Adultrio

The bright sunlight momentarily blinded me as we stepped out of the tunnel. Tall trees stretched into the sky, their leaves weaving a thick canopy overhead. The fresh scent of earth and foliage filled the air, almost too perfect—like we'd stumbled into some enchanted forest.

Kurapika crept beside me, with Leorio lagging just enough to keep us in earshot. Speaking of Leorio… earlier, he'd casually mentioned that he was a teenager like us. I had thought he was in his mid-30s.

"Hey," Kurapika said, breaking the silence. He pulled a water bag from his satchel and offered it to me. "Do you need one?"

I shook my head in response. Kurapika shrugged and took a sip from the water bag.

"Oi! Why did you only ask Mei? I'm the one who needs it more!" Leorio's voice cut through the calm, his forehead creasing in irritation.

Kurapika clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed, but handed over the water anyway.

A sly chuckle escaped me. They were oddly entertaining, almost endearing in their bickering, though I couldn't admit that out loud.
We lingered for several minutes, waiting as more participants finally caught up.
Satotz spun around, hands clasped behind his back. He cleared his throat. "We've only completed half of the first phase. The second phase awaits us at the end of this forest. I'll continue to lead, but I advise sticking close. There are dangerous creatures in these woods—some of which prey on humans. Keep your reflexes sharp."
Great. More running. With monsters this time.

As Satotz turned to leave, someone shouted, "Wait!"

All eyes snapped to an injured guy kneeling on the ground, struggling to catch his breath. He glared at Satotz and wheezed out, "That's not the real examiner! I am!"

I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Satotz. He stood motionless like he couldn't be bothered by the accusation.

Turning back to the injured 'examiner,' I watched as he staggered to his feet, holding up… a monkey? That, somehow, looked exactly like Satotz. "He's a fake! Just like this monkey! A creature that can change its appearance!"

I blinked. Something was off. An examiner was supposed to be a strong, and capable hunter. This guy seemed… off. And his story was flimsy. A hunter getting taken down by a monkey? Please.
The other applicants looked confused and surprised. They gasped, glancing between the two figures, doubt creeping into their faces.
I just stared. Of course, they're buying this.
And just as suddenly as it started, it ended. The fake guy crumpled to the ground and a handful of playing cards lodged in his head. My gaze snapped to the source, but Satotz moved faster, plucking the cards from the air with an almost lazy efficiency before they scattered.
The clown chuckled, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Any real Hunter would've dodged that easily," he said, his voice was smooth and almost smug. "So, you must be the real examiner."
I raised an eyebrow, not at the stunt he pulled, but at how sharp his deduction was. Beneath all the theatrics, there was a brain. I hadn't expected that.
Satotz caught the card midair and handed it back without so much as a blink. His tone was steady, but the way he lectured the clown about attacking an examiner had an air of quiet authority. The clown didn't look remotely sorry, just smirked like he'd already moved on to his next game.
The second Satotz turned back, the crowd scattered like startled birds. The four of us exchanged a look before falling into step, following him again.

The fog thickened fast, swallowing up the group ahead. The trees felt taller, the shadows stretching longer. Soon, I couldn't see anyone else.

Kurapika motioned for us to get closer to Satotz, and we did. But somewhere in the haze, everyone drifted off, disappearing into the mist. I clenched my jaw, quickening my pace. Splitting up in a forest like this? Brilliant. Just brilliant.

"They're nowhere in sight," I muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear.

"And Gon and Killua aren't around either," Kurapika added, his eyes scanning the area. His gaze stopped suddenly, and his expression shifted into surprise, maybe even concern. Without a word, Leorio and I moved to his side, curious about what had caught his attention.

"Why did you stop—" Leorio started, but Kurapika clamped a hand over his mouth, silencing him. With a subtle tilt of his head, he motioned for us to stay quiet and pointed left with a slight nod.

I slipped behind a tree, Leorio scrambling to do the same. Peeking out, I froze. A group of men… and someone in the center. Someone who looked vaguely familiar. It seemed like…

"Stay low and don't let them see you," Kurapika whispered, his eyes locked on the scene ahead.

"Isn't that Hisoka?" Leorio murmured, his voice barely audible. "Are they… trying to kill him?"

We didn't answer him and our focus was fixed on them. My ears picked up their conversation, these idiots were seriously planning to kill Hisoka because they thought he was too dangerous. With their numbers, they were sure they had this in the bag.
"Damn, he really must be dangerous that these men want him dead," Leorio commented.

"Damn, he must really be dangerous if they want him dead," Leorio muttered.

"Shut up," I hissed under my breath.

"Right, sorry."

I gripped the tree tighter, trying not to lose sight of the clown. It was hard to believe he was outnumbered like this—ten, maybe twelve of them—and still had that smug look on his face. The odds of him surviving this were slim, but there he was, just watching them like it was all some kind of joke.
The group closed in on him, forming a circle. Hisoka didn't even flinch, just let his hand rest casually on his waist, smirking at the crowd of fools around him. It was almost like he was waiting for them to make the first move.

I was taken aback as the group charged at the clown, weapons raised. Hisoka's eyes sparkled with amusement, a twisted grin stretching across his face.

What a fucking maniac.

In the blink of an eye, his grin turned dark, and sadistic, like he was already savoring the end of those men's lives. Without a second's hesitation, he flicked a card and swung it in a perfect circle. I gasped as I watched their bodies crumple to the ground, lifeless before they even hit the dirt.

My heart raced, my body froze, and my mind couldn't process what I'd just seen. He'd killed them all without even moving from his spot.

I gritted my teeth, a cold chill running down my spine. We need to get out of here, I thought as my panic rose. If we didn't move now, we'd end up just like them.

I forced myself to move. I met Kurapika's and Leorio's eyes, both of them looking just as shaken as I felt.

"W-we need to—"

Before I could finish, Hisoka's voice slithered over us like a snake. "Are you going out~? Or shall I come there~?"

My blood went cold. We all froze, exchanging glances. Kurapika shrugged, as if giving up. He seemed ready to face whatever the clown had in store.

I closed my eyes, realizing there was no way around this. I wasn't getting out of here without facing him.

We stepped out from where we were hiding, and the clown's eyes flickered. He was entertained by us giving in.

"Care to play Examiner~?"

I swear my heart jumped straight into my throat as he started walking toward us.

Great. At least Emilio doesn't have that creepy, sadistic grin on his face.

I slid my hand into my pocket, ready for whatever came next.

"Wait for my signal," Kurapika said, his voice steady.

I shot him a quick look.

"Then we split and run in opposite directions," he added.

"We what?" Leorio asked, his head snapping toward Kurapika.

"He's more experienced in actual battle," Kurapika said, eyes narrowing. "The three of us won't stand a chance against him."

No kidding. This exam just went from bad to worse.

I closed my eyes and nodded, muttering under my breath, "Yeah, it sucks to admit, but even with all my fighting skills, I'm nowhere near his level." I opened my eyes and glanced at the clown.

"Plus, we can't waste any more time, especially if we're gonna get ourselves killed," Kurapika added, his tone sharp.

The clown was still closing in, and that's when Kurapika gave the signal. Without thinking, we all took off in different directions.

"Hm~ clever move," he chuckled, that creepy laugh sending chills down my spine. I swallowed hard.

This guy's a fucking maniac.

I was running full speed, just trying to get the hell away when I heard Leorio shout something about fighting the clown. I froze, slapping my face in frustration. What the hell is wrong with him?

We don't have a chance! But I can't just leave him!

I yelled out to Kurapika, who stopped too, shaking his head in disbelief. I rushed over to him, grinding my teeth. "We can't just leave him! If we do, he's gonna get himself killed."

"I know," Kurapika muttered, frustration clear in his voice. "I don't want to leave him either."

I turned back, watching as Leorio charged at the clown, swinging his stick like a madman. Of course, the clown dodged effortlessly. Leorio overextended, losing his balance and crashing to the ground like an idiot.

Then the clown moved in, his fingers just inches from Leorio's neck. But then the fishing rod lashed out, smacking him hard across the face, leaving a red mark.

"Not bad, little boy~" the clown cooed, his eyes widening with twisted amusement as he looked at Leorio.

I stared, my jaw dropping, as Leorio was sent flying by the clown's punch. What the hell? This was getting out of hand. I couldn't just stand here while he toyed with them.

I clenched my fists, my irritation boiling over. I had to do something, or we were all going to end up like Leorio.

Kurapika grabbed my arm before I could move. His grip was firm, his expression intense. "You're being reckless. We wait for the right moment."

I glared at him, frustration building. "Right moment? He's already been knocked out. How much more waiting do you think we need?"

Kurapika's gaze softened for a second, but his voice didn't waver. "If we rush in now, we'll just make it worse. We need a plan."

I bit back a curse, but deep down, I knew he was right. Still, watching Leorio struggle to get up was getting on my nerves.

Leorio gritted his teeth, determined. "I'm your opponent! Come at me!" he yelled, charging forward with all the confidence he could muster.

The clown didn't even flinch. With a swift, almost lazy motion, he slapped Leorio down with a punch that sent him crashing into the dirt.

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as I saw Gon struggling in the clown's grip. No. Not like this. My blood boiled, watching that sick smile spread across the psychopath's face as he got off on Gon's fear.

I didn't care about the consequences anymore. Without thinking, I grabbed a coin from my pocket and bolted toward them, ignoring Kurapika yelling after me. I had to do something to stop this madness.

I quickly lined up my shot, my hand steady despite the pounding in my head. With a flick of my wrist, the coin flew through the air, cutting through the clown's cheek. I barely saw the blood before he staggered back, looking stunned for a moment.

Gon collapsed behind him, but I didn't even flinch. My eyes locked onto the clown, and I was already panting. "Let go of them and fight me!" My voice came out sharper than I wanted, but I was done waiting. This ends now.

"Let go of them and fight me!" I shouted, trying to catch my breath.

The clown's eyes locked onto mine, and I swear I saw a hint of approval behind that insane grin. "You made me bleed," he purred, practically glowing with amusement.

"So?" I shot back, my voice colder than I intended. What, was he expecting me to apologize?

This is it, Mei. You're not backing down. Don't let him get in your head.

The clown chuckled darkly. "A little feisty, are we~? What's your name?"

I raised an eyebrow, matching his grin. "None of your business, clown."

Without waiting for him to move, I flicked a coin in his direction. He dodged it effortlessly and then disappeared. I cursed under my breath, scanning the area in a panic, trying to figure out where he had gone.

Before I could even react, something hit me hard from behind, slamming me to the ground and knocking the air out of my lungs.

I rolled on the ground, pain gnawing at me, but I didn't have time to focus on it. The cold feeling hit me fast like ice running up my spine.

I forced my eyes open, and there he was, straddling my stomach with his hands already tightening around my throat. I couldn't breathe.

"My, my," he purred, staring me down like I was his next meal. "It's rude not to answer when asked nicely. So, what's your name?"

I didn't answer him. I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. I kicked at his back with everything I had, but the bastard didn't even flinch.

Desperation kicked in. I grabbed his wrist, trying to pry his fingers off me. No luck. It felt like steel was crushing my neck, and I couldn't even get a decent breath.

I twisted his wrist, my vision starting to blur, but the grip only tightened. The pressure in my chest made it harder to focus, and I could feel the darkness creeping in.

Is this it? This is how I die?