After losing her home to an elusive group of criminals, Y/n takes the Hunter Exam and meets Kurapika, a boy set out for revenge. As she unfurls the mystery of who she was and who she is, she is caught between love, loss, a tragic past, and a mysteri...
In a faraway land, in a manor on a large country estate, several off-white candles burned feverishly, flickering in the dark night. A girl sat in a chilly underground library at a desk, surrounded by piles of old books, concentrated on drawing a sketch from one book. Her hand was pressed against her forehead as she concentrated on the page in front of her. The candles seemed to cry, wax trickling down from hours of use.
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Her eyes glimmered from the flickering lights. Loose yellowed pages of diagrams of a variety of historical documents, geology, literature, anatomical studies, and even the mechanics of some peculiar machines were scattered on the long desk. The pencil made little scratching noises as she marked the yellowed pages.
"Studying late, huh." An old woman hobbled over to her desk pulling up a chair behind her with her caramel-skinned, shaking hands. Y/n jumped out of her trance.
"Oh, Miss Mariya, please take a seat. Careful, now."
"Take a guess at what I was trying to do," she said sourly. Y/n shook her head, knowing full and well she was a kindhearted woman under her grouchy attitude.
"I couldn't sleep. I'm actually a little nervous for tomorrow. I doubt they'll have a written portion to the exam, but I just couldn't help do a little light reading and sketching."
"I thought you were trained to deal with stuff like this. Who knew it was the Hunter Exam that would break you!" Mariya said teasingly.
"Eh? Oh, you mean Peace Training? Yeah, I guess I could sleep if I tried. Honestly, I wanted to spend more time here before I left," she said, waving at the small library. "I just wish I didn't have to leave at the beginning of January. Winter's to begin. I hate to leave you all in the harshest time."
"Nonsense, a bit of snow's got nothing on us. Besides Avgustin is coming down to help us after you leave. He's decided to come work here, closer to family."
Y/n remembered the Elder's Home's owner Avgustin had told her that the previous week.
"He did mention that to me..." Y/n said admittedly.
"Always so forgetful, you. That's not so good, not so good." the old woman scolded. Y/n could only scratch the back of her head as she chuckled.
"Well, I'll send you letters! I'll write letters and mail them to you, I promise. Although I'm not so sure you'll be able to write back until I'm able to afford a place of residence, which will probably be until after I receive my license. Which I will, I'm somewhat confident I'll receive it and-" Y/n looked up. Mariya only smiled. "I got a bit distracted in thought, huh? Jeez, sorry. You know I try not to be this jittery," y/n said, grinning.
"When you go out there, give it all you've got, y/n. Try not to think of us too much. I wish for you to reach all of your goals. Still..." she hesitated, "don't forget us completely."
"Of course not," y/n said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I've always said that if my life began to feel boring I'd take the hunter exam, just for the hell of it. Now that I actually have a reason, it feels a lot more daunting."
"Well, you didn't make any old discovery, realizing criminals were behind everything. I understand taking on a task like culturally rebuilding an entire society is daunting-"
Y/n looked at her, irritated. "Okay, so when I say it like that it sounds a bit terrifying.
"What I'm trying to say, is that even though the job at building a new community seems big, you'll take it step by step-"
"Mission by mission," Y/n said.
"And soon you'll have all the trinkets and artifacts your tribe lost that day. You'll bring your family so much honor." Y/n's gaze turned hard. Mariya patted her back reassuringly. "They'll be watching every triumph of yours. They'll watch you rebuild the history of your tribe and everything that was wickedly, evilly stolen from you. You'll help so many people."
Y/n nodded tiredly. "I'll make it happen."
"You will if it's what you want."
"It's what I need. I need to know it all. Retrieving everything for the creation of a new community might help me piece together what happened to my tribe. I might not show it, but it kills me not to know what exactly happened. And why I'm alive." Y/n said, staring at her hands. Y/n ruminated quietly, forgetting Mariya's presence.
Y/n's life really was about to be completely turned on its head.
"Well," Mariya said quietly, "It's best I get to my room, now, I can't stay up as late as I used to in my younger days. Help me will you?"
"Of course," y/n said, rising from her seat to help the old woman.
"It's funny to think you'll be gone in the morning, y/n. Not that I'm sad or anything...'' she said as she limped heavily by y/n's side. "We'll miss you."
Y/n only smiled, though she felt her insides turn. Mariya frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's okay to express a bit of emotion, idiot!" she scolded, trying to land a hit on Y/n head.
Y/n's work at the estate horticulture field and horse stable lent no advantage to the old woman's feeble attacks. Despite Y/n's steady stance, she struggled to hold on to her.
"Ms. Mariya! Careful or you'll fall!" she stopped squirming and huffed, holding onto Y/n's firm grasp.
"Tch... you've never changed, y/n." She said as they cobbled together up the dim, creaky wooden stairs.
✨Did you know?✨
The Hunter Exam takes place every January. What's the weather like in January where you live?
