SANCTUARY X.
Jack and Frida were engrossed in a tense moment together as they failed to notice the growing clamor of voices outside.
It wasn't until the door of their room suddenly burst open that they jolted apart, their eyes widening as they saw two severed heads rolling across the floor, leaving a trail of blood. Frida's breaths came in heavy gasps.
As Jack slowly raised his gaze, he spotted a muscular figure standing before him, wielding two swords.
"I offer you a chance. Just tell me where the boy is, and I promise to spare your lives," San said, his voice deep and menacing.
San, a renowned and treacherous warrior in the Darklands, and has worked under most Mistress/Boss.
Frida doesn't know him but Jack had encountered him multiple times during his previous association with Mistress Zara.
"San, what madness is this?" Jack asked, raising both his hands in a gesture of surrender. San looked at him with surprise.
"So...? I'm curious, Jack. How many people do you work for? What brings you to Sanctuary X? Aren't you supposed to be in Paradise-Regained?"
"What truly baffles me is not your presence here, but the fact that you're on top of Miss CX's bed," San remarked as he lowered his sword.
"Jack, I've always known you were a troublemaker! Entangling yourself with women who hold higher positions than you. Don't you realize you're playing with fire?" San inquired, as Jack let his hand drop and stepped down from the bed, hastily putting on his trousers.
"I wonder who you're working for now. Last I heard, you were with Lord Hat," Jack mentioned, as San shook his head.
"Well, not anymore," San replied, leaving Jack puzzled as he tried to ascertain who San's current allegiance was to.
Jack was suspecting that Zara had sent San to kill him so he was ready to deny any involvement.
"It doesn't matter who I'm working for now. What matters is that I need the boy you brought here not long ago," San declared, but Jack refused to acknowledge it.
As Jack gazed at San, he could see a knowing look on his face. He glanced at Frida, and then pretended like he doesn't know what San is talking about.
"What...? What boy are you talking about?" Jack feigned ignorance, hoping to deceive San. San chuckled in response.
"Jack, I thought you would have realized by now that we've been playing this game for a long time. Did you truly believe you could deceive me? We all know our patterns," San taunted, casting a glance outside where the battle was continously going on.
"Jack, I haven't come here for you, and please don't make it so. Just hand over the boy, and I'll leave in peace. I don't want to harm you," San pleaded. Jack stared at him, and just then, another warrior burst into the room.
"San, we've found the boy we were looking for. We need to leave now," the warrior informed. Jack locked eyes with San, who smirked before turning away.
Then Jack looked at his side and saw a sword.
Seizing the opportunity, Jack grabbed the sword and charged at San. But San swiftly turned and defended himself with his own blade. He delivered a forceful kick to Jack's stomach, sending him crashing into the wall.
In the midst of the skirmish, an iron badge slipped out of San's trousers and landed on the bed beside Frida, unnoticed by both.
"Ugh!!!" Jack groaned as his grip on the sword loosened, causing it to fall from his hand.
Struggling to his feet, Jack managed to stand briefly before collapsing once more, prompting Frida to rush to him.
"No! Jack! are you alright?" Frida asked, concern etched on her face.
"I thought you would be better than this, Jack. Perhaps you'll fare better the next time we meet," San remarked before departing. Jack gazed after him, finally understanding who had sent San.
Because the statement San used echoed the words he had spoken to Favour after defeating her.
"I think I know where he is heading. Mistress Amelia sent him," Jack muttered with a strained voice, while Frida shook her head in disbelief.
"No, I'm not sure about that. Look," Frida interjected, revealing the iron badge in her hand.
"This fell out of his dress. It's a badge belonging to one of the high-ranking members in the Darklands," Frida explained, showing the badge to Jack.
"Another enemy to conquer. Lord Hat. I knew that deceitful scoundrel was lying to me," Jack exclaimed, his voice filled with pain.
• •
• •
CAMP MATRIX.
Matrix sat on a bench in the corner of the garden having a drink when a black car drives into the compound.
He was already aware of who it belonged to, so he stood up and walked towards it.
To his surprise, it was the guard who stepped out of the car and quickly made his way to the other side to open the door for his boss.
The boss, dressed in a black suit with a black cap on his head, had fair skin that could not be categorized as either dark or light.
When the boss stepped down he approached Matrix with a gentle demeanor, and they exchanged a handshake.
"Welcome to my garden, CX," Matrix greeted, and CX nodded in response, looking around.
"Such a brilliant idea from an honorable man," CX remarked.
"Yeah, maybe you could take a seat while I get you a drink?" Matrix offered, and CX readily accepted.
"Sure," CX replied as they headed towards one of the VIP seats and settled down. A worker from Matrix's staff approached with a bottle of drink and two cups in hand.
She opened the bottle and poured a small amount into each cup before leaving.
CX was the first to pick up his cup, while Matrix was still curious about the purpose of CX's visit.
"You seem quite concerned about my presence, don't you?" CX inquired, prompting Matrix to shake his head.
"Pardon me, but I'm not bothered. I'm only curious to know why you came," Matrix replied, resting his chin on his hand with his ankle propped up on the table.
"Yeah, I came here because I heard that Zara recently visited. Please forgive me if I'm intruding on your privacy, but I just want to know what business you have with her," CX inquired, while Matrix stared back at him intently.
After a few moments of silence, Matrix let out a heavy sigh. "I must tell you that I have no business with her. She simply visited my garden, just like many others," Matrix responded.
"But both of you seemed close and had a lengthy discussion. Am I mistaken?" CX pressed further, suspicion creeping into his expression. Matrix pursed his lips, realizing that there might be a traitor in his midst.
Otherwise how could he possibly know what happened and how it happened if someone wasn't feeding him information
"Well, I must admit that you're not lying. But does having a discussion with her imply that I have a special business with her?" Matrix questioned, raising an eyebrow and growing increasingly skeptical of CX's motives.
"CX, you have to understand that she's a Mistress. I have to extend her the same courtesy I extended to you when you arrived here"
"Do you expect me to ignore her presence without reason?" Matrix explained, hoping CX would comprehend.
"Oh, I see. So, what did you discuss with her?" CX probed further, causing Matrix to hesitate. He wasn't prepared to share that information at this moment.
"Huh? So, perhaps you're looking for a fight? I'll wreak havoc in this garden in the next five minutes if you don't tell me what you discussed with her,"
"I hope that you will be ready to fight as well, not run like a coward?" CX threatened, causing Matrix to nervously swallow as he surveyed the garden once more.
"She told me that she's looking for you to kill you by any means necessary, and she asked if I could assist her, but I declined," Matrix responded, meeting CX's serious gaze.
"Really? How can I be sure that you haven't supported her in some way? I sensed something was amiss, and you were initially lying to me," CX remarked, downing the rest of his wine before rising from his seat.
"You can align yourself with her if you wish, but I want you to know that she will soon meet her downfall. I possess something that holds great significance to her," CX revealed, his voice filled with determination.
"Once I'm finished with it, you will regret not standing by my side, for she will have been vanquished by my sword. Anyway, goodbye for now, Matrix," CX declared, his gaze fixed on Matrix, waiting for a response.
However, Matrix remained silent, simply nodding in acknowledgment. He watched as CX returned to his car, with his guard opening the door for him. CX entered the vehicle, and the guard took the driver's seat as they began their journey back home.
CX drove through the streets with only a single guard by his side, unafraid of encountering Zara. He believed he had discovered her weakness, but little did he know that disappointment awaited him upon his return home.