Kurapika was currently moving rapidly through the city.
The city was noisy and chaotic, but to him, it was as if he were in a dead silent ice cave.
Now, he couldn't hear any sounds from the outside world, only feeling as though he had entered a space of silence.
The information from the news broadcast echoed constantly in his ears, and his blood-red eyes saw not the road ahead, but the heartbreaking scenes from the news footage that were still painful despite being pixelated.
"No, that can't be right, there must be a mistake somewhere."
He mumbled to himself as he walked along.
However, his reddened eyes had already exposed the turmoil within him.
He didn't want to accept the reality before him, precisely because in his subconscious, he had already sensed a terrible possibility.
"Hey! Look at that guy."
"His eyes are so red, does such an eye color really exist?"
"Have you heard of that legend? The Red-Eyed Devil."
More and more passersby noticed Kurapika's unusual state; his fiery red eyes were impossible to hide.
"Calm down, I must calm down."
Kurapika gradually noticed the strange looks from the people around him. He kept repeating this, trying to calm his frantic emotions.
But he simply couldn't do it.
The impact of that news was simply too great for him. The tragic images kept appearing in his mind uncontrollably, and he couldn't help but ponder and speculate about the current situation of his Kurutas.
He didn't even dare to think about his parents, didn't dare to think about what situation his parents were currently facing.
The deeper he thought, the clearer those bloody and tragic scenes became before his eyes.
As he passed a corner, a figure suddenly darted out from a nearby alley. Two hands grabbed him tightly, covered his mouth, and forcibly pulled him into the alley.
This sudden turn of events left Kurapika completely unable to react. He instinctively drew the weapon behind him, preparing to fight back, but his entire body was firmly held by the other person.
He widened his blood-red eyes, staring fixedly at the other person.
Before him was an ordinary-looking man, who was shushing him.
"You're a member of the Kurutas, aren't you? You must be Kurapika, right?" the man asked in a low voice.
Kurapika hadn't expected the other person to know his name.
He then heard the man continue, "Don't shout. I was entrusted by someone to find you and can tell you about the situation of the other Kurutas."
Hearing this news, Kurapika nodded repeatedly.
Only urgency remained in his eyes.
After the other person released him, he couldn't wait to grab the other person's clothes and asked urgently, "How are they now? My Kurutas, how exactly are they!"
"Didn't I just tell you not to be loud!" the man in front of him said with some displeasure.
Kurapika took a few deep breaths, trying hard to calm himself down. He looked at the other person and nodded, "Sorry,"
"I've adjusted my emotions."
Unexpectedly, the man pointed at Kurapika's eyes, "This is not what I call adjusting your state. You need to wear contact lenses."
Kurapika had no mind to care about what contact lenses were at the moment, only focusing wholeheartedly on trying to adjust his emotions.
After a while, the scarlet color in his eyes finally completely faded.
But after a moment, they turned red again.
This went on several times before they truly calmed down.
"Come with me," the man said, and then led Kurapika through the winding, complex alleys.
Finally, they arrived in front of a hidden house.
Kurapika surveyed it cautiously for a long time, and only after confirming there was no danger did he follow him inside.
"Have a seat," the man said unhurriedly. He then paused before continuing, "The situation reported in the news you just saw is true."
As soon as these words were spoken, Kurapika's emotions instantly became agitated again.
He suppressed the trembling of his body, trying hard to control himself. With fiery red eyes, he quietly listened as the other person continued.
"Here's some information for free: the Kurutas were almost completely wiped out. A total of 126 bodies were found at the scene, one of which was blown to pieces."
Kurapika trembled even more violently. His tightly clenched hands couldn't stop shaking, and his head also drooped weakly.
"Based on the clues left at the scene, it can be determined that this was done by the world-renowned bandit group, the Phantom Troupe."
"The Phantom Troupe? Why? Why would they do this?" Kurapika's voice trembled as he questioned him with grief and indignation.
"Of course, it's for your beautiful eyes. What other reason could there be? Many Kurutas were beheaded, and their eyes were dug out."
Hearing about the tragic fate of his Kurutas, Kurapika could no longer suppress the grief in his heart. Hot tears streamed down from his fiery red eyes.
He opened his mouth wide, wanting to cry out loudly, but it was as if something was stuck in his throat, preventing him from making any sound.
Tears like a stream of water slid down silently.
Seeing this, the man could only sigh helplessly. He took out a cigarette and lit it silently.
Even though he had lived in the darkness for years, making a living by selling information and witnessing many tragedies, a tragedy like this was, in his opinion, extremely brutal.
"I was entrusted by someone to find you and tell you not to go back to your original place or try to gather related information,"
"It's too dangerous."
"The person who entrusted me this time asked me to give this to you. My mission is complete."
"I'll leave now. This room will be kept for one night. It's very hidden, so don't worry."
After speaking, the man, smoking his cigarette, pushed open the door and walked out.
Kurapika only heard the sound of the door closing, and then he was plunged into the darkness of the room.
The suppressed grief and sorrowful cries could no longer be held back at this moment. He let the emotions of grief vent freely.
He didn't know how long passed, but only after the tide of grief had slightly receded did he have the strength to think.
"A total of 128 Kurutas... No, counting me, it should be 129. Excluding me, did two others survive?"
Soon, he realized that the person who would entrust someone else to find him, convey such information, and care about his safety must be a surviving Kuruta.
Before, he had guessed that his Kurutas were captured by the Phantom Troupe, but now it seemed that was not the case.
The thought that two other Kurutas were still alive, and that he wasn't the last one left, made Kurapika feel as though he had grasped a final straw of hope, igniting a spark of hope in his heart.
He couldn't wait to pick up the note the person had left. An address was written on it.
After composing himself, he immediately began to make his way there.
After several days of travel, Kurapika finally arrived at the place written on the note.
He didn't act rashly but first sat down in a restaurant across from the address. While silently eating, he observed the activity on the opposite side through the floor-to-ceiling windows from time to time.
Suddenly, a man sat down across from him.
Kurapika frowned, cautiously sizing up the other person.
He saw that the man had short black hair, a gentle face, a sunny and kind demeanor, and a well-proportioned physique.
He was a bit taller than average people and would definitely stand out in a crowd. He looked to be in his twenties.
Overall, he gave off a gentle feeling of being easy to approach.
At this moment, the man was looking at him gently.
"My name is Kevin Carpenberg. You are Kurapika, right?"
Hearing the other person's words, Kurapika's frown deepened, and his hand unconsciously reached for his weapon.
Kevin, however, just smiled and looked at him, saying softly, "Your golden hair is very beautiful, just like your mother's."
This sentence made Kurapika's eyes widen instantly. He was so agitated he couldn't control himself, and he suddenly grabbed the other person's clothes.
"You've seen my mother? Where? She's not dead, right? She---"
Saying this, Kurapika suddenly closed his mouth.
Because he felt an invisible pressure rushing towards him, making him feel a little breathless, as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible large hand, and his whole body was like stone.
"Don't get agitated. This is a restaurant, don't disturb the other diners."
"Let's talk outside."
As Kevin spoke, he placed money on the table.
Under the gaze of the other diners in the restaurant, Kevin led Kurapika towards the door.