The Phantom: Code Breaker

Chapter 40: He Died Not

He found himself in a green beautiful mountain-top scenery and breathe a gust of pristine cold air.

Yellow flowers bloom on the wide grassland on the vast hilltop overlooking the smaller mountains lined on the horizon. Birds chirping on the distant hill as the wind blows from the east bending the flowers and grasses standing proudly facing the heat of the sun that shines radiantly on the clear blue sky.

He stood from where he was lying and walked a few steps with a sigh of relief.

"I want to see this place with them,,," he thought. "But that's nearly impossible..." he sighed again.

Then, the wind blew in an instant and suddenly he felt the sudden feeling of despair.

He gazed from where the wind came from and then he saw his son, sitting on the ground, watching the birds flying on the horizon with blank eyes. He ran towards him and instantly hugged his son.

"Thank goodness,,, you're still here Markus." Reiko muttered as his tears fell from his eyes. "We were worried to death just to think of you being gone,,,". He added

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Markus answered in a serene slow voice.

"Yes, Dad came to bring you back. C'mon, let's go home..." He said with a cheerful smile.

"But Dad, I like this place... so peaceful, so calm..." his son replied, managing a weak smile in return. "That bird was just flying into that vast sky without anything to worry about. I mean, the I in this place was never a bad kid."

"What are you saying?" Reiko said with crossed brows. He thought of what could those words imply and he simply remembered the hacking his son did at Orion.

"If this is the price for all the things I've done before, then this might not be a bad thing." Markus tried to giggle but he can't control his body. He felt strengthless. "I want to stay here. It's beautiful."

"Don't you want to see the real thing? You know, I have planned to go on a vacation with you and your mom, in Hawaii perhaps or in NeoAustrailia. I was wondering if we can go to a place somewhere like this..." he explained. "Peaceful with green scenery not preprogrammed by any computer."

Markus moved away from his dad's arms, slowly pushing him with all his strength left. "Ahh,, that's good to hear... But, Dad.... I guess it's too late for that." He said

Reiko's eyes are filled with despair "Don't say that... we still have time to-"

"I feel so tired, To-chan.... I guess I won't make it." Markus looked up

"I won't let that happen... ne Marky... hold on still. Charlotte, your mom, is waiting for you. And your friends, they're all waiting for you to come back, you know.."

"Really? Idiots... they shouldn't have---"

"We will wait, that's why I'm here... to bring you back..."

"But, that's impossible, To-chan. I'm so tired. I want to sleep..."

"It is possible, trust me, that's why..." Reiko held his son's hands between his palms "Let's go home..."

He felt his son losing strength as he held him in his arms.

"Marky... Marky! Oi,, Markus!" Reiko exclaimed

But nothing is changing. He felt his son fading and he can't do anything to make him stay. He's losing his only hope. His chest felt too tight and in pain.

"Leave it to me..." a voice from a distance echoed through the mountains.

He gazed at the scenery hoping to find the voice that speaks the same as his son does. A wind blew on his face and when he turned back, he saw Markus standing in front of him.