When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was darkness. I blinked a few times but my sight didn't get better. Where was I? Am I laying in a coffin? I had to do something. I moved my hand to check the area. Next to me there was earth. Cold and natural earth. But my other hand was chasing something warm. It felt like skin. Human skin. Oh no! Who else was here? "Oh you're awake.", stated a voice I learned to know well in the last few moments. What did Gittarackur do here? I started screaming. There was nothing else I could do. No way to escape. Why was I here, under the ground, with that man? An enormous fear took control over my body.

A hand was pressed over my mouth. I winced and started to tremble. "No worry. I won't harm you anymore.", Gittarackur said but I didn't even listen. I tried to remove his hand from my face but he was to strong. After a while he took it away himself. So I was remaining silently trembling in the dark. "I was surprised seeing your ears." That was the next shock. My hands raised up and touched my head hectic. And yes my hood was fallen down. Without wasting time I put it up again.

My breath went fast and irregular. The panic overwhelmed me completely. I started crying. No escape. Under the earth. With Gittarackur. And he knew now that I'm a neko. There was no way things could get worse.

"There is no need for me to kill you anymore.", Gittarackur said. I looked up to the place where his face was supposed to be. Still in fear I looked into that dead black eyes. "This little secret is enough guarantee to make sure you will not talk to anyone, isn't it?", he explained his decision. I desired to hit something very hard in this moment. My nails cut deeply into my palms. I wasn't able to calm down.

Then I felt the touch of a hand on my right shoulder. I winced an tried to bring a little distance between me and that scary man but the walls of earth prevented me from reaching this goal. And again an overwhelming panic attack took control over my body. I had no chance to prevent but I started screaming again.

Then I was dragged into a hug. Arms were closing around me and I heared a voice wispering: "Don't be afraid. There is no danger for you right now." I couldn't stop trembling. The pure horror became true. Another person found out my secret and now there is no way I can get out of the situation. My heart hit loudly against my chest. "Shhh...don't worry. Just like I said. I'm not going to harm you right now.", Gittarackur said to calm me down. I don't know why he does that. It doesn't fit into his former behaviour. That also scared me.

"Why...", I whimpered quietly. His hand moved over my arm. "I don't know to be honest. There is no need for me to do something to you. And I want to understand why you are scared so easy despite being not that weak.", he answered the untold question. I breathed deeply once. Then a second time. And a third. Until I was able to concentrate on something else than my terrified body. "Then why you don't let me go away.", I asked quietly. "Because it's very comfortable here. And we're both already done with the exam. So it is just logical to hang out a while. ", he said. For him it seemed completely normal to capture a woman under the earth that he wanted to kill some moments ago. What a freak.

"Can you please stop hugging me?", I asked shy as soon as I realised that his arms were still around my body. He fulfilled my wish immediately. Thanks to god. I took a little more distance. As much as possible and tried to calm down.

Some minutes passed in witch none of us made even one noise. "Do you want to know the rest of the puzzle?", Gittarackur asked. I wasn't really sure if I wanted. "If that means that you would try to kill me again, the answer is no.", I said nervously. "It's up to you. I don't think that this is worth to risk that I will reveal you as a neko.", he answered. I bited my lips. I was again very close to fall into panic. "So?", he asked again. I nodded and hoped he could see it in the darkness. I wasn't able to speak in the moment.

"My real name is Illumi. I work as an assassin so it is not that good if too many people know about my nen. Also I'm here to watch over my younger brother and if he notice me this would just break into some more familiar struggle. ", he explained. I listend carefully so that I could get all the important information. The fact that he was an assassin let me relax a bit. Assassins don't kill for nothing. And if there is no one who wants my death and pays for it, I wouldn't get attacked.

"Okay.", I said just to say something. Then we fell in silence. I don't know how much time passed without anyone making a noise. "Can you please let me out here?", I tried to ask again. I needed to breath some fresh air. "There is no need to. It is many time of the exam left.", he explained. "That's not the matter. I want to go outside.", I said seriously. Illumi seemed confused. Then he understood. "You are afraid of me, right?" And again it wasn't a question but a state. I nodded shyly. "You don't have to be worried.", he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I breathed in and out and tried not to fall in panic once more.

It felt like I was completely under his control. And of course I was. If he decided to kill me, he could easily do it. If he decided to harm me worse than death, he could easily do it. I started crying again. Tears of fear and resignation were running down my face. "Why are you crying?", Illumi asked. I couldn't answer. What was that for a question?! "Isn't it obvious?", I asked back in an aggressive way. He seemed confused. "Would I ask if it was?"

I really wanted to punch him straight in the face. I wasn't sure if he was just trolling or if he really doesn't know why. breathed again very deeply. "Maybe because I'm caught under the earth with a literal psychopath that wanted to kill me earlier and now knows that I'm a cat girl and could theoretically do everything....", he stopped my explanation laying a finger on my lips. "I told you, that I won't harm you. Why can't you just listen?", he said softly. "Because that are just words.", I responded. "Then you must learn to trust them.", Illumi said enthusiastically.

In his head there was a strange idea incoming. He has nothing to do anyways and this girl was pretty amusing. Maybe he could take care of her for a while. Another person would be killed by him immediately. But not her. The assassin wasn't really sure why he liked her companionship but he does. Maybe it was like Hisoka said and she could be a useful alley one day. In every case he would let her alive for the moment. For now he would try to take the fear away from her.

What was this guy saying? I should trust his words. No way. I trust into nothing I can't slice up with my sword. Frustrated I punched against the earth surrounding us. There was the little spark of hope that I could make a bigger space by putting away the dirt. Before my fist hit the wall it was captured. "Stop that.", Illumi said. "No.", I contradicted. Then he did something very unexpected. He pulled my body very close to his and hold me tight with his arms. I was frightened and tried to free myself but once again he was to strong.

I trembled and the overwhelming panic was there again. I felt his warm body on my back and his arms like chains around my body. I want to go away. Far away. I never wanted to the this man again. I don't know why he does that. I can't calculate his action anymore. " Why are you so afraid? It's just a hug, huh.", Illumi said quietly next to my ear. I winced and pressed my eyes together. I couldn't to anything. I hoped it will be over quickly. Whatever he planned to do. But in some point he was right. In general it was just a hug. But it was a hug from a stranger. A stranger with a bloodthirsty aura and a former intend to kill me. Even if I know rationally that my life isn't in danger anymore, I wasn't quite sure if this situation was better.

"Can you please stop being so touchy?", I asked rolling my eyes. But deep inside I wasn't that stable. "I'm not touchy.", Illumi stated,"I'm just trying to calm you down, kitten." My heart stopped beating for one second. He called me kitten. For real? I should get angry because he was making fun of me, but I couldn't. The reminder that came with this word let me falling in fear again. I was just a little helpless kitten in the hands of a grown up, dangerous assassin. I trembled and again tears ran down my face.

"You're crying again.", Illumi noticed. "Why are you behaving like that?", I asked confused in a nearly unhearable way. "Like what?", he asked softly. I wasn't really in the mood to explain that but there was no way around it. "In one moment you're spreading your bloodlust and want to kill me and now you...I don't know what you're doing right now.", I said quietly. "I thought you could be a problem. ", he said. One of his hands went up and touched my wet cheek softly. I winced. "And now I think you have a problem. I don't want you to be afraid of me. That doesn't make sense. So I'll try to take the fear away.", he whispered. I don't know if I should believe him. But although I was a little curious how he wanted to do that. Never mind I wouldn't ask. So we fell in silence again.

After a while just staying in this strange hugging position I started to calm down a little. The warm body behind me was in some sort of case a little pleasant. I started concentrating on something else than myself and this situation. So I also sensed the heartbeat of the assassin. It was regular an comforting. I tried to breath in the same rhythm. Some time passed an I even started relaxing. Illumi didn't say a word. Just holding me thight an breathing.

For one moment I cared for nothing. I layed my head back against his chest and closed my eyes.

Illumi smiled. She fell asleep. He was very glad about it. The assassin enjoyed the warm living being laying on his chest. And for one moment he stopped feeling heartless. His heart was filled with joy. An emotion that he otherwise only felt when he completed a murderous mission. It was a strange feeling that a human could make him as happy as the death does. Maybe he wasn't a monster. Yes, this was the proof. Another living person except of his family was with him and not in fear anymore. He was excited of Killuas reaction on the information. His younger brother always calls him a heartless monster. But all Illumi was was an assassin. So he could proof his little brother wrong. There was a girl existing and now staying with him. Maybe he should marry her instant.

Then Illumi remembered that the cat girl didn't came with him from a free will. And of course she would run away the moment she get a chance to. He don't wanted her to go away. She should stay and give him the feeling of being a human being besides being an assassin. So Illumi made a decision. He took a thin needle out of his pocket. Then the assassin put it into the head of the sleeping girl. The needle took the condition not to run away from him and gave her a comfort feeling around him. This would prevent her from leaving. He was very proud of this plan.