Friendly reminder: bold text is telepathic speaking! Enjoy :).
Xavier and Mina greeted Sora and Brie as soon as they teleported to the castle. Sven and Jen were thrilled to see the happy couple and Brie and Sora were ecstatic to return inside their nostalgic barrier.
"The last time I saw you here, I swept you off your feet in your wedding dress and Celeste teleported us to our honeymoon spot. Makes me happy just thinking about it babe. I love you!"
"You're sweet! I still can't believe we went an entire week, which is an entire month, without seeing or talking to each other! Never again, unless I'm in serious need of a girl's vacation or something."
"Just wait until we have kids. We'll need a vacation all the time!"
Brie blushed as Xavier and Mina overheard just the last portion.
"We can only be so lucky when that day comes! Has Athena blessed you two to have children yet?"
"Haven't asked! It's so great to see you two. Unfortunately, we have really bad news. Is there somewhere we can sit?" Brie said oozing with charisma.
"Yes, of course. Let's go grab something to eat."
*****
Over dinner, Brie and Sora explained everything to the King and Queen. They were shocked by the information but not surprised. Titans infiltrating their Sanctuary scared them more than anything. Brie explained Sora's quick thinking ensured the location's safety, which impressed Mina greatly.
"If that happens, hopefully Eris or Helen doesn't sneak to the entrance. If they get in, the floodgates will open."
"Why do they have the power to create such large portals for teleportation?" Sora asked.
"I wish I had an answer. I just know the demons have been here since Exteria's birth, as have we. We're so far apart, it took nearly 250 years before we discovered any of the other race. Uthra, Chimera, Dragons, Humans, demons, and werewolves are said to be the Original races." Mina explained.
"So the titans didn't get here right away and when they did they immediately hid in an enchanted area much like this?" Sora asked Mina.
"Yes. They were never a problem and lived quietly in peace. They never stop training, though. They are the most well organized army in existence. When vampires were created and war erupted, they stayed put. Unfortunately we lost the dragons. The plan was to have dragons, chimera and elves all live in an elven protected barrier. Sometimes, things end up messy."
"So the vampires created their own settlement and Joseph took over as King? How did he manage to bring peace?"
"No, Azazel remained king for 500 years. This war didn't finish overnight. As much as the dragons were ambushed, the vampires still had plenty of power and took the fight to the Obsidian Hallow. This caused the special forces to retreat, but they underestimated the vampires. This war dragged on and eventually a human, Jamal Smith, threatened to end the demons and finally convinced the humans to stop persecuting and executing elves."
"Azazel mentioned he was King. Was it Jamal who he ended up giving the throne to?"
"Yes, because originally the demons didn't believe him. When elves and chimera showed up on their doorstep, they quickly changed their tune. Jamal Smith brought peace with the crown and the humans held the crown for over 1000 years until the prophecy from the Steele family.
Mina asked the waiter to take the food from the table and pour another glass of wine. She took a deep breath and stretched her neck.
"Joseph was honored by the humans and revered as the 'keeper of peace,' and now that we know Celeste was with him, we understand why he drove that peace."
Brie declined the glass of wine but thanked the waitress. This was more information than the couple expected to hear. What confused everyone the most was why the demons decided to move now. What was pushing them? Sora thought he knew the answer.
"I'm guessing the demons started moving now because they confirmed I'm the child of prophecy. The weaker I am, the more they can dominate. The stronger I become, the more they can try to flip me to their side. Why would I want to help them destroy Exteria, though? Brie is alive and well in the prophecy so something changes."
Sora stood up and stretched. They were tired from all this talk. Xavier followed suit and suggested a five minute break. When they returned back from their break, they decided to enjoy the evening and catch up on other things.
*****
Sora explained the party grew to 14 and Xavier's eyes lit up.
"Speaking of, would you agree to offer a party invite to my daughter and her boyfriend? I know they're my next in kin, but Diane found her partner at your wedding."
"That would be wonderful! We are currently using different groups to optimize who works best together. Bishop is in charge of protecting Celeste, who Brie and I will only see in my mansion. Here and my mansion are the only two known locations we can't be tracked."
Xavier relaxed his face.
"Glad to know our masking magic works. Thank you for protecting our entrance. Won't they be waiting in the general area when you leave?"
Brie had an epiphany.
"Can't Faye use your masking magic?! She could mask the four of us or Sora could link with her so the magic affects us as well!"
"My wife is a genius." Sora kissed her on the cheek.
Mina and Xavier smiled widely. They knew the impact and importance of keeping their home a secret.
"Let's get them!" Mina declared emphatically.
As they left, Sora noticed his system was giving him a plethora of notifications.
[You have received 500,000 experience from team C.
You have received 1,000,000 experience from team D.
You are now level 777. Your eye abilities have leveled up to 10. You have 777 HP.
New magic obtained: Aphrodite Unleashed]
Sora stopped listening to basic rewards. He stood in shock and used his system to make a change to his seal with Brie.
"I accept. Sora, why did you remove the part where I cannot betray or reveal you and add the part if you go berserk, I'm ordered to kill you?!"
"You know why. I don't want to ever get to the point where I've abused my powers and am so far gone the world ends. You're the only person strong enough to stop me. If I'm linked with you it would be easy. I will always stay linked with you moving forward."
"Sora, that's too extreme. That's taking my feelings and emotions from me. That's not fair."
Sora paused for a moment. He was already in tears.
'She's right. I can't do that to her.'
"Ok, I'm sorry. I will only link with you when we feel it's absolutely necessary. Just please promise me that if I become a danger to Exteria, you will kill me."
He turned to look at Brie who was hugging him and nodding yes. She tried to fight back the tears but couldn't.
'I'm becoming too powerful too fast. I need to talk Athena.'