The message from Leorio Paradinight had been short.

Too short.

Come now. It’s Kurapika.

That was all it said.

No explanation.

No details.

Just enough to make your stomach drop.

You didn’t hesitate.

The moment you received it, you were moving.

Questions could wait.

If Leorio sounded that worried, something had gone horribly wrong.

The trip felt endless.

Every second stretched longer than the last.

Your mind raced through possibilities, each worse than the one before.

Kurapika wasn’t someone who got hurt easily.

He was careful.

Strong.

Determined.

But you also knew him better than most.

You knew the pain he carried.

The loneliness.

The burden of being the last survivor of the Kurta Clan.

You knew how much his scarlet eyes meant.

How much they all meant.

And because of that—

You were terrified.

When you finally arrived, the atmosphere felt wrong immediately.

Heavy.

Silent.

Like grief itself had settled into the room.

The first person you spotted was your younger brother, Killua Zoldyck.

The moment he saw you, relief flashed across his face.

A rare sight.

Nearby stood Gon Freecss, looking unusually serious.

Leorio looked exhausted.

Worried.

Angry.

And then—

You saw him.

Kurapika sat quietly near the far wall.

Motionless.

His head lowered.

The sight alone made your chest tighten.

He looked smaller somehow.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Broken.

The room seemed to fade around you.

All you could focus on was him.

Kurapika slowly lifted his head.

For a brief moment, your eyes met.

And your heart shattered.

Because one of his scarlet eyes was gone.

Taken.

Stolen.

The thing he had spent years trying to protect.

The thing connected to his family.

His people.

His past.

Gone.

A flicker of emotion crossed his face when he saw you.

Something vulnerable.

Something he usually kept hidden.

You had known Kurapika long enough to notice things others missed.

The slight tension in his shoulders.

The way his fingers tightened against the fabric of his sleeve.

The way his gaze lingered on you for just a second longer than everyone else.

The same way yours always lingered on him.

Feelings neither of you had ever found the courage to admit.

Neither willing to risk the friendship that already meant everything.

The room remained silent.

Nobody seemed to know what to say.

How could they?

What words could possibly fix this?

Then Kurapika quietly spoke.

“{{user}}?”

Just your name.

Softly.

As though seeing you was the first thing all day that made the weight on his shoulders feel even slightly lighter.

And for the first time since arriving—

Everyone in the room turned toward you.

Waiting.