The bond between our souls is an ancient one. It connects a dim future with a dark past.

Hunter

When the two stepped into Xiao Hua's apartment, the soothing scent of roses greeted them. This scent was indeed suitable as a room freshener but Hei Yanjing didn't think that Xiao Hua's choice could be this sweet.

"Wow, what a lovely home," he commented as he glanced around the sitting room.

"You live alone in a unit this big?" he asked Xiao Hua.

The young man nodded as he took off his jacket, then put it on the sofa. With a hand signal, he motioned for Hei Yanjing to sit down.

"If I had known that there was a young man living alone next to the apartment unit I rented, maybe I would have thought about living together with you," Hei Yanjing said without hesitation.

Xiao Hua laughed dryly. He sat on the other side of the glass table, facing the guest. He tried to act relaxed and sat on his feet.

"Nonsense. We don't know each other at all," Xiao Hua said, laughing at Hei Yanjing's ridiculous thoughts. "How come you suddenly asked to stay with me?"

"Yeah, but we know each other now." Hei Yanjing took out paper cup and placed one in front of Xiao Hua and one for himself.

"Here's your coffee. I don't know what your taste is. So, I bought Vienna coffee, the waiter said it's the best selling menu of the month," he said.

Xiao Hua looked at the paper cup on the table, but actually his mind was elsewhere. The mysterious box still haunts him.

"Mister Xie, you look even paler than when you left this morning," Hei Yanjing commented, examining his face.

Why is this strange man being so talkative, Xiao Hua couldn't understand.

"Really?"

"Yes. You must be very tired."

Xiao Hua raised an eyebrow, looking at Hei Yanjing. Inwardly he judged that this man was a friendly friend, seemed a gentleman, in a boring black suit with a gold chain tucked into his jeans pocket. Where had he seen a man like Hei Yanjing these days? A man with a sharp mouth and nose, and mysterious eyes hidden behind black lenses. He was no younger than him, maybe a few years older, and as he watched for a longer time, the masculine and tough aura of this man in black emanated strongly. For some inexplicable reason, Xiao Hua felt that he might be able to become friends with Hei Yanjing. He seems quite reliable.

"Yes. My job often requires me to experience strange things," Xiao Hua said.

"You're dealing with hundreds of years old artifacts?"

"Hmmm."

Hei Yanjing took a sip of coffee and then continued to ask, "Like the excavation of ancient artifacts in Asiri? Diggers found rocks carved with images of hideous creatures. I've heard of that. It's said that those carved creatures are Pazuzu, a pagan symbol representing the devil, and the digger finally fell into a trance." ."

"Not that extreme," Xiao Hua replied, bending slightly to pick up his coffee cup. "I've never been possessed."

"Oh, good. Was working in a museum surrounded by ancient objects your dream?" Hei Yanjing ended the question with a faint and amused smile, as if it were a joke. In front of him, Xiao Hua was almost offended, considering that he did have a great interest in all kinds of ancient artifacts, and was doing business regarding such things. Fortunately, he didn't have the energy to get irritated or angry.

"Yes. You could say that. I love ancient sites and travel all over the place just to track down one priceless artifact find."

"You come from mainland China?" Hei Yanjing probed.

"Hangzhou city to be exact." Xiao Hua took a small gulp of coffee, smacking his tongue briefly.

"What is your intention and purpose for coming to Mauritius?"

Xiao Hua glanced suspiciously. "You sound like a prosecutor interrogating a defendant."

"Ah, not like that. Sorry, my style is really this annoying. But, I'm just curious," Hei Yanjing chuckled.

"Curious about my destination?"

"No. More like, I was curious after seeing your cynical smile."

Xiao Hua rolled his eyes.
What's wrong with this black man? His speech was slurred, matching his looks.

"At first I was intrigued when the anthropology museum needed a curator. I thought why not give it a try and it turned out that this is my next stop, for now, and I think it suits the city of Phoenix. One more thing, the beaches in Mauritius are very beautiful."

"You like the sea?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, want to jump into the sea with me?"

Xiao Hua forced out a dry laugh, then looked at the man in astonishment.

"Really," he sighed.

Hei Yanjing joined in the laughter. The two of them were both indifferent and aloof, but secretly wary of each other and looked out for each other.

"How about you?" Xiao Hua asked, staring at the coffee foam on the edge of the cup, occasionally glancing at Hei Yanjing.
"What is your purpose in coming here, and forcing my friendship?"

There was a note of intense curiosity in the host's voice. For a moment, Hei Yanjing stared at him intently, feeling relieved that the handsome young man in front of h wouldn't really see his eyes, and for a moment Hei Yanjing was seduced by the beauty of the young man's appearance.

There was a moment's pause, and in that short time Hei Yanjing could conclude that he liked this young man, instantly feeling concern for him. At the very least, he could find one dazzling face and eyes shining with intelligence. One solace in the bleak downtown of Phoenix, a depressing old town full of secrets amidst the endless crashing waves and ocean breezes. But of course Hei Yanjing couldn't say trivial things like feelings and emotions.

"Same as you," he finally found the answer that felt right.
"I work as a secret agent. So my movement is free."

"Secret agent?" Xiao Hua knit the base of his brows. "The State Intelligence Service? What are you investigating? Drug cartels? Human trafficking?"

Seeing Xiao Hua's unsure reaction, Hei Yanjing just laughed. He waved his hand to emphasize that his profession didn't matter, and he simply wasn't in the mood to divulge many details. "There's no need to discuss my work. But speaking of which, I also have some knowledge of ancient artifacts. I think we can discuss about that often."

Discuss often. Xiao Hua interpreted a lot of prejudice from that sentence. But he just stared stunned, then he thought of an idea. "Then I think you can properly explain some ghost stories. Well, have you ever seen this thing?"

He put down the papercup and reached into his briefcase for his cell phone.

"I took the photo." He shows one photo in his mobile gallery. Hei Yanjing leaned in slightly to examine the photo he was shown clearly.

"It's an ancient box called a Dybbuk," muttered Hei Yanjing, touching the rim of his glasses slowly.

"Yes. That's it. I researched from various sources, long before I saw this box in person. This box is the legacy of a Rabbi who died a week ago and was the last Rabbi on the island. This kind of box is from the 16th century, used in the Jewish ritual of sealing spirits," Xiao Hua explained.

"You already know. So what's the problem?" asked Hei Yanjing.

"The problem is the old box pushed me to the floor." He said it a little hesitantly, feeling like he was talking too much to strangers. The urge to make friends grew so quickly that he became comfortable enough to share the odd, for the first time, with someone he barely knew. Ah, was he this anxious?

"I'm guessing, there's some powerful energy in it," Hei Yanjing commented.
"Well, actually that's nothing new in the world of ancient artefacts and antiques. Who knew that certain things could bring a curse."

Xiao Hua paused with a confused expression, then turned displeased, tending to be bitter and complicated. He turned his head and stared at the large window. Outside, the shadows of the buildings and towers began to turn dark as night fell. Gray clouds engulfed the setting sun, and the treetops glistened in the languid red reflections of the evening.

"Oh, so this is the reason your face looks so pale and tired. Do you feel sick?" asked Hei Yanjing attentively. "Do you want me to check your body? Perhaps the effects of the energy left traces on your body."

Xiao Hua glanced lazily. "No. Actually, maybe I shouldn't worry too much. No curator would be so stupid as to tamper with an ancient object shrouded in mystical energy." He rose from his seat, walked to one wall to turn on the light. In an instant, light flooded the room, giving off a warmer atmosphere. With a questioning face, Xiao Hua turned to his guest.
"It's getting dark. Why don't you take off your sunglasses? I thought it would be a bit odd to wear them at night."

Hei Yanjing smiled, turning his neck to get a closer look at the young man's handsome face. "I can't take it off."

"A problem with your eyes?"

Hey Yanjing shook his head. "Just can't let go of my identity. Also, I like the fact that I can look you in the eye while you can't judge me by the look in them. You can't read my expression. It sounds sneaky, but feels more comfortable."

Hmmm, this man is quite clever in his tongue, and quite a cheater. Xiao Hua gave him a sharp look. It was true what Hei Yanjing said. He couldn't look directly into the eyes beyond the lens, but there was a strong feeling that the man in black was fixing his gaze intensely on him. A warm stroke touched Xiao Hua's face, he suddenly felt clumsy by this man's presence.

"You said your identity? What do you mean?"

"Yes. Sunglasses. You can call me Mr. Black."

"Oh." Xiao Hua twitched his lips, then sat back down.

"Then, how should I address you? Does Mister Xie sound familiar?"

Xiao Hua narrowed his eyes at the man for a long time before deciding to open the door to a more intimate friendship.

"Just call me Xiao Hua," he replied flatly.

"Xiao Hua. What a beautiful name." Hei Yanjing smiled crookedly, looking at the young man again. He received one fierce glance, but had a sweet look in his eyes. His face is beautiful for the size of a man. Xiao Hua looked outside again, headed towards the glass door, this time looking for another view that was more soothing to the eyes. He opened the door to the balcony and rested his elbows on the iron balustrade. The evening wind blew his hair. From the direction of the main room, Hei Yanjing appeared and joined them on the balcony, they enjoyed the atmosphere in silence.

Far to the east, they saw clusters of delicate purple wisteria, shivering in the wind, writhing tangles of branches and leaves, and above all, the moon rising in the Phoenix sky.

"It's a beautiful afternoon, isn't it? Ah, the breeze here, it smells so good." Hei Yanjing muttered. The scent of roses wafted faintly from behind, soft and mystical. However, they love it.

*****

Henrietta

This area is said to be the 'final part' of the Phoenix because outside it there is only forest. Even so, there is still a pulse of life here. Henrietta consisted of populations of different social levels. Currently it has a row of small housing and shops. Most of the area consists of plantations but has a bus terminal which provides access to routes to the major cities.

The woods in that area were pitch black as night drew close and the moon peeked out from behind the gray clouds. The thick of the trees does not allow the moonlight to penetrate. The wind was blowing hard, shaking the branches and leaves. Occasionally a bat's wings flutter above the treetops with a pair of glowing red eyes.

The black robed man ran away, and the hunters came back, and they chased him down the alley. A dead end lay before him, a massive wall, but he kept running, barely flying. As he ran, he picked up speed, an impossible speed, and the houses and trees flew away in a blur. He could feel the wind in his hair.

As the hunter got closer, he jumped, and in one jump he was at the top of a twenty meter high wall. One more jump, and he flew through the air, thirty meters, twenty meters, landed on the roof without missing a step, still running. He is quite strong, invincible. His speed was increasing, and he seemed to be flying.

He looked down and before his eyes the plantation turned into tall, swaying green grass. He ran through the meadows, flashed in the moonlight. In the distance, he saw an old building standing tall.

Suddenly, the black-robed man stopped.

A large medieval door opened, and he entered a church. He walked down a dimly lit hallway, torches burning on either side. In front of the pulpit, a man stood with his back to him, kneeling. As he got closer, he stood up and turned around.

It is a priest. He looked at him, and his face was filled with fear. He felt the blood rushing through his veins. The vile figure could not contain himself. The priest raised the cross to his face, desperate.

Unfortunately, it had no effect. The black-robed man came pounced. He felt his teeth grow long, too long, and watched as they pierced the priest's neck.

He screamed, but the vampire paid no heed, and felt the blood coursing through his teeth and into his veins, and it was the greatest feeling of his life.

"Cursed!" A loud curse echoed from behind him as the hunters trotted in only to find themselves too late.

The black robed man turned - the vampire - roared loudly. Blood dripped from the sharp fangs at the corner of his mouth. Then, the oldest one from the hunting team jumped forward. The speed with which his hand pulled the trigger of the gun that fired a sparkling silver bullet couldn't be avoided by the vicious vampire that had just killed its prey.

The bullet had the speed of light. Penetrating the point between the two bases of the eyebrows. The vampire let out a terrifying roar, nearly shaking the old church building. Floundering for some time, finally the vile creature fell down and didn't move anymore. Gradually, his body shriveled up like a lump of black leather that smelled sickening and sickening.

"That's great, Lao Wei!" one of the five hunting groups shouted appreciating the accuracy of his senior's shot.

The man called Lao Wei blew the end of the gun barrel. It was a Demon Smelter Pistol, a magical weapon that only a special team of vampire hunters possessed. A secret team formed and operating in the dark tasked with hunting down the blood-sucking beasts that are supposedly still on the loose and living in various places after two hundred years of mass extermination in the dark and misty cursed castle of Transylvania.

While the other members were dealing with the corpse of the hapless priest, Lao Wei walked outside the church. Tucking his gun under a black coat, he looked up at the moon then took out his cell phone to call someone.

"We found one in Henrietta," he said in a stern, broken tone.

"He killed a citizen. But don't worry, we have exterminated him!"

[Tbc]

***Mauritian Moonrise***
By Shenshen_88