After dropping Clover off at her house and promising to see her in two days, Titus decided to find his friends. He came across them at a nearby pub, mingling with a group of young women who seemed quite taken with them. Christopher was clearly in his element, charming as ever, while Vernon appeared to be caught between amusement and discomfort. Titus shook his head with a small smile, thinking, 'Some things never change.'
As he approached their table, Christopher noticed him and beamed. "Titus! Come on over!" he shouted, motioning him to join. Titus raised an eyebrow but made his way to the group anyway.
With a playful smirk, Christopher handed Titus a glass of whiskey. "Sow your wild oats, my friend. You've got one last shot before the wedding bells ring." Titus raised an eyebrow and shook his head with a chuckle. "I think I'll pass," he replied dryly.
Christopher laughed and winked at the ladies nearby. "Why go for just one when there's a whole buffet to enjoy?" Vernon rolled his eyes with a grin, while Titus remained unfazed.
Titus glanced at the ladies before turning back to Christopher. "I think it's time we talked about some... important matters." Christopher picked up on the hint and flashed a cheeky grin. "Ladies, excuse us for a moment. It seems our friend here has some secrets to spill – and we're not talking about who's in charge at home." The women giggled and nodded, granting the friends a bit of privacy.
Vernon leaned in, intrigued. "What's going on, Titus? You've got that look."
"Today, Clover and I were meant to try on our wedding outfits, but she stepped out during lunch to use the restroom. I was surprised when she returned and took me with her to the bathroom. Once we reached there, I found two nephilims from the Light Kingdom. One of them was injured, but it wasn't just from a typical fight; his wounds were inflicted by the claws of the reapers that lie close to the Veil," Titus stated, glancing at his friends.
"What do you mean by reapers of the Veil?" Vernon asked, looking stunned. "Those creatures shouldn't stray too far from the Veil."
"I'm saying that someone is targeting my future queen, and the nephilims appear to be trying to protect her from that threat," Titus said, his expression growing serious. "I won't just stand by and let them have their way."
"What do you suggest we do? We can't just wreak havoc in this realm," Christopher replied.
"I think Chris is right," Vernon added. "It's too dangerous, and we could expose ourselves to the mortal realm."
"I didn't say we should wreak havoc," Titus clarified. "I want to track the reapers, since they're born from corrupted shadows, not the real soul harvesters. We need to find out if they left the Veil on their own or if someone's controlling them."
Vernon and Christopher exchanged a concerned glance. "If someone's controlling them, it's likely not from the Light, Celestial, or Elemental Kingdoms," Titus said.
Vernon shot a disdainful look as he said, "Why discount those kingdoms? They could easily find someone to carry out their dirty tasks. The Elementals, in particular – those elves believe they're better than everyone else."
Titus looked contemplative. "I haven't dismissed them entirely, but I suspect the person behind this might be a monarch, the Equinox Kingdom maybe the culprit for their affiliation with both dark and light magic. They could be using the reapers as mere tools."
Christopher's interest was sparked. "But what could they want with Clover? Is it possible that she's just too powerful?"
Titus nodded, deep in thought. "I feel the same way. Earlier today, when I was showing Clover how to perform a healing spell, she released this bright light, but then it suddenly changed to a dark blue. Miraculously, Raphael's wounds started to heal right away, without leaving any scars or causing fever. It was like his injuries just disappeared."
Vernon's face grew serious. "You have to warn her to keep her abilities a secret. There are greedy kings who would come to your kingdom just to exploit her powers, and that would make her life incredibly difficult."
Christopher's interest was sparked. "Who do you think is aware of Clover's powers?"
Vernon paused for a moment before saying, "The folks that come to mind are Maribelle, the werewitch, and Isildur, the young elf who accompanied her. And probably the Priestess, Cassandra, along with the wizard, Romulus."
Christopher rubbed his hands together eagerly and said, "When do we kick off the manhunt?"
Titus replied, "With just a week to go before the wedding and my promise to meet Clover in two days, how about we get started now if you guys are free for the next couple of days?"
Christopher's eyes lit up, "Alright, let the hide and seek game begin." He quickly finished his whiskey in one gulp, and they left the pub.
As the cool breeze of midnight brushed against their faces, it revealed their focused expressions as they stared into the darkened horizon. In an instant, they teleported to the edge of the nearest forest. Anticipating what was to come, the usual sounds of the forest faded away, leaving only an overwhelming silence.
"Why did you decide to come to the forest?" Vernon asked. "I doubt they'll be here."
"I need a peaceful spot to work on my astral projection," Titus answered. "I have to determine where they entered the mortal realm, and then I can trace their path from there."
Finding a suitable place, Titus settled down and shut his eyes, readying himself to focus on his astral projection.
Christopher and Vernon were taken aback; having known Titus since he was a child, they were unaware of his high-level demon nature. It struck them how little they understood about that part of him. Titus seldom tapped into his demonic powers, preferring to take on his dragon form, Draken. Astral projection was a formidable skill, possessed by only a select few demons.
When Titus opened his eyes and glanced at his friends, he said, "I need you both to be quiet for a few moments," raising an eyebrow. Christopher responded by miming a zipper across his mouth and tossing an imaginary key while making a locking gesture.
Though it felt like an eternity, only a few minutes passed before Titus reopened his eyes. Vernon broke the stillness, asking, "Did you find their landing spot?"
Titus nodded, his face serious. "Yes, it's in that eerie forest where the Veil is. I believe we should start our search there." With that, he stood up, brushed himself off, and got ready to make his way to Hallow forest.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the neighborhood of another city, Valen wiped a bloody knife on a cloth as he stood over a dead body. He moved towards Kaelos, one of the mages he partnered with, his expression intense. "Those two nephilims can't just disappear into thin air," Valen said, his voice low and urgent. "Someone must have helped them hide. Your tracking spell can't just lead you to this place for no reason."
"Yes, I understand your highness. I'll do another spell," the mage was about to begin to try another tracking spell, but Prince Valen stopped him.
"Before you do another spell, let's see if Zakor can command one of the reapers to trace the nephilims," Valen said. Zakor began to use a commanding spell, and a group of Guardian Elite Force appeared out of nowhere.
The leader of the Elites was the first to speak, his voice ringing with authority. "I order you to surrender."
Valen glared at the werewolves in disgust, his face contorted in disdain. "Clearly, living among humans has impaired your judgment; you don't even recognize who's right in front of you."
The captain's anger flared, yet he couldn't help but grin at the rage in Valen's eyes. "You think I should bow to you?" His expression danced with mischief. "I bow to no one, not even my superiors." He turned to his team with an even wider smirk. "Kill them. Leave no survivors."
Observing this, Zakor summoned another group of reapers and Kaelos teleported the three of them, leaving the Elites to face the reapers alone.
When the teleportation dropped them at the end of the alley in a new town, Valen couldn't help but voice his frustration. "How did those annoying pests track us down?" Valen exclaimed, kicking the ground out of frustration. "They're really starting to get on my nerves. I don't have time to deal with these insignificant beings. We need to find the damned nephilim to locate the girl and escape this wretched realm. It's becoming unbearable."
"Remember the young reaper that went missing? I suspect they used it to unknowingly lead them to us since it was hurt," Zakor said. "I just don't understand how it got those injuries."
"While we wait, let's see if they concealed any tracking devices among the reapers; they might have stashed something in the ones still left," Valen proposed.
"For now, we should meet up with the others today and check if they've uncovered any information," Valen continued, blending into the shadows as he used his telekinesis to unlock a car nearby.
Kaelos turned to the prince and said, "Your Highness, do you believe anyone else might have insights? If someone powerful is keeping those nephilims hidden, locating them could be really challenging."
Valen felt his frustration rise, giving Kaelos a pointed look. "Can't you come up with something more constructive instead of just sharing your gloomy thoughts?"
Once they got into the car, Valen ignited the engine, which roared to life. He skillfully steered through the town, and as they pulled away, the road stretched ahead of them like a great serpent, guiding them to their target.