Again | See You Sequel ✮ 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝑿𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒍

Chapter 45 -Meteor City-

Third Person POV

Gon lunged forward. His fingertips were mere inches from Rin's outstretched hand. But before he could grasp her, the unstable ground beneath his own feet buckled, sending him tumbling forward. His body hit the rough, debris-littered earth with a hard thud, scraping his palms and knees as he skidded across the jagged surface.

"RINNNNNNNNNN!!!!" he screamed. His voice was raw and desperate, echoing through the junk-filled landscape.

"....!" His wide eyes locked onto the spot where she had been just moments before but all that remained was a gaping hole as if the earth sealing itself as if she had never been there. Dust and loose dirt floated in the air, shimmering in the dim light, mocking the emptiness left behind.

Gon's chest heaved, his heart pounding violently against his ribs as he scrambled to his knees, clawing at the ground where Rin had vanished.

"Rin!" he shouted again. But there was no answer—only the eerie silence of the abandoned site, pressing in around him like a suffocating shroud.

The quicksand had swallowed her whole, and Gon was left alone, his hands trembling, his mind racing with the horrifying thought:

'I failed to save her... Again!'

"Damn it!" Gon's breath came in ragged bursts, his heart still pounding from the sight of Rin being swallowed by the earth. But even through the haze of panic, his sharp senses picked up on something else—a shift in the air, faint footsteps crunching against the debris-strewn ground. His eyes snapped to the side, narrowing as he spotted figures emerging from the shadows.

The people of Meteor City.

But something was off.

Their movements were stiff, and unnatural, like puppets on invisible strings. Their eyes, dull and vacant, lacked any spark of consciousness. Gon's frown deepened, his knuckles tightening into fists at his sides. His mind raced, sharp, and focused despite the chaos. He knew the moment they set foot in Meteor City that something wasn't right—the stares, the tension, the eerie silence that clung to every corner.

It was a trap.

Someone wanted Rin separated from him. And now, as he scanned the blank faces approaching, it became clear: these people weren't acting of their own will.

'They're being controlled.'

Then, like a lightning bolt striking through his thoughts, realization dawned. 'Leorio.' The panicked voice on the phone, the sudden cut-off—it wasn't just a warning. It was bait. A cold dread settled in Gon's chest. 'Leorio and Kurapika... They might already be under the Phantom Troupe's custody.'

Gon's eyes widened, his mind brushing against the worst-case scenario before shoving it aside. 'Not now. I can't think about that now.'

'Their goal is probably Rin. But if it's the Phantom Troupe... If it's Chrollo, I doubt he'll harm her.'

The crowd of mindless bodies inched closer, their vacant expressions sending a chill down his spine. He had to get out of here—but not at the cost of innocent lives. These people were victims, not enemies. Killing them would only create more problems, stirring up a hornet's nest in Meteor City that he couldn't afford to face.

'But still... I need to move. Fast.'

With a final glance at the spot where Rin had disappeared, Gon clenched his jaw, forcing down the rising guilt. He'd find her. But first, he had to survive. Pushing off the ground, he darted into the maze of twisted metal and rusted junk, his mind already calculating his next move.