Killua's POV.

Throughout the ride, I was wide awake. I couldn't get a good sleep while we're travelling. Whilst, these fools are really...so handful!

Gon's head was on my left shoulder, he was fast asleep. While Alyssa's head was on my right shoulder, she was also fast asleep. My eye twitched in annoyance as I scooted uncomfortably between them.

"Hey, the kid with silver hair!"

I looked up to where the voice came from and saw the merchant who was driving in the front seat. "What?"

"We'll be stopping in this village for the night and continue in our voyage tomorrow." he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Have you forgotten? I still have to deliver these goods to my clients? Plus, my hometown is this village. I have to give them those stuffs first." he said.

"No." I said as he turned to me for a second and then back to the road.

"Oh come on, pal! My horse is already dead tired. Give it a rest." he said.

But I couldn't care less about his damn horse in the first place.

"We're paying your overpriced amount, you better do your job, old man." I added.

"O-Overpriced? What are you talking about." his voice was shaky, I can sense him trembling from the back.

"I think 80,000,000 Jenny is far too expensive for a single journey in a carriage half a day." I stated.

"We could report you for raising the standards of the actual payment if we want to, however, you might lose your job because of this." I smirked.

"...You don't want that, don't you?"

I heard his tongue clicked, he was frustrated, it seems. I could see through him, he is so obvious anyway.

"How about we make a deal, kid?" he says as I raise my eyebrow.

"What about I let you guys stay in my place and feed you in your content as long as we stay for the night here, in this village." he says.

"You serious?" I asked as he cracked a laugh.

"Of course I am! I don't want to go to jail and have handcuffs in my wrists after all..." he said irony.

I am having my doubts here, right now. But then, I thought about these two idiots safety, I sighed.

"You have to let us ride in your carriage the next morning," I said.

"Of course." he says.

I closed my eyes for a second. "As long as were clear. No harm done."

Then I opened my eyes second after, I'm not type of person who trusts people easily so I'm being alert and careful in my every action.

"But if ever you broke our deal, I'll have your head chopped off."

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"It's nothing too much, but its all I can offer." the merchant said as he opened his door to his house.

We were standing in front of the doors of this person's house, it looks ordinary, but it would do.

I felt someone tugging my sleeves as I turned around to see Alyssa rubbing her eye tiredly. "Hmm? What is it?"

"Where are we?" she softly asked.

I smiled. "We are at the old man's hometown. For now, we will stay in his place for the night and continue to travel at morning."

"Why?" Gon asked.

"Well...aren't you two hungry?" I asked them.

They both nodded. "Figures..."

The wooden door opened as the merchant let us go in first, we went in the house which was cramped inside.

"Daddy!" a child ran up to him, I suspected that he's his son.

"Eren!" he says as he crouched down and hugged the child.

"Welcome home, sweetie." a woman whose age is seem like to be in mid 30's walked up to him with a smile.

"I'm back, Emily." he stood up as the woman kissed his cheek.

Then I coughed as they turned to us, they seem to have forgotten that we're here in the first place.

"Oh my, who are these children?" the female called Emily asked her husband.

"They're my passengers. They are headed to Totori district in the first thing on the morning. So I decided they should stay here for the night, my horse is tired as well." he explained.

"Is that so? Sorry, you kids. We're really poor so we could only offer you few things." she smiled shyly.

"No, it's fine, mam. We are glad for letting us stay in your household, thank you for your hospitality." Alyssa politely says.

"My! Aren't you a cute one?" the woman giggled upon seeing her.

"Emily." the merchant says.

"Oh, sorry. I couldn't help myself, pardon." the woman says.

"Come, children. I'll show you your room." she says as we followed her.

They gave us three rooms each, I didn't expect that. I thought that they're letting us sleep in the same room.

I flopped myself on the bed, it was soft. I indeed felt really tired, then the door opened as I looked up and saw the merchant.

"Its time to eat, kid." he says as he was holding a tray of food for me.

"I'm not hungry." I murmured.

"Is that so? I'll leave it here on the table just in case you got hungry." he said as he was about to place the food on the table when I spoke.

"You could just give that to those two, I'm too tired to eat." I told him.

"I already gave them their dinner. You need to eat, kid. Your not gonna survive with an empty stomach." he says.

"Actually, I could live for three days without eating or drinking anything." I said, not moving an inch on the bed.

"Even so, aren't you quick witted?" he says as I heard him put down the plate on the table.

"You stole the key to my carriage, didn't you?" he says.

I sighed. "So you do know..."

"Of course. I've encountered with lots of thieves before, but to think a scrawny child like you stole something valuable to be." he said.

I dive in my hand in my pocket as I grabbed the key and tossed it to him, tiredly. "That's what you get for raising the bill. It's too overpriced if I should say."

"Well, sorry about pal. We need money right now..." he says as I kept quiet, not really interested. 

"My wife, Emily, is suffering in an unknown sickness...I needed money to get her check up to a doctor. Sorry." he says.

"I don't really mind." I replied.

"Anyone would do anything for the people they cared for." I added.

"Well...thanks for understanding, kid. Good night." he said as he turned off the lights and closed the door.

I opened up the night light beside the bed, it was one tranquil night. I looked up to the ceiling, silent as ever.

"Stealing an untitled book, huh? Sounds pretty shady." I mumbled, remembering the mission that Kurapika assigned us.

It's kinda odd for a book to have no title, maybe...that book has a title and just hidden? Or is it really...

"Blank?" I mumbled.

Then the door creaked open as I sat up to see who it is and saw Alyssa standing outside.

"Alyssa? What's wrong...?" I asked.

"U-Um...Killua, can I sleep with you?" she shyly asked.

I blushed. "W-What...?!"

"T-The mister t-turned off the lights in the room...I panicked as I ran out of the room, I-I got scared so...I-I..."

I chuckled. "Can't sleep alone, hmm?"

She nodded while fidgeting. "C-Can I sleep with you? That's if...you don't mind."

I blushed as I adverted my gaze. "Do what you want! I don't care."

"If you don't want to, it's fine. I can just go and ask Gon—"

"I said its alright, stupid!" I yelled.

She flinched as I blushed. "S-Sorry."

Alyssa closed the door from behind and walked up towards me, "Thank you for letting me stay, Killua."

I adverted my gaze away from her. "I-I don't really mind...sleeping with you."

I heard her giggle. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, really." she smiled.

She sat on the bed beside me as I felt my face really warm for some reasons.

"Hey Killua...can I tell you something?" she says.

"Sure, what is it?" I grinned.

"There is a hidden fact about the Witches that even the government didn't knew..." she says.

"What is it?" I asked.

She looked down, away from my gaze. She fiddled her hands quietly, uneasiness filled her face.
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"Females' heart are extremely fragile, once it turned pitched black...they can turn into a Witch."

My eyes widened, surprised about this horrible truth. I felt cold sweat rolled down my face all of sudden, I don't know why but, fear enraptured my heart.

"It is possible that Emily-san is infected by the Witch's curse..." she seriously said.

Emily? That old man's wife? I thought.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"I never failed in tracking Witches down, I'll know it right away when there's one...who wouldn't?" she said.

I don't really get what she's talking about as I changed the topic. "Do you know how to undo the curse?"

"It's impossible. Once the curse is activated...it cannot be undone." she says.

"How will you know that there's a curse?" I asked.

"If the target is feeling ill and melancholy, the chances are high. And then once you've been infected...the curse would start enveloping your body, ruining your mind." she says.

"Then...there are no chances of saving her?" I asked.

Alyssa slowly shook her head, "unfortunately...once you've been infected by the Witch's curse, you will certainly die."

"So...we can't really save her, huh?" I said, feeling kinda sorry.

"Well, that's what I know. I'm not really sure if there is no cure...If possible, I want to help her." she says.

"Hey Alyssa, if you try to save someone you can't save, you'll both end up sinking." I said.

"I know that..." she says. "But, It wouldn't hurt to say that I want to save her...She seems to be a kind person."

I chuckled. "Your just too nice."

Then I leaned my forehead on her shoulder as she flinched from my touch, startled. But then soon relaxed.

"Hey Alyssa, can I ask you a favor?" I murmured.

"What is it?" she spoke as I felt her fingers caressed my hair, it feels good.

"Can you let me sleep in your lap when I'm tired?" there, I said it. Now I'm embarrassed.

"Anytime. I'll sing you a song while I'm on it." she added with a small smile.

"I would like that." I blushed as my nose crinkled, she smelled like strawberries.

"I want to thank you again, Killua...for saving me when I first met you, until now, you are constantly saving me. Really, thank you."

I closed my eyes as I dozed myself with her intoxicating perfume, I felt really bliss being treated like this. I hate to admit it but...I actually likes this.

That's backwards, Alyssa. I should be the one to thank you for saving me from my darkness...you are also my light.