The dark figures loomed over her, laughing cold, raspy laughs that sounded like dead leaves being blown across a sidewalk on a chilly day.
She tried to move but felt her limbs chained down to the ground. The darkness of the room only made her feel more uneasy.
"She is yours, Master," one of the figures hissed, and a more intimidating presence entered the room.
"You've done well. Now leave us~" The dark figures filed out of the room quickly, leaving the new presence alone with her.
"Now where were we~?" Piercing golden eyes turned on her as a mouth of sharp teeth were bared. "I've finally found you~"
Her terrified scream pierced the air.
Ryoka sat up in bed, panting.
She had dreamed about him yet again.
Looking over the edge of her bed, she saw Ryusei and Yuto fast asleep on the ground as they snored softly. Likewise, Ponzu was resting with her head down on the small table in their room.
Everyone seemed to be getting peaceful rest before the final phase except Ryoka.
Not wanting to return to the land of dreams, Ryoka silently exited the room.
***
The quiet that permeated the air and the absence of the sun in the cloudy skies signaled that it was still early morning.
Ryoka sat on a bench, munching on a blueberry pancake. One would've thought the morning before the final phase would be more hectic.
Guess it was just her vivid dreams setting her on edge.
"Well, well. I didn't expect to see anyone up so early." Ryoka started, head whipping around to see Chairman Netero situated at the opposite end of the hallway. Her eyes narrowed.
Why hadn't she sensed him?
Recomposing herself in a split second, she stood up, bowing to Netero with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Chairman Netero. You scared me for a moment there."
"Not to worry, dear." The chairman took a seat beside Ryoka and joined her in gazing out the window. Silence penetrated the air before he spoke once more.
"You really do resemble her."
Ryoka glanced over at Netero in interest. "Whatever do you mean, Chairman?"
Netero gave a light laugh. "Your mother, of course." He accepted the incredulous look Ryoka gave him. "She and I have been friends for quite some time. I'm quite surprised her famed daughter has shown up to take my exam so early."
Ryoka mused for a moment. Her mother was a Poacher Hunter, a woman that would gladly kick someone's a*s for animal abuse.
Ryoka respected that.
"May I ask how she's been? My updates on her recently have been somewhat limited," she said, choosing words carefully. The asylum hadn't been the best place to openly trade information, after all.
"She's been fairly well," Netero replied. He spoke the next sentence in a voice a tad bit lower. "However, she is aware of your predicament. Help will come sooner than you expect." Netero hopped off the bench from where he sat and started pacing away. Rays of sun now painted the walls. It was morning.
Ryoka rushed to catch up to him. "What should I expect, Sir?" Her stay in the asylum was a sensitive and often secretive topic, so she hadn't expected her mother or even Netero to know about it. The fact that they managed to bypass her brother's securities regarding the asylum's events amazed her.
"Oh, the usual, unconventional means." Netero simply said, pausing for a moment to glance at the sunlight now pouring into the blimp's windows. "Considering your circumstances, your mother has gotten you some appropriate security. Although it may seem life-threatening at times, it is quite the opposite." He raised his eyebrows in amusement at her confusion. "I shall leave you to think about it until the exam is over. For now, farewell!"
Netero disappeared around the corner before Ryoka could utter another word. Her mind was in confusion after what she'd just heard, and a cold creeping sensation threatened to overcome her each time she recalled the deeper implications of Netero's words.
Her mother couldn't have sent that for her, could she?
Refusing to acknowledge any wild possibilities, Ryoka shook her head in despair. At that moment, Ponzu and her brothers, chattering noisily, piled down the hallway. The girl's wandering mind stopped, and she broke into a smile.
"Morning, guys."
***
"Had a bite to eat?"
Ryoka waved away the donut Ponzu offered and sipped from her cappuccino instead.
The other girl pouted. "Come on, you can't survive on that much caffeine all day."
"Well, I can argue with you that sugared donuts only consist of carbohydrates, and those disappear from your system even faster." Ryoka and Ponzu stared each other down for a moment before the latter huffed, turning away in defeat.
"Fine. You win, wise-old woman." Ponzu walked off before returning with some sausages. She offered Ryoka one. "Seriously, what's up though? You've been down since we ran into you this morning. Worried about the final phase?"
"You could say that. I got some information about the final phase earlier, and it wasn't exactly sugar-coated."
"I see." Ponzu sipped at her newly-acquired glass of orange juice. "Well, it can't be helped. Hisoka is our next enem-Examiner, after all," she stated, correcting herself.
"I agree." Various shouts were heard ahead of them in the blimp, and the craft seemed to slow down and slowly drop in elevation. "Looks like we're almost there."
"Yeah." Ponzu ate yet another donut. "I just hope we're ready for what's to come."
_____________________________
Hello, peeps!
I didn't plan to come up with another chapter this soon, but here we are. . .
:3 More for you guys~
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Just Jesting With You~♡ (Hisoka X OC/Reader)
Fanfiction|2nd place in Hisoka category - Hunter x Hunter Wattys 2016| 21 year-old Ryoka lives in a world of darkness working in the largest asylum in the region, bound to nothing but an everbinding agreement. Free to roam wild but all the while confined like...
