(Flashback)
July, Hunter Year 1994
In the lush green forest, a raging fire soared into the sky, illuminating a towering tree deep within the woods.
Startled by the flames, birds took flight, fleeing the disaster.
Some unfortunate birds suffered unknown injuries and fell into the blood-soaked village.
The middle-aged man ignored the white bird at his feet, still flapping its wings in an attempt to escape. He crouched down and wiped the blood from his face, his hands trembling as he gripped the boy's shoulders. Looking into his slightly clouded eyes, he said, "Pairo, take your little brother and escape."
Pairo gripped the twin blades at his waist, determination filling his eyes. "Father, please let me live and die with the Kurta Clan."
Smack! A sharp slap left Pairo frozen in place.
The man shouted sternly, "You are our clan's hope! Besides, could you bear to let your little brother die here with you?"
Only then did Pairo come to his senses. He looked back at Oruto, who was clutching the hem of his shirt.
The scene before him was unbearable. His clansmen's corpses, the screams, and the thick stench of blood made it almost impossible to breathe.
Firelight mingled with blood, staining the forest red.
Pairo's eyes turned crimson, but as he looked at his little brother beside him, he wavered.
At that thought, Pairo's scarlet eyes grew clouded again.
He nodded firmly. "I understand, Father. I'll make sure Oruto gets out safely."
The screams drew closer and closer. The race between life and time had begun.
The man gave Pairo a push and stood up.
"Go!"
With that, he took a fighting stance and charged out of the shattered ruins.
Pairo pulled Oruto along as they raced through the forest. They did not know where they were headed, but they knew they had to escape this place of death as quickly as possible.
"Kurapika, thank goodness you're not here."
Pairo looked up at the sky, but the dense branches blocked the fading light of sunset.
He turned to Oruto beside him, his eyes filled with resolve. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll keep you safe."
To Pairo, Kurapika and Oruto were the most important people in his life. Kurapika was his closest friend, while Oruto was the little brother he had cared for since childhood.
The Kurta Clan was a little-known people who lived in a mysterious forest.
Outsiders rarely had the chance to meet them. Even when an explorer occasionally stumbled into the village, the clansmen quickly sent them away.
Whenever they watched those outsiders leave, Kurapika and Pairo brimmed with curiosity, imagining leaving this boundless forest themselves and seeing the world beyond.
But because of their age and the clan's rules, they could only learn about that unknown world through books.
The two often went into the forest to play together, until an accident nearly cost Kurapika his life.
Pairo saved him in time, but fell into a ravine and injured his legs in the process.
Treatment improved his injuries somewhat, but his legs never returned to their former condition, and his eyesight grew increasingly blurry.
Yet those setbacks did not stop them from pursuing their dreams.
By chance, they rescued an outsider girl who had lost her way. From her, they learned about the Hunter profession, and she gave them a book about Hunters.
The remarkable profession and the world described in that book captivated them both.
Through hard work and Pairo's help, Kurapika finally earned the clan chief's approval to venture out and gain experience.
"Pairo, I'll definitely find a way to cure your eyes and legs. Then I'll come back for you, and we'll explore the world together."
Those were Kurapika's last words to Pairo before he left. His pale blue eyes were filled with longing for the outside world and determination to keep his promise.
That look was a ray of light in Pairo's blurred vision.
It was hope, and it was longing.
Even if that longing was now beyond his own reach, Pairo hoped Oruto could fulfill it in his place.
They had no idea how long they had been running through the forest. It was already late at night, and there was no sign of pursuit behind them.
Still, neither dared slow their hurried steps. They only occasionally looked back toward their clan's village, where the fire seemed to have dimmed a little.
Thanks to his training with Kurapika when they were younger, Pairo's stamina was still holding out despite his old leg injuries, sustained by his determination to protect his little brother.
After running beyond his limits for so long, unable to see the path beneath his feet in the darkness, Oruto finally tripped over a massive tree root.
"Oruto! Are you all right?"
Pairo turned back and helped him up.
"I'm okay."
Oruto braced his hands on his knees, barely managing to support himself.
He panted heavily, taking a long while before looking up at Pairo. "Brother, can we go back?"
Pairo shook his head firmly. "No! We have to leave this place."
"But I want to go home..."
Oruto lowered his head, his voice trembling with tears.
After all, he was only a boy of six or seven. Fear of the unknown and helplessness brought out the vulnerability natural to his age.
But from Pairo's perspective, at a moment when their lives hung in the balance, it seemed far too willful.
"Wherever we are, as long as we're together, that's home. Do you understand?" Pairo explained patiently.
Oruto suddenly looked up at Pairo, hope gleaming in his eyes. "Will Mom and Dad come with us too?"
In the dim night, darkness had almost swallowed the forest, but Oruto's eyes shone like burning stars, radiating a scarlet glow.
Faced with those expectant eyes, Pairo took a deep breath and tried to steady his thoughts. "They won't be coming, but I'll always be by your side."
Those words were filled with resolve and responsibility. Like a heavy mountain, they extinguished the embers of excitement glowing in Oruto's eyes.
Seeing how exhausted his little brother was, Pairo knew his strength was almost spent.
So he slowed his pace and walked beside Oruto, giving him a brief chance to recover.
However, the peace did not last long.
In the windless forest, the branches behind them suddenly began shaking wildly, as though heralding their pursuers' approach.
Pairo's heart tightened, and his hand instinctively reached for the hilt at his waist.
He turned to Oruto. "Run to the right, as hard as you can, and don't look back. If you really can't run anymore, find a tree with red fruit. There'll be a small hollow at its base. Crawl inside and hide."
"Okay." Oruto nodded.
Pairo continued, "Do you remember the breathing technique I taught you? If you hear anything, find some thick undergrowth to hide in, and keep your breathing in rhythm with the wind. Do you understand?"
Oruto nodded, worry filling his eyes. "Brother, what about you?"
Pairo took the uncut, blood-red crystal from inside his shirt and placed it in Oruto's palm.
He pointed at Oruto's hand, which was tightly clasped around the crystal, and reassured him with a smile. "Haven't I always been by your side?"
Oruto had seen this crystal before. Ever since Kurapika left, it had often appeared in Pairo's hand, and Pairo frequently stared at it in a daze.
Now, watching the crystal shimmer with a faint blood-red glow in his palm, Oruto felt an inexplicable unease rise within him.
He was afraid of losing Pairo, the older brother who had always stayed by his side.
He asked quietly, "Brother, are you going to leave me behind?"
Pairo gently patted his head. "Go ahead. I'll catch up as soon as I can. If I can't find you, don't let your Scarlet Eyes appear. Understand?"
Oruto nodded, his eyes reddening. "I understand, but I..."
Pairo's gaze suddenly hardened, and he cut Oruto off. "There's no time! If you don't leave now, I won't be your brother anymore!"
Although Oruto was only six, after everything that had happened, he already understood what Pairo meant.
He gripped the crystal tightly and raised his head, trying hard to make out Pairo's equally young face.
Taking a deep breath, he ran forward with every ounce of strength he had.
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