The Aura

Hunter Exam

The girls walk towards a concrete wall that is both tall and wide. They stop walking and notice the large group of people waiting.

"Look at all of these people!" exclaims Juliette. "Everyone looks so serious."
"Yes. They are anticipating what is to come." says Scarlet.

The girls are given their numbered badges. Juliette is 319 and Scarlet is 320.

A short round boy a few years older than the girls approaches them. He has a big smile on his face.

"Hey! New here, huh?" asks the boy.
"What do you mean?" asks Scarlet.
"This is already my fourth attempt at the Hunter's exam." he answers.
"Really?" asks Scarlet, shocked.
"Yep. That's nothing. My uncle took the exam thirty-five times!" answers the boy.

Juliette has a shocked expression on her face.

"It took him thirty-five times to pass the exam?" asks Juliette.
"Oh, no. He never passed." he answers.
"What?" exclaims Juliette and Scarlet in unison.
"The name is Zonpa." he introduces himself. He reaches into his bag and hands each one of the girls a can of orange juice. "Here's to new friends!"

Zonpa smiles as the girls open their cans. He is using the same laxative Tonpa used back when he was the "Rookie Crusher." Tonpa is now using his nephew to continue the tradition.

The girls are about to drink the juice when another boy runs over and kicks Zonpa down.

"Don't drink that!" he exclaims.

The girls have a surprised look on their faces.

"He poisoned that! This guy is bad news." he continues. "You should stick with me from now on."

"Hell no! How do we know you two aren't working together?" asks Juliette, angrily.
"I agree with my friend," says Scarlet.

The girls walk away.

"Not even an introduction?" he asks.
"There is no point. We will not be forming an alliance with you." answers Scarlet.

The girls continue to walk away and the boy smiles as he watches them leave.

The examiner stands in front of the wall.

"Can I have your attention please? The first phase is about to begin. This wall behind me is twenty feet tall. You will be required to pass it. Feel free to use whatever method you choose. You have three hours. Your time starts now." instructs the examiner.

The girls stare at the concrete wall. A few of the other applicants have already started climbing the wall. One applicant quickly makes it to the top and screams as he jumps over.

The girls' eyes widen as they look up.

"What the hell just happened?" asks Juliette.
"I don't know. It appears there is some sort of trap at the top of the wall." answers Scarlet.
"Then how are we supposed to climb it?" asks Juliette.
"The examiner didn't say we needed to climb the wall. He simply stated we needed to pass it. There must be another way." answers Scarlet.

The girls start to feel the wall to see if there is a trap door. Other applicants are doing the same.

Two hours pass and the girls are still standing where they started. About a third of the applicants have already given up.

"We are running out of time! I say we just try to climb this thing!" exclaims Juliette.
"No." grunts Scarlet as she pushes against the wall, looking for a door. "I'm telling you, there is another way."

Thirty minutes later, Scarlet successfully finds a small hidden door. She opens it and the girls crawl through it. They stand up to find themselves inside of the wall. It is poorly lit.