A rustle snapped Celeste out of her thoughts. Kurapika emerged from the trees, a bundle of branches under his arm. He paused, setting the wood by the riverbank. His eyes flicked to Celeste, then Leorio. "Has he moved?" he asked, kneeling to check his friend's pulse again.
Celeste shook her head, lips tight. "Still out cold," she muttered, looking away. "Took you long enough, blondie."
Kurapika ignored the jab, his fingers breaking branches with quick snaps. "He needs water," he said. "And bandages, if we can make some." He glanced at Celeste, his gaze sharp. "Can you help, or are you just going to sit there complaining?"
Celeste crossed her arms, cheeks flushing again. "I'm not complaining," she shot back, but she stood, brushing off her clothes. She knelt by the river, dipping her hands into the cold water. She tore off a piece of her sleeve, soaking it. "There, happy?" she said to Kurapika, holding up the wet cloth.
Kurapika raised an eyebrow, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
Celeste rolled her eyes, though her lips quivered, holding back a smile. She knelt beside Leorio, running the damp cloth over his forehead. The dried blood dissolved slowly, revealing deeper bruises. She frowned, her fingers lingering for a moment.
'You're too stubborn for your own good.'
Kurapika set to work building a fire, stacking branches with precision. He glanced at Celeste, eyes narrowing. "Why are you doing this?" he asked abruptly, his voice calm but direct. "Cleaning his wounds. Staying here. You could leave."
Celeste froze, the cloth dripping in her hand. She looked down at Leorio, his broken glasses catching the river's light. "I…" She swallowed, fingers tightening on the fabric. "He called me his friend," she mumbled, almost reluctantly. "And… he's too dumb to let die." She met Kurapika's gaze, defiant. "That answer good enough for you?"
Kurapika stared at her for a long moment, his scarlet eyes unreadable. Then he nodded, almost imperceptibly. "It'll do," he said, turning back to his fire.
He snapped another branch, movements precise, mechanical. He looked up. "Time to find the others."
Celeste blinked, brows furrowing. She tilted her head, lips parting. "Others?"
"Leorio must've told you he wasn't alone," Kurapika replied, adjusting the fire's branches. "There are four of us. Two are still out there."
'Four?' Celeste bit the inside of her cheek, avoiding his gaze. 'That moron mentioned his friends… I thought he was bluffing.' Her eyes drifted to the forest, trees stretching endlessly. 'How's he planning to find two people in this maze? It's a whole damn island.'
Kurapika, as if reading her mind, tilted his head slightly. "Don't worry about the method," he said, his voice low, almost amused. "I'll find them the way I found you."
Celeste flinched, eyes widening. She pointed an accusing finger, cheeks reddening further. "Hey! Stop that!" she snapped, voice rising. "You've got no right poking around in my head, blondie!"
Kurapika gave a faint, barely-there smile. "I didn't do anything," he said, shrugging. "Your face gives you away." He sat cross-legged by the fire, hands resting on his knees. "Stay alert. Signal me if there's any sign of danger."
Celeste crossed her arms, lips pursing into a pout. She shot Kurapika a wary glance, then looked at Leorio. "Ugh, you're so weird," she muttered. Her eyes caught the badge pinned to Kurapika's chest, a sly idea sparking. She lifted her chin, a mischievous grin spreading. "While you're busy… I don't know, meditating or whatever, I could just scan your badge, you know that, right?"
Kurapika slowly turned his head, his stare pinning her in place. His smile widened, but it held no warmth. "Try it," he said, voice soft but laced with subtle menace. He closed his eyes, shoulders relaxing, breath steadying.
Celeste swallowed, her grin faltering. She clenched her fists, nails biting her palms. 'He's bluffing, right?' she thought, eyes darting from the badge to Kurapika's still form. 'He's just sitting there, wide open. I could…' She shook her head, dismissing the thought. 'No. Not now.' She looked down at Leorio, his face pale beneath the bruises. She sighed, shoulders slumping.
Kurapika, eyes closed, seemed elsewhere. His face was blank, but a slight tension tightened his jaw. In his mind's darkness, he released his nen, an invisible wave rippling outward.
'Focus,' he thought, breath slowing further. 'Extend it. Slowly.' His nen seeped into the forest, slipping between trees, brushing leaves, spreading like an intangible web. 'They're out there, somewhere.' His brows furrowed slightly, a bead of sweat forming on his temple. 'Gon. Killua.'
Celeste, unaware of what was happening, watched Kurapika with suspicion. Her fingers tapped nervously on her knee, eyes flicking from him to the forest. 'What's he doing? Just… sitting there. Like a statue.'
A rustle in the bushes made her jump. She sprang to her feet, eyes scanning the darkness, hand groping for a rock. Her heart raced, fingers trembling. "Blondie," she hissed, voice low but urgent. "Something's out there!"
Kurapika remained still, eyes closed, breath even. Not a muscle twitched. Celeste gritted her teeth, nails digging into the rock she'd grabbed. 'Seriously? He's ignoring me?' She turned to the bushes, eyes narrowed, ready to throw. A bird burst out, wings flapping in a flurry. She exhaled, shoulders relaxing. "Stupid bird," she muttered, tossing the rock down.
She sat back down, crossing her arms, glaring at Kurapika.
Kurapika, still meditating, frowned. His nen, stretched across the island, pulsed faintly, seeking familiar signatures.
'There.'
A spark, bright and erratic, brushed his invisible radar.
'Killua.'
Then another, steadier but just as distinct.
'Gon.'
His lips parted, a breath escaping.
A shiver ran through him, his eyes snapping open. He inhaled deeply, shoulders slumping. "I found them," he murmured, voice hoarse, almost inaudible. He wiped sweat from his brow.
Celeste jumped, eyes widening. "Huh? Found who?" she demanded, leaning toward him. "You were just sitting there, what, you had a vision?"
Kurapika gave a faint smile, lips trembling slightly from the effort. "Something like that," he said, standing slowly. He swayed for a moment, a hand pressed to his forehead.
Celeste crossed her arms, lips pursing. "You're seriously creepy, you know that?"
Kurapika approached Leorio, checking his pulse again. "We'll find a safe spot for you two before I go after them."
Celeste shot to her feet. "A safe spot? Have you seen this island?" Her arms flailed, gesturing at the oppressive forest. "There's beasts, criminals, and—"
"A rock crevice to the north. Steep walls, one entrance." Kurapika lifted Leorio with unnerving ease, balancing his weight over his shoulder. "Follow me or stay."
She growled. "I'm not standing here like a scarecrow!"
The path wound through mossy rocks, the air thick with humidity. Kurapika moved unfazed, despite low branches whipping his arms. Celeste stumbled over a root, grabbing a trunk to keep from falling.
"Damn shitty jungle," she spat, yanking a vine off her sleeve.
Leorio let out a faint moan, his head lolling against Kurapika's neck.
"Quiet," Kurapika murmured without turning. "Noise attracts predators."
Celeste opened her mouth to snap back, but a rustle in the bushes made her pale.
A crevice appeared like a scar in a cliff, narrow and dark. Kurapika paused, scanning the area.
"We're going in there?" Celeste squinted, biting her lower lip. "Looks like a rat trap."
He ignored her, slipping between the rough walls. Darkness swallowed them, their footsteps echoing off the stone.
Celeste shivered, fingers brushing the damp rock. "This sucks. I'd rather take the bushes."
"You're free to leave," Kurapika replied, setting Leorio on a flat ledge. He pulled out a flashlight, its beam carving sharp shadows.
She crossed her arms, her reflection dancing on the walls. "Real funny, blondie."
Leorio suddenly gasped, hands clawing at the air.
Celeste jumped, rushing to his side before she realized it.
Kurapika watched, one eyebrow raised. "He's delirious," he said, tearing a strip of clean fabric. "Here."
She snatched the cloth. "I know how to patch people up, you know. I didn't grow up soft."
"Clearly."
The glare she shot him could've pierced steel.
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