The next four days in the cave passed like a long, taut breath, punctuated by silent effort and the faint hum of wills clashing with inert matter. Kurapika's absence was almost forgotten.
Gon was a living torch of focus. His bluish pebble never left his side, even in sleep. His aura, once wavering, had settled into a warm, steady halo. The stone seemed to breathe with him, emitting a gentle, palpable warmth a few inches away. He spoke little, absorbed in this strange connection, a permanent smile of discovery on his lips. His progress was meteoric, his pure, simple will finding an immediate echo in Nen.
Killua honed his control with precision. His black rock vibrated at a frequency so fast and steady it almost blurred. He timed his maintenance periods with obsessive rigor, pushing his limits each time. The challenge had become an obsession: mastering this tool, as he mastered his body and reflexes.
Leorio, after the jarring but helpful words from Celeste—however poorly received—found his rhythm. His frustration had turned into stubborn resolve. His white quartz now radiated a soothing, milky light, a dense, stable aura like medical gauze. He no longer sought explosions but endurance, resilience. His stone was an imaginary patient under constant monitoring, and his doctor's will stood watch. Sweat beaded less on his brow, replaced by a look of tired but satisfied focus. He held steady.
Tension mounted as the trial's end neared. The dawn of the sixth day rose, gray and damp. The night before, distant explosions had echoed, a reminder that the point hunt raged elsewhere, steeped in violence.
Kurapika remained missing.
Suddenly, in the sticky silence of early morning, a muffled roar tore through the air.
"DAMN IT!"
Leorio shot upright, as if shocked awake. His eyes, still foggy, widened with sudden panic. His white quartz, which he'd held even in sleep, dropped heavily to the cave floor with a dull thud, its protective aura vanishing instantly.
"Celeste!" he bellowed, voice hoarse with sleep and urgency, turning to the woman who seemed to have stayed awake all night against the wall. "Celeste, come here! Quick!"
Celeste raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "What's gotten into you, big ape? Dream your medical degree flew away?"
"The trial!" Leorio gasped, flailing his hands as if swatting invisible bugs. "The points! Your points!" He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "I promised! I PROMISED I'd get you enough points to cover your remaining years!"
Celeste stared, her expression shifting from incredulity to outright scorn. "So what, moron?"
"So what?!" Leorio repeated, floored by her calm. "It's the last day! Kurapika's been gone for four days, we've been sitting here fondling rocks like meditating monks, and YOU…" He jabbed an accusing finger at her, trembling slightly. "…you're just sitting there, doing nothing but watching us like bugs! You've completely forgotten about this! You know damn well point trades between candidates and criminals are strictly forbidden! Even if Kurapika brings back a haul, we can't give you ANYTHING!"
The accusation landed in dead silence. Gon and Killua, startled awake by the commotion, watched the scene.
Killua broke the quiet, his clear, slightly mocking voice ringing in the cave: "Don't worry about her, Leorio."
Leorio turned to the young assassin, confused. "Huh?"
Killua raised his still-vibrating black rock. "If she didn't have enough points for her freedom…" He paused for dramatic effect, a sly smirk forming. "…you really think she'd be this chill? That she wouldn't have been the first to yell, remind us of the rules, or pitch some shady plan to hunt in secret?"
Killua's cold logic hit Leorio like a brick. His panicked eyes slowly settled on Celeste, questioning.
She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated, weary sigh. "Finally! The lightbulb flickers on in that primitive brain! Nice job, creepy kid, at least you've got two neurons talking." She straightened, then extended her left wrist toward Leorio. Her smartwatch was securely fastened. Its digital screen glowed faintly in the cave's dimness.
80 ❤️
The red number blinked calmly.
Leorio's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing without sound. The tension that had jolted him awake evaporated. "But… how…? You didn't leave… We didn't do anything…"
Then, like a puzzle snapping together, a memory hit him. Clear. Sharp. The third night. Darkness fallen. Kurapika rising near the entrance. Celeste, seemingly asleep, cracking one eye open, then standing wordlessly. A brief exchange of glances. Kurapika giving an almost imperceptible nod. They'd left together, returning hours later at dawn, silent, without a trace of combat. Kurapika as impassive as when he left, Celeste looking utterly exhausted.
"The night… of the third day…" Leorio murmured, his voice choked with late realization. "You and Kurapika… you went out."
Celeste lowered her wrist, a triumphant smirk on her lips. "Ding ding ding! The great doctor wins the obvious award!" Her tone was biting. "You really think I was counting on your legendary clumsiness and airhead brain to win my freedom, Leorio?" She waved a hand vaguely. "Blondie and I took a little stroll. I don't know why, but he helped me big time, letting me rack up points—enough to cover my sentence. It was… exhausting, but worth it."
Leorio flushed, a mix of shame (for forgetting), anger (for being left out), and relief (she was free). "But… why didn't you say anything?!"
"Because it was funnier to watch you flap around like a headless chicken at the last second, obviously!" Celeste shot back with a laugh. "And also because Kurapika wanted it kept quiet. He's got his reasons, I've got mine. Ask him yourself… if he comes back."
The mention of Kurapika's prolonged absence cast a sudden chill. Leorio's relief was overshadowed by renewed worry.
"Speaking of which, where's that guy?"
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