PART X

"DYLAN....." Suddenly, a loud screaming voice startled him, he stumble from his feet and fall upside down.

He wait for a moment before he opened his eyes. The screaming just now still lingering in his ear. Feel like his eardrum would tear apart by the shrilly screaming voice. He adjust his breathing to more stable.

One…two…three….he open it slowly. First thing he's half opened eyes could catch is a pair of black boots. Boots? Why would this boot look familiar? Jason thought. He look up just to see Phoenix beautiful face. She look at him with mixed expression.

Jason look around again. The room bright by the sun. He close again his eyes. Maybe it is dream within a dream. Then open again. The scenery not changing at all. It is means he back to the real world?

"What are you doing down there? Still don't want to get up?" Phoenix give Jason a little nudge with her feet.

"Emm…give a minute. I'll be out." Jason give Phoenix a gesture to walk out from the room. He need time to process what just happen. He should be happy to escape from the scary place, but he feel nothing of sort. He want to explore more despite his fears. After all, that was Dylan's world.

"Don't you dare to continue sleep!" Phoenix's voice can be heard threatening.

Jason just give her a 'okay' sign without say anything. His head feel heavy and hurt. Hitting the hard floor surely give him a little swollen to his head. He sit up and look at the window. Feel the sun warming his skin. He need this calmness, the warmness.

Enough with the sunbathing, he look his face at the mirror. He need to do what he suppose to do, and keep his promise to the important person of him. He had a lead. Thanks to Dylan scary memory but even so, it help a lot to Jason. Now, he know where to start.

When he's out from his room, the house actually full with food aromatic smell in a very good way. His stomach singing a hungry song, beating loud demand to be fill.

He sit a the dinning table. Full of many cuisine. Wow… he never knew his technically twin sister could cook so well. Yum… he want to digging right away.

"The last food to be serve, the ultimate chicken soup soak in a very health herb for a long live and a stronger body." Marick come from then kitchen with a large bowl of chicken soup as mentioned before put it in the center of the table.

A foreign voice catch Jason attention. He turn around searching for the owner of the voice just to find the guy they accidentally brought back here. He honestly had forgotten about him all along.

Involuntarily his body act without thinking. His activate the bracelet on his left wrist and shape out some weapon. A sword? Marick thought. What a brilliant idea for someone who never wield a real sword in a real battlefield. Shame, because such a very powerful technology but can't used it benefit to the fullest. What a waste of powerful weapon.

Jason had charge into him to strike. He swing the sword towards Marick in intention to hurt him or maybe scare him just a little bit. Little did he know that Marick have a good fighting skill. So when Jason whom didn't even have a basic fighting skill attack him. Marick easily dodge it and return the attack by punch Jason on stomach. Sending Jason to step back a few feet.

"Would you two stop fighting? Don't you know how to respect the food in front of you." Phoenix casually give them warning without looking at them at all. She enjoying her food but annoyed by these two immature man whose busy fighting rather than filled up their stomach first.

"Phoenix? He is an enemy. How come we eat with the enemy? He cooked all of that, don't you scare he would put a poison on the food?"

Jason was ready to attack again and Marick seem to enjoy fight with him to, before their series of fighting begin both of their action cut off by the flying knife that passes through between them.

"Don't make me repeat my self. If you want to fight till death, go outside. Don't make a mess inside this house. If a single thing in this house is broken, I'll break each your bone too." She give them both a sharp glare.

"You!" she pointed to Jason. "I'll explain later but if you keep insisting in destroying my house, a bullet will go straight to your brain!"

"And you" she pointed Marick this time, warning him "don't provoke him to fight with you. I see you quite enjoy it. It might hard to kill you but to give you the feeling in living in hell is quite easy, you know!"

Both of the men stopped whatever they are about to do. Knowing Phoenix, she is not someone who back off with her word. Jason deactivate the bracelet power. He give 'I'll be watching you' signal to Marick. That man just smile and give an okay signal. Jason make annoy face. Both of them like a puppy obeying their master command just go straight to dinning table and sit. That women is scarier than the dream he had before. Jason said it in his heart.

….............…..

Phoenix stand in front of the window looking outside. The greenery scenery of Bamboo forest give her calmness. Drinking warm coffee while enjoying the fresh air and feel the soft wind touches her silky white skin is the best meditation to regain her exhausted energy.

Marick come joining her with a mug of coffee. Phoenix just let the man be.

"This is the Moonlight village, I suppose." He open a conversation.

Phoenix look at him without much expression. "I'll surprise you know." Drinking her coffee again.

Marick smile. Still don't trust him. He get that. "Didn't I say I am a special agent. I learned about all of places in this city in Academy. Of course I know. And I suppose, you are from this village?"

Phoenix smirk without looking at him. What he learned is just in a pieces of paper. How could he claimed he know everything.

"What I know about the people of Moonlight, they have a unique characteristic, which is the eyes. They are born with the glistening white eyes that a very charming and attractive like the moonlight." He look at her, "But you don't possess any of that. I just curious..How do you know this place."

Phoenix drink her coffee and look straight to Marick. She bring her face close to Marick. "What do you see?" She blink her eyes and back to where she was before, "Why do you think I'm from here?"

All Marick see is a beautiful hazel eyes. It's confusing. Even if she wearing some contact lens, he could sense it. But…in Phoenix case, he didn't find any trace of white glistening eyes. He definitely sure that Phoenix come from Moonlight Village. Or is his prediction wrong?

"But you mentioned the name oh Moonlight Village Head's daughter. What your connection towards the most beautiful girl of Moonlight Village?"

Phoenix smile hearing Marick praises her late mother on her face. Indeed her mother was once the most beautiful maiden in Moonlight Village, that capture many men heart including the Monarch president.

The greed of Monarch President ruined her mother and eventually lead to her mother death and massacred the village. But the true story of burned Moonlight Village had been twisted. The burning tragedy considered as natural disaster and the real story buried deep down under the burned village.

It is a very sad story, but Phoenix don't have intention to share it with a man she just know. Like she is the daughter of the most beautiful women in Moonlight Village, she keep it secret from Marick for know. Let him be in a shadow for a little while about her and about the tragic story of Jason life.

"That…for you to look up. If you really an agent like you claimed you are. Surely you have a reliable source to get an information. Bring me the story and show me what you got." She rise one of her eyebrow and give Marick an alluring smile before turn around and leaving the man.

"When we get out from here. I'll show you what I'm capable of." He said it. Phoenix just give him a little laugh before vanish in the kitchen.

The story of Moonlight village maybe the starting point to reach to the bottom of Monarch evilness. He will use it as a a lead in his investigation. He give a soft laugh, he may be crawl in the shadow for now, but he will be walk straight in light of their secret in near time. Just wait and see.

…...................

"You'll actually believe him? He might tell a different story, make fool of us!" He disagree with Phoenix just suggest.

Phoenix stand against the bamboo tree crossing arm. She looking at Jason who sitting on the ground throwing a stone into the clear crystal stream. She well known how Jason feel about all the plan. Accept Marick offer to teach him somehow can really upset Jason, she understand how well Jason didn't want anyone to be his master unless it's Dylan. In fact Dylan had made a promise to teach Jason some fighting skill as well how to handle a weapon.

It just unfortunate for Dylan for not keeping his words. But after all, their fighting is not Jason can take it lightly. It's dangerous. It is not some nerd computer geek can take if they didn't have enough preparation in this battle. Alas it's not like she can't keep on eyes on him 24 hours to ensure his safety.

Jason somehow need to look up his own safety if he want to continue to bring down the Monarch. Sometimes, Jason childish stubbornness can bring her great headache. How come Dylan can stand this childish behaviour of Jason. That become Phoenix puzzle in most of time.

She sigh and take a seat beside Jason who look at the stream unmoving. She nudge him lightly with her elbow.

"I know, but can you just follow what my plan for now. I don't ask you to believe him, I'm too, not believe in a single word from him and I don't ask you to call him master or teacher or whatever. But at least just learn some fighting skill for our own benefit. We can't let Dylan sacrifice in vain, wouldn't we?"

Jason turn his head to see Phoenix. Give her an unsatisfied look but deep down his heart, he know what to do. What the best action to be taken looking at the situation right now. Demanding them to take a different road from original plan as long the end is still the same. The fallen of Monarch is all about. Unconsciously, he play with his necklace. A blue Azurite gemstone pendent catch Phoenix eyes. Same as the the colour of the eyes of someone they once know.

"Dylan?"

"Hmm?" Jason didn't understand.

Phoenix then point that necklace with her eyes.

"Owh…this? Yup, he give me before I was captured, saying that he can easily find me when I'm wearing this if we separated. But who find whose actually. I'm the one who find him first. What a liar." Phoenix smile hearing Jason half complaining.

"And that?" Phoenix point the metal bracelet with her delicate finger.

Jason lift his hand reveling a beautiful metal bracelet adorn with a small blue sapphire color stone and Azurite stone embedded in it. Give some sort of energy to the bracelet as well as to the wearer.

"Actually I made it for Dylan. To aid in his fighting and same time give him some protection. He had give me some sort of stone. I study it and end up making something useful out of it." Jason explained it.

Phoenix thinking of something. Blue stone? She know to well about that blue stone. That Monarch had steal it from her homeland. Because the blue stone actually abundant in here the Moonlight Village, that also one of the reason her hateful father actually interested with this village. The legend say that the blue stone get energy directly from the moon, thus the stone possess a great amount of special energy. That's why the Monarch interested in the blue stone.

"But the day he went to fight Ilionis alone, he had put this onto my wrist without my knowledge." Jason throw another stone into the stream.

"See! Dylan care so much about you. He don't want you to get hurt. So, can you respect his wish for you? At least for his sake. He must hate to see you hurt." Phoenix said that with hoping eyes.

Jason really can't win against this so called twin sister of his. He give her a slight nodded and that women giggling happiness. Sometime Phoenix can act like the most badass women who didn't afraid of anything sometime can be the sweetest person that everyone want put into their pocket to be protected and most of time can act crazily especially to an enemy and someone hateful.

"We're leaving that guy alone in the house, aren't you afraid he's gonna do something bad?" Jason ask Phoenix who seem doesn't care at all.

"Why? Don't you have confidence in your own protection system?" She give him a savage answer. Jason sneer.

"Anyway, even he claimed he is the most genius agent in his department he still can't beat my most genius twin, right?" She wink at him

Jason nodded in satisfaction. Phoenix is right on that matter. If their father's man whom contented with powerful technology cannot even search for this place, Marick is nonetheless.

"Why are you dressing like this anyway?"

The question from Jason make her speechless. This guy really are something. In a blink of time or rather in the most unsuited time can ask such a question. He really have the weird habit to ask question in inappropriate time. Read the room please! Phoenix can't help but shake her head. Whose brother is this?

Is not the question is weird it just, this question should be ask when Jason saw her as soon as he open his eyes. Or in the dining table. Not in the middle of heart talk conversation. She had worn this black suit from the very beginning of the day but Jason just ask now.

"I want to leave here to find an information about what happened after we blew up the entire lab. But when I seeing you two really need a time to not kill each other or rather for you not to be killed early I guess I need to hold it maybe a few day." Phoenix sighed.

"Well, we just have to watch it on news a little bit about it. Even I don't think they convey the news truthfully." She added.

Jason just humming 'hmm' not knowing what to answer. Starting tomorrow he need to hold his annoying feeling toward Marick. Phoenix was right, he need to use Marick to gain benefit for him and Phoenix.

He also need to see if Marick telling a lie or spoken the truth. Telling them, he would offer a help in bring down the Monarch, Jason will see how far the word are true. They may can reveal half of their plan but the rest let it be in shadow from Marick. Let's the time reveal the truth about Marick word and their real story? Let it buried deep and just dig it out when the time is come for them to present it to the world. .

Phoenix stand up. Offer her hand to help Jason stand. He take those delicate hand that offer the help. Together their walk to the house to start an additional plan. The primary plan may delayed a little while but surely will be executed. The Monarch's fall will happen and their will make sure that the hand that bringing down the Monarch will be theirs.