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On July 1st, 1986, at 11:49 pm and 4 seconds, the last Rose-scaled Monkey of its species was injured by an iron trap and left to die alone and scared. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace on the other side of the ocean, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth. And in a 13th-floor flat in Yorknew City, returning from her friend's funeral, Danielle shot her cheating husband with his mistress still in bed. Simultaneously, a sperm with one X chromosome belonging to Castor St. Ilse dashed for an egg in his wife Emmie.

Seven months later and with a few complications, on February 2nd, [Name] St. Ilse came into the world.

When she was all but five, her parents quickly noticed something that other children on their island did not share.

To say this would imply that [Name] was anything similar to the other kids at Manjushage Archipelago. However, that was not the case here. Even in her toddler years, her parents could sense a faint divide between their little [Name] and others her age. There was nothing outwardly wrong with her, of course, there had never been anything outwardly wrong with her... regardless, the wall was there.

[Name] was quiet, but not in the way everyone expected her to be. She failed to laugh at people's jokes, not understanding why she should when they were not funny. She tried to socialize with other children as her mother had told her, but her voice always seemed to fail her and drift away whenever she found herself in a conversation she wasn't interested in. She had a wacky essence, and she supposed she grew up with it.

It unsettled others.

This uncanny edge of her nature tended to instill a harrowing perturbation in the other kids her age that she, at the time, never truly understood. Her inclination towards spending time in her own company rather than their own was a subject of ridicule among their small groups, always out of the grown-ups' earshot.

Although [Name] didn't give much thought to how other kids perceived her, she did believe that it was best to avoid frightening and unsettling other people. As a result, she was always looking for ways to adapt things to her own tune.

Every day when she woke up in the morning, she would glance at herself in the mirror and pat her face with her fingers to stretch and unwind her face a little. She would even rehearse and study smiling expressions - verbal and facial alike - of lavish grace, just like the ones she watched her older sister and mother do.

She grew with the words "Remember to smile, sweet pea" drilled into the back of her brain, and over time, she learned to put on a disguise, at least to appease the adult figures in her life and island.

Even then, no matter how much she tried and pulled and plucked and twisted her face into the most elegant façades, it was never enough. If kids weren't complaining about the lack of emotion on her face, then they were complaining about her usage of big words in hopes of impressing them. It never worked.

One day, [Name] gave up.

Of course, she knew that just because a single group of immature brats treated her quite unkindly it didn't mean that every other child on the island was that way. A single flower didn't make summer, and neither two did spring; this she understood to perfection.

However, she did come to comprehend the act of learning from her past mistakes, and arrived at the conclusion that if she was so desperate to make friends or to find someone who she could trust, she wouldn't ever be able to be alone and well. So, until the others grow up, she told herself, my own company will be more than enough.

Maybe that's why, when she finds herself amidst other castaways of society in the Hunter Exam, she doesn't feel... as out of place as she would normally feel during a normal day on her island. Their very existence is comforting in a way that lets her feel like she somehow belongs and that she is allowed to exist, without justifications, a reason, or an explanation.

Misty expansions of clouds adhere to the funereal marsh surrounding them. Deserted puddles and muggy ponds brimmed the crevices along the murky path that they marched on like soldiers.

Maneuvering along this marsh was more difficult than running back at the tunnel, especially with Satotz's short notice of the swamp being practically covered with ivory haze. She remained thankful for not having to run at all. Instead, [Name] occupied herself by not taking her eyes off the examiner's flowing emanation.

The twig that was once behind her left ear has been safely stored away in one of her bag pockets to make sure it doesn't fly off, while her flower-themed white hat has persisted to stay in her head of [H/C] hair where it belongs, though [Name] had to bring her hand up more than once to check if it was still there. Her stockings' fragile fabric was periodically nicked by whirling saw grass blades.

The Swindler's Swamp was no place to be lost in. They quickly discovered themselves in a waterway that was empty, save for clumps of floating algae. For an additional cruel irony, the air smells like damp grass, and if she briefly shut her eyes, she was standing on the marshes that belonged to her home.

She lowers her hand from the wood of the broom to touch her leg and it comes back a bit bloody; those tiny saws slicing paper cuts with their teeth into her tights. [Name] flexes her fingers before returning to the task at hand, muttering what she's been muttering for the past fifteen minutes.

"Hickery Pickery, Hickery Pickery, where shall this girl go? Through the fog, into the mist, bring our distance to a close. Hickery Pickery, Hickery Pickery-"

"What are you doing?"

[Name] blinks in surprise and peeks at Killua beside her, glancing at her from the corner of his impertinent cerulean eyes. To her surprise, the two boys had decided to stick around her, always trying to keep up with the speed of her flying broom.

"I'm performing a navigating spell. It helps me keep track of Satotz-san."

The Zoldyck boy holds her gaze for a few seconds, then breaks into a sly smile. "So you are a witch after all."

"...Was the broom not proof enough?" [Name] can't suppress the laugh that escapes her, stupidly amused by his question. "Do you only now realize this?"

Killua's cheeks attain a fleck of bubblegum pink in befuddlement, unexpectedly disconcerted by her frank inquiries. "Wha-No! Of course I already knew! I just wanted to confirm it." He ends in a murmur, looking away.

She giggles at him, "Spending six hours flying in a straw broom wasn't enough proof for you to confirm it?"

"Whatever!" exclaims Killua, "Let's just get in the front."

"Right! That way we'll keep track of the examiner," Gon says, nodding.

"And it'll get us away from Hisoka. That guy attracts trouble. I can smell it."

"Smell it? I can't smell anything." Gon says, then turns his head to the side. "Leorio! Kurapika! Killua says it's better to move to the front!"

Killua grouches, "Man, you really are stupid."

[Name] hears the two aforementioned males' voices behind them.

"Idiot! If I could go any faster I'd be at the front for sure!"

"Don't worry about us! You guys go ahead!"

"C'mon Gon, let's go, we shouldn't be left behind." She encourages with a smile, then moves her flying broom to follow Killua, barely hearing Gon and his 'Wait for me!"

The surrounding screams of their fellow candidates as they meet their bitter fates start building up by ten, yet [Name] can't seem to focus on them as her eyes sparkle like stars in the midnight sky at the numerous wild flora and fauna and fungi that are the cause of these same losses.

A gigantic brown tortoise-looking dinosaur that grows man-luring strawberries in its shell, a small yellow mushroom that sets off a poisonous gas as soon as you step on it, a hypnotic and beautiful butterfly that makes your brain go fuzzy when you see its nebulous flying pattern, and a bird who mimics people's voices to lure others into danger.

She would so tell her father about this when she got back!

"The screams won't stop. Poor guys out there," [Name] says in her usual bluntness.

"It's reminding us to stay alert," Killua states.

Gon looks to the side, his eyes transparent with worry. "I wonder if Leorio and Kurapika are okay."

Suddenly, her entire body shudders. Something's not right. [Name] drives her broom upwards and out of the way just in time as the humongous frog springs from its hidden place and traps Gon and Killua inside their mouths, not even giving them a chance to properly react.

The girl looks down in surprise at the creature that just trapped her two companions, an expression of surprise falling from her lips. As soon as she comes out of her dazed state and sees the frog going God-knows-where, she follows right after and settles to eye level beside it.

"Excuse me sir? Can you please get those two out of your mouth? We were heading somewhere really important and-"

[Name] seals her lips shut just as the frog ceases all movement to glance her way. The curious beast grumbles, suddenly turning blue as if the worst flavor in the world had grazed its taste buds. She gets out of its way as it opens its mouth and vomits, spitting Killua and Gon out in the process.

She doesn't lose a second and flies right in front of them, temporarily dismounting her broom to kneel beside them. "Gon! Killua! Are you both okay?"

"Yeah!" Gon answers with a grin, looking at her for a moment then back at the creature leaving.

She smiles sympathetically. "Looks like you didn't suit its taste buds."

"It was due to this," Killua says, raising up Tonpa's orange can of poisoned juice.

"Oh, did he try to poison you too?" [Name] asks, remembering the masked glare Tonpa gave her when she blatantly refused the drink along with some petty excuse of being allergic to it.

"Yeah, but we would've gotten out of its mouth even without the drink." Killua declares, standing up and dusting himself off. "Anyway, let's go."

Gon looks behind them. "I'm really worried about Leorio and Kurapika..."

"Forget about them. We need to catch up while we can." The Zoldyck boy says again, and rather crudely, might she add.

[Name] mounts her broom and ascends herself into the air, prompting Gon to get up from the puddle of vomit and follow after her. However, he stops himself just as he gets a strange feeling contorting itself in his gut, rotating his head once again.

The hair on her nape stands up. Again? She stops the course of her broom, leaving Killua to advance without her as she instead turns to Gon. The two share a glance, an unspoken conversation traveling between them without uttering a single word. [Name] goes up to him, and the two immediately take off opposite where the white-haired boy is running.

Hisoka's somewhere out there.

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"Gon, look! There he is!"

After some swift incantations of Hickery Pickery performed by the young witch, the two children finally found the twisted magician amidst a puddle of defeated candidates. Leorio was with him, with a big stick in his rough palms acting as a makeshift weapon, seemingly angry at him.

"You were right!" Gon cheerily voices in the quietest tone he can muster to not spook the two males in front. "How did you find him?"

"Killua's the one who was right." [Name] answers, descending from her broom, "His bloodlust is awful, I could sense it all the way over there."

Their attention is pulled back as Hisoka menacingly strides toward the wannabe-medical student, intent obvious in his exquisite yet chilling face. While [Name] remains stranded in place, Gon brings back his fishing rod to violently chuck it toward the jester's cheek, drawing a bit of blood from his lips and temporarily stunning him.

Leorio jerks away from the magician, and turns his head their way to find the two kids.

"Gon! [Name]!"

"We're here."

The boy breathes hard yet is not tired, while [Name] carefully observes Hisoka's reaction with a crystal-clear stare.

Hisoka turns, allowing the girl to see his yellow, eerie eyes. He looks at them.

"Not bad, kid."

[Name] lowers her head in apprehension, gripping the wood of her broom just as Gon does the same with his fishing rod. The girl finds it hard to breathe; Hisoka's aura is frightening and suffocating, like the depths of the sea. Magnificent but glacial, with no way of knowing what hides beneath unless you're brave enough to dive headfirst in.

"Are those a fishing rod and a broom? What interesting weapons~ May I have a look?"

[Name] grounds the soles of her feet on the earth beneath her to remain aware of everything around her. Hisoka's footsteps, Gon's jagged breath beside her, Leorio's wavering frame, and the way he shakily gets up-

He gets up.

"Hey...I'm the one you're supposed to fight!"

There's a sickening crunch, and then Leorio's body glides across the area due to the force of Hisoka's punch. [Name] goes for the stick in her bag, but Gon stops her by grabbing her wrist. Then he lets go and takes off like a rocket.

"Gon, wait!"

But it's too late, Gon has made a clear jump toward the magician, bringing down his fishing rod to hit him when Hisoka's figure vanishes into thin air, leaving a bunch of smoke behind his wake.

"Did you come back to save your friend? What a good boy~"

Gon rapidly tries to strike him but he has disappeared once again, stunning him into silence.

"Mhh, and that look."

Shifting his head, Gon starts to impulsively chuck his fishing rod again and again and again, growing impatient by the second as not a single launch of his seems to even graze Hisoka, who remains with his arms crossed and smoothly paves his way toward him, uttering comments of praise every once in a while.

"You're making me excited."

"Gon!"

At the call of his name, he twists his head to the girl's sweet voice, who has finally found her wood stick and grips it in one hand while the other seizes her broom. Her posture is stiff and her eyes remain like pure glass, even in a situation where she should be afraid. [Name] still stands in her place, which greatly alleviates Gon.

"Use everything around you! The environment is your ally!"

At her advice, Gon nods to himself and focuses back on Hisoka, a gasp escaping his lips once a lightbulb goes off in his head. He tosses his fishing rod but goes for the land in front of the magician, causing dust and dirt to spring up from its place, successfully confounding him.

With an outcry, the green-clad boy leaps from his place like an iron spring and attempts to attack him from behind.

But Hisoka is stronger.

His manicured hand surges to take Gon by the neck in a sort of beastly manner, yet so serene. While the boy weakly thrashes in his hold, Hisoka relishes in his helpless state; so small and talented and sincere, yet not ripe enough to be considered strong.

Hisoka smiles and laughs, gripping his neck tighter as a morbid expression takes over his face. "Excellent...I really love that look."

"Ball of fire, ball of flame, gather for me bright and plain!"

Hisoka releases Gon just in time to gyrate and dodge so the conjured globe of red heat that threatens to kiss his skin doesn't touch him. Still, it grazes the side of his attire, incinerating part of his shirt to a crisp. He stares at his charred top for a few heartbeats, then lifts his head to ogle the wrongdoer.

Gon too, raises his quavering head as he grabs at his neck to relieve the discomfort.

[Name] has her wood twig extended, a bullet of sweat running down her temple by virtue of the summoned ball of fire. She breathes choppily, unevenly, trying to soothe the drubbing inside her breastbone. Nevertheless, her expression remains oddly tranquil. Goosebumps form on her skin once Hisoka smiles at her.

"So, it's true. A young witch is among the candidates for the Hunter Exam. Mhh~ you're not too bad yourself, little peach."

The girl swallows, a bug of discomfort nipping away at her neck. She tilts her head lightly to make eye contact with Gon, wanting to ensure his well-being.

Hisoka watches and laughs, turning his lean frame to walk away from them toward Leorio. She wastes no time and immediately makes a short dash toward the boy her age to kneel beside him. Their attention is on Hisoka once again as he twists himself to face them.

"Don't worry." He speaks in a soft tone. "Your friend is alive and well. Because he has passed. You two have passed too. I hope you'll become good Hunters."

A device went off, most likely hidden in his attire. He took out a walkie-talkie with a screen on it as a distorted voice informed him that they were nearing the Second Phase Venue. He responded and clicked the device shut.

"We all need friends," Hisoka says, grabbing Leorio's unconscious body and slinging it over his shoulder. "You two can continue on your own, right?"

Both kids wordlessly nodded.

"What a good boy and girl."

He then starts walking toward the fog, getting lost in the milky ground clouds.

The clearing and scenery still. There is no wind, no breeze through the fog-covered trees; instead, the world stops as everything sits steadfastly, almost in tranquility. Overwhelming air is what [Name] feels, as if gravity weighs heavier here, falling unto her skin and remaining in position, lionhearted within the dispiriting day.

Never in her life has [Name] seen such a thing, never has she suspected the existence of such a facet among the living beings.

"Gon! [Name]! Are you alright?"

Kurapika's nice voice is what brings her out of her haze.

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"This way."

She manually drives her broom to where Gon is leading the way, guiding both her and Kurapika with his extraordinarily remarkable sense of smell. After the accident with Hisoka, [Name] has managed to regain her personal feel of decorum, her expressions faltering in muted pain every once in a while when her sore hands covered in small burns touched a piece of wood from the broomstick.

The light of the sun allows seeing a clear path in front of them, as it has been a few minutes since departing from the foggy, thick marshes behind them. A few squirrels curiously observe them from their place by the trees, and she catches sight of a cow-patterned lizard before Kurapika speaks, questioning Gon's guidance.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Leorio's perfume is easy to recognize. I can smell it from miles away..." Gon stays quiet for a while, then speaks again. "Hey, guys, what do you think Hisoka meant when he said 'You have passed'?"

Kurapika's eyes stay forward. "I'm guessing he's playing judge."

"Judge?"

"Yes. In his mind, he has his own set of standards to test a person's skills. I guess he uses it to measure a