A Wanderer's Lies

Chapter 3: First Scenario [1]

Isaac rubbed his head as he got up, slowly searching his surroundings to see he had appeared in a modest room with smooth wooden floorboards and a darker type of the same wood adorned on the walls.

He looked up, seeing the wooden darken the closer it reached the high ceiling till it was pitch black.

Getting to his feet, Isaac looked around, unimpressed by the emptiness of the room.

With only one door, the room was devoid of any life and even furniture…

Before Isaac could finish his words, he turned around, looking past the Senkaimon, only to be met with a female.

With shoulder length black hair with a few strands of white and long eyelashes, the female seemed to be in her early 20s as she wore a simple white kimono.

Isaac couldn't help but stare at her for a few seconds. Her sharp features and noble like, yet strict aura seemed mesmerising.

To put it simply, she was beautiful.

After a few seconds, Orion stepped out of the white void carrying Hal.

'I don't think I'll ever get used to that.'

Isaac sighed.

Just as Orion dropped Hal onto the ground and a loud THUD shook the ground, the single door of the room opened as a figure walked out.

"You lazy Sloth, you could have come here yourself, you didn't need me to open a Senkaimon." A familiar voice entered Isaac's ear.

"Hey now, is that any way to treat the employee of the week? Look at what a great job I did." Replied Orion in a flat tone.

"Employee of the week my foot. You merely did your job after avoiding it for weeks."

As she said this, the female turned her attention to Isaac.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The female, who seemed not much older than Isaac, extended her hand.

Wearing a black robe, the female's black hair was styled up, held together by a long needle. She wore glasses and fashioned a warm smile.

Shaking her hand, before Isaac could say anything, a voice came from beside them.

"Jasmine, meet Just Isaac, Just Isaac, meet Jasmine." Orion introduced the both of them, only to receive a piercing glare from Isaac.

"That's not my name. It's just Isaac, as in it's only Isaac." Orion stared blankly without uttering a word.

"Ignore him. My name is Jasmine."

"When can we start?" Orion asked as Isaac raised an eyebrow.

'Start?'

"As soon as the two of you leave. You know you can't be here." Saying this, Orion sighed as he bent over and once again hurled Hal over his shoulder without showing any sign of struggle, he walked toward the single door in the room.

"You too, Katlynn." Jasmine looked at the female sitting in the corner of the room.

She'd been quiet all this time, her eyes closed. Isaac couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

"Tsk"

Clicking her teeth, Katlynn's face contorted in displeasure as she stood and gracefully glided toward the door, standing before Isaac for a second.

"Wipe the dirt off your face."

Pulling a white handkerchief from her sleeve, she handed it to Isaac before leaving the room shortly after.

'Ah, I see now.'

That looked she'd given him. Although subtle, he knew that look all too well.

The look of condescension as one looked down on another as if they were an ant. Isaac had received that look all his life.

Although, he didn't know why she'd treated him this way. What had he done to be looked down upon? He'd barely been here for a few minutes.

'Maybe it's because I'm dressed like a hobo.'

Isaac sighed, seeing the state he was in.

"Please, have a seat." Jasmine offered as they both walked toward the nearest chairs.

"Migraines, insomnia and unexplainable dreams? Does this sound familiar?" Jasmine started.

"Yes."

Isaac answered simply.

"You needn't hide anything from me. Both me, Orion and even Katlynn have been through this."

'What is this, a therapy session? Just get to the point.'

This was what Isaac wanted to say, but he held himself back.

"Well, my dreams are rarely connected. People suddenly combusting into flames, a moon with a peculiar eye, a dragon and countless more. It all seems random."

Jasmine's eyebrows furrowed as Isaac recounted his dreams.

"Anything else? Are there any recurring people in your dreams? Think hard."

Isaac stayed quiet for a few seconds, as if in thought before finally answering.

"No, I'm sure. My dreams are usually from a third person point of view. I'm shown a wide angle of things like fishmen living underwater or sky people with wings they seem to have no use for. Not necessarily people."

"I see."

Jasmine seemed to fall into deep thought as she stared at Isaac, soon standing as she walked toward the door.

"That's it?" Isaac asked, surprised.

"I guess so. You've given me more than enough to work with."

Saying this, she opened the door, letting Orion and Katlynn back in.

"Already?" Orion asked with raised eyebrows while his eyes were still somehow drooped in a lazy manner.

"Yes, I've come to the conclusion that he's a Wanderer."

'A what?'

Noticing the reactions of both parties, Orion let out a simple, "Ah" as if he suddenly understood something.

Meanwhile, a deep scowl appeared on Katlynn's face. Disgust, annoyance, displeasure. It was almost impossible to narrow her expression down to one word.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?"

As all three of them stared at Isaac, Orion walked toward him, gently placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It'll take a while to explain."

***

"Wait, one more time. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this."

Isaac lay on a bed as Orion sat beside him, while Katlynn sat in the fat corner with her eyes closed.

Isaac and Orion had been speaking for the last hour, yet Isaac was no closer to understanding everything.

With a sigh, Orion continued.

"This is the 5th time. Listen carefully."

Isaac nodded.

"In this world, there's a small chance someone is Inherited by what we call a Character." Orion started.

"Like Silver…I mean Hal? He was Inherited by a character named Jason, right?" Isaac asked.

"Exactly. Around this time is where the dreams begin. Now, not too long after someone is Inherited by a character, they are plunged into a Scenario."

Isaac listened carefully. This was what he was having trouble believing.

"In this Scenario, the Inheritors enter a coma, where their consciousness is sent to another world. A world where they are given the body of their Character and are assigned a quest to complete."

Isaac felt a headache coming as he spoke.

"And you're telling me that the pill you shoved down my throat will induce my Scenario?"

Orion could sense the hint of sass in Isaac's tone.

"I wouldn't have had to force you if you weren't being so difficult."

"Oh, you're right, I should just swallow any shady pill a weirdo hands me."

Orion rolled his eyes as he continued.

"As I was saying, there are very rare instances where someone is not Inherited by a character, yet still undergoes a Scenario. We call these people Wanderers. Like you."

Isaac stayed quiet as stared at the ceiling.

"So I'm a reject left to fend for myself?"

Orion didn't reply. If he had to be honest, he couldn't say Isaac was wrong.

"It's fine. Nothing new. I don't need a nonexistent bum to Inherit me."

Silence descended in the room as the two stayed quiet.

"Is that why Katlynn is looking down on me? Because I'm a Wanderer?" Isaac glanced toward Orion.

"It's complicated. She's here to recruit you if you seem promising. But since you're a Wanderer, we can only truly guess your potential after your first scenario."

"I'm right here." Katlynn hissed.

"And don't make me seem like some sort of fangirl. I have no high expectations from a mere Wanderer." She added, to which Orion glared at her.

"What? You know it's harder for a Wanderer to complete their first Scenario compared to an Inheritor. Or do you wish to give the boy false hope, even telling him he can rival the Golden Six of his generation, even the great Lucy Vanheart…"

"That's enough."

Orion cut her off.

He didn't raise his voice, only uttering two words, yet this seemed to be enough for Katlynn to get the message and return to her previous demeanour.

'What just happened?'

"Golden Six?" Isaac asked, to which Orion returned his attention to him.

"Six promising individuals who have shown remarkable achievements in their first Scenario. They all should be around the same age as you."

Isaac's interest plummeted upon hearing this.

What did he care about a few famous brats?

Orion, taking note of this, decided to drop the subject as well.

"You should know, if you die it's over." Orion spoke, breaking the silence.

"Is that why you're here? To record my time of death if I don't make it on the other side?"

Isaac chuckled, however, the next words he heard left him speechless.

"No, I'm here to take care of the Terror that manifests when someone dies in their Scenario."

Isaac paused.

He wanted to retort, however, he felt a sudden wave of drowsiness wash over him.

His eyelids became heavy and his thoughts began to trail off.

His vision blurred and as the seconds passed, he lost control of his limbs. It's like he was under anaesthesia.

"It's happening." Isaac could barely hear these words as he stared at the faint image of Orion standing over him.

As he dozed off, he heard his last words.

"Don't die, kid."

Just like that, Isaac had shut his eyes, falling unconscious.

"...I'd hate to deal with that Terror. They're so bothersome." Orion finished his sentence.

"You shouldn't have stopped me." Katlynn spoke once again.

"The boy already has it hard enough as a Wanderer. He doesn't need you reminding him of that, or rubbing Lucy Vanheart in his face." Orion replied without looking back.

"Why? Informing him of the number 1 rank amongst the Golden Six might actually give him some motivation."

Orion stayed quiet.

"You don't think he'll actually survive, do you? Are you forgetting there hasn't been a single Wanderer to complete their first Scenario in decades?" Katlynn wore a face of annoyance as she spoke.

"I think the boy has grit…and he has a chance. You think so too. After all, you wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Katlynn scoffed as Orion continued.

"Although, one thing is for sure. If the boy does live, it'll shake the world to its core."

***

[Initiating Scenario 1]

[Verse: Hunter x Hunter]

[Quest: Survive the Dark Continent]