1He had the urge to open his eyes due to the rays of light's fierce exposure to his face. A comfortably familiar texture tickled his back akin to a silt clay loam. His vivid blue eyes opened only to meet the hot glaring sun.
Where am I? The teenager mumbled, confused. He supported himself using his arms to sit down, the surface of green grass touched his elbow. He couldn't help but use his other hand to rub his itching eyes that had been directly assaulted by the immediate light of blinding rays.
Seil looked around, only to meet the familiar chestnut tree seven meters away from him. It's his lovely usual spot.
I'm outside, Did I sleepwalk?
He couldn't remember what happened last night. All he could think of was the weird floating orb from the sky falling into him. Seil concluded that he might be suffering from hallucinations because he was so stressed out nowadays.
"Water…" Now his throat felt a clip. He swallowed saliva yet nothing came out. He was parched. Now he'd had to go home fast. Seil's eyes went upward and saw the sun floating a bit high.
Probably around 10 Am huh? Crap!
He hurriedly stood and patted his tad bit of dirty clothes. He started jogging to hasten his pace towards their home. Although he's not a runner, he had no choice but to go back right away or else the shitty old man would berate him again.
Maybe I should. As he jogged, he couldn't help but fabricate alibis – or he would be doomed and banned from borrowing books from the old man himself. Seil had tried to escape from his morning duties months ago, lazing off all day, the elder didn't hurt him at all. But he banned him from going outside for a month – no books, no cell phone – no shit and anything at all.
If something would kill me it would probably be the God of Boredom himse – the hell is this?!
Initializing — Ataraxia.
Text written in English arose in front of him. He nearly stumbled upon the sudden intrusion of this, resulting in his jog ceasing abruptly. The text somehow didn't give him any feeling of nostalgia – after all he's writing in English daily when doing his journals and notes. At first, he thought people in this world are idiots – but no, there's no Uk nor America on this planet.
"Fuck. This is crazy – I am crazy–"
He tapped the text in his peripheral vision but nothing happened. Swiped it horizontally and vertically. No response either way. He did it again and again – yet his intent to spark a reaction failed.
Knock.
The teenager lay on the mattress, staring at the text with narrowed eyes. Fifteen – no probably twenty minutes had already passed since he came back from his sleepwalking endeavors.
Knock.
He sprawled onto the soft cushion – his arms and legs stretched. Breathing ragged, slow – trying to find the right beat speed but couldn't. His heart throbbed faster, pumping the blood more than usual.
I guess I overworked myself.
He wasn't a runner. Not even a fan of sports or anything that requires physical strength – not like he could remember his past life. This simple fact solidified how frail this body was since his birth. Oh for our little Jedi's sake.
Knock.
The knock echoed. He eyed the door gingerly. "Old man?"
"Seil."
"What's it?" he asked.
"Can you open the door?"
Crap! Thought Seil. He needed an alibi on how he was going to explain this. The old man might have thought that he was escaping from his house duties this morning. After running to their house – he was fortunate to realize that the Elder was occupied doing some management – so he had easily slipped through inside.
"I don't feel like talking right now."
"Why? Did something happen? Are you still mad about last night?"
Kinda, he pondered. "No – I just don't know," he extended his right arm up to the ceiling. "Would you give me some… some space for now?"
A pregnant hush. Neither of them opened their mouths. One thing was for sure; Seil directly stated his thoughts, his genuine feeling, and that genuine confusion was the thing bothering him for a while. The pummeling feeling of drowsiness was accompanied by stinging nerves in his ligaments.
"Yes. Okay, just let me know if you need something."
He could hear him sighing. His foot tapped the wooden floor – it grew noiseless and noiseless as he went away. Probably going back to his logistical documents or whatsoever an Elder position would do. The dark-haired teen shrugged. He didn't care. Or – he couldn't simply care.
He had enough of his problems. Let alone others.
Back to his world. Seil stood, feeling a bit sore in his legs – he bit his lips due to how sore the muscles in his legs were. He sauntered across the other side, eyes swaying left and right. The teenager reached his sweaty palms towards the white bottle.
Initialization Complete —Loading stats
Seil blinked. He then ignored it and pinched a pink tablet – swallowing it without thought. He inhaled and exhaled simultaneously. Hoping his drug—Galantamine—will work.
Damn it dissociative amnesia.
He blinked. Once again. Strange.
Seil
Nen Talent: H-167
Nen Category: Locked
Nen Quantity: Locked
Genetic traits: Scarlet Eyes - A Rank(Suppressed/Cursed)
Body Condition: Cursed - Rank ?
Π
Passive: Unrestricted Self Development(Passive)– Rank ?
The power to develop skills, traits, and abilities without restriction.
"Alright. Alright." He closed his eyes – but in total darkness, a vivid game-like HUD remained. He knew it. He had probably played thousands of video games and a NEET in his past life. That's why he's hallucinating now. That's why he's acting high on drugs right now, probably.
He stood straight and sauntered back to his bed and lay down once more. He was getting tired of this shit, for real. He focused on the window – seeing people of their clan scrambling, carpenters carrying wooden planks, kids running around and giggling. This scene was akin to the arts in his former world. He couldn't tell what, the title and the artist were a bit blurry in his recollection.
He completely ignored the HUD, observing the people live their mundane lives. He picked up his pad paper and bit the edge of the pencil. His blue eyes locked on the subjects outside. Seil's lips curled, turning into a smile and his fingers began to dance.
And he sang.
My eyes are no good blind without her.
The way she moves I never doubt her.
When she talks, she somehow creeps into my dreams.
Sometimes being busy gave him space for his thoughts.
He hadn't aimed to sketch all day – either singing cringy stuff for hours. He's better than that. Still, the teen was thankful for being settled on his hobby, this indeed gave him the ability to focus on much more productive things, than letting his thoughts wander in the places he's not supposed to go.
Not spoil the notion itself.
He yawned, rubbing his eyes. The clock posing atop his cabinet glared at him. The room was dark. Eight: twenty-five. He got away from his bed and did some stretching.
Wait, he froze. It's… gone. He lifted his left hip. The pain was gone. There's no trace of soreness in his body. He usually experiences weeks of pain by just walking, let alone running. Forceful running, he means. What an age to live with a sick frail physique. And the game-like panel is…Also, gone. He blinked two times, there was no trace of it. Having his nasty delusion faded, the teenager breathed a sigh of relief.
What a pain…
No cap. Nothing could beat sleep when it comes to stress extinguishing. There had been a saying on Earth before. A good sleep could help you beat meat. He smiled wryly. Right?
Seil's abdomen spasmed, it growled, craving for anything to drain. He forgot that he hadn't eaten anything today due to his being tranced and played up.
He went outside his room. His boots creaked, pattering on the floorboard. Entering the dining room, he saw grapes littered on the plate partnered with darkened juicy bacon and a fried egg around several slices of toasted bread.
He leaped out of his instinctual need to satiate his hunger, salivating. Seil gobbled them up, all the way down without caring about his soiled greasy lips. His thoughts wandered as he gulped the cold fresh milk. Today sure seemed different. Seil knew it. He knew how persistent the old man was – whenever he was acting strange or doing crazy stuff. He had predicted he would go inside his room to check him out.
And today. Today seemed quiet. But he was thankful enough when the old man left some food.
Ugh, I feel like a douchebag since yesterday.
He licked his lips. He couldn't justify how – kind of an ungrateful brat he was sometimes. As he consumed the food, his hunger vanished, and his thoughts – in contrast, were simply darkening.
A striking realization struck his mind. He clutched his head. He had remembered something – something invaluable, something important —
ǝuıp ǝuǝɯɯøɹp ʌɐ snl ɓo 'ʞɹǝʇs ılᙠ
In the flooding hysteria, a muddled but somewhat feminine voice reverberated. It should've been crystal clear – yet his mind – yet his mind couldn't decipher it. He was utterly incapable of doing so.
Seil could feel a hand latching onto his shoulders. The old man, Bora, stared at him with his eyes consumed by doubt.
"Seil? What happened?" The bearded man asked.
"What – why though?"
"You have been scratching your hair madly for more than two minutes. Are you sure you're okay?" He bore his gray into his blue orbs, hands tightly holding his shoulder.
"Really? Eh," he dropped his gaze, "I remember something from the past. I – I remember it now –"
He didn't notice it. The old man did. His voice was rising. His lung contracted.
"What did you remember?"
"It's strange. Fucking strange." He mumbled. "Do you know what it is – I bet you do." He chuckled.
" Sei —"
"Congrats, "The teen grinned, flexing his pearly white teeth. "From a mentally disabled kid to a worthless abandoned dog – Dang, damn – what an exhilarating metamorphosis."
The bearded man's eyes tightened. "No. You. Are. Not. What kind of thought is that?!"
Seil huffed. His grin changed into a smirk. "It's my mother…"
"...Your mother…?"
"Yeah. Shit." he muttered, "Turns out… I expected too much."
"Your mother – what about your mother?"
"It's nothing to think of." The dark-haired teen stood, freeing himself from the older man's grasp. "You sure you really wanna know?"
"Yes, child."
Hearing the noun used to him he couldn't help but click his tongue. His blue eyes dimmed. "It's a face – her face… I couldn't remember correctly what she said but – but her eyes are full – well I'm not sure."
"Tell.." Bora squeezed his throat. "Please tell me more about what happened."
"My mother is in that photo right?" asked Seil, which prompted the other to nod. "Well, I'm right. That's her looking at me with – uh probably – what we call this again? Apathy. Right?" he squeezed his eyes. "Holy damn. Am I crying? Such a softie."
A stern silence permeated the area. Bora's mouth opened. "Did she stare at you without any emotions?"
Seil nodded.
"Pwa" Bora clenched his mouth, attempting to suppress himself. He finally cackled, and it made the younger man deadpanned at him.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
"What do you mean get huh?" He glared. "Do you think I'm joking?"
His cackling somehow stopped. "Well, as someone who saw how your mother lived her childhood. I see where you're coming from, but –" his brows furrowed, "You're still nothing but a kiddo!"
"Hmhm?"
"Hah, your mother has been like that since she was young. Unlike you, I was there to witness her birth. We thought she was not alive or breathing but her eyes. I saw it. She's looking at me with serene amusement. Strange right?" he sighed. "She was born different, special they say. We don't know, I don't know that much about her either."
This is infuriating, Am I overthinking? He gritted his teeth. What's wrong with me?! His ability to make the situation worse sent him to the edge. For years, this hold him back greatly, now not only that – he even damn cursed someone close to him –
I wonder what kind of person is she…?
"I… I apologize," he averted his gaze, "Did nothing but mess up again."
At his reconciliation, the old man smiled. "No harm done, we all have shortcomings. We just have to better ourselves, and admitting mistakes is a good sign that you're on the right track."
He hoped he was right. Seil prayed that their relationship would remain unharmed. "By the way, gramps – I'm wondering why you're not lending me some books this past month, so annoying."
"I… there's… there is a kid outside," He shut his eyes, "A bit younger than you by a few years. He's… your average playful energetic child. Unlike your passive approach when it comes to things, this kiddo loves adventure so much."
"This kid?" Seil tilted his head. "Who's this kid?"
"You wouldn't love to know who this is, because you can't even make friends yourself."
"Huh? I can't make friends? Of course they're nothing but immature brats –"
Bora flicked his forehead. He hadn't seen his movements. Too fast. It hurts.
"What's that for?!"
"You ask for it you goddamn kiddo!"
"I'm just asking about the name of the kid, you don't have to resort to violence delinquent gramps!" he yelled back.
"See? How Am I supposed to introduce you to other kids if you're acting so emo?!"
Oh, right… Seil rubbed his forehead. "Alright, alright my bad. I just can't stand kids, that's all," he admitted, "But how does it connect to how you monopolize the books? Hmm… Even though I tried to bribe Alden with some sketches of a lewd woman, he's not lending me the book at all."
The old man's cheeks went red, he growled "You brat…" he sighed, "Forget it. I'm just… afraid to spark that kind of adventure to you and you might do some crazy things like running away."
"The hell? Cool… then." Seil deadpanned. "Just please give me a logical reason why I would throw myself away to homelessness –" He spoke melodramatically.
Bora glared at him, his nose scrunched in irritation. "This ungrateful brat! Do you want a smack? I'm trying to be serious here."
"I'm sorry –"
"Seriously this kid's level of sarcasm is world-threatening," Bora stroked his beard.
"Ah, but really. You're aware I hate pain, right? Let alone starving in the outside world where they hate our sore eyes that much." Seil's face drew smugness. "Damn people."
He flicked his forehead again.
"Aw?! What did I do?"
The old man cackled. "Don't disrespect our Scarlet eyes that much. It's your third strike for being a bad kid. As for why I'm restricting myself to read books," he paused, "Your mother ran away from home when she was young, younger than you brat."
Hearing this statement, the teen, smiled wryly.
"That's…" Seil retorted. "Ridiculous right?"
"I know, she behaves well outside. That's why we didn't have the chance to stop her from her escape. Of course, we're so afraid – what could a damn girl do in a vicious outside world where her scarlet eyes would be exposed."
Seil was doubting if she's his legit biological mother now, really.
Bora continued. "Then we realized that your mother is a bit… special. She beat an adult in arm wrestling when she was six years of age. Can lift logs with ease. Befriend animals, carnivorous animals, many many more."
"Eh, that's wild. I don't want to know her anymore –" Seil sweated profusely.
Bora laughed once more. "See? She was a freak of nature. I'm not making things. But, I have never seen her smiling her whole life. Maybe she feels empty in her state of life and decided to venture off into the unknown to give herself a purpose."
The teen rolled his eyes. "Purpose my ass, she just ran away from her responsibilities as a parent."
"Well… it depends on you on how you will take it. You are already fourteen years of age. I can understand where you're heading. Can't blame you for that," he paused, eyes narrowed, "But I only hope to cease your grudge to her. Soon, you will understand soon enough what I'm trying to say.
Seil exhaled. "So… no ban on books now?"
"Hah, I guess you win this time kid but…" Bora surrendered helplessly. "I have been thinking since last night that maybe this is the right time to disclose the truth to you."
"So you've been hiding things from me?"
"...In the literal sense, yes. But hear me out first will you?"
"Oh, sure." he swallowed. Moment of truth huh? Just hoping he's not fucking with me.
The old man's gaze tightened. "...Do you want to know?"
"Ye?"
"I am saying this for your well-being. Do you wish to know the truth?"
"Yes?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes."
"No regrets?"
"Yes!"
"Final question, are you —"
"The hell is wrong with you old man?!" Seil blurted. Seriously, he couldn't bear this oldie's shit.
"Right, ahem." Bora coughed. "As you can see, I'm not your real father."
The two stared at each other. Seil narrowed his gaze, clearly unimpressed. "You've already told me that, besides even an idiot could tell."
The bearded man scratched his hair "Good… eh. And your mother, as I have told you, she's alive out there."
"Where?"
"She's… not in this world anymore. "
"So she's already dead?"
"What I mean not in this 'Known world'"
"What?"
Bora averted his gaze and looked at the windows. The night was young, stars twinkling at them from above, indeed a wonderful sight. Seil acknowledged that he never had this love for scenery before in his past life – probably, he couldn't remember. He just felt it that way.
"Forget it. But she wants to meet you."
Bullshit, he rolled his eyes. "Meet me? She could've done so a long time ago."
"She said to me that," Bora started. "When the time comes I should impart you her words. If you want to meet her, you should become a hunter. "
"You mean Pro Hunter, one of the most dangerous jobs in this world. Highest death rate. Full of ugly brawny man –" Seil spat in disgust.
Bora sighed defeatedly. "It's hard to believe this, but your mother is a Pro hunter. She told me that if you want to know her, do it the hunter way."
"But you said that I shouldn't do some adventures – that's why you're restricting me to know more about the outside world right?"
"I did, but…" The old man's eyes cast down. "I forgot my promise to her, I forgot to honor her word. And you, her son, deserve to know her will."
Damn it. I don't get it. Why did I suddenly gain a shounen archetype of parents? Is this some kind of novel cliche where I would be the protagonist? What wishful thinking. He wondered. "So, what now?"
"I will respect your choice. You can stay here all you want, but if you want to go for her I wouldn't stop you but…"
"But?"
"But you have to qualify for our test first. There's no way I would let you go outside when you're not that dumb."
"Dumb?" Seil smiled dryly, "Are you crazy old man?"
"What I am saying is indeed the truth. Knowledge isn't enough, you need much more, for example; Talent and determination."
"Talent?"
"Yes, the talent to adapt in situations. Talent to defeat bad people and impose justice. Talent for socializing and survival."
Talent.
Talent.
Talent.
Talent.
Talent.
Something was clicking. He shut his eyes, thinking. Then it clicked. His eyes opened. "Do you mean… talent for Nen?"
Bora's body turned stiff, shocked. The teen eyed the aged man curiously.
"How did you know that?"
Should I tell him? Wait, he would probably I'm going crazy. I need to know first. "Eh, from some book?"
"What book?"
"I… forgot."
This is… Seil remembered the HUD this morning, wondering if it was his hallucination. From what he could tell there's some sort of secret about this Nen stuff – and he would wanna know. The reason he had repudiated the HUD earlier was due to the anxiety, he didn't wish to think of anything that much. Stress overload sucks.
He shut his eyes again. There was no HUD with English characters. Then, he thought of an idea. Not so great, but worth doing so.
Abracadabra –
Failed.
Alakazam –
Failed.
Hocus pocus –
Failed
Open sesame –
Failed.
Mojomojojojojojojo –
Failed again, maybe I should speak vocally? No, he couldn't. The old man would get doubtful of his behavior. Although he trusted him, there was no way he would act like an idiot. Seil intended to test it in his room, he didn't know what kind of deadly curse this panel might inflict on others.
The HUD had a game-like panel, Maybe.
Status –
Seil
Nen Talent: H-167
Nen Category: Locked
Nen Quantity: Locked
Genetic traits: Scarlet Eyes - A Rank(Suppressed/Cursed)
Body Condition: Cursed - Rank ?
Π
Passive: Unrestricted Self Development(Passive)– Rank ?
The power to develop skills, traits, and abilities without restriction.
Holy cow – is this for real?
"Seil."
He turned around to the voice. "O-oh yeah?"
"Are you okay? Did you remember something about your past again?"
"Uh – no – I'm just curious about that – I mean Nen."
"Right," the old man looked at him worried, "I think we should continue this talk tomorrow."
Seil gritted his teeth. "Why? Things are just getting interesting though."
"I… your mother told me that I shouldn't let you know what Nen, no matter what."
Seil glared at him.
"Your mother also said 'If he somehow discovered Nen on his own, and he asked you about it. He should go to Izen and not you' that…"
"Izen? That weird bullock dude? Can't you make it easy and tell me? Not like she would know." The teen blinked.
"I can't. I honor your mother's word."
This dead bitch and this old man. They're getting on his nerves, no cap.
"Alright, alright I'll ask Izen right away tomorrow."
Behind the delinquent-esque complexion, his eyes glisten thinking of how events will unfold.
Sorry peeps. The protagonist ain't like Gon who was driven to become a hunter at the very start. He isn't talented in nen either (at the early game). This story is not about a meta-gaming SI with solid canon knowledge. He doesn't know anything and was suffering from dissociative amnesia, but some things will be revealed later on.
I'm new in this writing stuff, so constructive criticism is very welcome. Thanks.
I'm also open to suggestions for the plot as ideas would greatly help the story.
Shocked, not many are not into HxH.
This is also an AU. :