Kyle naturally understood Killua's current predicament.
The Nen needle, personally implanted by Illumi, still lay deep within his mind like a vicious, silent curse.
This Nen needle acted like an overly sensitive alarm, screaming wildly whenever Killua faced an opponent of equal or slightly lesser strength, but whom he subjectively judged as 'troublesome'.
It twisted his rational assessment into an insurmountable, paralyzing fear, then forcibly triggered his body's most primal 'flight' response.
Kyle had thought about directly telling Killua the truth. But every time the thought arose, he suppressed it.
Removing it too early might offer temporary freedom, but it could also make him miss the opportunity to forge a more resilient will through confronting fear.
His mention of Illumi this time was not truly to introduce that control freak into this world—that would undoubtedly be inviting a wolf into the house—but rather a deliberate provocation, a strong medicine aimed at Killua's mental affliction.
Killua's understanding of his older brother was deeply ingrained. Illumi's suffocating desire for control was the heaviest shadow of his childhood.
He still clearly remembered that merely because he wanted to speak to a child his age, Illumi could calmly and precisely extinguish that life.
That scene, like the coldest ice pick, carved an indelible mark on his heart, making him profoundly understand that any 'accident' deviating from his older brother's set path would lead to the most brutal eradication.
Now, he had finally broken free with his father Silva's tacit permission, like a bird that had escaped its cage, greedily breathing the air of freedom. He absolutely did not want to face Illumi again, that nightmare-like existence.
"Killua, I know what you're resisting." Kyle's voice pulled Killua back from his cold memories.
"You fear Illumi, and ultimately, it's because your power cannot yet contend with his, which is why he can easily suppress you."
"But have you considered, if one day your strength surpasses his, this fear will naturally vanish."
His gaze was piercing, every word carrying an undeniable force, "A shadow is only a shadow because you turn your back to it. Only by turning around and facing it can you truly conquer it."
"Can one only conquer a shadow by facing it?" Killua's heartstrings were sharply tugged by these words.
However, the moment that thought arose, a sharp, white-hot pain suddenly seized his nerves!
In his mind, Illumi's expressionless, doll-like, exquisite face suddenly appeared, and a voice, cold without a trace of human emotion, echoed like a broken record:
"Don't try to resist... Don't face opponents you can't defeat... Don't resist... Don't resist..."
This voice carried a strange, hypnotic magic, constantly eroding the sliver of courage he had just gathered.
"Killua?! What's wrong with you?!" Gon immediately noticed his friend's abnormality.
Killua was clutching his head tightly with both hands, his knuckles white from the effort, and fine cold sweat even beaded on his forehead.
Gon looked anxiously at Kyle, his eyes filled with confusion and worry.
Kyle silently shook his head, his gaze never leaving Killua. He knew what was happening; this was a fog Killua had to navigate alone.
"I... I'm fine..." Killua gasped, trying to calm the tumultuous pain in his mind.
He keenly realized that this symptom was far from ordinary. As long as he harbored the thought of 'resisting,' intense pain and fear would arrive as expected; once he gave up thinking and chose to obey, all discomfort would instantly subside.
This precise mechanism... "It's Nen!" Killua suddenly raised his head, a flash of realization and angry shock in his blue eyes.
"Kyle, did Illumi implant Nen in me? Just now, when I thought about 'facing' him, my mind was full of his voice, ordering me not to resist! The more I tried to fight back, the more painful and afraid I became!"
Kyle saw Killua himself had discovered the key, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He nodded, stating calmly, as if speaking of a long-understood fact.
"Your conjecture is correct. As far as I know, Illumi is a Manipulator Nen Ability user, accustomed to using Nen needles.
He must have implanted a special 'Nen needle' in your mind. Its function is to force you to abandon resistance and flee at all costs when you judge a situation as 'dangerous'. And even..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the anxious Gon beside him, "In the future, when Gon or I fall into a desperate situation, on the brink of death, this Nen needle might also forcibly take over your will, making you... abandon us and escape alone."
These words were like a giant stone thrown into a calm sea.
Killua was struck by lightning, freezing in place. Abandon Gon? Abandon Kyle?
Flee alone at a critical moment of life and death? How could this be!
He firmly believed Gon was the light in his life, a companion he was willing to protect with his life! But... the uncontrollable fear and the urge to forcibly flee in his mind were so real... For the first time, he felt profound doubt and confusion about his own heart.
"I don't believe it!" Gon suddenly stood in front of Killua, like a hedgehog protecting its young, glaring at Kyle, "I believe Killua! He would never do that! Kyle, what you're saying is too much!"
Feeling Gon's un reserved, sun-hot trust behind him, a warm current seemed to flow into Killua's heart.
Kyle faced Gon's anger without flinching, his voice becoming even more steady and powerful.
"Gon, trust is emotion, but Nen Ability is a rule. Some things cannot be completely resisted by will alone. The only way to conquer fear is to face fear itself.
If Killua can't even bear the thought of 'facing' it, when true crisis strikes, how can you guarantee that the Nen needle won't forcibly twist his will?"
"I believe him!" Gon's answer was without a trace of hesitation, his eyes clear and firm, like the brightest stars.
"No matter what you say, I believe Killua! And, Kyle, you're saying all this, but you actually believe him too, don't you?!"
Looking at Gon's eyes, which seemed to penetrate all falsehood, Kyle's lips finally curved into a barely perceptible smile. Indeed, this was Gon; once his trust was given, it was as unshakable as a mountain.