72-Hour Tower — Fourth Floor Descent
The lantern-lit corridor stretched far longer than it first appeared. At a glance, it was just a hallway—narrow, metallic, damp from condensation. But the deeper the group walked, the more the walls seemed to lean inward, as though the Tower itself were quietly inhaling around them.
Their footsteps echoed in unsettling, uneven patterns. Gon's footfalls were crisp. Killua's soft. Leorio's loud. Kurapika's measured.
Ethan's…
Ethan's echoed twice.
He slowed, glancing back.
Nothing behind them.
The lanterns swayed as if stirred by a breeze that didn't exist.
Kurapika noticed Ethan's shift.
"Something wrong?"
Ethan shook his head gently.
"Just… listening."
Killua sniffed the air. "The scent changed. Something's ahead."
Leorio muttered a prayer to no one in particular.
"Please don't be another impossible riddle…"
They reached a wide circular room. The floor was split into black and white tiles—like cracked obsidian smashed into cold marble. The giant iron door at the far end remained sealed shut with thick chains.
A monitor flickered above.
TRIAL FOUR: SHADOW CORRIDOR
OBJECTIVE: CROSS THE ROOM WITHOUT LETTING YOUR SHADOW BE CAUGHT.
FAILURE: IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM EXAM.
TIME LIMIT: 20 MINUTES.
Leorio shouted, "CAUGHT by what?!"
The walls answered with a sound like something heavy sliding through the dark.
Gon's eyes brightened. "Whoa…"
Killua smirked. "This looks fun."
Kurapika's expression tightened. "This is dangerous."
Ethan said nothing.
Because the moment the monitor finished speaking, the Panel flared to life beneath his sleeve—sharper and more urgent than before.
---
PANEL — ENVIRONMENT ALERT
Entity Detected: Shadow Mimic
Habitat: Light–Darkness Differential Zones
Behavior: Hunts shadows, not bodies
Rule: If your shadow touches a Mimic → capture
Weakness: Break line of light, disrupt shadow length
Recommended Action: Maintain minimal shadow presence. Use lantern swings as timing windows.
Extractables:
• Mimic Residue — minor stealth boost
• Shadow Step Fragment — mobility potential (costly)
Risk Level: Moderate–High
---
Ethan's pulse sharpened.
Shadow Mimics were dangerous but predictable—if you understood light.
Gon stepped toward the first row of tiles when the wall beside them bulged.
A dark, ink-like shape pulled itself free—flat at first, then rising into a vaguely humanoid silhouette.
Its head cocked sideways.
Searching.
Killua muttered, low.
"So that's what catches shadows."
Leorio grabbed Gon by the collar.
"DO. NOT. MOVE."
Gon froze.
"…Okay."
Kurapika studied the lanterns overhead.
"They sway… irregularly."
Ethan nodded.
"That's the key. When the lantern swings, shadows shrink or stretch. If it stretches too far—"
"—it'll hit the Mimic," Killua finished.
"And that's game over," Leorio gulped.
The floor tiles began to brighten and dim in a steady, almost heartbeat-like rhythm. A trap layered inside a trap.
Another deep rumble.
More Mimics oozed from the walls.
Three.
Six.
Nine.
They lined the edges of the room like silent sentinels.
Shadows stretched toward them—slowly, hungrily.
Gon whispered, "We have to move together."
Kurapika nodded.
"If one of us moves off-beat, the shadow will pull and could touch a Mimic."
Killua pointed ahead.
"The room's divided into four crossing zones. The lanterns overlap at intervals. We need to time each zone perfectly."
Leorio looked like he was calculating his own funeral costs.
"And if we mess up?"
Ethan glanced at the door at the far end, then at the swaying lanterns.
"We won't," he said calmly. "Just follow my steps exactly."
Gon nodded immediately.
"Okay!"
Kurapika's gaze sharpened.
"You've already studied the pattern?"
Ethan shrugged once.
"Just noticed some things."
Killua smirked.
"He noticed all the things."
They formed a loose line—Ethan at the front, the others following closely.
THE FIRST ZONE — BREATH AND STILLNESS
Ethan placed a foot forward, timing it with the lantern's swing to the left.
The shadows tightened beneath their feet—short, harmless.
The Mimics twitched but stayed still.
"Step," Ethan whispered.
They stepped.
"Stop."
They froze as the lantern swung right—shadows stretched long and thin across the tiles.
One shadow nearly touched a Mimic's reaching tendril.
Leorio choked on his own spit.
"WHAT KIND OF PSYCHOPATH DESIGNED THIS ROOM!?"
Killua laughed silently.
Gon whispered, "This is like a game!"
Kurapika's focus laser-sharpened.
"Don't get distracted."
Ethan spoke softly, calmly, letting his voice carry just enough confidence to anchor everyone.
"Three more beats… Then move."
The Panel overlaid a glowing line—like a safe path through darkness.
He followed it effortlessly.
The others followed him.
Shadows avoided Mimics by centimeters.
They reached the second zone.
THE SECOND ZONE — THE ROTATION TRAP
The lanterns above began spinning slowly now, not swaying.
Killua clicked his tongue.
"They're speeding up."
Ethan murmured, "The pattern's stable. Circular. Predictable."
Kurapika agreed.
"We need perfect timing."
Leorio groaned.
"Why is this a Hunter Exam… not a murder exam!?"
Ethan inhaled, timing each breath.
"When I say go… go."
The lanterns spun faster.
Faster.
GO.
They moved, hopping across the alternating black and white tiles as the spinning lights twisted their shadows into spirals.
The Mimics lunged—
—only to miss by inches as the group slid into the next safe angle.
Gon laughed excitedly.
"This is AWESOME!"
Killua smirked.
"At least it's not boring."
Kurapika kept up flawlessly.
Leorio… somehow survived through sheer panic.
Ethan kept them perfectly aligned.
THE THIRD ZONE — THE SHADOW DOUBLES
Halfway across, the floor shifted with a thunderous click.
New shadows appeared beneath them—
—incorrect ones.
Shadow doubles.
Killua's voice sharpened.
"Those aren't ours."
Kurapika stiffened.
"They're decoys designed to mislead."
Leorio's eyes bugged out.
"IF THE WRONG SHADOW TOUCHES A MIMIC DO WE ALL DIE!?"
Ethan used the Panel's overlay—faint, subtle, unnoticeable to anyone else.
"The darkest shadow is fake," Ethan said simply.
Gon nodded.
"Then follow the lighter one!"
Killua copied instantly.
Kurapika followed elegantly.
Leorio panicked again but managed to match their pace.
The Mimics surged—
Then fell still again when the lanterns slowed.
They reached the final line of tiles.
The last lantern swung gently, almost lazily—like a conductor finishing the final movement.
"Last stretch," Ethan said.
They waited.
Stepped.
Stopped.
Stepped again.
And crossed the final boundary—
—just as the Mimics snapped their tendrils toward the fading shadows.
The moment the group's feet hit the final platform…
The Mimics dissolved into smoke.
The floor lit up gold.
The door's chains shattered.
The monitor chimed:
"SUCCESS — SHADOW CORRIDOR CLEARED."
TEAM COMPLETION BONUS GRANTED.
Leorio collapsed instantly, face-down.
"Tell my family… I tried my best…"
Killua nudged him with his toe.
"You're alive, drama queen."
Gon pumped his fist.
"That was amazing teamwork!"
Kurapika exhaled in calm relief.
"You led us well, Ethan."
Ethan shrugged lightly.
"You all followed perfectly."
The Panel glowed beneath his sleeve, acknowledging his performance.
---
PANEL — TRIAL CLEAR
Trial 4 Complete
Deviation Risk: Zero
Reward: +150 PP
Trait (Unlocked): Shadow Sensitivity I
Extraction Option: Shadow Step Fragment (300 PP)
New Mission Path Unlocked
---
Killua cracked his neck.
"What's next?"
Kurapika looked toward the new doorway.
"Only one way to know."
Gon grinned.
"Let's go!"
Leorio rolled onto his back, groaning.
"I need a minute… or ten…"
But Ethan was already looking into the darkness ahead.
Because the next trial wasn't just difficult.
His Panel whispered something new, something ominous.
Something he had not yet encountered in this world:
"NEN SIGNATURE DETECTED AHEAD."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
This was where the Tower truly began.