ECHOES BEYOND THE DOOR || Hisoka X OC

014 || The Price of Survival

(A/N) - Trigger warning: attempted s/a

Quasar brushed herself off and took in her surroundings. The stone chamber she had landed in was dimly lit, with torches casting flickering shadows across the rough walls. The air was thick, stale, and heavy with the scent of dust and stone. A narrow passageway lay ahead, its mouth dark and uninviting, and she could just make out writing along the stone frame of the doorway.

"Only those who see without sight will find the way."

She frowned, mulling over the words as she ventured into the passage. The ground underfoot was uneven, forcing her to watch her steps as she navigated the dark, winding path. After a few paces, she turned a corner and felt a subtle shift in the air pressure.

The walls widened, and she entered a cavernous room. A series of small, raised platforms dotted the floor, each leading to the other side of the chamber where another doorway stood open. Beneath the platforms, there was only darkness; she couldn't see the bottom, if there even was one.

Suddenly, she heard the hiss and rattle of a mechanism behind her. The door she had entered through sealed shut, and the platforms began to move in random sequences, some rising, others sinking, while the rest shifted horizontally. Quasar felt her heartbeat quicken. She needed to reach the other side, but every second, the path shifted, complicating any attempt to memorize a route.

Taking a steadying breath, she leapt onto the nearest platform, crouching to steady herself as it trembled beneath her feet. She waited for a moment, gauging the rhythm of the platforms' movements. Her eyes darted from one platform to the next, following their sequence before she jumped to the next one in line, then another. She felt a surge of relief every time she landed safely, but one misstep could mean a deadly fall.

Halfway across, she nearly lost her balance as a platform dropped unexpectedly, but she managed to leap just in time to catch the edge of the next one, pulling herself up. The door on the far side seemed to be inching closer, and with one final jump, she made it across, landing breathlessly but unharmed. The door opened as she approached, and she quickly stepped through, relieved to leave the shifting platforms behind.

The next chamber was smaller, with four stone pillars standing in a line down the center. Each pillar held a carved stone figure—an animal with its eyes closed. She approached the first statue, which was of an owl. Beneath the owl, a small plaque was inscribed with a riddle:

"I am not awake, yet I see all around me. Which creature is my enemy?"

Quasar frowned, her fingers tracing the etched stone as she considered the riddle. If the owl was "not awake," that likely meant it was nocturnal. Owls hunted at night and had keen senses, especially sight. She pondered the options and spoke aloud, "The eagle."

A faint click sounded, and the door on the opposite side of the room opened slightly, allowing her to advance to the next pillar. This statue depicted a lion, poised as if in mid-roar, its mouth open in a silent challenge. Another plaque read:

"I am king, yet all I fear is someone with a sting."

Quasar thought for a moment, then smiled as she murmured, "A scorpion."

The door opened a little wider, and she continued through the series of statues, each requiring her to solve a riddle to progress. After the last riddle, the door swung open fully, and she walked through, feeling a surge of satisfaction. She was beginning to appreciate the brainy challenges of Trick Tower.

The passage wound downward, and after several minutes, she arrived in a cavernous room lit by low, blue torches. The temperature dropped, and an eerie stillness hung in the air. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on a tall figure standing in the center.