While Lin Yan and the others were playing their "game" in the butlers' room...
Deep within the Zoldyck Family's main residence, in a dark, ice-cold torture chamber...
Killua hung in midair, bound by thick chains.
Whip marks covered his bare torso, and a trace of blood lingered at the corner of his mouth. Yet his catlike eyes held no hint of submission, only cold defiance.
Creeeak-
The heavy iron door swung open, and a towering, mountain-like figure stepped inside.
He had long, silver-white hair like a lion's mane, several vicious scars across his face, and eyes so sharp they seemed capable of piercing a person's soul.
Silva Zoldyck.
"Father." Killua's voice was flat when he saw him, betraying no emotion.
Silva approached him without a word. He simply reached out and snapped the chains binding Killua, one by one.
Clang.
The chains fell to the floor with a clear metallic ring.
Killua flexed his wrists, which had turned purple beneath the restraints, then dropped from midair and landed steadily on the floor.
"You've suffered." Silva's voice was deep and resonant.
"It's nothing. I'm used to it." Killua shrugged as though he couldn't care less.
"I heard from Illumi."
Silva turned his back to him and said slowly, "About the Hunter Exam. About those friends of yours."
Killua's heart clenched.
"Especially the one called Lin Yan."
Silva's tone revealed neither pleasure nor anger. "Illumi said he was strange. His aura was strange, and so were his abilities."
Killua's mind raced.
He knew that every question his father asked could decide whether Gon and the others lived or died.
He couldn't tell the truth.
He couldn't tell his father that Lin Yan was an immortal cultivator, someone walking an entirely different path whose potential might even surpass everyone in the Zoldyck Family.