Kilua stood at the precipice of a new world, the last remnants of the Entity's darkness fading behind him. His body was exhausted, his heart heavy with the burden of the battles he had fought. The overwhelming silence left him with only his thoughts, the emptiness left by Gon's death filling the spaces in his mind. Despite the victory, a part of him felt hollow, as if the universe had taken more than it had given back.
His eyes scanned the horizon, where the first light of dawn was beginning to break through the clouds, painting the sky with shades of orange and gold. It was a peaceful sight, one he had not allowed himself to enjoy in years. But even in this moment of serenity, the thought of Gon weighed heavily on him. His friend, his brother, was gone.
"I did it, Gon," Kilua whispered, the words carrying a mixture of triumph and sorrow. "I saved the world... but I couldn't save you."
The loss of Gon was like an open wound in his soul, one that no victory or battle could heal. Kilua had fought for everything: his freedom, his independence, and for those he loved. But in the end, the price was higher than he could have ever imagined.
Kilua felt the pull of his past, of his family's dark legacy, as if it was calling him back into the abyss. He had fought against it, but the chains of his upbringing were never far behind. They were part of him—woven into the very fabric of his being. His name, Zoldyck, carried a weight that no victory could lift.
A voice interrupted his thoughts—low and cold. "You think you've won, Kilua?"
Kilua turned sharply, his senses immediately on alert. From the shadows emerged a familiar figure: Illumi Zoldyck, his older brother, eyes cold and calculating as always.
"Illumi," Kilua said, his voice calm but laced with bitterness. "What are you doing here?"
Illumi stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Kilua. "I knew you would come to this point," he said, his tone almost a whisper. "After everything, you think you can escape? Escape from us, from your bloodline?"
Kilua's heart tightened, but his resolve remained strong. "I'm not going back to that life. I'm done being a tool of the family."
Illumi chuckled darkly, his expression twisted with an unreadable emotion. "You can never escape what you are. The Zoldyck blood runs through you. You are nothing but a weapon. You will always be a Zoldyck."
Kilua's fists clenched, his Nen rising in response to the insult. "I am my own person now, Illumi. I've fought for my freedom. And I'll fight for it until my last breath."
Illumi's eyes narrowed, a sinister glint flickering in his cold gaze. "Do you think that this world will let you go so easily?" he asked, his voice growing colder. "You are nothing without us. And you will always need the family. You will never be free."
Kilua's body tensed, the weight of his brother's words sinking deep into his mind. He had always known that his past would come for him one day, but hearing Illumi's words brought a new level of dread to his heart. His escape, his freedom—it had been a lie all along. His family would always find a way to pull him back into their web.
"I don't need you," Kilua muttered, his voice steady despite the fear rising in his chest. "I've already left that life behind."
Illumi's lips curled into a smile, but it was the smile of a predator. "You think you've left it behind? I can take that freedom from you, Kilua. I can take everything from you."
Before Kilua could react, Illumi struck. His movements were impossibly fast, and Kilua barely managed to dodge the attack. But Illumi wasn't done. He vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind Kilua with a deadly calm. In an instant, Kilua was caught in a vicious grip, the cold, unyielding force of Illumi's Nen choking the air from his lungs.
"This is your family's legacy, Kilua," Illumi whispered in his ear. "No matter how hard you fight, no matter how much you resist, you will always belong to us. You will always be part of the Zoldyck bloodline."
Kilua struggled, his Nen flaring with desperate intensity, but Illumi's grip tightened, his hold unbreakable. The pain was unbearable, his vision blurring as the world around him seemed to spin.
"No," Kilua gasped, his voice strained. "I'm not... I'm not a weapon!"
But Illumi's grip only grew tighter, his voice calm and assured. "You will be, Kilua. You will always be."
In a flash, Kilua tapped into the last reserves of his power, his Nen flaring like a storm as he broke free from Illumi's grasp. He staggered back, gasping for air, but his eyes were filled with fury. "I don't care what you say!" he yelled. "I will never be what you want me to be. I'll fight until the end!"
Illumi paused, his cold eyes studying Kilua's defiance. "You can fight all you want, Kilua," he said softly. "But in the end, you'll always come back to us. You'll always be one of us."
Kilua stood there, breathless, his body battered but his spirit unbroken. His heart was still heavy with the loss of Gon, with the weight of the decisions he had made. But one thing was certain—he would never let Illumi, or anyone, define who he was again.
"I'll never go back," Kilua said, his voice a quiet promise to himself. "I'll never be a tool again."
With a final glare at his brother, Kilua turned away, stepping forward into the unknown. His journey, once again, had only just begun.
..............
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