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I'm reaaaaaally conflicted... This was my first day of school, well it's good so far.

I've made acquintances, but I'm not the most sociable, a bit awkward actually.

Don't let me hold you back longer, go on.

Ok, continue reading, hope you'll like this chapter too!

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Morté's POV

I walked and walked and walked, with no destination whatsoever.

Practically sweeping the area with my En around the island.

There are lots, but I'm not in a rush, for now just analyzing the landscape I'm given.

Kira is taking a rest in 'The Realm,' a place I discovered from the result of training my Hatsu.

Maybe one day I'll tell them about my past and ability...

It must be after they learned of Nen though, not sure when.

We were given a time limit on this island: one week, and that's it.

In the past 30 minutes, I took down a prey, #123, weak.

I feel bad, it's like taking a candy from a defenseless, innocent child.

With Kira not beside me, no feel of her fur brushing against my neck, I feel empty.

It's quiet. Too quiet. I can hear the rustle of the leafs, the chitter of animals.

The whispers in my head, it's feeding.

It's consuming me.

It's consuming me!

It's consuming me!!!

I snapped my head up. I didn't realize I'm trembling until an aura that's considerably close to me enter my radar.

My heart is beating fast in it's ribcage, my breath came out heavy, my skin lathered with cold sweat.

I shook it off, in my terror days they're signs of weakness.

"Get rid of it! You're just a tool! You don't need feelings!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You're-- You're dead!!"

Part of this I could safely assume it's Sadie's work, she wants to possess me.

I'm unstable recently, because I'm certainly unaware of the ice covering my foothold.

On closer look, the usual transparent ice is cloudy, greying.

It's scary, everything I pieced carefully is starting to shake.

But why now? This is expected years ago, the unstability of my power, why is it delayed?

I shook it off, the cold sweat, the beating heart, the pants that came short, as if nothing happened before.

As if that episode didn't happen and never will.

Then I realized the owner of the aura I found earlier is unmoving.

For some reason, he's staying in that one clearing for a long time.

This person doesn't know Nen, his aura is still contained inside.

Obviously, he's just lucky to pass the exams until now, it'll be an easy kill.

I can feel the aura of some critters as well, did they come to eat him? Now I'm starting to think he's dying.

But that's not the case in my En since his aura is not faltering.

Arriving in the grass meadow, a quite unexpected scene greets me.

Ahhh... Tonpa, you're not dead yet?

It was funny if you ask me, he's twitching a lot and have black and blue-- no, purple bruises all over his face.

The flesh is swelling to a large volume, I almost couldn't recognize him.

And that sign...

"....Do not feed.............. Pfft."

I could see the tick mark growing. His voice is muffled, he's trying to speak.

Unfortunately even with the cloth tied around his mouth I understand that he wants me to free him.

'Are you stupid? Why would I?' I deadpanned with my eyes.

I'm sure he receives the message clearly because I could see his face is red, fuming with frustation.

It's a waste of my time, I left him with the clueless, cute animals.

Not long after that I felt a familiar aura tailed by an unfamiliar one.

It's weird in my opinion.

Why is he not engaging this guy? It was painfully obvious that the stranger followed him.

Knowing him, he could care less about someone weaker as his opponent.

He's close, my legs led me to the intersection of our path.

For once ever since I conjured Kira I thought, I need a presence of a companion, someone other than her.

Killua will you let me be by your side?

After a moment of replaying that sentence in my mind, I feel my cheeks heating.

No training of his prepared me for this; anger, irritation, hatred, any emotions that emits bloodlust I learned to surpress.

Embarassment and happiness is something I rarely confront in my line of work.

Now, I want to take that sentence back...

Yeah, sure, I think of that... But don't you think there's someone being rude here...

Even saying it in my head with another person present in the vicinity feels wrong.

I took off my mask just to rub the temple of my head with my fingers, I'm getting a headache.

When will he deal with that person and make him go away?

Sighing has been my daily routine these past few days, I sighed.

Oh, great. Two more mood breakers coming soon...... Plus one again.

Looks like I will need to confront them as well, seeming with multiple people there's more chance one of them may be my target.

I guess with Killua I have no need to interfere that much, he's strong on his own to a certain degree.

My prey...

I sighed again.

Using Zetsu I hide my presence completely, stalking closer to where they are.

Slow down your breathing, slow down your heartbeat, hasten your reaction, conceal your emotions, raise your guard.

Breathe... In. Out.

Breathe.... In... Out.

Breathe..... In.... Out...

In an instant, my mind is blurring. I could see, I could smell, I could hear, yet my actions are on auto-pilot.

The blood rushing fills my ear, the adrenaline induce heightening of senses.

Past the trees, the occasional light bursts reminds me of the 'hunt' he put me in.

The heartbeats of another reaches my ear, my eyes catches the glimpse of bodies, living, breathing.

The situation is in favour of Killua, as expected. His opponents, the three brothers, I inspected.

I paved my way nearer, the rustling of the grasses didn't exist in my wake.

Delicately, like a caress, I push through bushes, leaving the stems swaying lightly.

I didn't care which has my target number plate anymore, what's important is to seize the closest prey.

My dagger glinted maliciously in the open light rays as I brandished it casually on my hand.

Closer, I could smell the uncertainty of moving from the big one with the yellow shirt in front of me.

His brother, hostage to Killua's nails and bloodlust, full of fear, unable to lift a hand.

From the corner of my violet eyes I could see the widening of Killua's sapphire blue eyes.

Understandable reaction, he must think I'm a hallucination, for he could see me, yet not sense my presence.

In his grip my target's number plate was my eyes' focus.

Based on my assumptions if he still bothered them it means not all of the plate is in his possession, and the one he had now is not his target.

It looks like this big person's plate is the one, a bargaining chip for me it is then.

The three clouded with fear clueless to my silent entrance.

Swiftly I flowed my knife over the guy's neck while my other hand deftly swiped the plate in his pocket.

#199

For extra measure I released my bloodlust and the calming ribbon, surrounding the one I hold, ensuring him losing his will to fight back.

And certainly I could feel him slacken his tense muscles and his shoulder slooping downwards in defeat.

I barely glanced at him before refocusing my attention to the silverette.

"Killua, make a trade with me, you need this one, don't you?" I calculatively questioned.

I showed him the number plate, and instantly I got my answer as his eyes blink in recognition.

I smirked beneath my mask.

Got you.