Chapter 34: Parents

"Stay out of the kitchen! Go eat in the dining hall."

The chief kicks us out. We walk along, while I pull out some meat I have stashed inside my sleeves. Gon and Killua eats it, I just stare.

Killua: "Wow! Awesome! Look guys!"

Gon: "Hm? What?"

Looking outside, it's dark. Lights are being emitted from the city down below. It makes it look brighter than the stars resting upon the sky.

Gon: "Whoa! It's like the ground is covered in jewels!"

Killua: "Yeah!"

Gon: "Hey, I was wondering… Killua, where are your mom and dad?"

Killua: "Hmm…they're alive. Probably."

Gon: "What do they do?"

Killua: "They're assassins."

Gon: "Huh? Both of them?"

Esther: "That's cool."

Killua: "Hahaha! That's your first reaction? You really are an riot!"

Gon: "Huh?"

Killua: "People usually just think I'm joking. You both actually took me seriously."

Gon: "Well, you're telling the truth right?"

Killua: "What makes you think so?"

Gon: "Just a hunch."

Killua: "That's weird…People only like me because they can't tell if I'm being serious or not. I'm from a family of assassins. And my family has really high hopes for me… But I can't stand it. Who wants to have their life planned for them? When I told them I wanted to decide my own future, they all snapped! My mother had tears streaming down her face as she told me I had the potential to be a top assassin. Horrible parents right? We ended up fighting. So I stabbed my mother in the face, my brother in the side, and ran away from home. I'm sure they're out for blood now. When I become a hunter, I'll start by first capturing my family. I'm sure they're worth some hefty bounties."

Killua turns to me.

Killua: "So how are your parents?"

Gon: "Yeah, you never told me about them."

I freeze, wondering if I should tell them. I mean, they've told about their parents. So I guess I'll tell them mine. It's been years since I last thought about them, how peculiar my father was and how mother was my only light. I sigh, and stare out the window. Gon and Killua seem to take that as a moment of silence. I turn to look at them, I think they can tell I'm hurting.

Esther: "My parents were very…peculiar… I was always being held inside my home, unable to escape. My mother would accompany me and teach me about the outside world while father would be somewhere else. Doing whatever. Mother would always sit in her corner when father came home. The same routine over and over again. He would beat up mother for not making me cry…"

Killua: "Wait, why would he want you to cry?"

Esther: "Can you keep a secret?"

Gon: " Sure!"

Esther: "You may find this strange, but, I can make diamonds from my tears."

Killua: "What?!"

Esther: "It's true. I do not know why, or how I got his ability. But it's caused me more pain then pleasure. And because of this ability, father would try every means to make me cry. You see, mother once told me that father was in debt to some big-shot organization. She never told me the name because she didn't want another reason for us to stay here. Anyways, one day. Mother and I were discussing how to escape when Father walked in. He heard us, and because of that he…he…"

I can feel my eyes burning, but I refuse to cry. I won't cry again, not if it's related to father. Gon gives me a shoulder. I smile, this has become my go-to face. I laugh.

Esther: "He murdered mother. She died from being chocked. I couldn't do anything because I feared father, he was law. The law that I've grew up only ever knowing. And when mother was murdered, he turned to me. I could see that his eyes were unfocused. They stared at me, as if I wasn't even a person at all. Before he could harm me, father heard a shout outside the house. He left, and I ran to check if mother was ok. She was pale, somewhat warm, but no longer breathing. I knew she passed away, it was only a matter of time."

Killua: "How did you escape, and why do you want to go back?"

Esther: "Because mother is still there. I can't just leave her. She wanted to also escape father. When I confirmed that mother was dead, I broke down crying. Then I heard father scream. I looked up and saw someone. Their face was covered, but their eyes were blinding yellow. They approached me, and took me away. But not before burning down my house."