he was touching my belly, where were my clothes?"Where are my clothes? And when you acted as Hisoka your eyes were different didn't someone put lenses on you?" He was slowly going down, switching from the cream to a threaded needle for the larger injuries."I used my needles to change them, but it was unbelievably uncomfortable as you can probably guess, needles in eyes aren't a good match no." Unarmed, helpless, I just tilted my head enough to look at what Illumi was doing, my body was in no condition for movement for the next days, maybe weeks. "Clothes? You mean the ripped tissue that was holding on to your dried-up blood? I threw them away."I sighed; my ribs whined about the slightly larger shift demanded on them. I was in an atrocious shape, defenceless against these soulless people. A perfectly timed knock sounded on the door and he got himself straight, his hair bouncing on his back as he walked to the door. Unconsciously, my hand grabbed the soft bedspread crunching the perfectly flat material, a restless glance to the opening door soon calmed me down, it was Gotoh, holding a gold tray. "Miss Y/Ns dinner" he softly said to the assassin, "Also if she needs assistance tending her wounds." He added when Illumi grabbed the tray quickly."She doesn't." A resigned nod came from the butler, followed by a polite bow, the door closed quickly before I had the time to watch him walk away."I don't need assistance?" I rolled my eyes, "Help me get in a sitting position."His eyes fixated on me, "You can put my lenses like that.""I don't think I can eat laying down, and it'd be incredibly creepy helping you with the lenses like this." I trembled, "Ah, fu-"He strode near my bed, arranging the pillows against the bed frame before studying me, his dark eyes focused. "What would work best?" He whispered.I thought about how hurt I was everywhere. "Good question. Did you tend the wounds in my back?""Yes, you were out for quite the time." A whine left my lips as I head his answer."Just do whatever it'll hurt either way." His hands slid on my sides just bellow my chest, and he swiftly pushed my torso up and dragged me back into the soft pillows. My legs complained about being pushed against the fabric and the place where he had exerted some strength ached even more. "Alright..." I said to myself, I could get better quickly, I wanted to write and train my manipulation skills. This would be such a delay on the writing.He handed me his lenses, and crouched down to match my height, I shakily asked for a wet tissue to clean my hands before grabbing the flimsy lens and seeing my trembling hand place it in Illumis glossy eyes."This never stops being frightening." I whispered to myself as I took a deep breath and placed the other lens.Before leaving for his work, he placed the tray on a stand, leaving me looking at a very delicious smelling meal. Wondering if it had enough poison to knock my very feeble person out for good.

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The next days were calm, Gotoh came by to tend my wounds, bring me food guaranteeing my fast recovery. Illumi of course popped up after his job to get the lenses off but he clearly didn't stay long, leaving for a longer job soon after. Why didn't he get any rest? I couldn't imagine the Zoldycks going bankrupt over a few jobs... Being locked in my room with no company, unable to move was getting the best of me. Gotoh wasn't the greatest talker either. I enjoyed not having heart attack inducing dinners with the Zoldycks, that was the best thing about bed rest. It was sadly coming to an end. I did however meditate, strengthened my nen, slowly, all day, from the basics to the little manipulation tricks taught by Feitan. I started by manipulating a spoon, mostly out of need to eat. I couldn't imagine asking someone in this household to feed me. The thought of it creeped me out too much. As I improved myself, I pondered. Did I want to make the final test? What would happen if I refused it? On one hand I'd love to rub on Illumi's face that I could do it, survive the tests and his future punishment, get the needle out, be free… But major red flags rose up. I was getting too close to a marriage with Illumi, he tended my wounds that day, but will he not ask for payment for that? What did he want to achieve by doing it? What was the catch? Could I really manage to improve my manipulation skills by enough to use them to manipulate Illumi into taking the needle out of me? How much seduction did I have to mix in? What was good and what was bad? I took a deep breath as I thought about what I wanted to write and formed letters out of my nen. The door swung open, making my eyebrow rise in annoyance. “Illumi, how come you never learnt how to knock?”The paragraphs collapse, running back to my jiggly f/c nen, as my eyes trace a large figure. His blue lethal eyes piercing mine unapologetic. He was wearing a martial arts robe, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly which, over his large muscular torso. Silva was a very big man; his stern look didn’t help out easing the fright he caused.“Oh… Now I know who he got it from. Shocking, was expecting it from Kikyo.” I try to rotate myself to face the head of the Zoldyck family. “What do I owe the pleasure?”“Hmph, it wasn’t you… you didn’t do it.” He dictated, walking away without even bothering to close the door leaving me bewildered. It wasn’t me? What was it that I didn’t do? My lunch was risking a trip back up, I forced myself out of the bed. Legs wobbly, from the lack of use the last days. What had happened?A dark purplish wave hit me, filling the entire room.Crap.Illumi was mad.Why though? As I felt the density growing, I went through all the possibilities. Did his job went badly? He hadn’t returned, but he stated that it wasn’t going to be easy… He walks in sight, through the door, his hair fluctuating with the intensity of the aura, face occulted, eyes crazed, bloody mess described all his clothing… why was he barefoot? Shivers went through my spine, my butt hitting the carpet, between my folded legs, who had failed me.“Was it you?” His voice thundered, no longer portraying the absent joy that characterized it. I could only tilt my head in pure confusion, words did not dare come through my parted lips. The bloodlust was insane, Illumi’s pale hand pointed to me, “Unbelievable”“Wha… What are you… even talking about?” He took a step further, revealing large cuts through his left arm. “Who did that to you?”His hair gradually being affected by the laws of physics, yet the intensity of the bloodlust was the same. I was mortified, barely being able to blink as he drew closer.“Nevermind, doesn’t matter right now.” Crouching ahead of me he grabbed my chin with his bloody hand as the other ran his hair forehead up, revealing an amused face. No mask. “It wasn’t you.”It felt wrong, so wrong, seeing Illumi smirk fully, unhinged.“Should we play, lovely toy?” That was it. I was going to die. Nothing could save me from this. Not here at least. I gulped, realising my racing heartbeat and faster breathing. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t draw my eyes away from the dark traps that were Illumi’s eyes, slowly pushing me to the edge. Panic. He got up and looked around, locking the door as he thought of what he should start with. “Ah… What to do first?”While I tried to control my breathing and my derailed heart, he kept going, “Torture?” My head snapped to look at him, no way, I was too fragile for torture. “No?”I shook my head, evaluating the pain as I got up carefully. I was way better than one could expect, but looking at Illumi would he know when to stop? I didn’t want more delay in my plans either, torture would tie me up to a bed again, probably unable to write for longer. I peaked at him, leaning against the door, waiting for an answer.“No.” I forced myself to reply. Dreading what would come if not torture.He tilted his head, dark cascades caressing his shoulders, edges stained by the blood. “Maybe psychological torture, how do you feel about water dropping?”“Uh…” I stared emptily at him, his arched eyebrows were high, dark eyes twinkling with entertainment, thin lips curled into a devious smile. “How confident are you in psychological torture?”“Extremely. Y/N, you’re feeling terrified.” He ordered, and I felt my insides turning, my hands shaking, as I looked around for an escape, something to make me less terrified. “Y/N. Now you’re not terrified.”“Illumi, an eye for an eye…” My hand caressing my temples trying to ease the small headache, my options were limited. I couldn’t possibly last that kind of torture, not with this bloodlust filled man waiting to drive me insane.

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His onyx eyes were stuck to mine for a while, "An eye for an eye, Y/N?"There was a loud beeping noise in my head saying this wasn't a good idea, but the other options sounded terrifying. "Yes, you're mad because of sex...""Oh, you want a sexual punishment?" His eyes widened a tiny bit, "Will your recovering body manage? Isn't that why you refused torture?"Those were a lot of questions, but between being driven to madness something I'd take years recovering from, torture on my feeble self and not getting to achieve the pleasures in bed with Illumi right now. One clearly sounds better than the others... "How can you put torture on the table when your mom already took care of that? So yeah, please no psychological scarring.""That's odd thinking." He pointed out, as he stepped closer."Odd thinking is you giving me a choice in the matter." I thought and panicked as I felt it slip from my mouth. He shrugged, as his hand pushed my h/l hair back, dragging his palm over the side of my face and my ear."It wasn't you, and I don't know if that's better or worse." I parted my lovely lips ready to complain about the cryptic talk and ask what was going on, but before any altercation left them, they were being covered by Illumi's cold ones.He tasted a bit like blood, the metallic flavour increasing as his tongue slipped and joined mine. What had happened to him? Why was he so angry?I gasped when I fell into the bed, unknowingly I had been taking steps back trying to cope with the intensity of all this. "Illumi, what happened?"He climbed on top of the bed trapping me with his body. "Oh, I just had a good idea about your punishment." Dodged right away, how could I expect an actual answer? His cold hands slid on top of my silk f/c pyjamas, leaving small traces of blood. My s/c looked for the bottom of his top and pulled it up, he allowed it to go through his arms and tossed it aside. That was good less blood, less blood, now the pants. His eyes looked at me surprised, I guess that could come out as eager, but whose blood was it? Illumi's? Some most probably dead person? As his pants flew somewhere, his nails grazed me as he unbuttoned my top.His aura darkened, he ripped the rest of my clothes out, tracing my b/s body with his pale long thin fingers, down to my thighs and then painstakingly up, his lips met mine once again as his body pressed mine down gently, his soft undershirt tickling me and spread my legs with his. I gasped when his kisses moved to my neck, my skin sensitive as it healed, my fingers ran along his luscious black hair, grabbing it when he decided to move to my breasts, my breathing turning quick.A whine left my lips when he sat up, his abyssal eyes meeting mine, "Y/N, everything pleasurable you feel, you'll feel it with the double of the intensity." He ordered, my eyes widened, as all the kinds of sexual torture he could do suddenly flew by my mind, it was too late however and soon forgotten when he went back to his path kissing my belly.He didn't continue downwards though, his right hand left my thighs to explore between them, first only grazing over my panties, having me trembling at the soft touch, he traced the hem of the panties, and when it slid under in a swift move he was kissing my neck. Gasps and pants leaving my lips, my hips rising against his arm wanting to feel more as he kept rubbing, his pace steady.My body twitched, the pleasure was more than I could handle, my head ached slightly from the order Illumi had given but was soon drowned with the waves, I kept my eyes closed, feeling the pleasure nearing, I didn’t want him to stop, but he probably would.My shock was when he did not, he kept going as I trembled and moaned, riding on the huge wave of pleasure that hit me. He continued, my hips buckled against his hand, yet he pushed me down, not allowing my legs to close as discomfort and itchiness hit as he overstimulated me. No matter what my body did to pull away from it, he kept going for a while longer.I took deep breaths trying to feed my racing heart with enough oxygen, looked at him, so was this his idea? “Illumi… Really?” My lips whined, as the wetness coated my now closed legs.“Hm… you don’t seem to be accepting your punishment, I’ll have to do it again.” He spread my legs open, playing with the folds again, pleasure washed over the soreness, but I knew where this would end.Barely able to breathe, the panting mess I was trembled, under his hands, he decided to slip one finger inside, driving me absolutely insane, I felt the waves of pleasure nearing. “No…” I cried out when it hit me, spasms running over my body as my back arched and my hips tried to jiggle Illumi’s hands out as he continued his sadistic play, removing his finger to hold my hips in place with that hand. “I- I accept-t theee puuniishhhment..p-pleaasee…”He smirked as he held his hands above his shoulders like someone pointed a gun at him. Sadistic shine in his eyes.Illumi took the rest of his clothes off as he demanded “Strip.”Shivering I pulled my panties down and got rid of the rest of the underwear slowly. Delaying it, preparing myself mentally for whatever was next. When my eyes met his, he continued his orders.“Y/N, you’re going to ride me until I come, no breaks.”

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My eyes widened; my forehead pain proved he wasn't kidding. I stared him down, he was hard, but what really mattered was that I could bet that he had an abnormal self-control. I sighed, "Do you have condoms?"He eyed me, before nonchalantly getting up leaving the room butt naked and returning with a pack of condoms. As time passed without me obeying his order, the pain intensified. He tossed them to me before returning to his place, I quickly tore the wrap and picked up the slimy condom, placing it on Illumi's long dick.He didn't flinch as I rolled the condom down carefully, this was no family to raise a child at.I placed my knees on both sides of his hips, ready to expel the very annoying headache, and getting this punishment done so I could worry about getting the needle out. "Hope you're quick..." A smirk appearing on my lips, as I ran my hands on his muscular torso and got ready mentally to do this. He had scratches and cuts all over his body, it wasn't serious but odd for him to get them during a normal assassination job. I wanted to ask about it, but he wouldn't answer, so my s/c hands slowly went down, grasping his member, and softly press it against my very wet parts.I held it like that for a while before slowly bringing my hips down, feeling my walls stretch with his width I took a deep breath. When nothing more could fit, I looked at Illumi before laying my hands on the sides of his very well-defined abs, at least the view wasn’t bad~.Spreading my legs a bit more so I could comfortably support my weight with my knees, my hips raised, back curving until I felt the warm hardness almost slip out just so I could come down. The pleasure picking up way too quickly, doubling my feeling of pleasure was such a mean move, not that I could complain as I picked up the pace, my heart raced, hands grasped the bedspread tightly until my knuckles hurt as I felt the heat in my insides spreading, turning my movements sloppy, control out of my reach as my toes curled, shivers running up my spine, mouth agape. I rode the pleasure slowly, trying to avoid as much overstimulation as I could but Illumi didn’t seem to agree with that because his hands left their wandering trip around my body to land on my hips and picked up the pace, just after I had navigated in pleasure land he kept going, lust oozing out of him as I twitched frenetically under the unbelievable levels of pleasure I was achieving, soreness and irritation soon filled me, again.The cycle was repeated, once more but that time I couldn’t even keep myself up, I simply laid on his torso, sweaty, horny, plenty satisfied but still going. The wet squishy noises filling the room alongside with my gasps, deep breaths and moans, sometimes begging for him to stop to let me rest for a bit. I felt juices dripping down the inner sides of my legs, and when his dick left me as he pushed me to the side, I laid there facing up, catching my breath hoping for it to have finally finished. “Illumi really… I get it. Good sex but why not restrain it to human levels?” I managed to moan out.“I’m not done yet.” The words most people would wish they could’ve listened ringed in my ears. I couldn’t process it.“What?”“I’m not done yet, get on all fours.” I sat, quivering as the fabric touched very sore areas. He had to be kidding.He wasn’t.His glory stood up, against his drool inducing body, his long dark hair sticking to his muscles and his chest moderately rising, he wasn’t but it wouldn’t take long. My only spark of light in this situation, I was about to regret the sexual route and consider the various tortures.A sharp pain hit my temple when I remembered I didn’t ride him until he came. “Ah fuck, Zeus and all his hoes help me.” His empty eyes met my squinting ones, his mask was finally returning, his face was no longer expressive, and his aura was slowly subduing. “I don’t think my legs can handle any kind of standing up sex you want.”“Didn’t you hear? Get. On. All. Fours.” I gasped as I turned to obey him, the pulsating pain was a real deal breaker in between all this sex. I sighed as I laid my torso on the bed, feeling the cold breeze in rather interesting places, cooler now in the wetness. I was so sore but that made me shiver, that was how sensitive I was from all this.A slap sounded around the room, as my ass grew warmer, my eyes wide and mouth hanging open in complete shock. Illumi had just spanked me. The more I thought about this whole session the more I realized I didn’t know about this man. Where did he learn all this stuff, why can he hold himself back so well?As questions filled my mind, another smack came, and with that an inhuman noise left my lips, I felt the blood rush into my face. This was it. I could never go lower than to enjoy Illumi’s spanking. “Oh, Y/N are you enjoying this?” His missed joyful tone returning to his voice.“What can I say...” I answered, whispering the rest to myself. “you do it so well…”“What can you say?” He slapped once again, before sliding his dick inside. His now warm hands caressed my possibly red bottom, and I allowed my whole body to twitch and shiver as he trailed his way to my front, grabbing my breasts and squeezing them just enough. Enough for a strained moan to leave my throat, I had been very noisy my voice was failing because of it.“I can say you’d do a very good lover, but now we can end this play.” He seemed to agree because he started moving, the slapping noise and my moans of pleasure combined with whines from the fast movement on my soreness filling the room. He finally came.I dropped on the bed feeling like I had to hibernate for a few days, as Illumi went into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned, I turned my head to face him asking the important questions. “So… can I finally know what I didn’t do?”

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"So... can I finally know what I didn't do?"His dark void eyes pined me down, awkward silence creeping around the room as his aura slightly expanded, edges like the angry sea ready to drag anything inside. "Seriously Illumi, just answer everything quickly I want a shower, I'm all sticky and sweaty."Exhaustion showing itself through my voice."Go do it." He simply stated as he strolled carelessly to the door, picking up his clothes effortlessly."Yeah and then you'll never answer them." I rolled my eyes; I didn't want to get up with him here to witness the pure struggle that would be."Hm. Pass by my room when you're done, I'll answer that one at least." He chimed as he walked out of the bedroom with the bloodied clothes on his hands, uncaring about who could be on the halls. When the door closed behind him, a sigh left my lips.It was time, slithering across the bed, directed to the bathroom I reached the edge allowing my leg to slowly fall. When both feet were on the cold floor, I shifted my weight pulling my torso out of the bed with my arms. My legs felt like jelly, I was soon back on the bed, taking a deep breath to try again, this time faster, using the unbalance to stagger all my way to the wall, leaning against it carefully, as I felt my juices dribble down my legs, what a challenge I thought taking side steps to the door, moving slowly through the path where there was something to grab or lean against for steadiness.My e/c eyes fell on the large white tub, I sat on the rim and swung my legs over grabbing the tub for my life, I was sure I couldn't pull one leg up over that height and not fall. I scooched next to the wall, with my back against it feeling the cold seeping into my bones I closed my eyes, gathering my strength to stand up turn on the water grab the shower head and rinse everything off. I left the bathroom through the same method; my legs were slowly getting steadier. Not that my walk of shame didn't look as hilarious as the search for steadiness while standing up. I rolled my eyes, put on another soft f/c pyjamas. I wanted to pick up the rags that were the last one, sitting randomly on the floor, but I knew my legs wouldn't even handle squatting once.I opened the door, feeling a cold breeze on the hall. How was that even possible? This whole manor was such a mystery! I stared at Illumi's door, after I had closed mine. I raised my hand to knock, unsure if I should even go satisfy my curiosity after all this. As I gathered courage, I stopped myself from knocking, Illumi didn't knock, I should return the polite manners.Swinging the door open, I walked in shamelessly closing it behind me, he was wearing tight black boxers and looking at his open mahogany closet, filled with a lot of colours including his trademark green. "Where did you learn everything that happened in the bed? Why were you so mad? What was it that I didn't do? Why are you hurt? Did something go wrong with your job?" I sat on his forest bedspread green before he turned to meet my intense and curious stare. Mostly because I wanted to hide how much everything had had an impact on me.The sound of fabric ruffling filled the room, Illumi was putting on a white tank top and some dark blue large pants, didn't voice any complaint for the rude entrance nor answered any question as he dressed himself.When he finished, his eyes pierced mine. Empty, dark and emotionless. The usual Illumi. Which one of them was the real one? He stood there waiting. So, I assumed it was time to repeat the questions. "What was it that I didn't do?"He did the closest to a sigh he could and trailed to his bed, laying down comfortably, forcing me to drag myself to the headboard and fluff one of his pillows to cushion my lovely back as I laid against it. I looked down at him, "Killua pulled his needle off."My eyes widened, Killua had a needle? He managed to pull it out, that meant I had a chance! But after the wave of relief came a swing of anger."Why did you put a needle on your brother?" I managed to slip between my teeth."To control him." Oh, the lovely eye roll, yes, I could only guess I would be doing that a lot."Yeah but why would you control him?" His eyes closed for a while, and no answer came. "He's your family, Illumi, why force that on him?"Still nothing."Is he also useful? Like me? Because I can only guess he sits higher in your care rank." He stared at me, unwilling to answer. I let it be for now. I would find it out. "Why are you hurt?""Oh that, a group of bounty hunters attacked me after my job." He shrugged it off. "You didn't send them, did you?""Well that would've been a great idea, I'm disappointed I didn't think about it..." I faked dismay, even though the sarcasm was more than clear on my voice. "Why were you so mad? Was it the combination of all those things?""Yes. Though, Killu taking off the needle wasn't something I was expecting so soon...""So... me and Killua were the only ones with that kind of needle?""Yes.""Will you be mad when I take mine off?" With him laying down, I could see his little twitches, I was holding back the urge to play with his hair."I know you'll take it off someday, I'm curious about how but yes." I laughed, truly. Illumi looked at me confused, and I grabbed some strands of his hair as I started braiding."I'll try to not disappoint you, but you should know that controlling people you care about, like Killua, will only make him hate you more. Each one has their freedom, and some people choose to use their freedom to care about you, that is a different kind of control, though you'd probably not understand it.""Hm. Could you elaborate on that?" He turned on his side, skillfully enough so that his hair wasn't yanked out of my hand, allowing me to keep playing with it."Maybe later when you tell me more about why you want to control the one you care about, Killua." His eyes narrowed, understanding I wouldn't let it go. "What I want to know now, is how and where did you gain all that sexual experience..."

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“What do you mean?”“Don’t dodge the question, Illumi.” My eyes narrowed as I slid down to lay on the bed facing him, he could’ve been tilting his head in confusion if he wasn’t laying down. “How are you so good in bed?”“Oh. Well. There are missions where one must get information without the typical violent means, so when I turned 18, I decided to master the sexual games. What we played though, was something I flimsy remembered from a conversation with Hisoka, he talks about tons of useless stuff.”A chill went up my spine, “Yeah it did give off the Hisoka vibe, I’m almost shocked how I hadn’t thought about that before. So, basically, you became a very expensive prostitute?”He blinked once before his absentminded voice echoed around the empty room. “That’s incorrect I’m an assassin.” He didn’t seem offended about the snarky remark. Boring.“Well now I’m very curious about even more things…” My eyes wandered across the room as I sat up to move my body a bit down the bed without dragging my wounds through the bedspread, everything was either a forest green, black, or white. It felt so impersonal, there was nothing indicating someone lived here, nothing hanging on the walls, no personal objects on the bedside tables, everything was incredibly tidy. “Why don’t you have personal things in your room?”“It’s foolish to get attached to objects.” I hummed distracted, eyes counting three doors, the exit, one would be the bathroom, what was the third one?“Ah, is that one of the assassin’s commandments? Along with assassins don’t have friends and assassins want nothing?” I had paused the braiding for a while, as my thoughts diverged. I ran my hand from the top of the braid to the end, easily dismantling it, as the silky black rivers dripped between my fingers. He didn’t look surprised, but when did he really? His emotions were always masked.“Kill told you?”“Yes, awfully hypocritical of you, you want to control people, but an assassin can’t wish nor want anything.” My lips curled into a smile, “was that how your parents moulded you?”“No.” He closed his eyes as I ran my right hand through his scalp and drew it out feeling the luscious locks leave my fingers as I reached the end.“Then isn’t it expected for Killua to want something as well? You are humans after all.” The silence returned, something about him not answering when he wasn’t liking the conversation was rather nice. I didn’t have to worry about the theme being boring, if he stopped talking, he wasn’t interested, or he didn’t want to keep talking about it.My eyelids felt heavy and I finally returned to the position I was before, laying down, facing the mysterious assassin. “Where does the third door lead to?”“A small kitchen.” I sighed in this position, playing with his hair would feel much more intimate.“How was your childhood? Tiny Illumi? Did they torture you a lot?”“It was fairly normal; I was trained from birth but that didn’t bother much.” I stared for long. He seemed relaxed, my eyes were staying closed for more and more time each time I blinked.“It must’ve been fun when your brothers were born.” I smiled, “It’d be nice to see pictures of everyone so young, haha”“It was different.”“Older brother position of so many kids must be hard.”“A bit. There was one time when Milluki started fighting with Killua…” as he proceeded to describe what could only be described as hilarious brotherly fights, like Killua stealing Milluki’s figurines and so on… I felt myself drift to sleep when a large silence started. I woke up later, everything was dark, and I was cold, I hissed my way into the covers as the high state I was in abandoned me, as the annoyance about the pains grew. I felt warm, when my eyes fluttered open, a smile on my face as I thought that good beds and fancy sheets really had their good points. The smile soon disappeared when I realized that I wasn’t in my room, Illumi was the warmth source and he seemed to be staring at me with the most ridiculously confused look his eyebrows could muster. “Oh Hades! Why didn’t you wake me up, Illumi?”“I tried. You nearly cut my arm off.” Oh. Battle scars from training. I massaged my head slowly. “Well, I’m sorry. Did I bother much? You could’ve slept in my room.”“Bother? You did curl up into me in your sleep. Bold of you. And you could’ve slept in your room.” His eyebrow was still arched in what I assumed was displeasure.I grimaced, as I left the bed, only for my eyes to widen as I looked at bloodied spots on the sheets. “Ah crap, the wounds opened.” I whispered as I tried to pull my pants up and check if everything was alright. “Sorry about your sheets.” A small peek at the white soiled tissue made me shiver, taking blood out of things is hard. Poor butlers.Illumi simply got up, pulled the first aid kit from under the bed leaving it resting next to me as he walked to his bathroom. I was applying more cream to the open wounds when he came back picking up some clothes from his closet unbothered, as he stripped to put them on and leaving the room without a word. Suddenly I felt like that was what ghosts felt like.After I finished tending the cuts, I pushed the first aid kit under the bed again and left the room, to be greeted by Gotoh holding a tray filled with mouth-watering cupcakes that smelled like heaven.“Oh, it seems like you are in better shape, do you want to eat with the family?”“Ah”, I stuttered as I grabbed the tray, “Maybe for lunch or dinner. Since you already brought this here, I’ll eat it in my room.”“Yes Miss.”

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I walked into my room holding the tray carefully, now that the intense smell of freshly baked cupcakes hit me my stomach growled in hunger. I didn't hold myself back, eating as much as I could. God knew what was to come when I stepped a foot in the dining room.I decided to pick the most comfortable clothes I could find, airy not too tight so they wouldn't graze on the wounds and leave me feeling itchy.I left the tray on top of the neat looking bed and decided it was time to return to writing, my eyes drifted to the expensive watch, it was ten in the morning. I still hadn't got the chance to use it, maybe now was the time, the cold metal in my fingers was somehow calming. Numbing my feelings. I was slowly becoming more confused. Why was I here obeying Illumi? He didn't seem to abuse his power either to punish me. Why did I have to be tortured as a bridal test and what is in store for me if I fail? And if I pass?With a sigh I stared into the blank wall, time seemed to tick slower when I lost myself, not thinking about anything. Then I was just in the mood to create some new characters with new useful weapons.I grabbed a pen and wrote and scribbled over many times until I perfected the details, the rose gold watch in my wrist no longer feeling cold as I checked the time.I bit my lower lip before getting up, eyebrows scrunched together worrying about the plot. This needed to sell. The more it sold the more it'd be effective.I grabbed the blueprints, shoving most of them into a pocket and not really looking at the one I was holding, maybe I should try to remember how I went last time.Suddenly, everything looked the same and my sense of direction felt non-existent. Thankfully, or not so much, Kikyo showed up, wearing a dark blue dress. The white frills everywhere and the matching hat with a feather completing the look."Y/N! Finally recovered?"“Yes, it was time to come out of the room.”“Great, shall we discuss the final test?” She chimed, as she proceeded to lead the way.“Sure.” Killing people, I had killed people before but only when they attacked me. There was a large difference between what I did and what the Zoldycks did. A shiver went up my spine as I thought about killing innocent people. “Are you leading us to the dining room?”“Yes, it is time.”“So, what would the final test be?” I tried to push curiosity into my voice, even though crazy Kikyo was a perceptive woman.“An assassination, of course.” I hummed, mind spinning fast as I wondered what to say that didn’t seem like I was despising the idea of the last test before a marriage with Illumi.“How would you evaluate it?”“Effectiveness, time taken, hesitations you may have will take points from the final grade… The usual.” I blinked, ah yes, rewarding the cruelty. What a toxic environment for children… No wonder they were so broken…“If I pass it, and Illumi says he won’t marry me. What happens?” Kikyo stopped on her tracks, her red dot shivering in the visor covering her eyes.“Illumi can’t say no after you pass it, Y/N. He has requested you to be tested which means he gave his yes.” So I should delay the last exam as much as possible, huh?“Alright. Can I pick the moment when I feel ready?”“Why?” Her nen was slipping out slowly, seemingly annoyed at my many questions and the possibility of a delay. “What’s wrong with my son, Illumi?”I could tell she cared for her kids, perhaps more than healthily possible. Smothered and tortured children. “Nothing, I just want to pass it with the best grade I can.”I smiled, trying to calm the caring beast that was Kikyo, she wants the best for her kids even if that’s not the best for them. What a twisted place. We reached the dining room, and she accepted my answer as a smile crept on her lips.“Ah, yes the best.” She hummed as she sat on her usual table and I took it as a hint to sit as well, my legs sure weren’t on their best days. I slid onto the chair besides Kikyo, allowing them to tremble under the large table. Thankfully covered with a white tablecloth that grazed the cold stone floor. “Alright, I’ll allow you to take your time getting ready. But you can’t take too long.”I smiled meekly, as my head boobed up and down in acceptance and my eyes picked up Silva walking into the room. “Silva, it sure has been a while.”“Yes. You should do the final test soon.” That last sentence was caught by Illumi who also walked in, his eyes empty as his emotionless mask stood on perfectly. Was he the successful result of the assassin upbringing? His eyes met mine, as he sat facing me.“Illumi, wouldn’t it be better if I had time to fully recover and prepare myself so I can pass the test with the best possible grade?” I tilted my head.Unbothered, he grabbed the spoon as a maid poured soup into his plate. “Perhaps. You are in good enough shape to do it now.”“You think?” The soup was a tad bitter from all the poison in it, making me scowl.“Is the soup too poisonous for you?” Kikyo shot at me, her visor mad. Now that it was getting serious, she could be feeling too possessive of her son. Afraid of letting him go. I eyed her, wondering if I should fight back. Confusion and messy feelings in my head.“No, it just pains me that you ruin a delicious food with poisons that alter its taste.” A sigh leaving my lips, as a spoonful of soup rose to meet them.The rest of the lunch went without many incidents, Milluki didn’t show up. And I used the blueprints to return to my room, thinking about how to delay the test and what to write next.Time seemed to be closing in.

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Lately I’ve been spending sleepless nights writing, squeezing every creative cell dry, fighting time. The idea of never escaping this situation was slowly setting in. Would it even work? Would I have the perfect moment? And if I did have the perfect moment to use the power of manipulation hidden in my main characters seductive powers would I have the book published by then?Those questions along with the urgent one, ‘did I want to do the last test?’, were chipping my confidence away, making me shiver as I thought of what my life would be. Yet something resonated, deep inside.Do not fear the road you’re walking on, own it.Certainly, old man Zeno had a point when he said it, was I going at this wrong? Should I marry Illumi for the benefits? I would never be killed by a Zoldyck, it was the ultimate rule. I’d be protected, cared for in the most toxic ways. As my mind wavered, I knitted together the story, adding weapons that seemed useful enough to go with manipulation.Sweat dripping from my forehead as I focused on the plot and managed to spin different small objects around training my manipulation to a higher level.The door banging on the wall followed by several thuds of clothes and bottles of shampoo falling on the ground as my focus drifted away, I didn’t jump out. Illumi’s presence was known, I felt him walk down the hall, I did not however expect him to walk into my room.“Illumi.” I didn’t turn to meet him, staring at the words I had written even though my brain couldn’t make any sense of them, its gears spinning to all the possible cases.“Y/N, training your manipulation?” His melodic voice echoed on my head, but I already had the answer leaving the tip of my tongue.“One category each day, tomorrow is transmutation.” I explained, my hands landing on the fine table supporting my weight shift as I got up and faced him. “May I know the reason for your lovely visit? Did you find a way for me to be useful to you?”The word useful leaving my lips with remorse, somehow it had gotten the worst meaning possible…“Yes, in my new job I need to kill some people and gather information, so you’ll gather it while I do the rest.” I stared at him for a while, I had never really caught a real glimpse at him in his job, I missed it the first time, the second so much was happening. Two questions arising, what would be good marrying him and what could get him tired enough, so he succumbed to my manipulation and pulled the needle out?Two different plans… “Seems like a good way to spend the evening, sure.”“I wasn’t asking.” My jaw tensed up, as my hands closed with more strength than necessary around the elaborate top rail of the Bergère.“Well, that sure is very gentlemanly of you.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm down and relax. “When?”“Tonight, after dinner. Dress formal.” With that said he left the room, closing the door carefully behind him, I used nen to place everything on the floor to their respective places before opening the closet and wondering what to wear.I was in much better shape, but most scars were very noticeable. Sadly, summer was coming and going looking like a prude nun wouldn’t get me much information. I picked a comfortable f/c dress, right up to my knees so I could run if needed be. It was formal enough, now the quest for makeup that matched my s/c and maybe stockings to hide everything away.My body looked hideous; such were the thoughts as I looked at myself in the mirror after a nice shower. I slipped into the dress, somehow, they always got the measures incredibly right and this dress was tight in all the right spots. I had rummaged the bathroom for makeup but found none, so I left my room and carelessly walked into Illumi’s.“Illumi, do you have any makeup? If not, can you get some?” A gasp left my lips, when I saw Silva in the room, it was undoubtedly unexpected to see him there. “Well, I have such good timing I walked in on something, you both had it coming for never knocking on doors.”My eyes changed targets from Silva’s feral blue ones to Illumi’s dark voids, waiting for an answer.“Why do you need it?” My eyes narrowed at his question, and the next words that left my lips were filled with poison.“Illumi, think for a little bit, seriously it’s not hard. Hint! Look at my body.” Silence filled the room. And I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his cluelessness. “Normal people don’t get whipped to death; I need to cover this up.”“Ah.” He seemed to understand, finally. “I’ll have Gotoh get some. Leave.”“F*cking rude…” I whispered as I left the room, completely aware that both men inside it had the sharpest hearing.Soon after, as I examined what I had written so far, displeased, a knock on the door was heard, and I opened it to see Gotoh holding up a large case of what I assumed was makeup.It took a long time to cover everything up by myself, when I looked at my wrist I sighed. I was late for dinner. The expensive watch matched the dress incredibly well, I ran out of the room dispersing such thoughts, finally knowing the way to the dinning room by heart.“Excuse my delay, had more wounds to cover up than expected.” A tight smile appearing in my lips as I looked at Kikyo saying the last part. I sat carefully on the padded chair and started eating the served soup unbothered.The dinner wasn’t silent this time, because Milluki was there, chitchatting through the whole thing, begging for some attention. He seemed slightly bitter, even more when the theme of the conversation switched to Killua. There were clear favouritisms in this family, and sadly that only worked to break even more the children.My eyes pinned Illumi’s, he didn’t seem bothered by the talk. Yet as soon as it ended, he directed his hypnotic eyes at me. “Shall we go?”

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We walked into the fanciest looking bar, at the top of a shiny skyscraper. It was a two-hour trip there, a silent one. He didn’t even explain what information I should get nor from whom. My eyes peered at him; my h/c eyebrow arched in pure annoyance.“Illumi, shouldn’t I know what I’m supposed to do here?” He simply nodded. His black hair cascaded over his shoulders. “Why aren’t you in disguise?”“No need. You need to find out from that gentleman there, when is his company releasing his new product.” His eyes were fixed on a skinny tall man, sitting alone gazing at the stars through the large windows.“Alright.” I took a deep breath, walking up to the counter and ordering my favourite alcoholic beverage, a request that was soon fulfilled, leading me to walk next to the man, sitting on a very comfortable armchair besides him. There was enough distance as to not invade his private space. I drunk a bit of my drink as I looked outside as well, the city was glimmering the street lights and car lights making it look magical, like something precious covered in the dust that was the darkness.A long sigh was all it took for him to look at me, for a while. His hair was whitish blonde, nearing the grey as the age increased, his eyes were of a tired dull green. I stared back at him. Raising an eyebrow.“Do I know you from somewhere, sir?” I started. Leaning forward on my chair as I gulped a bit more of my drink in the most delicate way I could. This was actually great practice and writing material for my new book. I smiled, delighted at the thought of using it.“Ah I’m a very wealthy businessman, in the precious metal industry. You don’t look strange either, have we met?”“I’m a writer, so perhaps in a party, I’m invited to those often.” His eyes widened with recognition, and he pulled his chair closer, earning a smirk from me.“Y/N L/N?”“The one and only.” I joined my eyebrows and frowned for a while, “I’m sorry I don’t remember your name…”“Richard Lear Carter.” My lips curled.“Richard, so you’re in the precious metal business? Do you make electronics?”“Yes, computers.” I hummed for a while, delighted.“That’s impressive, computers are immensely helpful.” He nodded in agreeance, his short hair curling over his forehead. “So, what are you doing here all alone, Richard? Besides of course staring at the beautiful night scenery…”He smiled, scratching the side of his face, “Relieving stress before I go home. A big launch is coming up.”“Really? New computers?”“Yes, immensely potent and with the best technology anyone has ever seen!”“No way… Now I’m interested in buying one of them.~”“A Lear computer is indeed a good purchase.” He spouted proudly.“I’ve been needing a new one to write my new book. Will it take long to come out? I’d hate to buy a model now only to have a better coming out soon.” I giggled.“By the end of the month, everyone will be able to buy one. But I can get you one right now.” He smirked.“Ah really? That’d be amazing, but I’m not sure if I should accept the offer.” One gaze around, and I saw Illumi nod as he sat near the counter.“I insist.” Catching my attention again, I stared at his green eyes now sparkling.“Well, if it is coming out soon getting it a little earlier won’t hurt right?” I beamed a smile at Richard. He smiled back getting up and patting down his dark blue suit. He adjusted the ocean tie and gestured me to walk ahead. I passed Illumi, with Richard’s hand on my back, nowhere indecent of course, it was even barely touching me, to guide me to the elevator.“What were you doing here alone as well, Y/N?”“Gathering inspiration, seeking for creativity.”“Yes, it has been an awful long time since your last book, has something happened?”“Not really, I thought I was falling into the same mould as I wrote, so I decided to go look for new things. New challenges. Something that sincerely inspired me to write again.” I looked into the distance, to make it seem deep and controlled. Truth be told I hadn’t had control over my life since my last book and it scared me. It was horrifying to think that my life was spiralling out of control.“I see, it’s always good to seek new things.”“Absolutely.” I agreed, a seriousness in my voice as I repeated the phrase Zeno had said in my mind. “Where are we going, Richard?”“To my apartment, it’s close.”“Ah.” As that slipped from my lips, I felt that something was rather off. Wasn’t this man married? As bits of memories from the long past parties, arrived I remembered him. “Do you live alone?”“Yes.” So, it was off, I kept smiling and chitchatting though. And when we turned around the corner, Illumi showed up in front of us. Holding a knife. The man grabbed me, attempting to use me as a shield. And that’s when the façade fell apart. “This was not very gentlemanly.” My monotone voice stated as I looked at Illumi, I grabbed the arm that surrounded my neck and tugged it, getting free and dashed away from the man. The rest was seen in slow motion, Richard’s look of horror, Illumi’s calm pace as he dodged the poor man’s attempt at self defence and stabbed him in the abdomen, Richard kneeled his hands trembling as they grasped the deep cut and before he could scream out, Illumi covered his mouth and stabbed him in the back. Those seemed like very precise places, was it a requirement from the job?When Richard’s lifeless body hit the floor, Illumi twirled his knife around skilfully, “Now we need to go downtown and kill his wife.”“So, he did have a wife! Man, I was almost sure!” It ended quickly, but I admired Illumi’s swift and steady movements, no hesitation ever coming from him. Soon we were returning to the Zoldyck’s manor, apparently Lears industry was exploiting a bunch of people and stealing ideas from other companies…

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When we arrived at the manor, I went straight back into writing. The plot was coming out alright and the plan was done, sadly if I had more time it would come out better but now that it was all planned out I only had to write it and add the little tweaks and sparkles.All I needed was time and peace and quiet.One would expect me to have all that while being a guest in the Zoldycks manor. Somehow that was wrong.Just as I had gotten into a nice work schedule, Illumi walked into my room, without knocking of course. I materialized a knife and threw it at him. He grabbed it effortlessly. "Illumi.""Y/N.""What do you want?" I mumbled as I typed away in the laptop."I'd like a sparring partner, father and grandfather are away." I rolled my eyes."Why don't you fight Kikyo or Milluki?""Milluki doesn't leave his room, nor has enough stamina to keep up and mother has been in a terrible mood lately." I stopped typing and turned around to finally face him."Really?" I whined."Yes." He didn't seem to get my exasperation. Simply waiting for me to get up and go fight him."Can't I also be in a terrible mood?" He tilted his head."No." A sigh left my lips as I got up, stretching as I walked to him."Of course not." I muttered under my breath. He led the way, to the training room with weapons hanging on the walls from last time. "It has been a while..."Illumi faced me, he was wearing a long loose white shirt and large baggy black pants. He didn't move, waiting for my sign.My eyes met his as I nodded, he attacked, swinging his leg over my head as I quickly ducked, my heart started racing, as I dodged the multiple attacks, punches, and kicks. Without a room to attack back, I kept on the defence as my eyes raided the walls. As I avoided the being sliced by his sharp nails, I rolled over to the wall and touched a large curved knife, immediately conjuring a similar one on my other hand, I spun them and threw them with all my force. Illumi jumped to dodge, his elegant moves amazing me.I kept conjuring them, keeping the distance between me and him as I threw more and more. They disappeared as they hit the floor and not one managed to graze Illumi, so I decided to switch the strategy, and jumped closer to him. Swinging my leg, and seeing him dodge to the left, exactly where I wanted him as I swung the knife, he dodged immediately though. Leaving me to sulk.This kept going for a while, no hits managing to land on either side, but I was getting tired by the minute, and I knew Illumi had a monstrous stamina. As my chest rose and lowered as fast as possible, I dodged some needles thrown at me, mind racing trying to figure out plans, be several moves ahead.One wrong step costed me a trip to the floor, a loud gasp leaving me as my back hit the floor. And, of course, I had no time to get back up, as Illumi pinned me down."Alright, my loss Illumi." He stared, not trusting my quick surrender. "I'm serious."He eased the weight on me but didn't move."Well, since I'm assuming that we'll be staying here for a while, what happens if I complete the last test Illumi?" He finally got up, allowing me to sit and gaze at him waiting for an answer.It never came."Seriously Illumi?" The complaint leaving my lips, as he extended his hand to me, I took it and was yanked up with ease."Again?" He muttered softly, taking three steps back expecting my cue. I dashed to his side attempting to graze my knife on his skin, as he bent in an incredibly flexible way to dodge it, and the fast dance continued.I lost many times, but of course this was mainly a physical fight, the little nen I used was to create weapons.By the end, I was surely looking like a fish out of the water, wet from the sweat and gasping for air. I laid down on the cold floor, resting for a while. Illumi stood straight, his chest raising slightly faster than before."Why are you still here?""I assume you don't know how to return to your room." Ah crap, that was right, I had forgotten the blueprints again. "Maybe I should request a watch with the maps integrated, Milluki can probably pull that off." That was very considerate of him, what did he want from me? Did he have something to hide somewhere in these halls? It took me long to reply."Well, that would be very helpful considering a watch is easier to keep on me at all times." He nodded, and seeing that I wasn't getting up anytime soon, sat nearby, his legs crossed, and an impatient eyebrow raised just enough so I could notice."I shall ask Milluki.""He seems very skilled.""Yes, his inventions and technologic knowledge are admirable." He hummed, a little of the care he had for his brothers revealing itself."You care a lot for your family..." Even though it seemed to be in the wrong ways. I didn't add the rest of the sentence, he wouldn't understand it. How could he? This was the only love he had ever known; how else could he show it if not for his possessiveness and weird controlling behaviour?"Yes, I do." He agreed, seemingly in a better mood. I pulled myself up, stretching in all sorts of ways and verifying if there was nothing broken. He too was up in a second and leading the way to my room where I would finally go back to writing. I took the precious watch off my s/c wrist, handing it to him."Keep it, I'll get a new one for Milluki. Lateness isn't really acceptable." I scowled; I knew someone would mention my delay for that meal. "Ah, I have a new job next week you'll accompany me."

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It was a quiet week, I had time to make great progress in my book, day and night writing. The only breaks for meals, that were oddly silent, only once or twice when Milluki decided to leave his room and commented on his new project, my watch, did things get more cheerful.Illumi walked in, dressed up with a crimson crop top, and black pants. Gold pins all over his body, and his shiny black hair in a bun. I could feel the drool dribbling down my chin, as I gazed the man from top to bottom. "Y/N, you have two hours to get ready."I composed myself, "What will I be doing?""We'll be killing creatures called chimera ants, they invaded several cities." His absentminded voice ringing as he stared around the room, probably surprised as there were no random objects on the floor. "You should wear comfortable combat clothes; these adversaries have knowledge of nen."I hummed, as I started by rummaging the closet, picking up a darker outfit, maybe all black I thought as I grabbed some tight pants and a tank top. "Could you get me a leg holster? I'd like to take my knife.""Yes, need any more weapons?" He started nearing the door."A light sword, any kind. A small handgun, and things to hold those." I spouted waiting for him to leave so I could start dressing myself, not that there was something he hadn't seen before. "How many of them?""There is no specific number, we were paid finely to get rid of every single one of them in the city." A sigh left my lips, as a sudden worry raised."Do you think Killua and his friends are safe?" Silence followed, and I heard his pins hit the wall as he leaned against it."I am sure." His voice sounding less joyful than usual. "You said it yourself, Killua is mastering his transmutation powers using electricity.""True." My lips curled, the day where Illumi would say comforting words, the saints must've fallen out of the altar. "Thank you, Illumi.""What for?" He said grasping the handle of the door, ready to leave and gather the stuff I had asked for."For the weapons you're going to get, of course.""Oh, you're welcome, Y/N." And he left, leaving me to quickly change clothes and stretch.He didn't take long to return with everything I had requested. I equipped them easily, putting my most used knife on the holster stuck in my leg, and a smooth katana, incredibly light in its case on my back.We left earlier since I had nothing else to do, on the trip I asked for more details on the Chimera ants.After being shocked at how they came to be, I stared into the distance. "So there are more places being attacked by them...""Yes, well grandfather has a job scheduled someday soon, the hunter association seems to be needing his skills." I hummed; old man Zeno sure was powerful. That would be an interesting fight to watch."How long do we have left?" I looked at the window, everything looked tiny down there, the zeppelin was soaring in the sky."Not much, remember we must kill them all, separate the heads from the bodies." My eyes met his, doubt filling my head."Are they all evil?""Well some of them have been killing and terrorizing people." That wasn't enough but I'd take it. "Plus they were made by ingesting humans, and seem to keep eating them."When we landed, we took a cab as I pointed out the huge tower of smoke rising in the middle of the city. The poor driver couldn't take us closer, so we ran gaining higher ground the rest of the way.There were a lot of humanoid creatures, some of them combining many bug parts, my eyes widened, Illumi had warned me about it but seeing it in person hit harder. In the corner of my eye I saw one of the creatures eat a small child, and my blood froze. F/C bloodlust oozed out of me, as I jumped down the small building we were standing in and ran to kill the murderous beast. A few gunshots were all it took to lay it down, but then I felt it stronger ants nearby, ants who knew how to use nen and weren't hiding it.I turned back to see Illumi spin in the air as a beetle head flew off and two other ants ripped others apart. So he already had made some puppets, a smirk grew on my lips as I pulled the katana out, and decided to join the party, adrenaline filling my veins as my heart pumped faster and faster.The katana was extremely sharp, as a single thrust went through a mix of a rabbit and a dog with several spider legs. Soon, I breathed what could only be described as poisonous gas, but it soon vanished as another head popped off flying towards me. Illumi was doing the most beautiful and lethal dance, and the dark blue blood of the creatures seemed to spill following his movements.A tiny graze in my arm from an ant whose hand was a gun made me wake up from the daze I was in. I pulled out the handgun firing as I ran to cover myself in the ruins of a nearby building, saving the gun. I called forth the best shooter, another gun appearing in my hand as I turned the corner and counted seven creatures, the one who fired against me and some that were gathering around Illumi, my eyes closed as my body entered autopilot, and my finger pressed the trigger.I took the time to shut down my nen, becoming incredibly vulnerable until it was oozing out again, a blank slate for me to pick a different book. I ran into battle, holding the knife Feitan had gifted me and picking the teleporting assassin cutting heads off as I approached Illumi.

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Needles flew, hitting most of the ants in my way, as I got closer to Illumi. "These are a lot of ants..." I screamed, decapitating a lizard looking one."Apparently these are the minions and the higher ranks are on the outskirts of the city." I rolled my eyes, of course we'd save the boss for last, like a true videogame.More needles flew, and now puppet ants attacked their breed clearing our path. "Doesn't it tire you? To have so many puppets?" My eyes fell on his large back, where his dark long hair dangled as he walked to what I assumed was the path to the higher ranked ants. I could only dream if he agreed to be tired, and then proceeded to take out my needle, those foolish thoughts were pushed away as he replied his voice almost inaudible over the chaos of ant annihilation and human screaming."No. It's fairly normal."Here and there, lines of humans fleeing the city were seen, more often than not those were disrupted and turned into a bloodbath. Shivers went up my spine, as I saw the gruesome scenes.My lips parted, wanting to ask Illumi if we couldn't help those people, but the negative answer I'd get kept the words from leaving them. A dangerous-looking brown bear with eagle wings approached flying, as we neared the large nest looking thing. A needle flew sinking into his skull the moment he landed, right before he could even talk."How anticlimactic, Illumi." I shrugged, as silence came and the two guards at the door lurched toward us, they were very similar looking, ant heads but bodies of birds, exoskeleton overtaking most of the feathers. My katana punctured it's way through ones neck, and the puppet bear ripped the other one apart with ease. Dark blue blood stained my hands as I forced the blade out, cutting off the head.We walked inside, stepping on twigs and sticks, shielded by the large bear, I guess he did come in handy. Easily defeating a turtle-beaver, a ripped monkey-spider, a giant fly and a bunch of wolfs looking mixes with all sort of animals.The path led us to a large I'd say bird ballroom, with no ceiling showing the setting sun spraying the sun with shades of orange, pink and red. A fox awaited us, red feathers went from her neck to her wings hidden by a rather normal looking tank top and she had two sets of arms, these ones scaly looking with claws at the ends. Her legs were hidden by large flowy pants, a warning ran on the back of my head as her seven fox tails filled with feathers that looked like daggers rose and gained a life of their own as she approached."Who are you to disturb my nest?" A deep raspy voice echoed; it was a very sexy voice too bad it came from an enemy. Illumi blinked, his puppet running head on to his death, soaking one of the red tails with blood."Not a very smart move." I whistled, hands gripping the handle of the katana, assuming a fighting stance. Illumi simply nodded, not surprised by his puppet’s behaviour.A few needles flew towards the neck only to sound like they hit metal and fall on the floor. Like it would be that easy to defeat the boss. I replicated my katana and dashed taking at swing at the legs, using a considerable amount of strength. The blade broke, shattering to the uneven sticks that created the floor, I cursed under my breath and ran for my life as the tails tried to deal some damage on my beautiful person.I escaped by a single hair and remained in the safe distance waiting for Illumi's next move. He didn't falter approaching the fox fearlessly pulling out a taser from his pants, humming in a curious tone. So he wouldn't pull out the big guns in front of me huh... Smart move, there was no way the needles were the only thing in his repertoire. I huffed, frustrated but my eyes followed his shadow as he dodged most blows gracefully, drawing back and forth, his calculative mind designing a plan to get close enough to test its theory.A few minutes later, the taser went off on the boss's wing and the feather armour curled up, displaying its weakness underneath. A screech of rage filled the air, making me shudder in response.My mind was running fast, and soon it hit a solution, the feathers were back to its defensive position no longer surprised. I replicated the original unbroken katana once again many times."Illumi." I stared into his void like eyes as I threw most of the replicas to his side. A flash of doubt crossed his eyes, but he grabbed two and kept dodging the attacks distracting the enemy.I took a deep breath, the most random weapons proved to be useful in the most unexpected moments, I called forth Lissandra from a book called Bonded By Flames, she had killed herself with gasoline and a lighter. A cold metal lighter formed on my right hand as a large flask of gasoline appeared on my left one. It felt wrong to use these. Something that was used to take her own life... I brushed away such thoughts as my feet tiptoed closer to the and that now only screamed curses at us and questioned who we were. I tried not to waste gasoline on the floor, soaking her until there wasn't a drop left. Illumi caught on approaching her as well pretending to use the katanas but not exerting nearly any force. When I flicked the lighter and tossed it to the bird fox an anguished scream left her sharp toothed mouth.The feather armour curled and Illumi proceeded to jab as many katanas as he could on the little space between them. I did it too, the ant ran from side to side trying to put out the fire and I thought it was all pain until I saw at the corner of my eyes, the large feathery tails looking extremely dangerous heading towards me as a smirk formed on the creatures lips."Y-/N" A faint warning left Illumi's lips, I cursed dodging most of it and receiving the rest with my right hand thickly covered in nen. That blow had me rolling on the air, hitting the twig throne that proved to be a painful stopper to my flight.My vision blurred as tears welled on my eyes and when my senses were reasonably good enough, all I saw was the ant laying down all my katanas disappearing allowing the blue blood to flow, parts of the floor were on fire and Illumi casually strode to my side, offering a helping hand.What did I miss in the moments where everything was spotty and blurry? Those were my worries as we quickened our pace to escape the now raging fire that started spreading and killed the remaining of the troublemakers.

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The trip back to the manor was calm, I tended my wounds in the VIP lounge of the zeppelin as Illumi stood looking out the window."Do you like traveling?" I hear myself question."I don't dislike it." I rolled my eyes at the vague answer and kept applying ointment to the damages.We arrived at the gate using a car Illumi had in town, we left it parked outside and I wondered if there was a butler whose job was to take the car back to the city. After we crossed the testing gates, as Illumi flew them open, Zeno dropped softly from the sky in front of us and I could only stare at the large flying beast up in the sky with bewilderment. How many more special soulless beasts did the Zoldycks have under their control?"Old man." I stated, bemused, as his feet reached the floor."Grandfather." Illumi noticed his presence, as if the old man jumping from his flying dragon was a normal occurrence. He hummed."How was your job?" I asked, waiting to hear a story."Today, for the first time, I may have killed someone who wasn't my target." My mouth hung open; the old man had his nice principles."Really? That's unfortunate... What was the job? If you don't mind me asking...""Oh, I was hired by an old acquaintance to separate the chimera ant king from his guards and take both the king and him to a different location." I hummed, it seemed like old man Zeno also had a friend outside the Zoldycks. A million questions were bubbling in my head."How strong was the ant king?" He smiled, faced the top of the mountain as he started walking."I experienced time compression, that was also new... He was powerful, I don't think my acquaintance survived." A shiver went up my spine, one of the powerful people saying that another one was strong... Just how insane was the power of that ant? On the other way... I was very curious about what his personality would be like, what he looked like, what kind of animals made up the king..."My condolences, old man..." The heartfelt words left my lips, but he didn't seem very shook with his friend's death. A long time passed in silence before I relieved my curiosity. "Who was it that you almost killed?"Illumi had been keeping up with us quietly and was now holding the manor door open."A young woman, the King seemed to care deeply for her life." My eyes widened, an ant caring for human lives... That was a game changer in many ways...  Zeno kept describing the scene but all I could think was that no one would hold me tightly with utmost care if I was fatally injured."Well, it's sad that they were driven apart then..." Words failed me, it wasn't like someone would mourn my death in this place. A bitter taste rose to my mouth and I stared at Illumi, what was I doing here? Why was I throwing myself into this family's affairs? Why was I being a nice prisoner? Having friendly conversations with them all?After my thoughts started running that direction, my curiosity died as Zeno explained that the king had left his guard tasked with saving the woman's life. My eyes met his."You know old man; I don't want to own this path. I dislike it. It's filled with sticks and stones... It's hard to walk through... Is it worth owning something like this? Something that doesn't care for my well-being?" Illumi tilted his head in confusion, clearly not understanding the talk about paths nor where it had sprouted. Zeno on the other hand looked stern. "Well I really need a bath and some rest so..." My eyes jumped back to the long-haired man who was now staring oddly at me. I could only assume he always stared oddly at people... "Shall we go, Illumi?"He hummed in agreement and led the way to my room. At the door he stopped, before going into his room and finally broke the silence."Y/N?" I hummed, hand in the cold doorknob and turned slightly to see him. "What is the path you don't want to own?""It's not even a path..." I heard the words leave my mouth, but somehow something didn't click. I wasn't minding being here, I didn't mind getting involved into this mess of a family... Why... Why was this... "But well, we all have paths in our lives it's up to us to own them or switch them, do you like your path?"He seemed to freeze, eyes narrowing and eyebrows scrunching as he thought about it deeply. I leaned against the door, expecting him to answer anytime soon.He didn't. He stared into the emptiness of his soul and didn't seem to come up with an answer. I grew impatient as time passed, shifting my weight from foot to foot, tapping on the door, before I opened my mouth. "I guess you have to consider it more deeply with more time. Take as long as you need, it's your life. There's no need to reply to me, but you should seek the answer for yourself."I walked into my room. My room. I considered it my own, I became familiarized with all this. Sure, I had been planning to pull Illumi's needle out... But I wasn't rushing it, he didn't use it as much as I'd think, hasn't made me do anything that I was truly against. Why? Why wasn't he abusing his power... So many questions popping up and creating a large fog around my head, disturbing my thoughts, confusing me...I brushed those all away with the quick shower, after slipping on some comfortable clothes I sat on my desk and typed away, only focusing on one goal and pushing back all these questions and the meaning behind them.Weeks later the book was nearly finished, I needed to review it once more to finally send it to the editor. The plan was putting itself together, without any drawbacks from any of the Zoldycks or missions. My manipulation skills had been improved a decent amount, so it was only a matter of time.Time and a chance.Maybe to change my path.

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Illumi knocked on my door on august 7th, after I re-read my book and had some notes for changes down. He was in his disguise, a purple mohawk, horrifying red eyes, a mechanic smile and needles, gold needles everywhere on his face, on his body... I squinted my eyes mostly to see less of the freak he was. "What's the attire for?""We're going to the Hunter chairman election." If there was a way to narrow more my eyes, I would've found it right there. "What's this random proposal, Illumi? You do not care for the Hunters... What will you be doing in the premises?" His head tilted in phases, like a clock ticking time, making me cringe even more, how much would that hurt? Needles stuck everywhere in your body... When did the pain become bearable for him? What did he think before being broken and melted to fit the Zoldyck mould?"I do not care for the election; I have things to do." He repeated in his own words, I rolled my eyes and looked around hoping to find an excuse to stay. There was none. I sighed, wondering why he would want me out of the manor so strongly as to take me with him to attend his 'things'."Now?" I whined walking to my closet."Now." He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. I stopped, hands on the elaborate closet handles, an eyebrow arched and eyes pinning him down."I'm not sure if you understood that it was your key to leave and let me change.""There isn't something I haven't seen already, why would I leave?""Human decency. But you don't have that, my bad." I rummaged the clothes in the closet, they were slowly fitting my tastes better and better. A pleased huff of air left my lips as I picked a nice outfit, comfortable enough to fight but good looking enough to feel like a decent normal being. Not that it'd matter if the freak of a disguise, Illumi had found would stand nearby. Normality... Ah one could only wish for it.I changed quickly, not because Illumi was staring, but certainly for the coolness his presence had risen in the hair. I skipped to the bathroom, for the basics, deodorant a glance in the mirror, a slight tug at the clothes so they looked better.When I returned to the room, Illumi's red eyes met mine and with a probably painful head tilt, that I assumed meant something along the lines of 'are you ready?' to which I nodded in agreement. He opened the door smoothly, allowing me to go first, like a gentleman would. Or like someone who doesn't want to get stabbed in the back would... there were many ways of looking at one's gesture. The trip was silent, as they usually were, Illumi seemed immersed in his thoughts. Odd. I stared at him shamelessly, as my own thinking started off. He wanted me out of the house, but he doesn't want me to know what we'll be doing in the election... "What happened to the last chairman?" My voice was soft, a calm whisper as my eyes were still on the sharp figure that was Illumi in disguise. "He died fighting the Chimera Ants." I hummed, thinking that maybe the chairman was Zeno's acquaintance. Made sense for the hunter association to be led by a strong man with important connections. "What will you be doing?" No answer came from Illlumi, my eyes narrowed, nerves flowing through my skin. "What will I be doing?""Sightseeing, maybe, do whatever you want on town and then I'll schedule when we meet." My eyebrow rose, this man had the incredible ability of ticking me off. Somehow... But maybe I could use this free reign to my advantage. "Oh right, Y/N." He said finally meeting my eyes. "You can't take your needle off until we meet again, that goes for asking people to take it off for you as well." His voice was serious, the absent-minded tone gone. I rolled my eyes, well that would be off my plans... It was like he could read my mind. When we arrived he simply stated. "Go off somewhere, meet me in this airport on August 10th." I smiled politely, shining in pretends of enjoying my liberty. Ran off to the commercial part of town, only to pretend I was going on a shopping spree, surely Illumi wouldn't think weird of it. Two hours later, I was back on the airport, getting on a zeppelin back to the Zoldyck state. He didn't say I couldn't go back, and I sure wanted to know what the heck was going on. Hehehe.I arrived late, late as in 3 a.m. late, but that didn't matter I swung the testing gates open, and whispered "Mystery, mystery, where are you hiding...?"I walked into the manor to find Kikyo in distress, in one of the many corridors. "Oh my... what is going on, sweet mother-in-law?""Killua returned home, for Alluka." Well, that was a new name, in her daze she didn't even seem to acknowledge the free information she had given out, but I pieced it together. So there was a fifth child between Killua and Kalluto to make the name game complete. I-llu-mi, mi-llu-ki, ki-llu-a, a-llu-ka, ka-llu-to... Now why was she hidden?When Kikyo finally settled down, I saw the red dot turn my direction, and her lips tighten. She didn't mean to tell me that, but it was already done. I smiled, finally feeling a win in this house. "What are you doing here, Y/N?""Illumi left me alone, I was so lonely. Decided to return earlier and maybe ask for some relationship advice from you." With her lips still shut tight together, a high pitched "Hmm" was muffled but heard. "I think that it's a bit too late to conceal the secret, Kikyo." Her visor shook and her hand clawed my arm, nails digging into my skin as she dragged me through the corridors.We arrived into a dark room, there were many screens and computers gathered, there stood Silva easily recognized in the darkness for his long curly white hair, next to him sat Milluki in front of a large screen, the only lit screen, that displayed a video of Killua and another child playing.

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After playing, Killua was sitting on the floor petting Alluka's head, I stared in amazement, at the locked away Zoldyck child. Long black hair with beads on the strands near the bangs, the same shine Illumi had. Pale skin. Shrine maiden outfit, baggy sleeves dropped over Killua's hips. The one thing that pulled Alluka away from her older brothers, Illumi and Milluki, despite her black hair, her eyes were icy blue, just like Killua's and Silva's. The room was filled with toys, bright with colour, walls looked happy but for a child to be there locked all the time...I hummed, looking at the cute child just when Kikyo smiled, pleased when stating, "Killua is being such a model older brother." "That's three requests down." Requests? Well maybe the answer as to why they'd have this cute child locked up would come up. I approached Milluki's chair to stare at the monitor with more attention. He kept going, "A computer wasn't such a big deal." I flinched, feeling Silva's murderous aura filling the room, and Milluki jumped on his chair, almost running over my feet with the wheels as he squirmed, "S-sorry, Papa. I won't do it again..." Almost uncaring, Silva's red aura left as quickly as it showed up, as he continued the conversation. "Now, Alluka is ready." Ready for what?"Yep, Killua just has to make his wish." What wish? My eyes narrowed at the father and son conversation going on. My head racing to piece everything together.Silva turned to face Milluki hastily, drawing his blue gaze from the monitor, it was almost unlike him. "Milluki, I want you to go over the rules again.""Ah, yes. I'm aware of five rules. One, when one of Alluka's requests is not fulfilled, and price is paid, the request difficulty is reset to level 1. That's the best time to make a wish to Alluka. Two, once Alluka starts making requests to someone, he'll never switch his targets to someone different." My eyebrow rose, he? Didn't Killua say sister? "That's why I've ensured that she always made a request to a butler before sending him to Papa or Mama." Well wasn't that lovely... So this child, was like a genie in a bottle? A wishing well? "I guess Killua did the same. That's why Alluka never requested anything from Papa or Mama. Three, if the person fulfilling requests dies before finishing the job, it's considered a failure, and at least one more will die." Silva's gaze shifted back to the screen as Milluki continued his explanation of Alluka's power. "This was confirmed by experiment." A shiver went up my spine. Experiment? "Four, if he doesn't know someone's name, Alluka can't make requests of them. Five, the same person can't make two wishes in a row. That's all I know, I'm not hiding anything from you." He said frantically, almost trying to prove his loyalty. To his father. "I swear on the oath we made." What a family. Killua was still patting Alluka in the head, the gentlest look on his face. He wasn't dealing with a wishing well, he was spoiling his sibling whom he cared for. "Why isn't Killua making a wish?" Silva questioned, his arms crossed, displaying his muscles over his tight shirt. "He probably has some foolish idea, if Killua makes a wish now, someone else will have to clean up the mess." I stared at Milluki, foolish... "That makes no sense at all." Does it really not? To be a good guy, ah so mind boggling for these people. Silva proceeded. "He can save his friend first and worry about the consequences later."His friend? What was wrong with Gon? I wanted to ask but the mood wasn't right. Where did they get all this information from?"Papa, would his friend be happy to know that many lives were sacrificed to save him?" Oh, someone had brains, Milluki wasn't all meat no brain. Huh? "No. That's what's going through Killua's head." Nice analysis. Why were we watching from afar? "Since he's stupid."He's... what now? If stares could murder, oh the big meat roll I'd make out of him. "His mind doesn't work the way ours do." Thankfully. I rolled my eyes, whatever appreciation for Milluki's intelligence gone with his incredible close mindedness. "That's why you had Illu-nii use his needles on him, right?"I held my rage in, and they all gasped as Killua picked up Alluka, and started moving towards the door. "Father, open the door." I felt myself smile, he was serious. He was taking his sister with him, away from the locks and loneliness. What a good boy.Silva's eyebrows created creases as they drew closer, he hit a button and spoke firmly. "No. Make the wish in that room. We cannot let you go outside."After thinking for a few seconds, the white haired boy spoke again. "Father, I am definitely your son. You said Alluka came from somewhere else, right? I call the black-eyed Alluka, Nanika(Something)." I stared at Killua's blue eyes through the screen, determined kid. So many questions bubbling up, though... "We're leaving, I'll clean up my own mess."Mad respect."Nanika, if we haven't left the mountain in half an hour, kill Mother." My eyes widened, surprised at the rage that emanated from the heir of the Zoldycks. Silva gasped, loudly, something I never expected seeing in person. Milluki stood up almost tripping over his chair, his mouth agape, matching his mothers."HUH? HEY KILLUA." The second oldest, screamed at the microphone. But Killua had his game set. "If we've left the mountain in half an hour, I want you to kiss me on the cheek. Got it?" Alluka's head rotated to face the camera, it was full white, no nose, eyes hollow and black and her mouth was only a curved black void. A true mask. She agreed, saying "Ai."Kikyo panicked, hands reaching her face, breathing loud and uneven, red dot on her visor trembling, her legs gave in, and she landed on the floor. What a good choice it was to return to the manor, this gave me so much delight I couldn't contain my lips from curving slightly as I observed everything. "MAMA!"

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As Milluki broke into a cold sweat, Silva stared at the screen his eyes ferocious. My gaze turned to Kikyo, still on the floor held by her son who looked enraged, yet not really as dangerous as his father."Killua..." A hoarse voice came out of the lady in the fancy dress, "How can you issue such cruel commands?" A sob came as she spilled out her amazement in words, "It's magnificent! You've grown up."My eyebrow rose but rolled my eyes. This was so expected, how could I even feel surprised at all the toxicity that came from this family. Disgust would suit my face better but somehow this was like watching a soap opera, and it certainly had been a while since my last time watching television."Damn! Are you allowed to do that?!?" Milluki seemed to have his mother's well-being in mind, unlike the deranged parent sobbing with pride in the floor. "As long as only one wish is fulfilled you can give yourself options!"Killua's eyes were serious, staring into the camera as he ordered. "Father, open the door."My lips parted slightly when I saw Silva's muscular arm extend as he reached for a button. That was... interesting. I saw the white-haired boy leave the frame and sighed with a newfound hope. "Well that was riveting." I heard myself say as I stared at Kikyo."Why are you here, Y/N?" My e/c eyes jumped to Silva, the fact that Killua knew more about Alluka than anyone else, put him in a position of power. That's a reason to want to control him. What disgusting plans would Illumi be sorting out?"How could Kikyo be overjoyed. Isn't killing family members forbidden?" His eyes narrowed, almost turning sharper, as his icy presence filled the room."It is.""Ah, well, I'll probably become family." The right corner of my smile raising, turning it into a malicious smirk. "After all, I have only one more test to go, how could I miss this?"As we listened to Killua's phone conversation, and Gotoh butted in. I questioned what a level 4 restriction was. Milluki quickly explained that at level 4, one would be monitored by butlers and as soon as said person did something restricted, the level would increase to level 5. Level 5 means being kidnapped by butlers and taken to the Zoldyck state, including in escape situations.I hummed, shivers going up my spine. If I became one of them, those could be applied to me."What's the reason?" Killua asked."The reasons are unauthorized removal of a classified object," my head snapped up, and looking at the family members they didn't see anything wrong with what was just said. Object? That precious child? "rebelling against your parents and use of threatening actions.""ALLUKA'S AN OBJECT?" I smiled, at least Killua stood up for Alluka."There are three restrictions, " Gotoh continued, "First, to protect family secrets, the target may not speak to, or exchange items with, any outsiders without permission. To enforce this, the target is forbidden to carry any communication devices. Second, to protect family secrets, the target must always stay within one meter of Master Alluka. Third, to protect family secrets, the target is forbidden from letting any outsiders learn about Master Alluka's power.Silva had disappeared, probably to issue those restrictions, leaving Kikyo and Milluki to spy on Killua. I left them soon, apparently, he'd take some butlers with him to ensure he followed the rules. I arrived in my room and patched the book, completing it and emailed it to my editor, expressing some urgency. The situation was getting out of control... I should take the needle off as soon as I could...It took some hours, but it was done. I walked back to the surveillance room to see the three there again, watching a car roll off the mountain with a bunch of construction pipes through it."Illumi is going all out." I heard Milluki say. "Wouldn't Papa be mad if Alluka was killed?" They noticed my presence and Silva didn't reply. They considered Alluka an object, so Illumi wouldn't be breaking the rules by killing her? My stomach seemed to flip itself, and I broke into a cold sweat... Very disgusting behaviour.I wanted to help Killua and Alluka out, but that was out of the play right now. I wouldn't want to be killed by Illumi... Still I stared at the screen, and back at the assassins, wondering how much of a hindrance could I be to Illumi's plans... So, I left the manor, rushing to arrive at the city where the elections took place, after obtaining some information out of a butler. Gon was in big trouble... All I could do was run and hope that I'd get there in time to help out...When I arrived at the airport, I took a cab to the hospital, Illumi would certainly be nearby. That all assuming that Illumi hadn't killed Alluka yet. I released my nen, feeling around until I found it. The familiar darkness, Illumi. I told the taxi driver to stop, paying with some cash I had on my wallet, before running towards him, ready to witness the scene... Killua was there, holding Alluka, crying, eyes focused on the long haired man.He asked Nanika to heal the butler's hand, an old lady, with the most hourglass body shape ever and braids that defied gravity seemed shocked, along with everyone else... Even Illumi, his mouth hung open, eyes wide and eyebrows stretched up. After Killua explained that Nanika would never ask for vile things after healing something, and that Nanika always called him Killua."If you ever refer to Nanika as an object again," his aura turned dark, frightening coming from such a young kid. "I'll won't consider you my brother anymore." I felt Hisoka disappearing, and Illumi's face had returned to his emotionless mask. "I understood, Kill. If you can heal Gon without any risk that's terrific. But that doesn't change the fact that Nanika is dangerous." I walked closer to him, glad that both the kids were safe but knowing this wouldn't end here. "And my questions remain unanswered. Kil, you're still hiding something, such as how Milluki's rule 5 doesn't apply to you." I looked at the white haired boy, rule 5... was... two wishes in a row is a no-no. Why would the rules apply to Killua though? He treats Nanika as a person, only the ones seeking to control her power would be subjected to those rules. I smirked, nodding at Killua who had just noticed my presence. "Until you tell me everything, I won't let Alluka go."I rolled my eyes, knowing Killua wouldn't say it. Not if he didn't want another needle stuck in his head. I followed Illumi as he left, wondering why was I feeling sad about his behaviour when it was only to be expected.

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Illumi was quiet until we reached a black slick car, the walk took a while and I was running so many questions through my head that it was about to blow up. He pulled a very recent phone and handed it to me, there I could see Killua on a car, along with Canary and another butler. "Well this is... Probably your mother's doing... Along with a bit of Milluki?" I stared in amazement at the screen, how convenient. "What are you trying to do, Illumi?" "I wanted to kill Alluka, to make sure the Zoldycks stayed alive." I hummed, there was a talk about people dying because of the wishes... "You'd kill your family to save your family?" "I'd gladly die if it meant that my family wouldn't." I stared into his void eyes, this man... Was brainwashed from an early age, but that would make sense in a normal family. "That's cute, Illumi. But it seems that you seek to control Alluka's powers... That isn't very selfless of you..." He hummed getting into the car and starting the engine without waiting for me to get in. I rushed in, and the door was closing as the car zoomed its way across the dirt path. "The rules don't apply to Killua." Illumi stated quietly, taking a sharp left turn. Damn, these forest paths were harsh. "Why would they?" I replied absent-mindedly, only to see Illumi stare at me through the corner of my eye and panic because he was the one driving. "Look at the road!" I heard myself say, he didn't, he tilted his head, almost as if looking at me would make him understand my statement. The car was going at a decent velocity for me to grab the sides of my seat and screech "Illumiii..." His eyes finally turned to the road, and I wondered how luck played a part in this moment, or if he actually knew how to drive perfectly with his peripheral vision only. The doubt remained, sometimes the notion that Illumi could do practically anything was rather hard to grasp. After all, his aloof and dull personality did make me doubt him a lot. I didn't mind it too much; it was like discovering a new facet to a new gemstone. Illumi was interesting, going on missions with him was... As hard as it is to admit, fun. Yet... This side of him, this controlling and maniacal side... Was enough to throw me off... "What did you mean?" His voice brought me back to reality, I was staring at him for too long. The surroundings were becoming less bushy and the road was smooth pavement now. "Imagine a genie on the bottle. Every wish comes with an awful twist." He nodded, "The genie brings disasters and horrors to others lives... Since his life consists of being locked in a bottle. That's how you see it..." I stared at the window. "Killua sees Alluka, his sister, a person he loves and cares for. Someone he wants to protect and someone he wants to be happy, that also includes your genie in the bottle, Nanika." The engine of the car was the only thing that was heard, and I assumed he hadn't understood it yet. "Rules..." "Ah!" He interrupted, finally reaching the conclusion I hoped. "I see." "Yes, the rules will always apply to you. You're thirsty for power and control... That's what's wrong about you... Somethings aren't meant to be controlled, they're meant to be loved and that is a powerful but pure way of ownership... Working both ways..." I hummed that was a nice idea. He parked the car near a tall building and walked out without any explanation. I followed him, still holding the phone, Killua had reached the hospital. Alluka was still asleep. After what seemed like enough stairs to reach the moon, the cool morning breeze pleasantly ran through my hair, I sighed. The sky was a beautiful blue, Illumi was standing on the edge of the floor, the top floor of this huge building. "Illumi." I mumbled as I sat nearby. Legs stretched as I massaged them. "I don't understand what you said about the pure way of ownership." I rolled my eyes, of course you wouldn't, dumbass. "Let's say I loved someone, I'd give myself to that person, trust them and help them if they needed. It's not that person owning me, I have the choice, but I choose to do well to that one person that I care about." I tossed the phone at Illumi, who caught it gracefully. "You could compare it to your love for your family, even though... That's not quite it because your family groomed you to be that way..." "Alluka's awake." I jumped up, loosing balance, and grabbing Illumi's pale muscular arm. "She is?" My grip tightened, and I drew closer. "Guess Gon will be better soon then." I stared into the screen, I didn't do anything to help Killua and Alluka... I wasn't here in time... If anything had happened to them... A large pillar of dark nen rose up on a building nearby, shivers took over my spine as my eyes widened. Fear was such a primal instinct, my heart dropped, my guts felt hollow, skin wished to crawl out of my body. A familiar aura surrounded me, dark, thirsty for power, my eyes switched to Illumi, but I didn't flinch, nor did I release his arm. I didn't fear it, it wasn't directed at me. "Magnificent." He said loudly, gazing at the large pillar of nen surrounding the hospital. His dark hair flowing up, his maniacal laugh erupted, his body shook, but my hands didn't leave his arm. I felt disgusted, hopeless... He wanted it, and at minimal chance... He'd get it... I just wanted to meddle in, be a nuisance If I ever had to fight truly with Illumi I'd loose, I still had a lot of training to do... For myself and for the poor children whom Illumi wanted to control. When everything finished, my expression was undaunted, my grasp around his arm was firm. His eyes flickered to me, "Y/N... Fearless?" "What do I have to fear?" Illumi's pale lips curved, a pleased smile. I'd be smiling later.

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After a while Illumi was on the move, heading for the hospital, the place where the immense nen came from. My mind was on the kids as he knocked out the butlers, "Killua, you ordered Nanika, you didn't wish... back in the manor, you didn't fulfill three requests of Nanika, you simply played with Alluka, there was no price because you ordered... the fingernails were the price for Milluki's computer... Those are my conclusions, what do you think?"My eyes went to the end of the corridor, Killua was seating with Alluka on his lap, surrounded by two butlers, and he didn't answer, turning Illumi's little smile into a frown as he walked closer. "I'll get to the point, I'm the one who can use Nanika's power effectively and safely, for the Zoldyck family." Shivers went up my spine... I knew it... Of course, he'd want to control it. "As it stands, Alluka is no more than a spirit locked forever in one room. But if I control him with you at his side, at the very least I can guarantee his freedom.""Disgusting..." I heard myself whisper, certain that at least Illumi would've listened. What a disgusting offer..."Brother, I'll protect Alluka." As the air grew colder, Illumi's aura drew darker. I was proud of the white-haired boy, protecting his family."Kill, you need to learn your place." I rolled my eyes, accepting my path, more than accepting my path I'd own it."Nanika, wake up." The mask turned to face us, smiling, I smiled back. It was only polite to do so. I wondered who picked Alluka's clothes, they had some nice personality, specially the headband and the little faces on the two strands of hair framing Nanika's mask. Power filled the room, making Illumi's hair fly slightly, almost like wind..."Kill, this is your last chance. Let me have Nanika-" This man really got on my nerves, I grabbed his arm ready to stop him."Nanika, send Illumi back home.""'Kay" The wind grew stronger and Illumi glowed purple before disappearing, leaving me grasping on thin air. My eyes were wide, heart raced as I wondered what had happened to Illumi, but then my mind started working again, remembering Killua had sent him back home and that there was nothing to be afraid of.If Killua orders it there's no need to worry about requests... That's what Illumi would be thinking, my eyes fell to the boy, he had to escape. If Illumi got his needle in him, that'd be very bad..."Well, lord chocolate help me, I just lost my company for the trip back home... Teleportation sounds nice~." "Y/N, Tsubone, Amane, can you leave us alone for a moment? If you don't, I'll have to issue a command to Nanika." "Killua, pat my head." A thin voice requested, I smiled, what a nice person. "Nanika is doing this because she wants my praise. I don't want to use her by issuing commands, so please..." I patted Killua's head, much to his surprise, and then moved on to Nanika's head, with a smile on my face as I said goodbye. "Have fun you two! Stay safe." And like that I rushed out, as Nanika kept asking for Killua.I fastened my pace to the airport, teleportation did sound amazing, travelling alone was sad. A black limo pulled over, and from it the old lady butler came out, opening a door for me. "Miss Y/N we'll be accompanying you to the Manor."I nodded. And got into the comfortable car, I wasn't planning to run anyway. My head was aching and Illumi's command was to meet him on the 10th. "What about Killua and Alluka?""Their restrictions were lifted." I sighed, lips curling, I knew Illumi wouldn't quit his plan though... but my path was to meddle in his life and keep the kids away from his controlling needles..."That's great, I hope they have fun outside the large walls of Kukuroo Mountain." The old lady, Tsubone smiled at me sincerely, her eyes wrinkling. "Do you want to have fun outside Kukuroo Mountain, Miss Y/N?" Amane, the other butler, Tsubone's granddaughter asked. "No, I have more important things to do there." Ah yes, to take my needle off, complete the final test, marry Illumi, meddle in his life, slowly drive him insane, get stronger under the safety of being part of the Zoldyck family. Make sure he'll never control Killua again. My mask rose up, as an innocent smile dangled on my lips. "You see, I'm pretty sure I left my newly finished book there, and I don't have any other copies... The dread of losing my precious and hard work.""Ah yes..." The trip proceeded with the maximum comfort, everything money could provide. My pain kept growing though, but as soon as I set foot outside the car, I opened the testing gates easily and rushed to the manor, Illumi was waiting for me at the entrance and as soon as my eyes grasped his shape in the distance, a wave of relief crossed me, as my pain dissipated."Illumi." I bowed jokingly, he didn't seem bothered by it. "Y/N, you're back." He simply stated as he walked inside, guiding me through the stone-cold corridors."How was teleportation?""Effective and painless." Ah yes, what else to expect from this stoic man. "Why are you my guide today?""Your watch isn't ready yet." I hummed, the very convenient watch that Milluki was building for me..."I meant why are you guiding me. Where is Gotoh?" He stopped in his tracks and his gaze set on me."He's dead." My smile went away, and my aura rose, dark f/c filling the halls. "What happened?" The words scratched my throat. "Hisoka killed him in the chase for Killua." The only person who was nice to me in this manor, killed by the perverted clown?"You... It was your fault wasn't it...? You allowed it." Rage filled my mind, as my nails grew sharper."Yes, I did."

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Without much thought, I swung my arm at Illumi, ready to tear his face off and feed it to the squirrels. He dodged gracefully, I was clearly in a state of rage that didn't take much to predict my movements, so I couldn't lay a hand on him. As he dodged and I darted forward to attack, we reached the training room and Illumi grabbed a weapon. Clearly his intentions being of using my rage to train more.That was when I dropped to my knees, my eyes seeing blurry shapes as some tears fell, wetting my lovely s/c cheeks. Sobs left my throat and my shaky hand pushed the tears away. "Well, that's an awful timing to stop fighting." Illumi simply stated, returning a large sword to its spot, and grabbing my arm, dragging me to his quarters, to my room. "He... he was so nice..." I heard myself whisper, keeping up with his pace easily. "It was his job to be nice, Y/N." I snapped my arm off his grip, rage returning but only to increase my tears. "You're heartless Illumi, you're so cold and cruel..." I took a deep breath, before continuing, now more in control of the situation, and realizing how I could take this into my advantage. He had to think I was more disgusted by him than ever, "You're a monster.""Okay." He simply accepted it, opening his bedroom door. His mask was nearly perfect, but his lips were curved downward, the removal of restrictions on Killua did take an effect on his mood as he no longer could justify his thirst for power. My mouth hung open, after he closed the door. I was expecting more time to fight and scream, maybe add a bit of drama and slam my door behind me...In my room, I checked my email, my editor had some constructive criticism and I fixed it as quickly as I could, sending it back and setting the release date for two weeks from now. Dinner time was nearing, it would be a great chance to start the rest of the plan. I found myself lost, until a butler found me, and corrected my path to the dining room. He was a new one, or at least one that I had never seen. His eyes were of a light green and his hair was brown, his skin tanned but filled with scars, somehow attractive, but I found Illumi attractive as well and he had the trashiest personality so maybe my taste had gotten worse. I smiled politely and thanked him. Walking into the room to see Illumi, Milluki and their parents already sitting. "Did I arrive late?""No, Y/N." Silva assured, as I sat quickly besides Kikyo. "It's odd that you're all here before me." I smiled sheepishly, before turning to the lady of the house, she was wearing purple and black, something that gave her a devious look, even when the dress was puffy and frilly all the way, a dark queen. "Kikyo, I'm finishing up my book, soon I'll give you one of the first copies."She smiled, red dot in her visor trembling with excitement, I hoped. "Oh, I can't wait! The hiatus time was longer this time...""Ah yes, life has been... pushing me in all kinds of directions but I've found my balance now." My eyes fell on Illumi, his long hair was pushed back so it didn't fall on the food, and he was chatting with his father about his new target. "Where's Grandpa Zeno?" "He's off to a job." Illumi replied, seemingly over my dramatic outbreak. Oh, how amazing, that would facilitate things between me and Kikyo. "You're doing one soon, Illumi?""Ah yes, it'll be at least two weeks." My eyes widened, not worrying about his well-being, but seeing my chance nearing. "Oh, will it be tiring? Or dangerous?""Both." Silva meddled in, eyeing me with a dash of distrust. I put on my most innocent smile and turned to Kikyo. "Do you have a library here? If so, could you show me after dinner? Now that my book is finished there's not much to do." She politely agreed, but Illumi was now finding my behaviour strange. "Why don't you ask a butler to take you there? Also, Milluki won't take long with your watch.""Well, now that Gotoh is dead, all the other butlers are strangers to me... Also, I bet your mother has good book recommendations." My eyes flashed true sadness for the butler, who had been so kind to me. Even if it was his job, I was truly glad for it.Kikyo shook the distrust that shined in Illumi's eyes off as she shrieked in happiness that she had been lonely too, as Kalluto hadn't returned home in a long time. The rest of the dinner was uneventful, for once a dinner where I didn't think I'd die right there. As soon as everyone finished I was dragged by a hysterical Kikyo to a large library, the moonlight seeped through large round windows into the lovely middle area with two crimson chaises with gold dragon details, a theme that ran through the fancy manor rooms. "Here is one of my favourites, you'll enjoy it." She handed me a copy of one of the classics, that specially dwelled on the cruelty of humans. I smiled."This will be perfect, thank you. Kikyo, I've been thinking and... I'd love to do the last test." Her mouth hung open, before a huge smirk was displayed. "My! You are so unpredictable, Y/N. I'll be more than happy to pick something for you, when would be good?""When Illumi leaves for his job, I want it to be a little surprise. He'll surely be overjoyed." My eyes narrowed as my smile stretched, and I walked towards the door. "Oh! What a superb idea, Y/N. I'll be sure to handle it and keep it a secret." Kikyo then accompanied me to my room as she named more books, I'd probably enjoy reading. I laid the book on my nightstand after closing the door and sighed. I'd have to kill people, probably lots of them... I had done it before, and even if it pained me, I'd go down this path... If it led me to where I wanted, I would do it.

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I fell asleep reading the book Kikyo had suggested, I was woken by the handle of my door twisting followed by a light knock on the door. That was a rather inconvenient order... I stretched in bed and sat up, to see Illumi standing by the door frame."Well at least you're learning how to knock." I squinted my eyes at the light reaching from outside and rubbed my head still half asleep."Milluki finished your watch." He stated as he wandered near, extending his pale muscular arm to carefully place a box in my nightstand. "You're acting suspicious..."I raised an eyebrow. "When have I ever acted normal?" Silence elongated.“You’re planning something, Y/N.” He chimed, opening the box slowly and grabbing my s/c wrist carefully. “I’ll want to know what, sometime soon.” His nails grazed my skin and shivers went up my spine, his other hand was holding the elegant looking watch that would act as a map as well. And the bed sunk under his weight, right beside me.“You’re acting different as well, Illumi. This goes both ways.” His thin pale lips twitched upwards as his eyes left the shiny wristwatch to admire my expression. “You have been playing nice, replying to all my questions honestly… Honestly, this new sympathy coming from you seems dubious…”His eyes narrowed as they returned to the watch and I felt the cold metal against my wrist, he clasped it and rotated my arm to admire how it matched my complexion.“You screamed at me, trying to make me think you hate me but don’t want my family to think we’re in bad terms… Your odd behaviour is of more concern to me.” I laughed, figured he would notice my bad acting, I was undoubtedly mad for Gotoh’s death, but even though Illumi allowed it, Hisoka would never go for the fight unless he found the butler moderately amusing…“What if I told you I’m planning a way for your needle to leave my delicate forehead?” The delicate touch on my wrist turned into a hard squeeze, “It’s such a good challenge…”“You want to get away from me, Y/N? Suffocated, like Killua?” Easing his grip his fingertips now grazed lightly the sore spots he had created.“If I don’t get away from you after I take it out… will you promise not to add another needle on me?” My head tilted to the side, appreciating the dim light that came from the door as it kissed Illumi’s silky hair and face, his eyes widened suddenly as his mouth hung open.“You’d willingly be my puppet?” His touch left me as his arm went over my body to support his weight as he leaned forward, “That sounds nothing like you.”I bit my lip, “Maybe you’ll be my puppet… maybe I’ll be the puppet… wouldn’t you like to play? A manipulation game, nen aside?”“Huh…” His lips curled, into a wicked smile, as he remained too close for my comfort. “It’d be very impressing if you managed to make someone take the needle off you while staying in this manor, if you do it in these conditions... I’ll reward you for what I imagine would be creative manipulation and join your game" I smiled.“Oh! I will take it off… Just wait~”"If you feel like dying by the hand of a Zoldyck..." Oh I felt like being done a lot by the hand of a Zoldyck, a corner of my lips rose in defiance.“I’m glad you’re in then, it’d be so much trouble to take it off only to have it placed back again." I whispered as I grabbed the book on my lap and placed beside the small shiny box. "I'll try the watch today... and give Milluki some kind of review."He hummed, and I laid down, pulling the covers and getting cosy. “Now let me sleep, and next time knock first, open the door later, the order isn’t that hard…” His weight left the bed and  I felt the door creak slightly, I raised my voice."Have a good time at work." There seemed to be some hesitation as the door closed. This behaviour would have him confused for a while, that's all I needed.I finished the book the day later, I had taken some time to train outside in the large forest, controlling little animals and racing Mike. Milluki’s mapping addition was smooth and easy to figure out. Preparing myself for my job. After two days, Kikyo barged through my room waving some papers, apparently, she also didn't know how to knock...But well this was her house..."Here you have dear Y/N." She pulled out a gorgeous diamond choker with a round lens at the front, “You’ll have to wear this, for evaluation purposes…” I smiled, screaming on the inside knowing I couldn’t hesitate for a split of a second, and grabbed the expensive offering, placing it next to the box on the nightstand, as my watch shimmered.The release date for my book was set for a day before Illumi arrived from his long job, I had a week left to do the assassination… My eyes loomed to the papers on the desk… I had to assassinate a very rich and prominent couple, for many reasons they had the best security system and guards looming in every corner. Their residence was a few hours away from Kukuroo Mountain but that meant nothing if I didn’t devise a plan, maybe 2 or 3 plans… In case anything went wrong…I studied blueprints and all the information given by Kikyo for a day and requested a butler to drive me near enough, so I didn’t lose much time.When I was reaching the manor door, with many weapons concealed, I met the old man Zeno, he was returning from his job. His blue eyes seemed vivacious as he greeted me.“Zeno… Zeno… We should have a lovely chat over chocolate cake when I return~.”“Oh my… for a moment I thought you were quitting this place and finding a new path… Hehe~ I’ll see you soon then, Y/N.”

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I reached the gate easily, opening it and seeing a brand-new black car ready to take me to the neighbourhood of my targets. I gasped for air at the familiar sight of Gotoh, but then felt my aura explode as my insides boiled with anger, “Who are you, poser?”His form twisted as he turned into a furry – I mean – into a fox-like being, yellow, long thin ears bending to their weight outwardly, puffy shoulders under the butler outfit. “Excuse me, Miss Y/N, they told me you were fond of Gotoh I assumed you’d like his form more than mine.” He justified as he waved his arms in front of his body in a defensive way.“Gotoh is Gotoh, you are you. Don’t meddle with the memory of a nice person, I wouldn’t mind you even if you were a swamp monster, why would I mind you being a fluffy-looking fox?” My eyes narrowed as he gasped when I approached the car and by consequence him. “Can you drive?”“Yes, my lady.” He scrambled to open the door for me, I sat feeling my muscles sing to the comfort of the backseat, and my eyes met his sharp halfmoon ones, “What are you, by the way?”“A Kiriko.” He said bowing down.“Man, the Zoldyck do have the most amazing collection of Magical Beasts…” with that said, the Kiriko closed the door and moved to the drivers seat, and the rest of the trip was spent in silence as I thought over my lovely plan. We reached the outskirts of their county by nightfall, the impersonator said he’d wait for me and I nodded, as I placed the choker on and ran my gloved hand through my hair.It was time. No more hesitation, this was a job like any other, these people must have done something alarming for someone to request the Zoldycks to kill them, and if they didn’t… well… There was no salvation for me anymore, why bother justifying their deaths…I’d kiss the devil for a nice time if I had to. I jumped over the big wall, concealing my presence, and scanning the area carefully, the lights further away indicated the residence, a large beige villa. This area of the wall was covered by woods, rich people did love their own private forests, somehow… I landed smoothly on the uneven floor, dashing as I dodged the trees, my destination? The villa. I pulled out a sharp serrated knife and called forth the spy in one of my books, as I casually slid through the walls and cut through the lock of a window to some storage room. A quick flick of the wrist and there was a dying metal sound as the straight line separating the two glasses that constituted the window opened, I bent the knife and the free side of the window opened smoothly. Walking inside I saw various cleaning tools, so far, the plan was going great.I followed my mental map, towards the office where the man would be working until late. I heard loud yelling and rolled my eyes, seriously what a good timing to be arguing. I leaned against the wall hearing the thing playing out, if it was the wife it’d be good… If not, this was an inconvenient situation.“You told me you’d leave her soon, Colin!” A lover? Well, that’s bad for miss Elise.“Elise, no one will find out.” Oh, what a turn of events, Elise already knows…“You’ll drag our name through the dirt Colin, I won’t stand up for it!” I heard glass shattering and realised that was a good queue for calling forth the assassin as my nen fluctuated around, I walked in and felt my knife slid through the woman’s throat. My eyes were still closed, as I focused on his tiny aura instead of his face, a quick dash, unseen to the untrained eyes and his throat chocked on his last scream for his life, gurgling with the immense blood flowing. I opened my eyes and pulled out a tissue to wipe my blade, blood did bad things to my poor blades, I skipped over Elise’s dead body, I heard the patrol coming through and cursed, I had taken too long hearing their discussion. My eyes rummaged the room, and I neared a large sofa, my e/c orbs never focusing on the bodies, the less I thought about it the best. When the four presences drew away, I left the room and dashed my way to the storage room. Almost getting found out by a thin-looking maid with her burgundy hair knitted into a large braid, I held my breath as I looked around to the room I had barged into, it was a large computer room, in the screens, images of people in their own homes. Well… talk about creepy.Some steps later and I was in the storage room, jumping from the window and landing on top of two guards, I cursed as I knocked them out with the handle of my knife, rushing out of the large villa before they noticed the two guards missing or the two owners of all that richness dead in the office.I almost sprained my ankle when I landed, after jumping on the large wall, I took a deep breath though, not letting that get into my nerves as I walked to meet my driver. The trip back to the Zoldyck Manor took forever, I felt like I could hear police sirens playing, my blood was burning through my veins and I didn’t believe I killed those people to get married to Illumi.The me before would never do this, but… some part of me didn’t regret it. One part of me relished the kill, the power of feeling the knife slid through someone’s neck, the screams for survival… That one combined with the part of me that felt like this was such an easy job, made my spine curl in either excitement or disgust…Was it worth all this fighting to end up in this point?It was too late to regret my actions, so might as well own them up and follow where they lead me. Regret was something I didn’t feel like experiencing. In that car, the Kiriko shivered, and wished for the road to shorten so we arrived quickly to the manor.

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Cold water ran over my body, I had to calm my feelings down, I wouldn't regret any of this. Shivers crawling up my spine and teeth teetering, with my eyes closed I took three deep breaths before washing all the bubbles off my hair. I left the bathtub attentively so I didn't slip, when I arrived Kikyo was waiting for me, a smirk on her lips as she asked for the choker and congratulated me on my first assassination, she then scheduled a meeting for the next day, in the morning.Illumi wouldn't arrive for at least 5 days, that meant my performance would be discussed with Silva and probably Zeno and tomorrow I'd have an answer. I dried myself with the fluffiest towel, feeling better already. There was no need to be nervous, I was a candidate, I nailed the job. It was easy. Too easy. That was bothering me...I checked the computer for emails, there were two both from my editor, one confirming the print and release date, it would be released four days from now, the other questioning why I wanted two copies sent to the address of the infamous assassin family. My lips tightened, I thanked the woman for such a good work on short notice and listening to my whims, and confirmed I wanted to send two copies of the books to the Zoldyck estate, with a simple explanation of knowing one of them by accident and wanting to gift the assassin a copy of my new book, had to please the fans. Hopefully, that was a good enough justification that there wouldn’t come more questions.I went to bed after slipping in a smooth pajama, I set the alarm on my wristwatch to 8 in the morning, it was really useful, I had to compliment Milluki when the chance of meeting him in the halls comes.I woke with the beeping of the alarm, clearly annoyed at the interruption of my good rest I put on some comfortable but formal enough clothes that fit me perfectly, brushed my teeth and got slightly more presentable to walk to the meeting room, there was a red dot on my watch pointing it out in the map. Milluki knew of my appointment, well I could only wish for Illumi to not be warned about the development of things.I reached a set of large doors, with the golden dragon theme, I spread them open, to be met with Silva sitting on a large sofa, with some pillows, next to him was Kikyo and sitting up petting a large hound that looked eerily a lot like Mike was Zeno.“Oh! The adults are here, am I going to be scolded?” I closed the doors carefully behind me, so they didn’t make any noise clashing and turned to meet their gaze, two icy blue stares and a red glowing dot. This surely isn’t what I imagined I’d be doing now, when I lived in my cute house and ran a lovely library called Chiaroscuro… Zeno laughed, his stare was somewhat warm.“Y/N.” Silva called, I shifted my attention from the old man to his son, seriousness filling my person.“Yes?” I tilted my head and moved closer, sitting on a large pillow on the floor. This room had some resemblance to Zeno’s meeting room.“You’ve passed the tests with flying marks.” I felt a wave of relief clash within me as I sighed. “Do you intend to marry Illumi?”“Well why else would I have done them?” My eyebrow rose, wondering where this conversation would go.“We are aware Illumi has placed a needle in you.” He simply stated.“Yeah, I didn’t hide it. I even told Grandpa Zeno over there.” I waved towards the old man.“How is this not one of his orders?” I smirked, ah so they thought Illumi placed a needle in me because he wanted to marry me? That was adorable.“Well… When Illumi comes back I’ll remove it and tell you that I went through the tests by my own will.” Kikyo gasped at my boldness, but Silva leaned in a smile growing in his face. “Your son gives me a lot of free will, you’d be surprised with the little he has used his nen needle to order me around.”“Oh, and why would you want to marry Illumi?” That was a smart question, Silva knew I fought it from the beginning, why would I cave in now…“The sex is great.” I beamed, “He’s been learning to knock on doors before entering as to not annoy me, which is endearing. His actions show much more than his words…” I heard myself say and started to wonder if Illumi actually liked me. He had been nice for a while now… Taking me on missions, hanging out, being sort of polite… Did I feel happy about it? This was not an inner discussion to be having at the moment.“I see.” Silva simply complied. “The marriage procedure in the Zoldyck family is different, would you like to hear about it?”“Absolutely.” I cheered, feeling the plan fall back to its place.“It’s required that the betrothed couple does a blood oath, along with a spar to prove their worth to each other. You’ll also have to sign a contract and swear your loyalty to the family.”“Some of those things look like I can do them now, I swear my loyalty to the Zoldyck family.” I chimed with a hand on my chest and a determined voice. “If you have the contract in hand, I’ll sign it now, the rest I’ll do without Illumi’s needle to confirm my will.”Zeno looked shocked, his eyes so wide he had more wrinkles everywhere and his long moustache seemed to gain life as he wobbled, Kikyo was speechless, Silva’s smile on the other hand was reaching the maniacal ferociousness that reflected his character.“Y/N, interesting even in the marriage procedures…” He looked at Kikyo and a butler soon arrived holding a considerable pile of paper. I was still intrigued by her power, but I brushed that off as I grabbed the pile and started reading.“You’re going to read it now?” Kikyo got up only to end up sitting next to me. “You can take it with you and handle it to a butler later.”“This pillow is comfortable, the company is enjoyable, fairly useful if I have any questions about what’s written.” Kikyo nodded, and I read sheet after sheet of paper, understanding the mess this family was. “Doesn’t Illumi have to sign or agree to anything?”“He already gave his confirmation when he requested for you to be tested, there’s nothing more he needs to do.” Zeno replied.At the end though, I signed it. Y/N in a tiny square, and Y/N L/N in the last line, I heard compliments about how fast I read from Silva and then left the room, still too dazed to believe I was doing it. That I had indeed signed it.

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My book delivery was brought to me by Kiriko, I thanked him politely, still hurt from the Gotoh incident, and looked for Kikyo to hand her one of the books. I flipped through the pages as I skipped on the halls of the Zoldyck manor, only to meet Zeno."It's incredible that I always find a member of the family when I leave my room, do you plan this out? Are you never in your own quarters?" I bemused as smiled warmly to Zeno."I didn't expect you to take marrying Illumi so seriously, is that the path you've chosen to yourself?" He said straightforwardly, as he led the way to somewhere."I’ll own my road, own everything that surrounds it and walk freely never looking back.” I replied, only to cheer when we entered a balcony with a small mahogany table topped with a large plate with chocolate cake, surrounded by comfortable looking chairs. “You remembered!”“That’s dangerous thinking, Y/N.” I sat happily as I cut a large slice of the most aesthetic looking chocolate cake, my mouth salivating at the thought of munching it and the rich chocolate smell. I took no time taking a large bite off it, not really in a hurry to answer Zeno, that looked slightly concerned. After swallowing what couldn’t be described as a piece of heaven because it was much more than that, I peeked at him.“Dangerous for me? Or for the Zoldyck family?” He seemed surprised that I had caught on into his worry, there was no way I was marrying Illumi just for love. My second intentions… that was what troubled him.“Both…” He admitted, pulling at one of the sides of his white moustache, “You’ll turn dangerous really soon.”The acknowledgment of that left me feeling prideful, there were little ways they could hold me back if I was a part of the family. Even better they’d expect me to gain more power, to turn more dangerous… “I’ll turn into a part of your family really soon, isn’t dangerous in the description?”He sighed, a tired smile meeting his wrinkled lips, “It is, I just hope this marriage doesn’t wreck this family apart.”“Huh, does it have a frail constitution?” He got up, laying a hand on my shoulder.“No. It doesn’t. I’m glad you’ll be family; I just hope you and Illumi work out well…” With that said he left. I ate more chocolate cake, as I thought of what he meant with that, I mean surely Illumi’s thirst to control Alluka would drive the family apart, was Zeno wondering if I’d side with him? I chuckled, thinking I’d see Zeno’s surprised expression again someday…I went back to looking for Kikyo, and quickly handed her the book, only to be surprised when she ushered me off as quickly as she could so she could start reading. That was a long talk avoided successfully somehow.The days passed, all I had done was gather my nen, feel it flow, strengthen it, test my manipulation slightly on a butler or so, never to be noticed of course. I wouldn’t ask any of them to take my needle off, they’d be severely punished for it.The day Illumi arrived, it was raining heavily outside, I stood in my room, reading the book Kikyo had suggested, nen expanded as no one usually came into Illumi’s quarters unless requested. That’s when I felt his presence, nearing me.  I smirked, hoping for him to be really tired, I ran off to his room, closed the door behind me and sat on the bed. Maintaining my aura extended, like nothing had happened, and I had no hesitation.He walked in, his eyes looked slightly tired and his nen was less threatening than usual, this was it, this was the perfect chance, there would be no other, I couldn’t mess this up.“Hello, future husband.” His eyes widened as my aura retracted back to myself and I appeared suddenly at his side, hand on his chin, turning his face to meet mine, the other grabbed his arm, as my nails dug into his skin and nen flowed, my lips parted seductively, calling forth my newest character, the reason I had to write a whole new book, the one seductress that could get whatever she wanted with a kiss.Before he could react, my lips touched his, and I deepened the kiss as he fell apart, turning obedient, months of work… They’d be worth it. When we parted ways he gasped, cheeks flushed, eyebrows scrunched, and I looked at him with lost puppy eyes as I took my shot. “Illumi, my love, will you take your needle off me?”He seemed lost, his void eyes stuck on my face and his body went stiff for a while before I leaned in, whispering charmingly in his ear, desperation taking over me as this pulled so much power from me, making me feel more and more tired, “I’ll reward you…”, my body glued to his as my lips grazed his neck and my hand left his cheek for his hair, gently petting him, “With my body.”In a daze, he pulls his arm off my bloody hold, not feeling the punctures made by my nails, as his own grow dangerously sharp. Did it work? I feel my stomach sink, like there was nothing inside my body, my stamina was running to its end. Maybe he wasn’t tired enough… Maybe I needed more training… I felt a strong pain in my forehead, would I die?A thin needle hit the floor, rattling lowly, his hands clasp mine ready to obey my next order but that was it for my nen usage for the day. I fell on my knees and he crouched down worry tainting his pale face before it turned into the familiar mask and he blinked twice looking at me in confusion. My body wanted to shut down, to rest, to replenish its power, but there was no way Illumi would allow me to do that.His eyebrow raised before he started, “You…”

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His hand reached to cup my face, as the other wiped away the blood that streaked through my face from my forehead. The movements were gentle and careful, but the aura that exploded darkening the room and threatening murder told me his feelings contradicted his actions.My eyes felt heavy, and I took longer to blink, I was stuck in his black eyes. "Y/N." A demand, an order, there was no tickling in my forehead, I was free, my body was too drowsy to control if this turned out bad. Panic instilled in my mind; the silence wasn’t helping. Time didn’t pass when the quietness of the room elongated.When he finally spoke, I nearly jumped as I was nearly falling into slumber. “I-…”“Illumi, I told you I’d try it.” My voice came out hoarse and I tried to clear my throat and stretch my limbs in a failing attempt to regain control of anything.“You… Did some creative planning.” His eyes were still wide, as a complete surprise, something that had never crossed his mind, his thin lips hung open, yet the murderous aura kept surrounding me.“It wouldn’t work if it wasn’t a surprise.” I bit my lip, maybe pain could keep me awake.“I am incredibly amazed and surprised your manipulation skills were very effective.” I felt myself smile, it was nice to know all that training and work wasn’t in vain, even though I wasn’t prepared for the taxing pull on my aura. His absent-minded voice had returned though, along with his unfeeling mask, that could be a good sign. “I’m still feeling the erection. What a useful addition to your abilities.”It was nice to know that it had worked so well to the point of depleting me of power until I had any rest. On the other hand, I was powerless to his hands, he could place another needle if he wished so. His bloodlust kept flowing, if this was how he reacted to surprises, he had another one coming.“Illumi… I will pay with you, sticking around longer than you’re expecting even… Keep your promise, reward me for my plan.” His lips tightened upwards, an almost smile.“I will reward you,” His hands gripped my waist tightly as he pulled me up and tossed me to the soft bed, well talk about struggling to be awake. “though it does seem you’re too tired to reward me.” He crawled into the bed, the soft mattress sinking under his knees and hands as he toppled me.“Oh? Is this you being horny? I thought you were mad.” I blinked harder, fearing for the darkness coming at the corners of my eyes.“I am mad”, his face drew closer, “I could have my way with you right now, place another needle in you, or even kill you.” I forced my hand on his shoulder, knowing plenty well I had no strength to fight. One of his hands grabbed the one pushing him away, “But… you’re useful, I am interested in your manipulation game. The times of underestimating you are gone; you won’t be able to pull this off again if you ever leave.”I felt a tight squeeze on my hand, but I was too far gone, a smile played on my face, I was useful, he said it differently this time though… Was I finally considered more than an object? I couldn’t analyse more on his tone, as my consciousness left me, and everything turned dark. I did however listen to a faint whisper, a sweet voice saying my name.I woke up with the door swinging open and hitting the wall dryly, flinching I sat up, jumping at the sight of Silva, and gawking around at what could only be defined as not the place I should be, not my room. I patted the soft cushions and saw Illumi come out of the bathroom still drying his hair and thankfully (or not) fully dressed.Blue eyes narrowed at my sight, I waved, still tired but it had to be good enough for now. “Y/N, Illumi, how convenient.”“What is it father? Do you wish for the report on the mission?” Illumi tilted his head slightly, unable to understand why his father had barged in inside his room so suddenly.A smile crept on my face, he didn’t take in account what I had called him, this would be fun. “No, Illumi, I’m here to warn you that the location has been picked.”“Location?” Before he could say anything, I jumped off the bed, stretching my arms pleased that at least they were responding, I wasn’t sure how long I had been sleeping.“That’s great, I need some rest before doing it though, I just took Illumi’s controlling needle off me and it did take a lot of effort.” Silva seemed surprised, the most surprised a man of this family could look like at least, eyes wide and lip twitching.“Is this true?” He stared at Illumi, untrusting.“Yes, it was quite surprising for me as well.”“Oh, you’ll be more surprised Illumi.” Lips stretched, feeling better than usual now that I had some control of my situation.“Why?” His aura started leaking out, he was feeling cautious of me already? Well, this was going to be fun.“All we’re missing is a blood oath and a fight.” Illumi froze, not even blinking (not that he did that much anyway), nothing. His aura disappeared, and for a moment I thought I had broken him before I had the time to play with him.“Impossible.” He whispered, finally regaining control, and reaching towards me.“Very possible, I did an assassination, swore my loyalty and signed a contract while you were gone.” A light laugh left my lips as I skipped to the door, stare falling on Silva who was blocking my passage, “Would you please move, soon to be Father-in-Law, I’m going to rest. Can we schedule the rest of the marital procedures for tomorrow?”He nodded and I left, in my room I felt Silva’s presence draw away and soon after Illumi’s bloodlust filled my entire bedroom, probably his whole quarters. The door flew open, and a long-haired assassin stood there, eyes like two black holes, wearing a purple tank top and some black pants, with an unfathomable look on his beautiful face.

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After dodging a handful of needles, my eyebrow stretched up, “Knocking?” I wanted to sound annoyed, but it didn’t quite come out that way, mostly because I was shivering as Illumi’s aura drowned me.“I don’t think I’ll be doing it again; it’ll waste so much time considering you’ll be stuck with me until I die.” I bit my lower lip lightly; I was nervous about his reaction but considering I was still alive… It could have been worse.“Fair enough… I did tell you I would keep you company for longer than you’d expect, gladly this means your needles won’t be coming near my head again.” I let myself fall on the bed, still tired, wondering if this would take long… I had to prepare myself to fight Illumi in front of his family tomorrow, so I wanted to get plenty rest today…“That’s what you see as positive in this? What are you plotting, Y/N? Why do you want to marry me?” I laughed, wobbling in bed as I stared at the ceiling.“Your father asked me the same thing,” I supported my torso with my arms, elbows sinking lower as I tried to meet his void eyes. “I said the sex was great, and that you were learning how to knock on doors. I guess I have to cross the last out of the list, huh? I mean you’ve been fairly nice to me lately that can be added as well…”“You can’t be possibly marrying me for sex.” He drew closer, sitting next to me releasing an exhausted sigh. He was probably as tired as me, having returned from a long mission and being hit with all these surprises. His aura was clearing, turning more and more see-through.I giggled, “Oh but I’d jump at the chance of marrying an expensive prostitute. So… I did.” It came out in such a teasing manner that he raised an eyebrow to stare at me, twitching. I’d be running out of patience as well if all that had happened to me. “Seems like I started our game winning~”His eyes narrowed, and he let himself fall on the bed besides me. “I’ll make your life a living hell.”“Not if I do it to yours first.” I immediately shot back, also dropping to the bed, feeling my spine align as a pleasurable sigh left my lips. “I’d love to keep bantering with you, but I’m really tired.”“Yes, falling asleep on my bed during our conversation did imply that.” I shuddered, he left me sleep, his actions told me he was behaving kindly to me… Why…“Yeah, sorry I didn’t reward you, but I’m the one marrying for sex so I don’t think you’re that disappointed.” He hummed, pensive, I was growing bored of looking at the ceiling and turned on my side to face him, propping my head with my folded arm.“I am also too tired to ask for it, maybe later.” Illumi turned to face me, his black hair creating a curtain over his features, my s/c hand reached to tuck the stray strands behind his ear, feeling a slight wetness, he had taken a bath while I was sleeping. “Will you tell me what are you planning to achieve by marrying me?”“Maybe someday. When the situation is convenient. Why are you being nice to me? You left me sleep…” He blinked, leaving his eyes closed for a while.“I don’t think you’d wake up if I did try to shove you out of my bed. Exhausted as you were.” That made sense but wasn’t a clear answer to my question.“You are being nice to me though.” He nodded nonchalantly, “Why?”“Eh… I don’t know…” He got up softly, leaving a subtle valley on the place he had been. “I’m resting so tomorrow I can hopefully fight you and leave you in a comma.”I scoffed. “That’s your plan?”“Maybe a coma would make you more cooperative after you wake up years later…” I snickered as he closed the door behind him. Illumi seemed to… tolerate me now. Maybe care for me in the minimal of cares. This somehow didn’t click. Was that what he wanted me to think? As doubt filled my mind I drifted to sleep once again, hoping to not be awoken by another door swinging open.Life was not fair to me, as the door hit the wall and Illumi strode into my room to meet a very confused and sleepy Y/N. Scratching my head I glanced at the clock in the nightstand. It was 10 in the morning; I didn’t exactly set up a time with Silva! Was I late? Panic filled me, but Illumi simply stared at me, as he leaned against the doorframe.“What?” My hoarse and pissed of voice asked.“Nothing, just waking up my future wife, maybe I should start doing these earlier and earlier. Lack of sleep does drive one to madness.” I felt my eye twitch, anger? Was he going to bully me in the most childish way until I went mad? Well he had it coming.“How very chivalrous of you, here I was thinking you’d come for the reward. By the way, Illumi… Why are you marrying me?” A wide smirk played my lips, everyone asked me why, but he didn’t seem to be nearly as mad as I thought to be marrying me.“The sex could be better; I’m taking this as a charity project.” I rolled my eyes, his absent-minded voice had no sarcasm inflection, did he even know what sarcasm was? Was that sarcasm? It hit me more than it should have.“Ah yes, because you doing me in a cold bathroom against my will and fucking me even though my body had been tortured for a whole day by your sweet mother seem like good situations to evaluate my skills.” I slid off the bed, running my hand through my h/l hair.“You sound like Milluki when he’s losing at games,” His pale long finger hitting his thin lips in a contemplative manner, “Complaining about the computer instead of admitting his lack of skills.” A smirk rose in his lips, as he felt my aura burst out of my beautiful body and gain a dark tint.“Ah really? Come here then Illumi. I’ll show you the difference between a good computer and a slow rundown one.”

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His eyes widened at my proposal, I smirked, this would be a good way to spend time until the marriage requirements. He remained silent and in place, so I assumed that was a no. Reminded me of the time I had invited him to join a bath with me. “What time will the procedures be?”“Late afternoon, 8 pm or so…”I hummed, as I rummaged through my closet looking for something comfortable and that didn’t disturb during a fight. After picking up some f/c pieces, I skipped to the bathroom. Quickly turning on the water and preparing for a quick shower, when I turned to close the door, my heart came up to my throat as I jumped, Illumi was right there behind me. Quietly staring.“You can’t possibly hope to continue the childish bullying in the bathroom.” I whined as I failed in my attempts to push him into the room.“Oh, I can, and I will.” He loomed to sit on the chair near the unused light wood vanity.“For someone who wanted me to stay you’re having quite the attitude after you learn that it’s forever.” I rolled my eyes, stripping in front of him and leaping into the large bathtub, grabbing the shower head and wetting myself, a sigh leaving my lips grateful for the perfect warmth of the water.“For someone who despised me and wanted nothing to do with me, you seem too pleased with the idea of being stuck with me forever.” I hooked the showerhead on its place and grabbed a lovely orange scented shampoo.“You say that while you’re gazing at me while I take a shower, if this isn’t married life, I don’t know what is.” My muscles relaxed as my fingers massaged my scalp, that was a good answer! So good he didn’t find time to answer. I mentally patted myself in the back as I grabbed some creamy body wash, “What else? Are you going to scrub my back?”“That isn’t something that would tick you off.” I snickered, proceeding with my shower.“Hmmmm~~ True…” I jumped when I saw his silhouette moving in the corner of my e/c eye, he moved closer, grabbing the body wash.“Or is it?” His cold hands massaged my back as I shivered torn between the creamy texture of the body wash and his stiff fingers.“Nope, not uncomfortable at all…” I whispered, when he was done, he returned to his chair and I rinsed everything off. Soon I was leaping out of the bathtub and grabbing a fluffy towel. “Why are you still here? Got nothing to do?”“Ah, no I’m waiting for you to show me if sex with you on a good mood and fine physical health is better than what we’ve had so far.” I blinked, once, and then twice, slowly, as my eyes locked with his. My hand closed on the toothbrush and routine led me to brush my teeth. What did he want? Why did he have nothing better to do? Did he expect me to back off if he pestered me too much?After feeling spotless clean and not having any mourning breath, I stared at myself in the mirror, running a hand through my wet hair. I was on a good mood, relaxed, my body didn’t hurt anywhere, I had plenty rest, I was in the best form ever. I yanked the towel that had been covering me having it land on Illumi as I leaned against the doorframe, my right shoulder feeling the coolness of the wood. “Alright then, I’ll spend my time with you if you answer one question.”“What is it?” He got up, folding the towel and placing it on top of the chair before approaching me, leaving little space between my naked self and his clothes.“Why are you marrying me?” His eyes pierced mine, a bit of hesitation crossing them as he moved to the room, allowing me to release the breath I had unconsciously been holding. I followed him, eyes never leaving his movements as he gracefully sat on my bed.“I did give the yes, hoping for you to be tortured and never accept the final test. What a surprise it was… So there’s no way I can go back, also, you’re useful. I can tolerate you, if only you were a bit more obedient…” My eyebrows rose, my eyes narrowed in a look of disgust.“If only you were a bit more caring, I’d like you more personally.” I replied, as the coolness of the air brushed my wet skin and caused me to shiver.“Oh… Do you like me, Y/N?” My hands landed on both his shoulders, as I pulled him down to the bed allowing my body to feel the roughness of the fabric of his clothes as I laid all my weight on him. He allowed it, and I found my nails lightly scratching his neck while I thought of an answer. Did I like Illumi? He was one that only showed care with his actions, I wouldn’t mind being spoiled by him, if only he cared more for me… The realisation hit me, thankfully my head was buried in his neck hiding my surprised look.“To a certain extent, yes, there are times where I’d gladly pull your guts out and feed them to Mike if I could though…” I released my aura feeling it flow as I thought of the seductress, I wouldn’t use her for manipulation today, I wanted to test the effects of the aura she emanated. Who better to test them on than Illumi? He gripped my wrists and rotated our bodies, violently slamming my back on the bed.“What are you trying to do?” I smirked.“Testing the effects of this aura, now mind releasing me? I was starting something.” He hesitated before going back to his initial position and I straddled him, hands lightly caressing his chest as I went back to suck his neck. “Do you like me, Illumi?”His body froze but relaxed soon under my touch as I slid my hands under his top feeling his warm skin. While he thought of that, I ripped his crop top off and smiled as I started my way kissing down from his neck to the hem of his pants. His muscles were hard, and his skin sometimes tightened attempting to hide larger reactions.“I-“ Illumi started answering as I worked on the zipper of his pants. “find you attractive and I am honestly eager to see how your manipulation game goes.” He nudged me off him as he quickly got up and pulled his pants down before laying on the bed again. “You intrigue me and you aren’t dislikeable.”My gaze fell on his beautiful porcelain skin, his tense lean muscular torso, his black boxers, his large muscular thighs, I jumped when his long thin hands gripped both sides of my hips and brought me on top of him. “That’s a lot of words to say yes.” I heard myself whisper, though I couldn’t for the love of me hide my small smirk and mentally cursed at the on edge warm feeling that was peeking through my lust. I deserved to be stoned for liking this complete piece of work that was Illumi.

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“Soft sex?” I whispered, as my lips grazed his. He seemed to hum, so faintly that I wondered if I hadn’t imagined it. It would be nice, but the plan was to escalate it enough to have him either incredibly tired or injured before the fight. Raising my chances to win.The soft sex was just me spoiling myself. Intimate. Stuff that Illumi could never come up to give someone. A sigh left my lips, as my heart tightened, I’d take what was given to me, the little crumbles… Just for now, enjoying this sense of illusion, to be cared for just a smidge.His eyebrows drew together, but I soon pushed the sadness down and ran my hand over the bulge of his boxers, lazily, as our kisses drew longer, our tongues languid, his hands explored my b/s body, caressing every detail, from my hips to my chin, his fingers traced my jaw staying there for a while as his thumb tapped my lips. His hypnotic black eyes swallowing my whole self, I didn’t fight it, I swam in the dark swirls as I titled my head against his hand, savouring the gentle touch.When Illumi blinked, the spell was broken, leading me to resume the tender kisses, starting on his hand that was leaving my face and getting to his neck when his thin long fingers freed themselves and joined his other hand as he ran his hands up and down my back, warming my cool skin. A nibble on his ear, got him to inhale slightly harder, and brought an unwanted smile to my lips, down I went, to his boxers, where I was before being pushed away so he could take his pants off. His abs went tense when I pushed the dark cloth covering his cock down, it bounced out, half hard, hot as my hand curled around it, adding nearly no pressure I simply ran my hand down so slowly, then upwards it went, I increased the pressure but decreased the velocity as I went by, and threw a shameless look at his face. Illumi seemed in a daze, his long black hair covering the sides of his face, still flawless, I almost felt the urge to rush things, to dishevel that silky straight hair. I held it together, enjoying the slow pace and his aroused gaze on me.A rush of boldness took over me as I smirked and dipped to lick faintly his tip, then running my tongue over his length, my walls clenched as I stopped in my tracks, not trusting my ears after hearing a soft stifled moan, my head snapped up, he averted his gaze immediately leaving me to stare at his profile, mostly covered with his hair. My cheeks grew warmer, flushed I returned my eyes to the now fully hard dick. My courage seemed to have evaporated with the hot blood that rushed to my face, shaking my head, hoping for my hair to cover my embarrassment I continued the subtle licks, kisses and sucks here and there, my breathing was uneven from the surprise and following shame, I assumed that would only work to my advantage as his sensitivity rose, he’d feel the air flowing better.The weight of the bed shifted and I almost jumped when his hand grazed my hair, pulling it out of the way, so he could see better what I was doing, more blood seemed to flow to my cheeks, how could that even be possible? I stole a quick glance at him, supporting his torso with his arm, as the other was stretched to hold my hair, that sight could have made me wet, if I wasn’t already, the shadows created by the new position caressed his muscular body and he had his head tilted, his beautiful face almost showing a truly human expression, satisfaction.I resumed my soft strokes as I sucked the leaking head, salty, gooey, I kept my painfully slow pace, expecting to draw this out longer, but that didn’t seem to be Illumi’s plan, since after a few minutes his hand landed on my chin and he pulled me up and then shoved me to the side, toppling me with a predatory ease.  I was going to whine about my plans being ruined but he started reciprocating the caresses, keeping the same pace and all my thoughts were lost when he started sloppily kissing my neck and ambled to my chest, that was raising and dropping at a rather embarrassingly rapid rate. When he arrived to my waist, spreading my legs, having me shiver as the cool air hit the most aching part of me, his eyes flickered to mine for a second before he bit softly the inside of my thighs. I rolled my eyes, was he surprised at how wet I was? Could that make him believe I was really marrying him for the sex? Did he really believe I would marry someone for that reason alone?Before my depressing thoughts started flowing harder, he was back to kissing my lips, his body pressuring mine down. It was such a good feeling somehow, feeling his hot body against mine, I only snapped back to reality when his hand snaked to hold his cock at my entrance, slowly circling it around my needy clit. “W-wait.”Illumi stopped in his tracks, as the tip of his dick waited patiently against my wetness, his eyes turned to me.“Isn’t this about me fucking you?” I whispered, pushing my thirsty needs down for a moment.“I am enjoying the slow pace very much, surprisingly. I think you have proven your point, there must be more kinds of interesting combinations that you have yet to show me.” I inhaled quickly so I could reply to him, but his head slipped inside me with a gentle push and suddenly nothing mattered anymore. The rest went in slowly, and I almost cursed for picking a slow pace, thinking about being teased with soft unhurried thrusts.My legs snaked around his hips, nails tracing random patterns on his back before shifting to his hair and scratching his scalp, that somehow brought out another moan out of him, and had me nearly loose my patience.The pace was so detained, so much that when he was pulling out to dip back in, I had disappointment moans leave my lips, missing his hard warmness inside me.The pleasure did build up, painfully slowly, but the soft lazy kisses and the gentle fondles of my breasts and sometimes the eventual thumb in my mount warmed up a different part of me, made me dive into the delusion, and when my muscles started spasming and my toes curled I knew why soft sex was amazing.So much build up, did give the most unbelievable release and the gentle manner gave the most rewarding of feelings.

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I sighed as my spasming muscles calmed down, and the thrill slowly left me. That had been good. Soft. A smile crept up on my lips. “Are you planning on having me sprain my hip or something, so you win later?”Illumi who was laying on top of me, shifted his weight as his elbow sunk lower near my neck. “Was it that obvious?” He seemed intrigued.“No, I was planning the exact same thing. Why else would you want to have sex with me?” My hands ran through his hair, smooth, as the illusion dissipated, leaving me with feeling like there was a small knife stabbing my chest. It was bearable, it was nothing, it was probably the result of being captive here. Stockholm Syndrome was a thing. Maybe I had that.Illumi smiled against my neck as he returned to his position, the pressure of his body feeling good, it wasn’t overwhelming since he had his arms holding some of his weight at the sides. “I see we had the same line of thinking, but there are many other reasons to have sex with you.” My heart skipped a beat, a white lie, maybe, but it felt good. “If you are to ruin my life and I am to ruin yours…”I rolled my eyes. “Well, I can’t complain then. If there is sex in between our manipulation game, it just makes things more interesting.” He hummed, the vibration of his voice making me shiver.“I didn’t expect you to go for a calmer… I think… it is described as love-making?” I smirked, the bath did relax me enough to throw away all my rage at his accusations, I did want to blow his mind with the wildest sex he’d ever had when he complained about my skills. His hesitation led me to snap back into thinking.“Yeah… this didn’t really help either of our plans.” I didn’t regret it though; it was almost touching. “But you enjoyed it, so I did prove my point.”“Yes.” His nose brushed against my shoulder, “now that the plans have been discovered…”“We could make it into a challenge.” I joked, feeling my chest constricted with his weight as I laughed.“There is still time, so I agree.” My eyes snapped wide open, and I wanted to sit up, of course him being on top of me stopped my larger reaction.“Oh, look what this has become. Maybe you’re also marrying me for the sex.” I softly kissed his hairline, before he rose locking eyes with me.“I don’t think I can reply that when my father asks me the reason for the marriage.”“Is it a routine question?”“Yes.”“Huh… I answered that.” His eyebrow twitched.“Ah, yes. The fact that you would only marry me for that reason, and not all my other skills must’ve been noted down.”“Are you bothered? What other skills do you have that could appeal me?”“I’m a fine assassin. I am professional. I am very punctual.” He enumerated.“Well, marriage isn’t exactly a job, so why are you replying like this is an interview for that?” I shifted, now able to move with more freedom, to a more comfortable position.He stayed quiet for a while. “I see.” Illumi ended up saying.“In marriage you want to say feeling stuff. Like how caring and helpful you may be. It’s not logical, marriage is an act of love.” I explained, pushing him off me so we could lay side by side facing each other, a shiver wandered through me, as the coolness of the air hit the skin that had been covered by Illumi’s. I looked around looking for a blanket and decided to get up and take one from the wardrobe. A bad choice since a sticky half warm liquid started running down my thighs, I leaped to grasp a f/c blanket and drop it on the bed before staring at Illumi.“Are you planning to get me pregnant?” A thin dark eyebrow rose at my question.“With the amount of poison that you are ingesting, I don’t think any kind of pregnancy would last, no.” I stood there, frozen for a while. That… made some sense. My body must be a total wreck inside, with all the poisons… Sure I had built some tolerance, but the doses did feel heavier by the day… I squirmed in discomfort as I felt the sticky substance drip further down my legs. “Would you like me to clean it up?”My shocked face didn’t have time to return to normal, so I stood there, mouth agape, eyebrows stretched up, eyes wide staring at him. “Why would you do that?”“That would be qualified as caring, so I’ll have an answer to my father’s questions.”I trembled, walking to the bathroom, it started soiling the floor, I noticed to my dismay. “Sure. You make no sense.” Illumi got up with a fascinating grace, it always got me gawking, his smooth movements were beautiful.“What do you mean?” He walked into the bathroom after me, gazing as I sat on the bathtub. His pale hands grasped two white fluffy towels and wetted them on the rectangular sink. He left one there and took the other to clean the floor on my room. So, I raised my voice to answer.“You don’t want to say you’re marrying me for sex, but you’re fine saying you care for me by cleaning me up after?”He returned and dropped the towel into the laundry basket, “No. I will omit the context.”A fluffy towel grazed my legs softly, from bottom to top. “You’re weird, why don’t you say the truth?”I gasped when he passed the towel on the sensitive skin between my thighs. “Ah yes, something on the lines of… yes, father, I just asked for the marriage rites to be initiated to punish her and didn’t think she’d go through them all. She is nearly family so I can’t kill her now, can I?”I shuddered as he seeped some fingers inside me scraping out the slimy stuff, carefully, trying to keep his nails away. ““Hm... it does sound like a dick move from you yes...”

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After he cleaned me up, we headed for the dining room as it was already lunch time and I couldn’t be more thankful, as I was nearly starving. Silence ruled the atmosphere until Silva decided to break it.“Today you’ll be finishing the marriage rites, is there anything you might need?” His cold blue stare fell on me, I gulped before shoving any fear back to its cage and smiling.“Ah, yes, now that you mention it. I’d like to discuss what exactly will change… Will we still be living here? Am I required to do anything as a wife? Such things…” Illumi glared at me, his aura contained in the surface of his skin growing darker, I only winked back at him before focusing on his father.“Those are… Important questions yes. I was expecting a list of weapons required, though. That is to be decided by you two.” I hummed, amused at my apparent say in the matter.“No need for weapons, in my case.” My hand wavered in the air and went back to picking up my gold fork as I stabbed it into some delicious steak.Aside from some very intrusive questions from Kikyo about the possibility of grandchildren, the rest of the lunch went by rather quickly. Illumi didn’t ask for any weapons, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take some of his own… I sighed thinking about how uncomfortable it would be to fight in front of these professional assassins, who’d rate my every move.Those thoughts soon left me, when I reached the door to my room, I was violently thrown against Illumi’s door.“That was unnecessary, Illu. Nor did it feel good, I’m not horny now.” His large black eyes met mine as his aura spiralled out of control.“Y/N, it seems you have some interesting questions about your stay in this manor.” My lip had its right corner rise up, mockingly.“Are you hoping we live here forever so there’s always a Zoldyck babysitting me?” S/c hands grazed his neck as I pulled him closer to me, “That wouldn’t be much fun… Can’t you handle me by yourself?”This could be a great start to another, more primal fun time. His eyes widened just the tiniest bit, allowing me to rejoice in my win. My left hand snaked behind my back to open the door, I felt myself nearly fall as it swung open taking my weight and Illumi’s pressure into account.“So much trust in your future wife, huh?” His hands were still on my shoulders, they were the ones that held me in place when the door moved, the grip was tight, and it had been long enough for the spots to go numb.He pushed me inside before closing the door behind him. “I’m awfully sure your agenda doesn’t match mine in the slightest. So yes, I wonder when you will turn against my plans.”I sat on the bed, “True, but that’s what our game entrails, how many of your plans can I meddle in and turn into whatever I want?”“I should have killed you when you walked in holding a table lamp as a weapon.” He neared me, dark purple aura swirling.“It must have been rather hot, seeing me like that huh? So much that you let me live. Now that you can’t undo it, I’ll prove myself very useful, maybe not to you though.” His long pale hands cradled my face, nails sharper than they should be grazing my skin and drawing out tiny drops of warm blood here and there.“Hilarious that you think you’ll win a manipulation game against a manipulator.” He shoved a knee between my legs, supporting it on the bed as he forced my shoulders, making me fall on the bed as he stood there. “I’ll break you and mould you to my liking.”I gulped, before thinking about owning the road. “I think you already broke me, and I collected all my pieces and set them up so they can snap and hurt you when you try to break me again. I don’t have much to fear, you on the other hand, have been bending, when will you snap and see yourself scattered on the floor?”For a moment there was silence, and the next was filled with a maniacal laughter, his face drew closer and closer, our noses almost touching before he formed words. “Oh Y/N… A bone that has been broken in all the possible ways so many times, won’t break again.”“I’m creative, I’ll make a new way.” My hands clawed his shoulders and pushed him down on the bed, toppling over him. “Maybe I can break you with kindness, or love. Who knows?” His hands curled around my hips and pulled my body against his as he pushed himself further into the bed, dragging me with him.“Oh, do you think so? All right, amuse me.” His lips crashed against mine, his hands leaving my hips to fondle my ass, his strength loose, my hands pulled his hair as my tongue slipped inside his mouth, wrestling his for dominance. None won, we pulled apart gasping for only a second before I pulled him back to me again, his hands didn’t stop, groping and covering my skin at such a fast pace that I was having trouble remembering he only had in fact two hands. Mine scurried down his neck, pressing my nails against his pale skin, leaving red trails as they reached his shoulders and grew sharper on his back. His body rocked against mine, and a yelp left my throat when his lips moved to my neck, sucking hard and biting. My wet hands reached his scalp and it was only when he picked me up and threw me back on the bed, clearly wanting to be top again, that I noticed that there was blood staining my fingers, lurking under what could only be described as my claws.The coolness hit me for a second before his body was back on mine, returning the heat as the friction of his pants against my clothes had me pull his hair so he could move away for enough time for me to rip all the layers that had been bothering me and using the opportunity to jump on top of him.

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My hips grinded against his, feeling the hardness of his cock against my folds. A pleasured sigh left my lovely lips as I bit hard Illumi’s lip, tasting a bit of blood, he didn’t seem to mind his body moving mechanically against mine, hoping for more contact, his fingers trailing my breasts with an unbelievable calm, that is before squeezing them and rubbing my nipples in a rush as he kissed down my collar bone. My body trembled, my cheeks were burning and the rest of my body seemed to be emanating warmth as I felt something warm drip on my back, I gasped when his mouth surrounded my right breast sucking and nibbling lightly and my breath didn’t return to me when his palm landed on my ass cheek, a slapping sound filling the room.I coughed as my breathing resumed its fast pace, feeling the wetness surging from between my legs. I rolled my eyes, as my shame levels rose, thinking about how being spanked by Illumi made me so wet. I didn’t have time to delved much about it as another slap followed, leaving me softly moaning as he continued playing with my body.This wasn’t it, though. I had a plan. To injure him. To win the fight. Many plans…My mind faded as I clawed Illumi’s forearm when the spanking stopped, and his own nails now dug into my hips. Feeling his cock slid between my legs, sometimes spreading my folds had me in paradise, wanting more, no rational thoughts pulling through as my hand reached to grasp the incredibly hot pulsating penis, it was half wet half slimy from all the mindless grinding.I pushed it at my entrance, and a soft groan left Illumi’s lips, much to my dismay as  my walls tightened around him, he thrust it all inside, one hand on my hips and another reaching my hair as he whispered in my ears. “So tight.” His voice drowsy, and his eyes hazy as his lips met mine again, tongue moving intensely and passionately. As if I needed any more help getting wet and horny. My hips moved on its own, up and down, as my all that reached my ears were my screams and moans, a voice lost to pleasure. My eyes couldn’t focus, everything surrounding me was either Illumi or his dark purple aura that was now swirling together with a f/c one, mine.His hips buckled against mine, and if my eyes could roll 360º degrees they would because that hit somewhere that had me gasping for air. His arms where helping my movements be faster as my legs grew tired, he simply rolled me around bed, I no longer cared if I wasn’t on top, and he kept pounding on me.His breathing was fast, so was mine. And as the intensity built up, I felt my feet curl and my body preparing to crash in the massive wave of pleasure that hit me. I trembled as he continued, now more slowly, as my walls squeezed him, trembling. He hissed his lips kissing my neck and earlobe. “Y/N. Mind spasming less? I haven’t broken your arm yet.”I wished I could chuckle at that, but my lungs felt too tired to cooperate with me. Instead I breathily whispered back. “I haven’t broken your fingers yet, so pull out and let’s do something different.”He did as I told, and I felt a whine in my throat as the warm rod that filled me, left slowly. “How are you planning to break my fingers during sex?” He said hazily, his hands pulling his long hair off his face, as his torso lifted up, his legs reaching for the edge of the bed so he could get up. I rolled around, wondering if my leg would give up if I attempted to join Illumi in his stance.“Hmmm…~” I held out my hand, and he delivered his willingly, my fingers caressed it slowly, before his index finger into my mouth, eyes on his, as my tongue lapped around it. I pulled it out, and a wet pop noise echoed before I whispered. “Maybe, I should break something else.” Eyes my eyes falling on his hard member, that was still itching to go, as my hands quickly dislocated two of his fingers.“Oh, like that?” He hummed, somehow pleased. “Makes sense, yes. I do enjoy what your mouth can do, but I have a better idea.” His hand that was still in mine, wrapped around my wrist (minus the two dislocated fingers), and pulled me up. My body falling against his, when had all his clothes disappeared? Everything did go by so fast, maybe I had teared them up.“That is?” He turned me to face the bed as he pushed me down the bed, holding both my hands on my back, with his good hand.  “Alright, I’ll take it if you make me feel as good as it’ll hurt.”His chest met my bare back as he whispered. “I’ll only dislocate it, returning your favour.” I felt the weight shift on the bed, as he got on his knees. “Ass up, Y/N”I held a moan in, as I raised my hips, his cock slipped in easily, as I was incredibly wet from before, and very sensitive. He went fast, having me screaming a gibberish, moaning and drooling on the bed, my left arm hurt sharply but before I could panic about it I was trembling as release hit me once again. This time accompanied by Illumi’s, as a warm liquid filled me up. My eyes opened wide, and I was about to whine about him cumming inside when I remembered that I was going to be married to this dude and that there no way I’d get pregnant or sustain any pregnancy with my body being the chemical mess it was.He dropped next to me, breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath as I turned to face him, wincing when my poor left arm moved.“There’s still so much time left, what do we do now? Play cards?”He scoffed, “I’ve grown to dislike card games after meeting Hisoka.”

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I ended up finishing that one book Kikyo had recommended to me, after agreeing with Illumi that we’d maintain the dislocated parts until the fight and a quick shower to take all the stickiness from inside me. My second of the day.Somehow this didn’t go as expected at all, which was not completely bad. There would be many more fights to come where I would win. I didn’t have to win this one, though I did want to show off in front of my future in-laws…My left arm was numb, and the slightest move felt like knifes puncturing my shoulder. I sighed, as my eyes fell to the watch on the bedside table. It was almost time.I jumped up, throwing the book to the bed and stretching the best I could without feeling immense pain, Illumi walked into the room nonchalantly. I sighed, thinking about having to live with someone that didn’t knock on doors forever.“Ready to become my husband?” I winked, as a seductive smirk played my lips, he simply stood there his unfeeling mask on unbothered. “I guess your initial disgust at the idea has settled down enough for this to stop being funny, huh?”“Yes.” He stated as he leaned against the doorframe, holding his skinny pale hand out to me. “Shall we?”  “Sure.” I took it, having his large eyes widen incredibly fast before returning to normal, he was surprised, as I could almost guess he was planning to point to the hall. I did my best to drag him with me to the hall, a work that didn’t go well.After shaking his hand off mine, he took the lead, walking through the large stone maze that were comprised in the Zoldyck manor. A large metal door slid open for us, and the cold evening air hit my face harshly, there was a semicircle of fresh grass against the building, and the rest was the forest. Mike and another hound were there in the edge of the moon shaped grass, standing guard as between them stood the family. Silva standing proudly, Kikyo with a hand over Milluki’s shoulder and the other on Kalluto’s shiny hair, Zeno was simply leaning against Mike.“It’s sad that Killua and Alluka aren’t here to see this.” I whisper, keeping them safe being one of the reasons I was marrying Illumi, to be able to spoil his toxic plans without many repercussions. There were torches lighting up the clearing, giving this whole ceremony a cult scene. Illumi touched my back, not to console me but to straighten my figure as we turned to face the Zoldycks.When Silva spoke, his words weren’t diminished by the actual distance and the light breeze, “Here we stand to witness the bond of marriage, for blood to be spilled and mingled. May our new family member rise to prove their worth in battle.” I trembled as a cold drop of sweat dripped down my back. He then added, “There is no turning back, this is an unbreakable bond.”I almost felt like replying something along the lines of No shit, Sherlock; but a shiny incredibly bent dagger with a very detailed looking dragon on the handle flew towards us. Illumi grabbed it effortlessly, his eyes leaving his father to meet mine, no emotions seemed to seep out of them. He handed me the dagger, that I took cautiously, it was incredibly cold, so cold it burnt…I had never done a blood oath before but they seemed to assume I knew what the fuck I was doing so I held a sob as I thought about how to lift my left arm enough to cut my hand… Illumi seemed to have noticed since he grabbed my left hand and had it palm facing the sky, I gasped, and hoped they thought it was because of this sudden hand holding and not the pain that ran through my body. I spun the ridiculously old dagger in my hand to calm myself down and ran the blade on a straight line across my palm, blood sprouted almost immediately, I hadn’t put enough pressure for that though. My eyes widened a bit, and I tried to hold back my panic as Illumi proceeded to kneel and lick the blood off my hand, his warm tongue nearly relaxed me as the only familiar thing happening at the moment.He was up quickly, taking the ritual especially sharp blade and doing the exact same to his left hand, I could see his index and middle finger trembling as his right hand grasped it. I felt myself relax, now knowing they were still dislocated. When the blade left his skin, I kneeled, grabbing his hand and licking the warm metallic blood quickly. There was no way in hell this was hygienic or healthy, but then again, I was being poisoned and had been tortured in this house, what else could I expect?A quick glance at the Zoldycks had me realizing they were very pleased with the scene. Illumi threw the dagger back to his father and that was one more step concluded. My hand was still bleeding, so was his, more damage done before the fight…“Now, gather your weapons, and feel free to start the sparring session.” I felt Illumi’s aura blow up as he gripped some needles with his left hand, not wanting to be left behind I released my own f/c aura and pulled out my only knife out of my pocket, a gift from Feitan.I gripped it tightly, eyes leaving the smooth black handle to meet Illumi. Who tilted his head, waiting for me to strike first?“Such a gentleman.” I spit, as I thought about my options.

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I materialized a similar knife, holding two in my hand now. I needed time, to fix up my arm, hopefully it would hurt less when snapped back into place. My eyes never leaving Illumi, he was still waiting for me to strike first. I didn’t know how good he was at throwing needles with his left hand, but I was hoping the smallest of gaps in his skills to allow me to gain some advantage.Time seemed to freeze when I threw the replica aiming for his guts, and he dodged throwing perfectly aimed needles in my direction, but I was already dashing away getting nearer to the large trees and I held in a groan as I snapped my arm back to its place.Didn’t have time to sigh in relief as the pain reduced its tune, still playing, my torso spiralled as I dodged more thin needles, a few scratching my cheek and left arm, and took the impulse from a nearby tree to shorten the distance between me and Illumi. His right hand was now holding needles as well, spinning them around his fingers despite the pain. My eyes widened a bit, wondering just how tolerant to pain he was, before creating one more serrated blade, using both hands now, each holding a knife as I sliced through air that was previously occupied by Illumi.He kicked my flank, but it was too obvious, I defended, holding the hit as I nearly grazed a knife on his leg before he flinched away.“First –“ I yelped as I ducked, one knife cutting some strands of my beautiful h/c hair. My knife, when did he… My aura grew darker, “Oh you asshole.”, I spit, a whirlpool of emotions surfacing as I trembled holding them in.Two long curved daggers appeared in my hands as I dashed and played cat and mouse with Illumi. My heart was wild beating in what seemed like too little of a cage as I felt the adrenaline fill me up taking my head to the clouds as I seeked to return the haircut back to him.When he realized that all the aims at this body were so he could believe I wouldn’t go for his hair, part of his left strands were now a palm or so shorter, a wide smile crept in my lips, unable to force myself to look serious, I shrugged and snickered as I dodged Illumi’s bows, before his leg swung at me again to meet my dagger, my feet sinking in the dirt, with the impact. My left arm stung, badly, he had been targeting it specifically to make it worse.I scowled for two seconds, he seemed surprised that I somehow managed to not get flung to the incredibly nearby tree. Holy fuck had I tried to dodge I would’ve hit that. He pulled away, and I allowed all my materialized knifes to evaporate, and the small bits of aura returned to me. Illumi was getting serious so if I had to bring out special abilities, I needed all the aura I could muster.My spine shivered when the intensity of Illumi’s aura doubled, my instincts going off, telling me to run. There wasn’t much space to run in this semi-circle. Danger, eminent danger.When I felt his presence drawing closer, I jumped like a scared cat and dashed near Mike, panicking, I heard a faint whisper, “The woods are fight grounds as well.”Never had I skipped so fast up a tree as I attempted to gather some distance between me and the large black ball that was Illumi, charging at me with incredibly murderous intent. All other tricks that I had in mind shattering as the red warnings flew on my mind.Something materialized in my hand, panic controlling me as I slipped and fell from the tree branch I was stepping, landing with a loud thud on a greenish bush. I heard a rustle and like the scared prey I was I wished for it to be nothing as I turned and pointed my weapon to Illumi.“Fear suits you.” I heard, unable to associate that voice with him, it was lacking the absentminded merry tone, big red flag. My eyes fell to whatever I had to defend myself, Loki’s gun. Perfect headshot. He seemed to realize it too. “Bad move?”I couldn’t use this, if I killed Illumi, one of the Zoldycks would kill me. No killing family members, that was the rule. Not even a curse left my lips, he stepped closer.“I’ve been making those ever since I met you,” the gun dissipated, and a long needle glimmering in his pale claw, which one would be sharper? The needle or his nails? My mind racing as I went through the story, knowing there was something I could use. He seemed to take the fragment of time as a white defeated flag, extending his arm probably to touch my forehead but his hand was pushed away by a lace parasol, opening.He seemed surprised for just the smidge of second that allowed me to shove him down on the ground and have a knife next to his chin, he didn’t mind it, spinning to be on top as his needle touched my chin, prickling sensitive skin. “To think I’d marry a trickster.”I rolled my eyes, “What now? I can’t kill you, can I?” Relieved that his aura was returning to its dark purple shade.“You can’t.” But he didn’t show any intention of moving.“You can’t kill me.”“I’m considering the coma still.” I pushed him off holding the parasol to his throat as I got up and closed it. The top was incredibly sharp, it was a discrete weapon.“I could consider that too. Honestly, this whole fight is so tempting.” Illumi dodged my stabbing motion easily and stood next to me. “I bet you were thinking all the time about having a needle in me, justified by the fight, and the forgetting to take it off.”He waved his hand as he started going up the mountain. “You didn’t even open the possibility for that, incredibly inconvenient.”“To think you’d actually go all out on me.” I scoffed, “That! That was inconvenient.”“You went all out as well.” He quickly replied, “The one-shot gun.”I shrugged it off. I had gone all out, I felt it when the cold metal materialized on my hands, every bullet would come out by consuming my own life.

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When we reached the top, the rest of the family was still there, quietly chatting.“Ah, they are finally back.” Kikyo cheers, “I loved the parasol move, what an amazing ability.” I shivered, they all knew about my abilities now, not that it mattered, I was off the killing range, finally.“Yeah, well… It was quick thinking.” I rambled as we drew nearer, now that the adrenaline was leaving my body, and my muscles were cooling down, a lot of stuff hurt.“Welcome to the family, Y/N.” Zeno snickered, “How amusing.”Silva took a step forward, silence settling before he spoke. “You are now married and a Zoldyck, there are many rules that now will apply to you.”I rolled my eyes, “I feel like I just entered a cult.” His icy blue ones widened just a smidge before returning to normal, ignoring my comment.“We thought about your question and decided to gift you a property in Yorbia, near Yorknew.” I gasped, what a turn of events.“You’re sending us to another continent? Don’t tell me you want to get rid of us!” It was Kikyo’s time to look shocked, her mouth hanging open as her red dot glitched.“It’s an effective way of splitting jobs, you and Illumi will get the ones near your residency.” Silva continued, though I was certain that he did want to keep Illumi away since they did have clashing opinions on what to do to Killua. Well, it all paid out in my favour so I wouldn’t meddle anymore.“Yes, father, I appreciate the present.” Illumi simply stated, his mask back on.“We. We appreciate the gift, very much. When should we leave?”“Whenever you have your things packed.” I hummed, now taking a look around to spot my shiny knife in the floor, I ran to get it, cleaning the blood on my torn shirt, when had that happened? I leaped back to Illumi’s side, knife in one hand, eyes fell to my wristwatch, thankfully it had survived the fight. They seemed confused at my behaviour, but I grabbed Illumi’s arm and turned to acknowledge.“Ok, got all that I need.”“What?” Illumi’s mask broke for a second, his dark void eyes searching for some clue in my expression.“I got my watch,” my eyes leapt to Milluki, “works really well by the way, good job!” before continuing “my knife and Illumi. That’s all. Let’s go.”His dark eyebrow twitched, “Y/N.”“Oh my! Already? I was hoping to call our favourite painter to draw your portrait.” Kikyo jumped, cutting whatever Illumi was about to say.“Send him to our house.” My head tilted, after I stated the most obvious solution.“But!” Kikyo started but was cut by Silva. This family really knew how to not let people talk huh…“Father told me he’d like to gift you a hound, it would be better to let it arrive first.” I eyed Zeno, but all I wanted was to lower the number of the dangerous people surrounding me and have a new freedom.  So, the games could start.“We’ll take it. That solves it.” I snapped back, “it doesn’t seem like you want to visit a lot, since you picked such a far away place, so what’s the problem with us going now?”“None.” He replied, a smirk grew on my lips as I turned to face Illumi.“What do you have to take?”“Nothing.” His melodic voice sounded empty, the poor thing.“Well, shall we go?” His eyes left mine, to peek at his father.“We should get our wounds mended first, but yes.”“Good, the old man gets time to get the hound and we get fixed.” Like so I dragged Illumi inside, excited to start something new.We left Kukuroo Mountain that night, without the hound, it seemed that Zeno would take it there when we called, it was as big as Mike so I wondered if I’d get to see the flying dragon close up.“You knew immediately that he wanted us away.” He broke the silence after a few hours in the zeppelin.“Yeah, I assume he doesn’t like your controlling behaviour over Killua.” His dark eyes pinned me down, “You showcased it to the whole family, your desire to control Nanika and Killua.”“Hmmm…” He seemed to remember.“Weird considering, assassins want nothing.” He seemed to flinch, “Not that I care, I’m here to ruin your plans regarding that.” I saw my reflection on the glass, the sky was awfully cloudy.“So that’s why… you married me.”“Among other reasons.” I smirked, “You never told me any of your reasons.”“Your desperate face is incredibly attractive, and you seem to want to challenge me. I’ll ruin you.” My eyes fell back to him, sitting with his legs slightly parted, arm against the border where the window started supporting his head, his long hair combed back, displaying all the scratches I had made to his pale face.“Hmmm… I’m glad you care enough for me to want to ruin me, Illumi.” I leaned forward. “I think I’ll grow stronger married to you.” He scoffed, his lips curving up. “Well, this will be a newfound freedom huh? For me and for you.”“I’ve been away from home before.” He replied quickly.“Yeah, but the Zoldyck State will no longer be your home.” Two strands of black hair fell on his face when the assassin nodded, gaze returning to the cloudy sky.“Why did you want to leave immediately?”“At first, I was just excited, but I think they were planning this for long, since none of their complaints regarded the residence being ready. So, I just wanted to know how prepared it was. There is no way they achieved it overnight.” Illumi kept the silence.“Don’t worry Illumi, I can’t get rid of you.” I didn’t know if that consoled him, but the silence continued, until we arrived at the tall gates of a large state, not as big as a mountain but still humongous. Two butlers were waiting, only proving right my theory.“Master Illumi, Master Y/N.” They bowed and took us inside, the mansion was surrounded by a large forest as well, where I’d imagine the hound would live, as we followed the path a large fox, and when I mean large I mean its legs were the size of a human, showed up to stare at us. Followed by two others. Their eyes large black orbs, emotionless. “Illu, these things remind me of you, I’ll name them Il, Lu and Mi.”“Y/N…” He started but gave up and just dragged me away before I had the time to pet one of the new fluffy big pets.The house was fully prepared to receive people, and there were more butlers, bowing and presenting themselves, before two decided to show us where the master bedroom was.I sunk into yet another incredibly comfortable bed. “Ah… I could die here.”“Will you?” He quickly asked.“Not now.”“Oh.” He flunked next to me, “I wouldn’t have imagined myself married, much less in my own mansion.”“Same, it’s just a question of getting used to it.”

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Zeno arrived a day later with his flying dragon and a lovely hound, much similar to Mike, called Toki. He seemed to bond quickly with Mi and Il, as Lu seemed still distrustful of the new addition to their lair. The old man didn’t stay long to my dismay. Things were… weird… with Illumi.We slept on the same bed but soon he started leaving for jobs, burying himself in work. He seemed to be trying hard to prove something. His use to the family? But… why?Weeks went by and I decided that I needed to do something the next time he came home, empty, his body on autopilot after so many missions and no rest. It wasn’t healthy. I didn’t want to play games with the remains of the cocky manipulator Illumi was. That wasn’t fun.I heard the bedroom door close slowly and jumped to my feet, my body feeling nauseous with the sudden change, but I was already pinning Illumi against the wall. “Illumi.”“Y/N, have you changed your welcoming techniques?” He mused, not forcing himself out of my hold. I rolled my eyes and started my interrogation.“What’s wrong? Why are you taking so many missions?”“They’re not that many.” I flickered the light on, so Illumi could see my not believing the crap you just said face.“Oh really? You’re tired, you barely spend time here, you’re trying to prove yourself to the cult that is your family.” Now he did struggle, shoving me off him and moving to the bathroom to change to more comfortable clothes.“There’s nothing wrong.” He said as he pulled needles off his body, and the green crop top followed, displaying his white skin.“Everything is wrong.” I followed him, not giving up. “Where are my missions?” His void eyes met mine, narrowed. “Don’t look at me, answer. What are you trying to prove to your family?”Silence continued as he quickly changed to tight black pyjamas and sunk in bed.“Illumi.” I insisted, sitting on his side of the bed, patting my hair down realizing that I had just woken up. “I’m pretty sure you’re the perfect assassin son they wished for, cause let’s be honest I don’t see Milluki leaving the manor often, Killua doesn’t want to be an assassin, Alluka wasn’t trained into being an assassin and Kalluto ran to join the Phantom Troupe.”He turned his back to me, and my mouth hung open. The rudeness.“Somehow they broke you enough to fit you into the assassin mould, I get you want to be useful to them, but blind loyalty can hurt you.”“What is this advice from the one who is to ruin my life?” He mumbled.“It’s not fun if you’re already ruined, I’ll glue you back together and then we can play.”“I’m not ruined.”My hands felt the soft duvet, as I propped myself up. “Are you not? Overworking yourself. What do you gain from it? Are you in need of money?”I laid next to him; his face was half covered with his silky black hair. “If I am to stray from my family’s influence, I’d have to buy this land, and gain enough to keep it.”“Oh… Interesting approach, let’s buy it from them then.”“Why and how would you do that?” His voice sounded tired, defenceless.“I sold my lovely house in Aeclos to go into this crazy adventure, I need a residence. Also I spent the last year or so, not spending a dime because Feitan stole everything and I ended up in the Zoldyck manor so, I’m pretty sure I have enough to buy this and keep it for long enough.”“You’re odd Y/N.”“Are you only realizing that now? I married you, how would I not be fucking odd?” What sounded like a chuckle left his lips. It felt like a near death experience, what was I doing to Illumi? What was Illumi doing to me?“You married me for the sex.”“I did, and you’re too overworked to actually deliver. I am mad.”“You haven’t started to entertain me with your games, I should also be mad.”“What do you mean Illumi, I’m wining, I’m no longer in the Zoldyck Manor and you just agreed to me buying this state. Haha~ Wonder how you’ll feel living under my roof. Have fun with your identity crisis now that you are away from your cult.”“You’re winning…?” His eyes widened, “Interesting thought, I can buy the house first. You think you’re safer away from them? When I can go wild here without them restricting me?”With a gasp I ran to the phone, but Illumi was already making me trip. My body hit the floor and pain spasmed through it, but I fought it as my trembly hand grabbed his ankle. “Playing dirty, you bitch.” He supported his body with his hands, flawlessly, yet I was already up and stepping over him, hands clutching the phone that was on the table.He stood up and I almost crashed back to the floor, as my feet lost the warm back where they were resting. I dialled almost frantically, as Illumi tried to pull the phone from my hands. A whine left my lips, and I scratched his hand off.“Oh.” He just spouted when he ran to grab his personal phone from the pockets of his pants. A phone with a direct connection to the Zoldycks. That wasn’t fair! I heard the beep on my phone.“Pass this call to Silva quick.”“Master Y/N?”“Yes, do it now.”Silence followed as I stared at Illumi who had just pressed the green button.“Y/N what is the reason of this call?” I heard Silva’s cold voice sound in my ear and a huge smile grew on my lips.“Silva, I’d like to buy this state would that be possible?”×××I typed at the speed of light, finally finding some peace to write after a long time, good ideas still only arrived at night, they must really like seeing the stars. Over the sounds of the keys, I hear a loud thump, followed by a terrified scream. My fingers hovered over the keys, seconds before I understood what I had just heard. I got up, hand grazing over the table lamp, as I whispered, “The pets got some late-night snacks, what a great idea.”