"I'm not going to tell you anything. You can go ahead and kill me if you want." Akana's father stubbornly told the ten mercenaries.
They were able to defeat all his royal guards in just a few minutes. The scary thing about these mercenaries is that only three of them fought. Luckily both of his daughters were able to escape just in time.
"Your highness you don't have to worry about your life or about your kingdom. We are not here as your enemies. We just want some information about the five travelers you have encountered earlier. I believe your daughter was kidnapped by them."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing of that sort happened here." he denied everything.
"Then where is your daughter?"
"She's on vacation with her mother. Its her birthday."
"Where?"
"You think I'm going to tell you that?"
"Fair enough your highness if you're not going to talk we will just take the information we want. Velvet you know what to do."
Velvet, one of the mercenaries, approaches the king and touches his head.
"Our king here has two daughters, both are vessels. The first one went with her mother and escaped. And the other one went with the five unknown travellers. They have a keyholder with them."
"A key holder and two vessels. I wonder why the council wants them dead. Where are the vessels?"
"I have no idea. The king here made sure that he doesn't know where his daughters are going. He asked one of his men to decide where they would take his first daughter. They could be anywhere."
"That's a shame. What's the door they used?"
"The one in Princess Ara's secret room. They left just a few minutes ago."
"So you served as a distraction for them to escape. Great thinking but that makes me want to kill you. But since you're a king and you're one of those few that has actual royal magical blood I will have to spare your life. But let me take this." He took the king's emblem.
"I have a lot of money and properties. You work for the highest bidder. You can work for me." the king tried to make a deal.
"Do you know why you're unaware of us until today? Because you can't afford us. If you will give us both your daughters maybe."
"How dare you. You are all lowly beings, traitors to mankind."
"You were willing to give away your daughters for money and power before. And you have the guts to call us lowly beings? We're just the same. Is just that your family has been doing it for centuries. Now your highness time to go."
And the minute he said it the king disappeared. He was directly teleported to the palace prison cell together with other royal guards.
After he got rid of the king he told Velvet to check on Janus. The keyholder who is taking too long forging the key. And he's losing his patience already.
"Nagid sir, should we report now to the council?" asked Doyle, one of the new members. He's barely eighteen and it's his first mission. He chose the kid himself. His ability is very useful.
"No, we will not yet report to them. Let them wait." Nagid answered
"What's your plan sir?"
"That group of travelers have one key holder and a vessel amongst them. And the council didn't even mention that to us. They just want the guy name Niccolo destroyed at all cost."
"Yes, that's our mission. We would eliminate all of them, whatever it takes." Doyle seem excited.

"No we won't do that. They have a key holder with them. We need to get him."
"We have a key holder ourselves, we don't need another keyholder in our group." Doyle answer.
"Are you stupid? Key holders are the most sought after creatures by all kingdoms. Why do you think that Janus who was sent by the council is so damn cocky? Because he's a key holder. There are only fifty key holders. A kingdom will pay us a fortune for a key holder. We won't have to be mercenaries anymore. And not only that they got a vessel."
The rest can die but the two we need them alive. And I need your power to do that. Thats why its you who i assigned to catch them."
"You're not going to tell the rest your plan?" Doyle asked.
"Janus will tell the council and do you really want to share the spoil? You're being a little bit too generous. Let's just keep things between us."
"Okay I could do that."
"Good then we have a deal?"
"Where are you planning to sell them off?"
"I have lots of connections. Don't worry about it. Let's join the rest." and they both teletransported to princess Aras room.
The group is inspecting the whole room. Janus is checking the door the travellers used.
"So is there a way we can go after them?"
"Unfortunately Princess Ara is basically untraceable. And so is her sister Akana. They just disappeared without a trace. What's interesting is I'm sure they are not yet on the other side.They haven't reached the border yet."
"They could be with someone that can hide their presence."
"No, the council can tell if someone enters the other side."
"So they're still here. Why can't we tell? We were able to trace them earlier."
"Only one explanation: they're in a time loop." Janus concluded.
"So can we go after them?" Nagid asked.
"I'm still trying to duplicate the key they used."
"Janus for someone so highly regarded by the council you sure are useless. You couldn't create a key for this place, that's why we lost so much time. And now we have to wait again? They could have left the loop already before you can even forge the key."
"Are you insulting my ability?"
"I'm just saying that the key holder they are with is more powerful than you. He's faster and more reliable that's for sure."
"You don't know what youre talking about.
There is a reason why the council put me on this mission. I'm the only key holder that can duplicate keys. That means I'm the most powerful key holder. So you better shut your mouth before I lock you up for life."
Nagid was about to answer back when Velvet sent him a telepathic message.
"Just stop provoking him okay. I know you find him annoying but there's no point in creating new tension. You're the leader act like one." she reprimanded him
"Fine but he better hurry up because my patience is running out."
Velvet's eyes rolled and then approached Janus. "Hey Janus darling, how long will it take to duplicate the key?" She asked coyly.
"More than an hour but I can shorten it to just an hour. It's been 45 minutes so we still need 15 minutes more."
"That's actually fast. See Nagid? Janus is doing his best. After 15 minutes we will be able to follow them and complete our mission."
"Okay just call me when he's finished forging the key. I need to get some air." And as he said that he suddenly disappear