A Proposal To Wed

Part Twelve

"You... You didn't see anything else of consequence in that room did you?"
"Um, no?"

Kurapika was curious.
It hadn't occurred to him that Chrollo may be hiding something, or that the room full of paintings could hold other secrets. Chrollo was asleep, and Kurapika was determined to see what Chrollo was so worried about him finding. He got out of bed slowly, walking quietly to the door. It opened without complaint.
When he was in the hall, he took his time to scan his surroundings. When he didn't see anyone else, he continued silently, making his way nervously past the throne room and to the next hall over. It was eerie in the darkened halls, nighttime taking every chance it got to morph shadows and objects into things they were not.
The door to the painting room creaked slightly and he tensed, waiting in silence for the sound of curious footsteps; he heard none. Despite the gloom, the painting room lacked the ominous air that the rest of the estate had. Kurapika looked around, spying a new painting drying on its easel. It depicted Shalnark with bright hickeys, his eyes half lidded and his lips parted.
He quickly looked away, quelling the jealousy that rose inside him. He trusted Chrollo, and rightfully so. Right?

He had never fully inspected the room, and had only ever payed attention to the covered canvases. Now, he was curious as to what was beneath the other sheets. He removed one of the sheets to find an antique vase, one much different from the uncovered ones. This vase depicted nightmarish creatures being smitten by angels, and was no doubt priceless. Beneath another sheet was a mummified hand with a dazzling ring on its ring finger. He began pulling sheets off faster.
A gem the size of a fist; a stone tablet with ancient text engraved upon it; a handkerchief in a glass display case, the name of an idol written on it in cursive.

A display case full of containers, each filled with liquid... And...

Chrollo awoke to a cold bed. Kurapika wasn't in the room, nor the adjoined bathroom. He walked through the halls, wondering if perhaps his bright eyed lover had gotten lost. He tensed when he heard an earth shattering scream, then sprung toward the sound. The screaming continued, although with each passing second the screams became more hoarse. Chrollo's heart filled with dread as he approached the painting room, the place where priceless items and horrendous crimes were stowed away. He cursed himself for even asking if Kurapika had seen anything else; whatever happened would be his fault.
He threw the door opened, Kurapika's screams only raspy cries. The Omega's eyes were wide and his hands were in his hair, pulling it tightly. Tears ran down his face and filled his eyes, dripping onto the carpet and his lap. His head was downcast and he was on his knees on the floor; he continued to let out pitiful cries as Chrollo walked up to him, not even noticing that the Alpha was there.
Chrollo paled when he saw what Kurapika had been looking at. He had forgotten why those pretty red eyes of his had seemed so familiar...

Kuroro grinned down at him as he looked in awe at the things his uncle had stolen in his life. It was a vast collection, and although Chrollo was hardly five at the time, he knew that it was something he should never speak about. A vase from a long forgotten dynasty, the hand and wedding ring of a pharaoh's wife, a set of knives retrieved from the body of an infamous assassin... And Chrollo's favourite. The scarlet eyes, each pair carefully preserved. He hadn't known who's eyes they had been. The thought that they may be human eyes hadn't even crossed his mind until far later in life. Maybe a bit too late in life...

Kurapika looked up at him with wide eyes, his face glowing red with their burning intensity. His lips trembled and he couldn't speak; couldn't move. Their eyes stayed locked together in shock for what seemed like forever, until Chrollo spoke.
"K-Kurapika, I didn't-" he started, his heart breaking when the Omega flinched at the sound of his voice.
Kurapika blinked, then quickly scrambled back until he hit the wall. He looked up at Chrollo with fear and uncertainty, his eyes glowing brighter.
Their red hue was undoubtedly beautiful. Chrollo loved the colour as much as he loved the man that brought it forth. However, he would never kill for such a thing. He would not kill for Kurapika's eyes like he would for Kurapika himself. He opened his mouth again, hoping to convince his love of this fact.
He was cut off by a chuckle behind him, and turned at Kurapika's suddenly dead expression. His uncle grinned, a cart full of containers behind him and fresh blood on his hands. "Well, well. Forty-seven down, one to go!"

//833 words! I just made a guess at the end on how many people are in Kurapika's family, including the ones he's already killed. So, was it good?
//y'all enjoy this cliffhanger for a bit and I'll update when I can!