Chapter 14

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(updated: March 20, 2021)


Flashback

A little girl runs down a hill, chasing after her best friend, who is much farther ahead of her. Her giggles resonate across her mother's garden. Butlers are scattered across the field of flowers, observing the children discreetly.  

The two children race past endless trees and flowers. They pass through a playground until they reach her family's home, a colossal Georgian mansion. Breathless, the girl halts in her steps and leans against an enormous marble pillar. Their little game of tag is futile, one clearly being better adept at running for long periods of time than the other

The boy slows in his steps, noticing that he is no longer being followed. He turns, observing his friend who has since stopped chasing after him. They lock eyes. 

"You're tired already?" the young boy asks, his voice coming out rather flat and seemingly callous. Most would mistake his tone to be very uncaring.

The little girl nods her head, panting loudly. She offers a small smile. Illumi has always been exceptionally faster and stronger. He never tires as easily as she does. Albeit, his training is much more stringent than her own. 

"Are you okay?" He asks, approaching her slowly. He places a hand on her shoulder, observing her intently. His expression remains dull, further contrasting his true emotions. 

"I'm just tired, that's all. You're so much stronger than me."

She beams up at Illumi, brushing off his hand from her shoulder. "That's why you're in charge of protecting me, okay?" she giggles.

Her palm presses against his chest, and in an instant, she darts off in the other direction. "Tag!" 

Illumi smiles softly, watching her run away from him, giving her a few moments to get a head start. He knows he'll easily catch her, without having to try. That's usually how these games went whenever they played.

"I'll take care of you," he mumbles, despite being completely out of earshot. 

++

Mia

I don't know when, but sleep crept up on me at some point after Illumi left my side to go after Takeo. 

Darkness lurks in my vision, and I know that I must be dreaming. All around me, I am consumed by complete and utter blackness. My body is numb, and looming in the center of this unknown void. 

A sharp pain begins to build in the center of my chest, deliberately growing as time passes. It starts off as a meer pinch and gradually envelopes all of my senses. It comes to a point where my insides begin to churn slowly with agonizing pain. I feel as though I am being scorched alive, burning from the inside out. 

I clutch my chest, heaving. My breaths are shallow. I'm unsure of what is happening to me. Am I really dreaming? Am I going to die?

"My dearest, it's far too soon." 

A gentle voice rings in the air, painfully familiar. It numbs the pain within me, leaving me in a daze.

With a heap, my body collapses onto the cold dark floor beneath me. I didn't even realize that I wasn't standing on anything up until now. As soon as my knees hit the floor, all of the excruciating pain returns to my body, far worse than before. It rolls right through me, in brutalizing waves.

"A little more time..." 

The same soothing voice from before returns. The sound caressing my unnamed wounds, leaving me numb and motionless on the floor. My eyes flutter closed, concentrating on the murmuring sound of a woman's voice.

"It's time to wake up now, my love.

The voice whispers softly, expelling the remaining pain from my body. My muscles relax, as I lay flat on my back. The remaining strength from my body has since been drained. I have no energy to open my eyes.

Despite being hyper-aware that this is not reality, I cannot seem to shrug off the fact that it is very different from dreaming. It's almost like I'm in some sort of state of limbo.

A soft hand brushes against the side of my face.

"Open your eyes."

++ 

My eyes flutter open, squinting at the bright sunlight from up above. I'm no longer laying slumped against a tree trunk but instead, lay against someone's lap. I peer up, finding Illumi's face peering off into the distance, not having noticed that I've woken up. His eyes are void of all emotion, considerably colder than the usual expression he wears.

"Ill," I murmur, my voice wavering slightly. His expression is alarming me and I don't know why.

Did something happen?

Suddenly my memories all come flooding back. I remember Takeo attacking me, and Illumi running off to go fight him. My brows furrow in confusion. If Illumi is with me right now, then it must mean that he took care of Takeo. Right?

Illumi's dark eyes snap down, meeting my own, still cold as ever. I stiffen beneath his gaze, feeling a cold chill run through my body. 

"Where's Takeo?" I ask, unsure if I want to hear the answer. Illumi is acting all too strangely right now, making me assume the worst.

"He got away."

He doesn't seem happy about that, but there's clearly something else that's troubling him. Something that he's not sharing with me. Illumi isn't the type to stay get this upset about something for too long. Or at least, he's not the type to show how he feels so openly. A lot of people assume that he's emotionless, but he's just really good at keeping things to himself. 

"Why didn't anybody tell me?" 

His voice is completely detached, with a slight hint of anger. My heart begins racing in my chest, having an idea of what he may be talking about. I sit up slowly, noticing that most part of my wounds has since been healed and that my nen healer is gone.

"You knew about his abilities," Illumi continues, reaching out to grasp my arm, as I move away from him. His grip isn't tight enough to hurt me. My mind begins to race wildly, the topic of our conversation suddenly becoming very obvious. He's talking about Takeo's nen.

"I wasn't sure, I've only ever heard rumors. I tried telling you, but you wouldn't listen to me," I explain, tears swelling in my eyes. 

Takeo must have said something to Illumi, confirming that my suspicions were true. His nen ability is catastrophic. 

I grasp Illumi's hand that holds my arm firmly, holding it. If Takeo told him about his powers, that must mean that he used them.

"I'm supposed to take care of you, remember?"

Illumi reaches out and brushes stray hair from my face. His tone is no longer angry, expression morphing into one of anguish. 

"I'm so sorry."

My voice cracks. A solemn tear falls down my cheek. Takeo's powers were used, and he ran away because his job here was complete. 

And I was his target.

++

What did you guys think about:

- Mia and Illumi playing as kids?

- Mia's dream?

- What Illumi discovered about Takeo's nen abilities?

Don't forget to comment and vote ✔️

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