The Magician's Dilemma (Hisoka x Reader) (Hunter x Hunter)

Chapter 5

(Y/N)'s Point of View

"The 286th Hunter Exam starts ..."

"Now!"

I looked around swiftly, trying my best to conceal my frantic nature. Where should I go? North? South? East? West? Each direction seemed equally as likely to be correct.

By now, some of the other applicants had already made their decisions and were well on their way. The majority of people were hurrying in the Eastern direction, up a long, winding pathway which snaked up the steep mountainside. Examinees heading this way were quick to disappear into a thick haze which made the trail seem mysterious and dark. A few other applicants took off in other directions, however, they too were soon lost as they headed their respective ways.

To my surprise, not all applicants moved. A few potential hunters stood in the clearing at ease, my strange, clown-like stalker included. When my eyes caught his piercing pair for a moment, he smirked. I turned away with haste. He must really be strange to just wait and do nothing when the exam had already begun. I could not let him distract me.

My motives contradicted themselves; My legs longed to follow the crowd, and charge headfirst towards the deadly peak. My heart wished to take a different, less traveled path in hopes of finding the riddle's answer. My brain wanted only to stop for a moment, to ponder my choices.

The battle lasted only an instant. I sprinted towards the mountain, my feat gaining a mind of their own. I felt dizzy with anxiety, but there was no time to stop. There was no time to think. There was only time to run, and to desperately hope that my choice was correct.

I followed the obvious path, and it was only a few minutes until I reached the pack, or rather, what was left of the pack. At least seventy applicants had headed off towards the mountain. Even though the exam had just began, there were no more than sixty remaining. While continuing to run at a brisk pace, I searched the area, my eyes darting from side to side to locate any sort of movements.

As we ascended, the thick fog made it harder and harder to see. Could it be possible that the other potential hunters chose a different path? It seemed doubtful; the pathway I ran on was likely the only way to reach the top of the peak. There were no splits in the trail, or places to turn. Something else must have happened-

Out of nowhere, there was a sudden, sharp squeal that seemed to last for an eternity.

I turned to see that the sound came from a man originally at the front of the pack. He now laid on the ground in a fetal position, his body contorting from apparent pain. He squirmed ways I did not think possible, all while emitting screams, before rolling off the path and into the unknown. His voice faded out of existence.

I stared at the ground where the man had been just seconds before in shock. I couldn't comprehend what had went on, and so, like everyone else, I continued to run.

This process happened countless more times, yet I still was unable to determine its cause. By the time the one and a half hour mark was reached, only about 30 applicants remained. I kept towards the back of the pack, observing silently and wishing that I would be able to evade the unseen danger.

All of a sudden, it happened. As if in slow motion, a small, rotund, black insect landed on the shoulder of the woman running directly in front of me. It inserted it's long, sharp stinger forcefully through her skin. It remained still for a moment, sitting innocently as if nothing had happened. Not even the woman herself had noticed. The screams began as soon as the insect departed, flying back away into the endless forest.

"Insects... so that's what it's been this whole time." I though to myself, sidestepping the doomed woman as she suffered a terrible fate.

My eyes searched the air as the group of applicants headed onward. I could not avoid the bugs, so instead, I would have to carefully observe. If an insect was to land on my flesh, I would have no chance at survival.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty, and then thirty. With each interval of time came new victims, each seemingly howling louder than the last. This was to be expected. The unexpected came next. After two hours of nonstop running, the trail came to an end.

The potential hunter applicants and I stopped and studied the area, unsure of where to go now. Only fifteen of us still remained. It took only minutes to find a small sign lying still on the ground. It read, "You do not know me."

"You don't know me? What's that supposed to mean!" spoke a loud, intimidating woman. She asserted her dominance over the crowd, acting as if she was the leader of a leaderless group. Murmurs of agreement could be heard from the other applicants.

"I'm going on!" shouted the lady.

"Me too!" said a new voice.

Similar chimes were spoken by the other potential hunters. Seconds later, the applicants had vanished, still attempting to reach the distant peak. I remained at the dead end. Straying from the path seemed to be unwise. The sign was an obvious hint, yet what did it mean?

I became lost in thought "You do not know me? Of course I don't know you! I've never seen this mountain, I've never seen the waterfall, I've never seen this forest! Never in my entire life! In fact, the only place that's even somewhat familiar is the stupid clearing where we started!"

All of a sudden, the answer became clear; an epiphany. The original riddle replayed in my mind:

Where am I, where do I dwell?

Worry not, you know me well.

I am familiar, I am not new.

I am anything but taboo.

"The clearing!" I said aloud, not worrying if anyone could hear me. "Of course it was the clearing all along. It's the only place even remotely close that I know about. The riddle, this whole phase, it was all a trick to test our intelligence! I knew that clown wasn't dumb enough to stay in the clearing for no reason. He must have known all along-"

I stopped speaking as my hand instinctively slammed into my side. I tentatively looked down. Injected into my side was an insect. A dead insect, but nevertheless an insect. The bug, crushed by the force of my hand, hung limply from its stinger which pierced my skin.

I stood frozen as the pain began.

It was a deep kind of pain, the feeling similar to an open wound being targeted over and over and over again. I grew nauseous. My head spun and spun, a constant cycle of dizziness. My muscles tensed. My hand remained on my side, clutching the stinger as to keep it in the wound. The pain was bearable, but if the stinger was to come out and exert the full force of its toxins upon me, I knew I would not leave this forest alive.

Hand on my hip, I stumbled down the mountain. Each step felt like a bed of needles being hammered into my wound, but I forced myself to go faster. I wasn't given a choice. Luckily, the journey was downhill, but I was still unsure if I would be able to make it in time.

As I continued on, my pace slowed from a sprint, to a run, to a jog, to a walk, to a crawl. My body shook and shuddered in unnatural ways as I clawed onward towards the clearing. I glanced at my watch. Five minutes remained in the trial.

"Just a little further..." I thought, willing myself to go on as each precious second tick, tick, ticked by. I clawed my hand into the dirt and pushed with my thighs, moving slowly but surely towards the clearing. By this point, the pain was becoming deadly. My heartbeat was like a bass drum in my ears, and my vision was blurry and red. My throat was a wildfire. I blindly clambered forward.

Without any indication, a sharp, sudden pain was inflicted on my wrist. I felt numb and weightless, my body void of all feeling, as I flew towards the force. I lost myself as my limits were thrust over the edge.

My mind shut down, and without warning, only darkness remained.

Ending it with a cliff hanger this chapter! You'll have to read more to find out what happens ;)

As long as I don't get too busy the next week, I should update fairly soon! Anyways, hope you enjoyed!