A world with no boundaries

Ikki opened his eyes gradually; his vision was foggy and confusing. He attempted to move his arms, but it felt awkward. When he looked down, he noticed that his forearms were bent at an odd angle and that his skin was protruding from the bones. He attempted to move his legs, but it hurt so badly in his thigh. He screamed in pain, and his body started to shake.

The old woman sitting next to him quickly placed a hand on his forehead, trying to calm him down. "Shh, shh, my boy," she whispered. "You're safe now. Don't worry, I'm here to help."

Ikki was breathing quickly and could feel his heart beating quickly. His throat was dry, and though he tried to speak, it was difficult. He was only able to softly sigh in pain.

The elderly woman smiled at him and gave him a wise look on her wrinkled face. She murmured, "You had a nasty fight, my boy. " "You're lucky to still be alive. Although your wounds are severe, don't get too concerned. I'll take excellent care of you."

She slowly moved her hands over his body, gently examining his broken limbs. She muttered to herself, making mental notes of his injuries.

Ikki nodded weakly, his parched throat making it difficult to speak. He noticed the elder woman's wrinkled face crease with concern as she examined his injuries. She seemed to pity him, which only added to the shame he felt.

As she began to set his broken bones, Ikki gritted his teeth and tried to suppress his screams of agony. He could feel the pain shoot through his body, and tears streamed down his face.

Considering how much suffering she was inflicting, the woman's hands were surprisingly gentle. Ikki made an effort to concentrate on her touch, finding solace in the fact that someone was at least attending to his wounds. He breathed a sigh of relief as she completed splinting his fractures.

He uttered quietly "thank you," his voice barely above a whisper.

She tried to comfort him by murmuring calming words to him. "There, there, it's okay," she softly whispered. "My child, you're a fighter. This is something you can manage."

Ikki's tears flowed freely as he felt the pain slowly subside; he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"You're going to be alright, my child," she assured him, softly caressing his arm. "You simply need to rest and let your body recover."

Ikki smiled at her, recognizing how fortunate he was to have someone like her looking after him. He closed his eyes, the warmth of the fire and the soothing touch of the elderly woman lulling him to sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .

The room was cozy and warm, filled with the sound of the crackling fireplace. Suddenly, the door burst open, and an elder with horn-shaped hair stormed in, arguing with the old woman in their native language. Ikki could only make out a sense of discourse in the air.

Feeling anxious and unsure of what was happening, Ikki looked at the two elders, trying to read their expressions.

The horned elder turned to face him, his face tense. Ikki could only assume what he was saying because he talked in their native dialect.

The old woman seemed to be defending him, speaking calmly but firmly. Ikki wished he could understand her words.

The elderly woman laughed at the elder's fear, informing him that the danger was gone. She talked calmly but firmly, attempting to persuade the horn-haired elder.

"Please listen to me," she added in a firm voice. "This child is hurt and in need of assistance. He poses no danger to our community."

The elder with horned hair shook his head, still dubious. "How can we be certain?" he questioned. "We've had issues in the past with strangers. We cannot afford another assault."

The horn-haired elder shook his head, still unconvinced. Ikki could feel the tension in the room as the two elders argued. He desperately wished he could understand them so he could defend himself .

The elderly lady turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Despite his inability to comprehend her words, Ikki could tell by her soothing look that she was attempting to comfort him.

Feeling helpless, Ikki took a deep breath and spoke up in his own language, hoping they would understand. "I don't understand what you're saying," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

The two elders exchanged glances, perhaps realizing that Ikki could not comprehend their language. The elderly lady faced him, spoke softly, and gestured with her hands.

"We are discussing your situation," she expressed, her voice gentle.

Ikki nodded, showing her understanding of the situation.

Then they walked outside the room.

The argument between the horn elder and the old woman continued outside the room where Ikki was recovering. The elder was adamant that Ikki was a danger to the village and that he should be expelled immediately.

"He's a foreigner; we can't trust him," the horn elder argued. "He could be a spy sent by the hunters of Red Devil messengers. We can't afford to take that risk."

The elderly lady shook her head in opposition. "He is just a kid. Just consider that he is barely alive... What harm could he possibly pose to us?"

The elder crossed his arms with determination. "He lacks my trust. His injuries might be faked. Before it's too late, we need to get rid of him."

Kurapika and Pairo stood outside the house, listening to the argument. They both looked worried, not knowing what to do.

Finally, Kurapika spoke up. "You.. would you truly be so butt hurt to not give him a chance. "

The horn elder snorted. "You're just a child; what do you know about trust and danger?"

The elder scowled at the pair of boys. "You have no right to eavesdrop on the elders' meeting and no right to question our decisions. You are just youngesters and should stay out of adult matters."

Pairo stepped forward, holding up his dictionary. "He doesn't speak our language, elder. He can't communicate with us. We need to teach him our ways and understand him before we let him go."

Kurapika and Pairo exchanged a look, but they didn't back down. "We understand that, elder, but he is just a child too. He needs our help, and we want to be there for him. Please give him a chance."

The elder glared at them for a moment longer before finally letting out a heavy sigh. "Very well. But if anything happens, it will be your families that will pay"

Kurapika and Pairo bowed deeply, grateful for the chance. . . .........

..........

The elder horn, still convinced that Ikki was a danger to their village, gathered a group of villagers to discuss what to do with him. He spoke with a commanding tone: "We cannot risk the safety of our village by harboring an outsider. He could be a spy, sent to destroy us!"

The locals exchanged worried looks; some nodded in agreement while others spoke out in Ikki's defense. "But he's just a kid! He needs our assistance "One villager objected.

Another was included: "We cannot turn someone away who is in need." "That contradicts our group's values."

The elder horn scoffed, "And what about our principles of self-preservation?" "We must put the safety of our people first."

The villagers talked among themselves. They were torn between wanting to help Ikki and being afraid of what might happen. One brave villager spoke up: "I have seen the boy with my own eyes. He is innocent and needs our protection. We cannot simply turn him away."

The older horn grumbled: "You're all affected by sentimentality. I will not jeopardize the safety of this community. We must expel him."

But the villagers stood their ground, determined to protect Ikki. They were aware of what it was like to be an outsider and to experience prejudice from the general public. They would never do it to another.

.........

Ikki gently opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed were Kurapika and Pairo standing by his side, warm grins on their faces. He didn't understand why they were smiling at him at first, but he soon realized they were glad to see him awake.

Kurapika and Pairo tried to talk to him, but he didn't understand a single word they said. They attempted to point to things in the room, but it was futile. Eventually, Kurapika and Pairo pointed to themselves and introduced themselves.

then he responded by saying "Ikki," moving his head slightly. Kurapika and Pairo grinned, happy that he had figured it out.

They kept trying to talk to him, but it soon became clear that it wasn't going to work. Kurapika then pulled out a small book and handed it to Ikki. It was a dictionary of the Kurt clan language.

Pairo pointed at the book and then at Ikki, suggesting that he should study it. Ikki nodded, understanding the message.

Over the next few days, Kurapika and Pairo visited him every day, teaching him new words and phrases. Ikki had trouble learning the language, but he wanted to talk to his new friends.

Kurapika and Pairo pointed to items and spoke the name of the object in Kurt clan language. They also showed him pictures from the book, which helped Ikki understand what the words meant over time.

Ikki kept listening to their stories, and as he did, his memory palace recorded every detail, linking each word to the strange village he was in. He was happy to have made friends, and his language skills quickly improved.

Pairo and Kurapika were amazed at how quickly Ikki learned their language. "Wow, you're like a language prodigy!" Pairo exclaimed, looking at him in awe.

Ikki blushed at the compliment. "It's not that big of a deal," he said modestly. "I have trained my memory since I can remember."

Kurapika and Pairo looked at each other in shock. "But it took others years to learn languages," Kurapika said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, although your accent is still pretty terrible," Pairo added. "It's like you were born to be a language hunter."

Ikki chuckled, feeling a sense of satisfaction at their praise. "Well, I did have a lot of spare time while I was recovering,". smiling slightly.

Kurapika and Pairo nodded, to themselves their eyes sparkling.

"You' could become a hunter like dino," Kurapika said, his eyes sparkling.

Ikki smiled, puffing his chest.

"Although their mispronunciation of mage knight as hunter is pretty weird," he had thought.

"Thanks, guys," he said, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Kurapika and Pairo. "I'm really glad I met you both."

Kurapika chuckled. "Yeah, you're a quick learner." But your speech is still pretty funny. "Do you remember that time with Grandma?"

(Flash back)

Ikki struggled with the Kurt native language, but he tried his best to communicate with the people who had taken care of him. One day, as the old woman was feeding him soup, he looked up at her and said, "Thank you, old man," mistaking the addressing form.

The old woman's face turned bright red with anger, and Kurapika and Pairo couldn't contain their laughter. They rolled around on the floor, clutching their stomachs, with tears streaming down their faces.

The old woman scolded him, but even she couldn't help but smile at the innocent mistake. "It's 'thank you, kind lady,'" she corrected him, emphasizing firmly the proper form.

(end)

Ikki blushed with embarrassment, but he laughed along with the boys, happy to be able to make them smile.

........

Ikki sat in his rocking chair, covered in a warm blanket; his broken body was still on the mend. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, slipping into a deep meditation.

In his mind's eye, he examined his body—the broken bones. He focused on the parts of his body that needed to heal and told his body to heal faster.

As he focused on his body, he also noticed something else. A strange energy pulsed through him, almost like a current running through his veins. He wasn't sure what it was, but it felt...familiar somehow.

He dove deeper, trying to understand this energy. It felt almost like a connection to something greater than himself, something beyond his current understanding.

But as he tried to grasp this energy, it slipped away from him, like trying to hold onto a handful of sand. He opened his eyes, feeling both frustrated and intrigued. There was something there; he was sure of it. He just needed to keep exploring to find out what it was.

He visualized his bones, which were shattered, and concentrated on them. He could feel the warmth of his blood pulsing through his body as he directed it toward his broken bones.

He imagined the bones fusing back together and the jagged edges smoothing out, and he willed his body to regenerate faster. He repeated the process over and over, focusing all of his mental energy on the task at hand.

As he meditated, he felt a strange sensation in his body. It was as if his bones were vibrating, and he could sense the healing process accelerating. He continued to concentrate, pouring all of his energy into the healing process.

He leaned back in his rocking chair, his mind at peace, and he basked in the warmth of the sun.

......

Kurapika and Pairo were sitting on the porch, enjoying the warm sun on their faces and the chilly wind.

"You know, Pairo," Kurapika said, grinning mischievously. "I'm starting to think your eyesight is just an excuse for your terrible aim."

Pairo chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Oh, sure. Blame it on the eyesight," he said sarcastically. "I'll have you know that my aim is just fine. It's the wind that always messes it up."

Kurapika laughed. "Sure, blame it on the wind." "Next thing you know, you'll be blaming it on the stars and the moon."

Pairo grinned, shaking his head. "You know me too well, Kurapika," he said, chuckling softly.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly, Pairo spoke up. "Hey, Kurapika, have you ever thought about what you want to do when we leave the village?"

Kurapika thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I've always been interested in exploring the world and discovering new things," he said thoughtfully. "But I also want to learn more about my clan and its history. Maybe I'll do both."

Pairo nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. "I want to explore too," he said, his voice quiet.

Kurapika put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will find a way, Pairo," he said, smiling encouragingly. "There is a doctor that can heal you."

Pairo smiled back, gratitude shining in his eyes. " Kurapika. I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

As Pairo and Kurapika were lost in their conversation, Ikki sat quietly in his wheelchair, deep in thought. He had been eavesdropping on the conversation of the villagers nearby, asking which town they were closest to, but their answer had thrown him for a loop.

"Nancha City?" he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. "That's not...that's not on Earth."

Kurapika and Pairo looked at him, noticing the paleness of his face and the fear in his eyes. "What's wrong, Ikki?" Kurapika asked, concerned.

Ikki shook his head, unable to form the words to explain his confusion. He looked over at Sara, the village doctor, who was knitting on the siding rocking chair, hoping for some help to make sense of what he just heard.

Sara noticed the distress on Ikki's face and approached him. "Is everything okay, Ikki?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Ikki hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "I...I heard the boys talking about a city called Nancha," he said, his voice shaking. "But that's not...that's not a city on Earth. It's like we're in a different world."

Sara's eyes widened in surprise and suspicion. "What are you talking about, Ikki?" she asked, trying to sound calm. "We're on Earth, just in a remote part of the world."

Ikki looked up at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of lying. But all he saw was doubt and suspicion. He couldn't help but wonder if they were hiding something from him, or if his own paranoia was getting the best of him. Either way, he knew he needed to find out the truth.

Feeling alone and confused, Ikki slumped back in his wheelchair, feeling like he was on the verge of a panic attack. Kurapika and Pairo rushed over to him, offering words of comfort and reassurance.

"Don't worry," Kurapika said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll figure this out together."