𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧- 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥
Some people don't know what they have until it's gone.
But what about the ones who do know?
The ones who never took a damn thing for granted? Who tried their hardest to hold on, yet could only look helplessly...
The tension between Rin and Chrollo thickened, coiling in the space between them like a serpent ready to strike. The dim light cast long shadows across Chrollo's face, accentuating the sharp edges of his features. His voice, once smooth and enigmatic, had darkened—now laced with something far more sinister, something that crawled under Rin's skin.
"The chain user... of all people, is someone you should be wary about."
The words hung in the air, heavy and deliberate. Rin's eyes widened, her breath hitching in her throat. 'The chain user—why would he bring that up now?' Her mind scrambled to piece together his intent, but Chrollo's expression offered no clues, only that same unreadable calm, now tainted with an undercurrent of malice.
Then, his gaze sharpened, cutting through her like a blade. "Do you know about the red core?"
Rin's heart lurched. The name struck a buried chord within her, yanking her back to memories long locked away.
'The red core...' She hadn't heard that term in years—not since Alan Brief had whispered it to her in hushed tones five years ago, after her harrowing encounter with the E-10. But the details were a blur, like a half-remembered nightmare slipping through her fingers. She only recalled the fear in Alan's eyes when he mentioned it, the way his voice trembled as if the very words carried a curse.
Seeing the flicker of recognition in her eyes, Chrollo began. The shadows in the room seemed to stretch closer, drawn to the darkness that now oozed from his every word.
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"It's the red energy that almost killed you in Greed Island."
"...!"
"W-What...?" The floor beneath Rin felt as though it had vanished. Her knees threatened to buckle as the weight of his revelation settled in.
'That was the force that had nearly ended my life? Then, it must be the red energy... that Malice!'
That wild, uncontrollable surge she'd barely escaped from... it wasn't just random. It had a name. A purpose. And Chrollo knew far too much about it. Her pulse pounded in her ears as her mind raced. If Chrollo was bringing this up now, it wasn't by chance.
Chrollo's voice was smooth but carried a weight that pressed against Rin's chest, suffocating in its quiet intensity. "The red core," he began, his dark eyes gleaming with a predatory gleam, "is the source of On."
Rin stiffened. The word sounded foreign, yet something about it sent a shiver down her spine.
"On," Chrollo continued, "is malice in its purest form. It is the antithesis of Nen. Where Nen draws from life energy, On feeds off something far darker—hatred. It is 'death energy,' Ringo. The aura you feel from it isn't just sinister—it's born from countless deaths, sacrifices, and mass murders. Every scream, every drop of blood, every soul torn from its body—all of that rage, all of that hatred, it festers within On. It's a hunger for destruction, sealed inside a single vessel."
