The plane was bigger than Saki imagined. She had expected a small private plane that could accommodate a handful of passengers. Instead, she was greeted by the majestic sight of an Airbus.
She glanced suspiciously at Hunter. Just how rich is this guy?
"It's a company jet," he shrugged nonchalantly, as if reading her mind. "Shall we?"
The inside was a sight of decadent luxury. The cabin looked like it was around three times larger than other business jets. But instead of a hundred or so cramped seats you'd expect from a commercial airliner, this plane looked more like a penthouse suite.
From the cockpit is a small crew cabin, followed by a spacious, fully equipped kitchen cabin with an espresso machine. Past that is the master lounge which has a sofa on one side and a small table with two chairs on the opposite side. Next to the lounge is a six-seater conference hall that could double as a dining area.
"Impressed?" Hunter suddenly whispered near her ear.
Saki willed herself to remain composed as she felt heat rising on that side of her face.
"Should I be?" she replied coolly as she proceeded to sit on the conference hall couch. She ran her fingers across the leather seat, feeling its slightly rough texture on her skin. Real leather. She could even smell it. Opulent.
Hunter sat at the seat on the opposite side. "There's no reason not to."
"Why? Are you trying to impress me?" she scoffed, turning to face him. She placed an elbow on the table in between them and rested her chin on her palm, staring at him challengingly. Her other hand rhythmically tapped the table with her fingers.
Hunter leaned in, meeting her stare. Their eyes were locked for a moment until he gave her a cocky smile, then leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"We'll be taking off in a few minutes. So sit tight and make yourself comfortable."
Saki narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She turned her attention over to Hamarr and Nakano, who were seated at the table opposite the lounge sofa.
Hamarr had his back facing her, while Nakano was facing him, granting Saki a full view of the girl's face.
She was clearly uncomfortable and Saki could see that she was agitated but was trying hard to keep herself under control. Hamarr was holding her hand and talking to her quietly. Saki couldn't hear what he was saying, but she assumed that he was trying to calm her down.
She wondered if it was her first time flying.
The plane began to take off, startling Nakano, who gave a small "Ah!" before keeping herself quiet once again.
Saki was impressed by the girl's willpower. Then she remembered something. Weren't there two others with them? What were their names again?
"Tizon and Damos are in the cockpit," Hunter said as he turned the pages of the newspaper he was reading. "They're the ones flying the plane."
"Are you reading my mind?" Saki asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"No, but the expressions on your face betray you," he replied.
"Stop watching me! Are you a pervert?"
Hunter sighed and closed the newspaper in front of him. Saki wondered if she had finally managed to anger that cold and aloof man.
He closed his eyes, took another deep breath and said, "We're probably at cruising altitude so it's fine to move around. The master suite is at the end of the cabin. You can use it during the flight."
He opened the newspaper again and continued to read, blatantly ignoring Saki.
Saki's eyes narrowed dangerously at Hunter but decided to calm herself, seeing that she was there as a guest.
"Alright," she said as she stood up. "I know when I'm dismissed." And walked to the master suite without looking back.
She entered another room which had a desk and two chairs on both sides. The desk contained a white laptop, a folder, and a couple of pens. Saki assumed it was Hunter's office and proceeded to open the next door.
The master suite was minimalistic and cozy. Compared to the leather upholstery on the outer cabins, the bedroom was lined with softer fabrics.
Upon entering, she finds a door to her right which opens up to a small bathroom complete with a toilet, a sink, and a luxurious shower.
It only needs a big tub and we have a bathroom that could rival those of 5-star hotels, she noted.
Further back is the master bedroom which had a twin-sized bed on one side and a sofa on the other.
Saki shook her head at the thought of having a personal bedroom inside a corporate jet. Indeed, the CEO of HULI Corporation travels extravagantly.
She sat on the bed, glad to have some time alone to freely process her thoughts. She rummaged through her backpack until she found what she was looking for.
It was the red sword tassel Jiro handed over to her before they left Iya Valley. She had placed it in a Ziploc bag before putting it in her bag.
"Where did you get this?" she asked Jiro.
"I don't know, Boss," he replied. Saki could see that he was tired. The boy had already reached his limit after the fight on the way to the summit.
"It was already in my pocket when I woke up at the summit."
"Any idea how it got there?" she prodded.
"Maybe someone must have put it there?"
"Does this have any significance to you?"
Jiro shook his head. "No, this is the first time I've seen it. I really don't know anything about it, Boss."
She shook her head. They haven't even begun digging that site and it's been one mystery after another.
First, who could have sent the armed men who ambushed them? What were they after? She remembered the cloaked man saying that he was after her and Hunter. But why?
Then there was the ghost, which seemed unrelated to the first group of attackers.
Also, the surge of power that she experienced, the mind link she was able to make, the energies she was able to manipulate… how she was able to do things she has never done before yet felt second nature to her.
Hunter and his men. What exactly are they? What was that portal that opened right in front of her?
And finally, what was the connection between Nakano, the ghost, and Jiro?
Saki groaned and plopped her body onto the bed. She felt mentally exhausted. The bed was soft and comfortable. The linen sheets felt cool on her skin as she ran her palms over it.
She looked at her watch and saw that she has at least an hour to sleep before they arrive in Tokyo.
Her hand went back to the artifact which she left lying beside her. Her thumb unconsciously traced the outline of the knot on the sword tassel through the thin plastic over and over again while she closed her eyes and tried to imagine it in her mind.
A barrage of images flooded her mind in an instant.
Images of blood and fire.
And Nakano's tear-streaked face.
Saki got up with a start and saw that her hand was gripping the bag with the sword tassel. She felt afraid and confused at first. But that feeling soon turned into anger.
She couldn't understand why she was getting these nightmares. They were beginning to disrupt her life. She hadn't had a peaceful sleep since she came back from Mongolia. Often, the nightmares were bearable -- only waking her up in the middle of the night. But there were times when they were so frightening that it kept her up all night, afraid to go back to sleep.
Knowing that she won't be able to get anymore rest, she placed the item back inside her bag and got up to leave the room.
She walked in the office room and saw Hunter sitting behind the desk with a laptop open in front of him.
"We still have about thirty minutes left into the flight," he said, not looking up from his laptop. "You should continue to rest."
Saki sat down on the chair in front of the desk and faced him squarely. "You still owe me an explanation."
Hunter looked up at her.
"Alright," he replied as he closed his laptop. "What do you want to know?"
"Who were those people after us?"
He shook his head. "Right now, I don't know who those men were, but I have already ordered my men to investigate."
"And the ghost?"
He stopped, eyeing her carefully.
"Don't worry," Saki continued. "I haven't told anyone anything. I doubt if they'll believe me anyway."
Hunter rested his arms on top of the table and leaned in closer.
"How much do you believe in ancient mysticism?"
Saki gave a smug smile. "I'm an archaeologist. Of course, I have seen enough artifacts to know that our ancestors' lives revolve much around superstitions and the supernatural."
"I am asking if you believe in them."
She remained quiet. Gone are the traces of arrogance in her face.
Hunter ran a hand through his hair. "You come from a family with a long line of Shinto priestesses. Yet you're telling me that you don't believe in the supernatural?"
"I had no reason to," was her curt reply.
"Then what do you think that ghost was? Special effects?"
"Just tell me," she said quietly.
Hunter sighed, exasperated.