Hunter X Hunter : The Boundary

Chapter 33: Mist and Hallucinations

The fog grew thicker, and the runners became disoriented shadows. The ground was a slippery mire, and the air was a chaotic sea of gasps and splashing footsteps.

The run was not over. Satotz's figure still wavered in the distance, a relentless, unhurried phantom leading them deeper into madness.

The group's rhythm had completely collapsed. "Let me through... my brother... he's over there..." an examinee mumbled, veering off into a thicket of vines and vanishing without a sound. "The water is talking," another whispered, clutching his head. "It's laughing at me."

The flora of the Numere Wetlands offered hallucinations that were no longer just images; they had wormed their way into the examinees' minds, preying on their fears and dragging them into insanity.

Ryan ran on, maintaining a steady pace. He had completely sealed his Nen with Zetsu. He was relying on pure reason and experience now. He could tell some were on the verge of breaking. Their breathing was ragged, their footsteps dragged, and they slapped at their own bodies as if warding off invisible insects.

A few seconds later, he heard a low growl through gritted teeth. "I don't want to die here..." Someone's footsteps resumed, steadier now.

The wind began to change, a sign that the environment was guiding them forward. The "hallucination maze" phase was beginning. The terrain seemed to repeat itself, folding back on itself, trapping runners in an endless loop. "This isn't right, we just ran this path!" "We're back again!" The group descended into complete chaos. Some stopped, some cried, some clawed at the mud.

But Ryan was still moving. He observed the moisture levels of the ground, the direction of the wind, the way the grass was bent. He began to subtly alter his own path, his footfalls a trace for others to follow. He left a slanting path here, a light print there, a clear indentation near a stone slab.

A trio of lost examinees noticed. "Listen! Someone just passed by!" "Footprints! There are new footprints here!" "The fog... I think it's thinning!" They followed his path, and soon, a sense of hope spread through their small group. "This way is right!" one of them shouted.

More people began to follow their new route. Ryan continued his silent work, creating new paths, leaving new clues. He was untangling the knot of the maze by showing everyone else what to look for.

The chaos slowly transformed from an unsolvable quagmire into a shallow mire that one could at least struggle through.

He passed by a few examinees sitting on the ground with vacant eyes, their minds still lost in the illusion. He deliberately ran past them, the rustle of the grass catching their attention. One of them instinctively stood up and began to follow, not knowing why, only that the "air felt fresher" in that direction. The others followed him.

Ryan knew the finish line was near. The fog felt lighter now. The run was not over, but the direction was back in his hands.