The following hours pulsed with silent effort once more.
Kurapika moved among them, observing, offering precise corrections, encouraging with a single word.
Gon's aura radiated a steady, comforting warmth around his bluish pebble. Killua's maintained the frenetic vibration of his black stone with metronomic precision, a sign of control honed to the extreme. Leorio, freed from the stress of points, had regained his stubborn focus; his white quartz bathed in a milky, unshakable aura, a true rock of medical will.
Kurapika had them sustain the flow to their stones while performing simple, then increasingly complex movements—walking, crouching, dodging imaginary obstacles. The difficulty grew exponentially, forcing their focus to split, maintaining the fragile link with the inert object while controlling their bodies. Gon stumbled several times, his aura fluctuating wildly. Killua seemed to master the exercise with unnerving ease, his assassin's body reacting on instinct, freeing his mind for pure concentration. Leorio grumbled and sweated but held firm, his quartz steady like a patient on a constant drip.
Time flowed this way in the cave, now a sanctuary of learning, until the light of the sixth day faded again, painting the entrance in purples and oranges.
Then, as the last rays of daylight died, replaced by the bluish gloom of twilight, it happened.
A sharp, crystalline beep pierced the silence. Then another. And another. Four synchronized sounds.
The smartwatches of Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, and Killua lit up simultaneously with an intense electric blue, casting a spectral glow on their startled faces. Each watch's digital screen faded, replaced by a holographic image that sprang up about a foot above their wrists.
It was Rippo, the examiner.
A synthetic, clear, emotionless voice echoed in the cave, broadcast simultaneously from all four devices:
[ATTENTION CANDIDATES.]
The hologram spoke.
[THE HUNTING TRIAL IS NOW CONCLUDED. SCANNING AND TRANSFERS ARE NOW LOCKED.]
A brief silence, heavy with the weight of the announcement.
[RESULTS HAVE BEEN VALIDATED. CANDIDATES WHO HAVE REACHED THE REQUIRED THRESHOLD OF 1000 POINTS ARE AUTHORIZED TO PROCEED TO THE FINAL STAGE OF THIS THIRD TRIAL.]
The hologram shifted, displaying a schematic map of the island. A red dot blinked at the peak of the tallest mountain.
[THE AIRSHIP WILL LAND AT THE SUMMIT OF CYGNUS PEAK IN EXACTLY FIVE MINUTES. TO PASS THIS TRIAL AND BE ADMITTED, ALL ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES MUST REACH THE SUMMIT OF CYGNUS PEAK AND BOARD THE AIRSHIP…]
The synthetic voice paused dramatically as the hologram showed a giant timer starting at 60:00.
[…WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF SIXTY MINUTES FROM NOW.]
The digital timer began to tick down.
59:59… 59:58…
[GOOD LUCK.]
The holograms vanished as abruptly as they'd appeared, leaving the watches emitting a faint, persistent blue glow, the shrunken but fiercely blinking timer on each screen.
59:45… 59:44…
"SIXTY MINUTES?!" Leorio shouted, his face pale in the blue light. "That's at least fifteen kilometers!"
Killua was already on his feet, muscles coiled like springs, his black stone forgotten in his clenched hand.
Gon's eyes gleamed. His bluish pebble slipped from his hand, unnoticed. "We'll make it!" he exclaimed, his aura flaring with excitement and resolve. "It's the final stretch!"
Kurapika calmly picked up Gon's pebble and Leorio's earlier-dropped quartz, slipping them into a pocket of his tunic.
"Celeste," he said without turning. "The island's no longer safe. Desperate criminals or eliminated candidates could turn unpredictable. Stay here, sheltered, until the Association comes for you."
The blue numbers blinked relentlessly: 59:30… 59:29…
Leorio froze for a moment, his gaze locked on Celeste. She said nothing, leaning against the cave wall, her pale eyes resting on him, calm and unreadable.
He approached her, his steps a bit clumsy, stress still plastered on his face. He fiddled nervously with his watch, then let out a sigh.
"I… I promised I'd get your points. To look out for you." His voice was a mix of apology and bitterness. "And in the end, it was Kurapika who did it all. I didn't keep my word."
Celeste stared at him, unblinking. Then a slow smile spread across her lips. She raised a finger and tapped it gently on his forehead.
"You're such an idiot, Leorio." Her tone was neither harsh nor mocking but laced with fond amusement. "I got my points. On my own."
Leorio's eyes widened. "You… what?"
She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I'm not just some damsel to be rescued, you know."
Leorio stood speechless. Then he burst out laughing.
He took a step toward the exit, then turned back one last time. "You staying here?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I'd rather. I've got what I need. And like Kurapika said, it's not exactly safe out there."
A silence settled.
Then, almost reluctantly, she spoke again: "If you wanna see me again, after the exam… There's… there's a bar. In Yorknew City. 'The North Star.' Near a port. They serve awful hot chocolate." She looked away, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I wouldn't mind seeing your dumb face again."
Leorio grinned. He stepped back slowly toward the exit. "Count on me. I'll be back… but as a Hunter."
And he dashed off, vanishing into the gloom, catching up with his companions.
Celeste's final glance met his, a quiet smile on her lips, before he disappeared into the deepening darkness. She remained alone in the silent cave, the steady beep of her own watch counting down the minutes to her extraction, the number 80❤️ glowing faintly in the dimness.
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