2/2

For the last eighteen years of my twenty-eight years of living... I had done everything to survive in a world that seemed hellbent to crush me. Now it looked like I was in a world that actually could physically crush me like a pretzel...

If Mayer was a preview of what was to come, I was in big trouble. I had to survive a new world with people like that?! I felt my eyes start to dampen before clenching my jaw to force the tears back in...

I needed to rest. No more pitying or crying. No one could help me but myself. Time to step up.

I woke up feeling better than yesterday. No more cold! Still miserable! Yay!

Bleh.

I rolled over to grab my clothing on the small nightstand next to my bed. I expected the same clothing I died in (don't know how that works since I'm in a new body) and found them to be gone. In their place were a white undershirt, a white button-up, black slacks, a pair of socks and black loafers.

I marveled at how nice and out-of-date the clothing was. What period is this world in? These clothing looked straight out of the '20s. I shrugged before ultimately putting them on. They fit like a glove. A surprise considering most clothes wore baggy on me. There was a body mirror set up in the corner of the room next to the bathroom. I walked over to see how I looked. Not too shabby, all I needed was a waistcoat and dress jacket to be an extra on the Great Gatsby.

As I finished looking at myself, someone knocked on my door. I glanced at the it with trepidation before I sighed and I walked over. I tried to open it, only to find the door locked, "It's locked, so why are you knocking?" I said grumpily through the wood.

I heard a shuffling and a click. I moved away from the door as it quickly opened. In front of me stood two maids and an enormous cart of food. There was a blonde-haired maid with a large red blush on her face while the other brunette maid looked peeved. The blonde had pigtails that looked like drills and the brunette a simple ponytail. Blondie was short and reached up to her brunette coworker, who was about feet-nine [175 cm].

"Oh, hi," I said lamely before walking over to a small table located against the body mirror. I watched as they set the table with the precision of surgeons. Table cloths, napkins, dishes, silverware. They moved so fast I barely realized what was happening.

In seconds the table was set and the food was ready like a feast for a king. My stomach roared at the spread, only for my mind to realize I couldn't finish everything. There was enough food to feed a family here: Pancakes stacked perfectly on each other, eggs, bacon, sausages, a large loaf of delicious looking bread, multiple pitchers with drinks of all kinds. Even if I had the stomachs of a cow I'd have a hard time eating half of it.

"Uh, I don't think I can eat that all. Not that I don't appreciate it," I rubbed my head and laughed weakly. The brunette nodded before speaking, "Lady Evira said to eat as much as you like. She said you should eat until you are satisfied."

I shrugged and took a seat. Before digging in, I was curious, "How long have both of you worked as maids?"

From the look the brunette gave me she seemed to take offense at my line of questioning, "If you must know, I have worked under Evira for two years and Claudette has worked here for a year."

I rubbed my chin as I stared between them, "You don't need to be angry, I'm just curious is all. Both of you are amazing maids. Really,"

She blushed. I shrugged.

"We both received extensive training from Lady Evira. If we did not give our best for her, we would be disrespecting all that she has done for us," The brunette said with a nod.

I leaned forward, "I didn't catch your name, miss?"

"Briannaisa." She nodded stiffly and refused to speak any more.

I shrugged and proceeded to eat all the food. Not some. All of it. I don't know why or how, but once I started shoving food into my mouth I felt compelled to eat it. Not, 'Oh wow, I got really it this,' no, more, 'YOU MUST EAT THIS FOOD. OBEY.'

Not even a drop of syrup or a crumb was left after I bulldozed through. My stomach felt as though it were threatening to burst.

I laid in my chair like the dirty glutton I knew I was and stared out into the distance, like a man who survived a battle, "What the fuck just happened?" I said to no one in particular.

The Briannaisa responded anyway. Her voice professional, if strained, "I am glad you liked the food. Lady Evira requests that you prepare yourself for a meeting at nine. Someone will come to escort you shortly."

I looked up at the clock to see it was eight-thirty. I somehow managed to collapse upwards out of my chair and waddled in the direction of the bathroom, "I'm going to take quick a shower then, and get ready." The two maids nodded and got to work clearing the table to leave.

After a quick shower, a bodyguard knocked on the door of my room and entered. He brought me out of my room and into a living room. Bigger fucker. Guy was as tall as me with blonde, slick-back hair. He wore a regular suit like the Secret Service.

When I stepped out of my luxury prison cell called a room, I took me a moment to realize my room was the master bedroom of a condo. The living room was just as nice as my room, except for the two menacing guards stationed there watching TV. Same clothing...

The three of them escorted me out of the condo, down a hall, and onto an elevator. I noticed that there were at least twenty floors in the building, with one of the guards selecting the PH button for penthouses. I was located on the nineteenth, right underneath the penthouse suites.

With a ding, the elevator opened and the three bodyguards escorted me out of the elevator and to the last door on the right. Penthouse H. The door opened to reveal another security guard, who waved us in to see Evira. Before I could enter, the security guard stopped me and stated he had to check for weapons. I rolled my eyes. Not like I could refuse. What am I gonna do throw more lamps?

I nodded my head and he quickly patted me down before letting me through.

I entered to see a lavish living room with a sofa and chairs scattered around. The bodyguard who patted me down pointed to the sofa and told me to sit and wait. I did as told and sat there. And sat there. And continued to sit there.

Do you know that feeling when you're in the waiting room for an important job interview? That pit of anxiety that decides to kick you in the guts?

It dropped kicked me in the stomach.

After a few minutes (but what felt like a few hours) of uselessly trying to calm down, someone knocked on the door to the penthouse. A guard opened the door from inside the room let Evira step through. She was wearing a dark green custom-fit suit, similar to the one she had last night. But with embroidery on it. Next came Mayer, who was wearing the same clothing from the night before. He was so damn big he had to duck and turn through the door. Then came two female guards in suits, one green and one black, that I had never seen before. To my surprise, the last to step through the door were the maids from earlier, Claudette and Briannaisa.

I tried to look calm and collected, but my glistening forehead and sweaty palms betrayed me. Everyone was so serious and quiet. They were wearing intimidating suits and (if the indents underneath their clothing were what I imagined) were packing heat. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear these people were part of a criminal organization. Nope, they were definitely some kind of criminal organization. I'd bet money on that fact.

It felt like I stepped right into a mob film.

Evira stationed herself across from me, taking up the largest sofa chair like a throne. She leaned forward, her fingers wrapped together as she closed her eyes. Mayer positioned himself to her right while the other two female bodyguards took positions on either side of the room. The maids disappeared into what I assumed to be the kitchen. I could feel beads of sweat begin to form above my lip as I tried and failed to stay calm.

As far as I could tell, it was only us six in the penthouse. No other guards. No one said a word. This was some power move shit...

We waited in silence. Everyone else far more comfortable with it than I was. It mercifully ended when the maids brought a tray of tea. Evira and I took a cup, while Mayer and the rest of the guards politely declined. When the maids left Evira's opened her eyes and spoke, "How do you feel? Are you comfortable so far?"

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I nodded and answered, "Easily the best place I've ever stayed at, and the food is amazing as well. But…" I hesitated as everyone stared at me. I've never felt comfortable being the center of attention, especially with people capable of killing me.

Evira gestured to continue. I sighed, "I appreciate the accommodations you've given me, but I'd like to get straight to the point. I think we both would like that," I said with a wince. I felt completely out of my depth speaking with her.

I've sat in for meetings when I worked at an I.T. company. Some of those meetings included the CTO and CEO of the company. I voice my opinions, I said my piece. But this situation was drastically different. This was a meeting about me and that made the weight of the whole thing profoundly worse.

To my surprise, Evira smiled and nodded, "I agree. We don't have much time for small talk and I'm a person that likes to get straight to business," she paused for a second to take a sip of her tea, then she continued, "Cutting right to the chase, we need someone for a mission, a quest of sorts. Lady Zhulong has entrusted me to prepare you for this quest, but I will be blunt: this will be a test, not preparation."

I could feel the sweat run down my head as I spoke, "What do you mean a test? I'm not doubting you or anything, but I thought the goddess picked me to do whatever it was she wanted?"

Evira nodded her head in agreement, "Yes, she did. The issue is that you may not be good enough for the hurdles that lie ahead. Her criteria for candidates are, frankly, ridiculous. I have numerous people I can call on to complete this mission. Someone like Mayer could do the job. Instead, she picks you. And I don't think you're the right person for the job."

I agreed with every word she said. Zhulong's standards were stupid and I definitely wasn't the right person for the job...

Yet, being told to your face that you're not good enough... My hands balled themselves into fists. Before I could say something that would bite me in the ass, Evira spoke, "But, it isn't my job to doubt my boss. It's my job to follow her orders. However, it is at my discretion how I interpret her orders. So I will prepare you for this test, but it will be up to you to pass it. If you do pass, I will do everything in my power to help you succeed in your mission. I don't go back on my word."

My body relaxed at that, "A-alright. Fair enough. I'll agree with you that I'm not ready for anything, whatsoever. But if you're going to prepare me, that's...somewhat comforting? Three things: what is this test, what if I fail it, and what is this mission?"

Evira gestured to one of the female guards as she began to speak, "I'll answer your questions in reverse. I won't talk about the mission until after you complete your test. No point in giving you information you won't need. If you fail..." She closed her eyes and sighed before continuing, "Knowing Lady Zhulong, she just might make me kill you. Know that I will vouch for your survival, but she's..." She didn't need to continue, we both knew how the goddess behaved.

If she didn't have me killed straight away, well, my fate would be far worse than I'd like to imagine.

"As for your test...there is too much information for me to go over. It would take months for you to get you up to speed, but we are short on time," She growled that last part out, "That's why I need you to trust me for what we're about to do."

It suddenly became harder to breathe.

A blonde guard came over, as obedient and as purposeful a soldier. A feeling of dread came over me.

"Uh, what are you going to do?! Nothing good ever started with 'I need you to trust me'! No, no, no! Is it too much to not suddenly hit me with bullshit?!" I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins like a bolt of lighting. It must have been obvious as Evira gestured to calm down.

"Relax. She isn't going to hurt you, she's going to implant memories into your mind. It will help to integrate you into your new life, this world, and to guard against the truth of where you come from and our operations. It will also bring you up to speed faster than anything else we could do. I give you my word, you will not be hurt." Her voice and face conveyed a conviction that helped to ease my mind.

As I fought off the ever villainous threat of hyperventilation, I turned to the blonde bodyguard. Her eyes were a deep shade of amber and her hair was done up in a single pony-tail. The bodyguard smiled, "Hello, we have not been properly introduced. My name is Zelle. I can alter people's memories, as well as give people new ones. It will be disorienting, but I promise it will be painless."

I frowned as a thought came to my head, "Wait, like the 'app'?', I said dumbly. She giggled and smiled brightly "Yes, just like the app." Wait, how does she know about the app?

Before I could respond her hands were on either side of my head. Memories flooded into me like a dam breaking. Currencies, countries, people, organizations, animals, monsters. The deluge of information drowned whatever thoughts I had.

Then came a life I never lived, people I never met, relationships I never made. I could feel my old life being pushed deep down into the recesses of my mind. People I knew, the place I lived, the things I experienced. All of it was being repressed and sealed off. Potentially to never be remembered again. As my mind began to coalesce and take shape into something...new, I 'saw' something in the flash of light and sound that was my memories.

The best way I could describe what I witnessed was a glass shard floating through an expanse of colors and melodies. On it was a memory that played like faded video on glass, a memory of me and my father watching a Twilight Zone marathon when I was a kid. One of my happiest memories.

And it was being sucked into the abyss along with all the other memories of my 'old' life.

I 'swam' through a stream of synesthesia that was my memories. Every stroke of my non-existent arms triggered some sensation or emotion.

A sense of profound happiness at my first ice cream.

My skin burning after stupidly trying to grab fire.

Immense sorrow at losing my father. Unfathomable rage at my mother leaving me.

Unending will to keep going even when all hope was lost.

As I closed in on the memory, a voice pierced through the bombardment of sensations, "No! James, don't go after that memory!" I felt a force try to 'pull' me away from the glass shard, but I thrashed and swam even harder. With one final stroke, I reached my target, awkwardly bear hugging it as I began tumbling deeper into the abyss. A sinking feeling hit me (both literally and figuratively) as I descended deeper into my mind. Instinctively I understood that I wouldn't be able to swim back to safety.

I heard a disembodied voice sigh before something pulled me from the darkness, my vision bleached into white.

I was in a living room. I stared up at a blonde woman I never met before. Who am I? James? James Hartford.

After a few moments of blinking my brain started to function as normal. Unfortunately, this was joined by a massive headache that made me slump onto the couch. I sucked in a deep breath and looked around.

Have you ever had that frustrating feeling of being unable to recall something until you see it? Like, knowing the answers to a test question when you see it, but not being able to remember it on command? That's what it felt as I stared at people I didn't even know a few minutes ago. I suddenly knew everything, but it was so overwhelming none it made sense. Information popped into my head like damn obscure trivia answers without context.

I stared at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world, "What. The. Fuck." was all I could say.

"What is a Hunter?!" snapped Evira like a drill sergeant.

"A Hunter is anyone who has passed the Hunter Exam. A Hunter is always hunting for something. It is what defines them." I replied like a robot.

"And what is the Hunter Exam?!"

"The Hunter Exams are a series of examinations administered by the Hunter Association. The exam change year to year, but the one constant is their difficulty. Only the best of the best have even a chance of passing, with death a common occurrence."

My eyes widened with every word, a cold chill crept down my spine.

Mayer's deep voice grunted, "Seems as though you made him into an automaton, Zelle."

"It takes some time for the memories to become explicit instead of implicit. But, it should take no more than a day for the side effects to subside," the blonde memory manipulator said, not without some sympathy.

Evira stood up, shaking her head, "Well that's no good. You will be leaving in a few hours. To the Gordeau-Certes mountain range to train for the Hunter Exam."

I ripped my attention off the ceiling and at Evira, "What? Only crazy hermits and wild beasts live there. Besides, the climate is insane; the desert side is blazing hot and the mountainous side is as cold as it gets. It-" I stopped myself before I recited an entire Wikipedia article at them.

Evira chuckled, "Usually people who undergo this treatment can't recall this much information. You're a living encyclopedia. Who is Isaac Netero?!"

"Isaac Netero is the 12th and current Chairman of the Hunter Association. He is the founder of the- Hey! Enough of that! I'm not Siri, ok?!"

"I couldn't help it, this is fun," the boss of the Tao Long Mafia chuckled. Wait, Mafia? I was right?!

I sat up straight, "H-hold up. You're the boss of a Mafia family?!" I said with all the eloquence of a babbling child.

A wicked smile came over her face, "Guilty as charged. The mark you have on your hand is the same mark we use for our organization. So, while you're out in public, I recommend wearing a pair of gloves. Unless you want to deal with some unwanted attention,"

I groaned as slumped back down in frustration. I had never wished I was more wrong about being right.

"So I'm working for a criminal organization? Great. I worked all my -er, previous life to stay out of trouble. Now I'm working for a whole bunch of it."

I buried my head into my hands, partly to rub the pain building up in my skull, but mostly from the sheer absurdity of it all.

Mayer spoke up, annoyance in his voice, "That is the least of your worries. For now, focus on the task at hand."

He looked at Evira. Something unspoken passed between them before Evira nodded and Mayer began his exit from the room. He paused before leaving, not even bothering to look at me, "As you currently stand, you have no chance of passing the Hunter Exam. I would remember that if I were you."

As he left, a pit of anxiety gripped my chest. But, as his words rattled in my head, a feeling of excitement and unease began to share residence with that fear.

It fought back against the fear.

Author Notes:

Hey all, hope you're all doing well! Thank you again for reading!

This chapter is a little larger than before, but most chapters will be around five thousand words. I find anything more than that becomes a chore for both the reader and the writer to get through. We won't be meeting Gon and the rest of the cast until sometime down the line, but I hope to flesh out James and his Mafia benefactors to the point where you, dear reader, will find them to be just as compelling!

Until next time dear readers!