April, 2nd 2136 M, 02.45 am – Vivienne Island

Zero Division’s temporary HQ

          It has been months after the battle of Seleas Military Force against The Sleepwalkers. Many things had changes here and there. King Yang Hyunsuk, who has ruled Seleas, got prisoned and has to spend the rest of his life in the underground jail of Parhelion House to pay for his crime. The governance still running under Council 165’s surveillance. The Sleepwalkers got sentenced as innocent, thanked to the evidences given to the council and the real truth behind all the current Seleas. Seleas Military Force was busy with trainings to make their soldiers got stronger as they were about to face their true enemy, Adamas. Speaking of Adamas, there was only small amount of information they got. A group of magician, under the name of Choi noble house. Since the end of the battle against The Sleepwalkers, Adamas still haven’t made a big move but they did something critical. In the meantime of the chaos, Adamas has succeed to bring in two important members of Zero Division to their side. The first one was Choi Seunghyun, the man whom titled as the sole heir of Choi noble family and one of the strongest soldier of VIP team. And, the other one was... Lee Chaerin.

            A knock got heard against the door of the room which placed at the corner of the second floor of that building. A mid-size building with two floor which located at the southeast of the island. It got surrounded by countless rows of pine trees, high green hills and endless river. A hum answered the knock from inside the room, which followed by the sound of opened door. The heavy boot tickled on the floor, battled with the tickling sound of the clock which hanged on the wall. A chair got pulled, and a bundle of paper got placed on the wooden table.

            ”They’re really a pain in the , Ji.” A male voice spoke. A tired sigh then followed as the owner of that voice closed his eyes. His built-up body leaned on the chair where he sat on. ”They killed our agents again.” He finished.

            The man whom stayed in that room since the first time put his cigarette on the tip of the ashtray which placed next to his paperwork. His eyes still scanned the report he had in his hand. ”It’s not them, Bae.” He spoke for the first time. ”Since the beginning, Council 165 never given us their best spy. Because... they didn’t have an intention to take Seunghyun hyung and Chaerin back.”

            ”You must be kidding me, Ji!” That man, Dong Youngbae, burst into anger after he heard that statement from his friend.

While his friend, Kwon Jiyong, didn’t reply back immediately. Instead, he gave the report which he read just now to Youngbae. ”Even The Sleepwalkers have more information than us.”

Dong Youngbae read the report thoroughly, the report from Park Chaeyoung. That girl has decided that she wanted to stay in The Sleepwalkers but when Zero Division needed her help which related with the said organization, she willingly to give her help. Of course, that agreement was without the acknowledgement of Lee Seunghyun and all the high ranked members of The Sleepwalkers. In that report, it was said that The Sleepwalkers has already succeed in spying Adamas. They already found Adamas’s main headquarters, their members and their magic power, their target operation and place soon in two months from now, also the places where they hid Choi Seunghyun and Lee Chaerin.

”Then, what will you do, Ji?” Youngbae asked, as he put the report on the table harshly.

”Molla.” Jiyong answered shortly. He took his cigarette then placed it between his lips then inhaled it. He sighed as he let out the smoke. That short yet simple answer he gave to his friend was truly came from the bottom of his heart and after reaching the end of his mind’s conclusion. ”You know... tomorrow, we will go to Zizipus Island as promised. Council 165 has set many things to do for us even after we finished this hell training, Bae.”

Annoyed. That was what Jiyong felt this past two months after recovery. He and his team got moved from the capital city to the secluded island name Vivienne Island to have a non-stop training. The said hell training will be held in Zizipus Island, an old island which has been left unpopulated for years. The island which placed just about 45 km from the current island where he and his teammates spent their times. Jiyong threw the already shortened cigarette on the ashtray. He leaned on to his chair, his eyes casted the dark sky behind the glass roof above him uninterested. While his friend, Dong Youngbae, just stayed silent as he didn’t know what kind of words he should told to his old buddy. Only the tickling of the clock got heard in that room, then out of sudden a soft knock got heard against the door. Without waiting for the answer, the door swung opened after that. A slender female soldier appeared there, her hands got hidden by two neatly folded army coats. She entered the room and approached the two male soldiers without saying her greeting or something. She offered the army coats to both Jiyong and Youngbae as she stopped in front of them.

”Commander Byun has asked us to move now.” Her delicate voice rang all around that small room. It was Youngbae who took the coat first, then followed by Jiyong.

”How do you...”

”Find you, here?” She cut Ji’s question while crossed her arms against her chest. Jiyong stopped his movement of unfolding the coat, his eyes which focused on his coat previously then shifted its focus on the beautiful face of the female soldier in front of him. The one who always by his side this recent two months, the one who took care of him, one of the two veteran female soldiers of Zero Division. ”It’s... unfortunately I’ve seen you spent your time after training, here. Since the first day we stayed in this damn island, Ji.” Sandara talked back to Jiyong.

Jiyong didn’t utter any single word, nor he had the intent to continue spread his coat larger. From the third party who looked at the two, like Youngbae, Jiyong looked like he was surprised. Or, it should be correct if it said that Jiyong was stunned. He wasn’t stunned because of Sandara’s words, but her demeanor of talking to him. The old Sandara will got flushed or stuttered when she talked with the leader. She was always looked shy in front of Jiyong, back then. But after that fierce battle with The Sleepwalkers, since she got the mandate to look after him, she changed. She looked more confident to look at Jiyong’s eyes when they talked, and she has no longer shy whenever she confronted Jiyong. Just like now. Realized that the said leader in front of her kept his sight on her since then, Sandara turned her attention to the other attendant in that room.

”I don’t think I should tell my explanation about your case, Bae.”

”And I don’t ask you the same question as his either.” Youngbae replied as he put his coat over his body. ”Get that coat on, Ji. You know how irritated Commander Byun would be if he waited for too long.” He reminded his friend as he rose up from his chair and collected his things.

”You don’t need to tell me that old fact.”

===

April, 2nd 2136 M, 03.05 am – Vivienne Peninsula

          A medium sized wooden boat tied up against the old bridge’s rail which already rusted. It moved upside down because of the sea’s wave. The crescent moon hanging on the dark sky got reflected on the salt water clearly, made it glowed like a diamond. The cold sea wind blew once in a while, as if tried to greet the new season to come. Two person, sat silently on the boat. A male and female. Collar length black hair and long blond hair which becomes a brighter yellow towards the tips.

            ”They are here, Ri Sunbae.” A male voice spoke, then followed by countless footsteps sound echoed against the old bridge floor. The one who got called as Ri Sunbae stood up on the boat, looked at the place where males and females soldier stood at. His eyes immediately recognized the face of the man whom stood at the front row of soldiers. The man whom he sparred months ago. The almighty leader of VIP team, Kwon Jiyong. But, the brown eyes of Jiyong’s seemed didn’t know him as the latter looked at him like looked at a stranger. The female one who sat with him also stood up, faced the group.

            ”It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Zero Division of Seleas Military Force.” That man said as he bowed in salute to the group of Zero Division’s soldier. That act got followed by the young woman beside him and the young man whom informed him before.

            ”You can skip the formality, Ri. You must have known your task, aren’t you?” Commander Byun Jiho, a retired armed services officer whom got assigned as the trainer of Zero Division, spoke coldly just like his look toward the man whom he called Ri.

            ”Yes, Sir.” Ri answered shortly without looked up at the commander. He switched his posture, faced the group of soldiers in front of him. ”Then, should we go now?” He offered as he moved aside bit, showed the space in the boat.

            ”Wait!” A hoarse, heavy voice interrupted, gaining the attention of the boat’s owner and the rest of soldiers. He’s the fire-type magician soldier, Song Minho. His sharp eyes looked intensely toward Ri. He, who stood at the third row of the group, walked forward then stopped at the same place as his leader was. ”Are you serious about offering your small boat to bring all of us?” He asked with sharp tone, as if mocking the masked man in front of him.

            Kang Seungyoon who still stood in his place just could let out a heavy sigh as he saw that little commotion made by his comrade. From the tone Minho has used, Seungyoon could detect it immediately that the latter was angry. Specifically, he was irked. Since the beginning of the training until now, Song Minho was the one who often complaining than his other two old buddies. Then, the sudden moving out just now was added the fuel to the fire of Song Minho’s anger. Mysterious. It was the only word which Seungyoon thought that suited the current training the best. They, Zero Division’s member, got trained separately from other division. Trained by someone they never met before, in the secluded island, and in the pace which they never imagined before. Then, in the night of upcoming spring... they were there, gathered at the abandoned port which only had a lone rusted bridge left on it. Commander Byun has informed them that they will move to Zizipus Island this night. As they left their temporary headquarters, a young man whom Seungyoon believed that he’s around Seungyoon’s age showed up, met up with them at the entrance of the dense forest at the south. That young man dressed in all black, except the mask which covered his face. Even in the dark of night, Seungyoon could tell that the masked was colored in dark blue, just like ocean’s color. That mysterious young man led the way toward the place where they gathered now. From the way he walked, his voice when he informed that the group has arrived, and the look inside those dark brown eyes behind that dark blue mask, Seungyoon felt like he has known that young man. But, he can’t figure it immediately.

            ”Small boat?” That Ri man spoke as he tilted his head, brought Seungyoon to the reality. From the tone of his voice, Seungyoon can’t figure out whether that man was angry or just want to confirm the words which got spoken by Minho just now. Different from the young man who ‘fetch’ them, the man who stood on that boat wore a white colored fox mask over his face. Red color lined on the eyehole of the mask, also the decorative drawing under the eyehole. He looked older than Seungyoon too, but younger than Jiyong. ”But, this ‘small boat’ was still too spacious even all of you got in here, Soldier.” Than man continued. Seungyoon could feel the heavy atmosphere around them. Not a single person spoke their thought after hearing that statement, even Minho himself. As if in the rescue, the young woman who stood beside the man before moved forward. Her beautiful face which got hidden in a glossy jade green mask smiled, showed a friendly attitude to the group of soldier.

            ”My apology for not make it bigger, but... can you all get in now, please? We should left this place before the dawn break.” Her soft voice brought a mysterious aura which calmed all the people there in mysterious way.

            Jiyong was the one who made a move first, patted the shoulder of Minho’s then lead the group to get into the boat. The moment Jiyong stepped his foot on the deck of the boat, the flat wooden floor of the boat formed a stairs downward. It was like showed a secret place under the boat. Jiyong hesitated first, but then continued walking downward. The soldiers followed him one by one, and ‘disappeared’ under the boat. It was about fifteen steps when Jiyong and the other finally landed on the flat wooden floor again. The group greeted by numerous rooms at both right and left side.

            ”So, it’s not an ordinary ‘boat’.” Youngbae spoke for the first time while placed his right hand over Jiyong’s left shoulder. ”No wonder he said that this boat still too spacious even all of us got into here.” Then he walked, left the group behind him. Youngbae stopped in front of the room which placed at the farthest from the place where the group stood at. He took the handle of doorknob of the room and opened the room slowly. He looked inside for a while then closed the room like the first time he saw that place. He turned to make a sign to the group that they can used the room as he put his thumb up.

            The rest of Zero Division’s member dispersed silently, walked directly to the room where they will stayed along the journey to Zizipus Island. It was eight rooms in total, four at right and four at left. Between the second and third room of each side was a spacious empty corridor whic