One week later. Back in the forest.

Elva Sunbelle was having a good time pretending to be Graven's wife. ​​

She and her husband enjoyed the simple living in the forest and engaged most of their time in lovemaking all day and all night long, she didn't even mind that sometimes her honeypot will go sore. She knows that Graven already emptied all his seeds inside her womb and she's excited to be pregnant soon!

She already decided that she will let go of Graven. She realized that it's so selfish of her to snatch Graven away, erased his memory, and bring him to her place in the Windless Mountains while he still has so many things to take care of that needed his attention.

She will set him free for now while she takes good care of her body to prepare for the coming of her child into this world.

She can always take him away at the right time.

Today is the last time they will be together in this house and she wants to make the best out of it - because tomorrow she will return Graven to his old life along with his powers that she had suppressed for a while.

Right now, Graven was out there trying to hunt for wild animals to be roasted above the fire later on.

He started hunting in the morning after they have eaten their breakfast, he will be back soon before lunchtime.

She put the green bananas in the pot added some water, it's ready for cooking. She will wait for he husband to come home so that he can start the fire. She won't dare use her power especially that they're already on the last day of their stay here in the forest.

She went to the window and looked heavenward. The sun was already high up in the sky, blazing hot.

She looked around the vicinity of the house, no signs of her husband yet. She went to bed and stared at the ceiling. The roofs used to have holes on them but Graven fixed them all.

A few minutes later, she heard noises outside. She got up from the bed and went to the window, she saw Graven putting the small wild boar into the ground near the roasting area. He caught a wild boar!

"Husband!" she called out to him. "Can you make me a fire 'coz I'm going to boil the bananas?" she said.

"Okay," Graven replied, he climbed the stairs and entered the door. He went to the kitchen and make the fire. Done making the fire, he looked at his wife. "Anything else?" he asked.

"No more. I'll take it from here," she said.

Graven exited the house and brought the wild boar into the stream for cleaning before roasting.

Half an hour later.

Graven was already roasting the wild boar above the fire.

Laura lowered herself beside her husband.

Graven glanced at Laura. "You know, wife..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"I notice something strange in this place..." he said.

"What did you notice?" she asked.

"I've been trying to find the way out of this forest but every time I thought I already found the way out, it always leads me to a dead end. I think this place is enchanted, there's something powerful trapping us here. But I think that powerful being is not bad, because if that is the case, he or she already harmed us," explained Graven.

"Yeah, I think so..." Laura agreed. "Maybe that entity is playing a frank on us?" she suggested.

"You could be right. I want that mysterious being to show itself to us so that we can ask him or her to set us free. We can't stay in this place forever. I have so many things to do outside," Graven grumbled with a sigh.

"I know..." Laura said rubbing her husband's back to console him. "Don't worry as long we don't stop finding our way out, we will eventually find the way out of this place. Tomorrow I will help you," she offered.

"No, you just stay here inside the house. I'll continue to find the way out of this place. Once I found the way I'll come back for you," he said.

"Okay, as you say so," Laura replied.

Two hours later.

The mouthwatering roasted wild boar was already cooked to perfection. The couple began eating their delicious lunch under the shade of the tree.

>>

Meanwhile, at Terros place.

He was outside the bamboo house looking heavenward. It's been one week already since he had given Graven the powder and he hasn't come back yet.

He was wondering where is Graven right now? He was eager to know if the powder is effective and if he succeeded in finding the two missing women?

Suddenly... a black crow appeared out of nowhere and landed on Terros shoulder.

It's the messenger bird from Graven!

There was a piece of paper attached to the foot of the messenger bird. Terros unfastened the paper and read the message... 'Lord Graven is missing... is he staying with you here in the mountain?' signed: Horace.

Terros allowed the bird to fly away, then he disappeared.

He reappeared in the clearing outside the forest where Horace was waiting for his presence. "What is it, Horace?" he asked.

"Grandpa, I was wondering if you had seen Lord Graven in the past few days?" Horace asked.

Terros brows furrowed. "Why? What wrong with Graven?" he asked worriedly.

"He simply disappeared without a trace and it's been one week already, we can't find him anywhere! So, I decided to come here to ask if you know his whereabouts..." Horace said.

Terros breathed deeply. "Where could he be? The last time he comes here is when I give him the powder to help him find his missing wife and Rebecca, that was one week ago," he said.

Horace released a deep sigh, worry and apprehension etched were on his face. "What do you think happened to him, Grandpa?"

Terros breathed deeply. "The last time I saw him, he was excited to find his missing wife while holding the bottle filled with the magical powder in his hand," he replied.

Horace knew about the magical powder because Graven told him about it. "Thanks for the info, Grandpa. If we will find Lord Graven I will inform you right away so that you don't have to worry anymore," he said.

"Okay, similarly, if I know of his whereabouts, I will go to your place to inform you," Terros replied.

"Alright, Grandpa. I'll take my leave now," Horace said.

Terros nods his head.

Horace disappeared from the clearing.

Terros took a deep breath. Graven is missing and nobody knows where he is right now? Where could he be at this time? Did something wrong happen to him? He needs to get back to the bamboo house and perform a ritual to know if Graven is still alive.

He disappeared from the clearing.

Terros appeared outside the bamboo house. He climbed the stairs in a hurry.

Veronica was on the balcony, she saw Terros's worried face. "What's wrong?" she inquired.

"Graven has been missing for one week already!" Terros said.

"Where are you going?" Veronica asked.

"To my room, I'm going to find out if Graven is still alive!" he said and entered the door.

Veronica's brows knitted together. Graven is missing? He's been missing for one week already! How come? Where is he?

She continues sorting the herbs in the basket.

Meanwhile, inside Terros's room. He put the candle on the altar and opened the small bottle containing a small amount of Graven's blood which was already dry. He removed the lid of the bottle. After performing the ritual, if the candle will light suddenly then Graven is still alive, if not then Graven is already dead.

Terros began chanting the magical spell that started the ritual... his chanting lasted for ten minutes.

Suddenly... the candle burst into flame!

Terros smiled brightly. "Graven is alive!" he said happily.

He stared at the candle for a few minutes... wondering where is Graven right now? He's very much alive - but why he didn't come home? Could it be that he suffered an accident somewhere... or he was found by his enemies and was captured?

It's mind-boggling why he hasn't come back yet? Unless he was overpowered.

His men were worried and looking for him.

Tonight he will perform another ritual that might point him to the place where he's staying, but if the one who captured him is powerful and already concealed his whereabouts then he can't locate him.

Unless he has to use Veronica's magical powder and find Graven's whereabouts in every town and village. If it's the last resort, then he won't hesitate to do just that. He will wait if Graven can't still go home the next day, then he will start tomorrow night.

He blew the candle and exited the room. He went outside and joined his lady friend on the balcony.

Veronica looked at him. "How is it?" she asked.

"The candle says Graven is still alive!" he replied.

"Good!" Veronica said.

"He might have suffered an accident somewhere or captured by his enemies," Terros said. "Do you still have the magical powder?" he asked.

"Yes. I already made two more bottles. They're inside my room," she responded.

"I need one bottle to find Graven in every town and village tomorrow night," he said.

"No problem," Veronica replied. "I will make more..." she said.

"I'll go back to my room to try if I can trace his whereabouts," Terros said and left the balcony going back to his room.

Veronica stopped sorting the herbs and looked at the horizon. She already had a suspect in mind on who is the one responsible for Graven's sudden disappearance, but she won't tell Terros about her suspicion. She needs to make sure if the thousand-year-old deity was the one responsible for Graven's disappearance.