[Chapter 67: Exorcist's Search Technique: May Divine Light Pierce the Mist, May the Divine Ears Hear Sound and Breath]
As Daniel stepped out of the car, a sharply dressed middle-aged man in his fifties approached him quickly. Behind him walked a woman in her thirties -- a striking contrast in age and appearance. Both were Caucasian.
The man introduced himself as Logan, and the woman was his wife, Jenna. Daniel had previously explained over the phone that a $20,000 down payment was required upfront, refundable if he failed to locate the missing person. Logan had agreed without hesitation.
No sooner had Daniel stepped inside than Logan pulled out a check for $20,000 and handed it over.
With such straightforward clients, Daniel wasted no time. He immediately began setting up his altar.
"Logan, tell me your daughter's full name and birthdate," Daniel said.
Logan provided the details. Daniel quickly noted them down on a paper. She was just nineteen.
"When did your daughter disappear?"
Logan looked remorseful. "Her last contact with me was a week ago."
"That long?" Daniel murmured, surprised.
Logan sighed, guilt clear in his voice. "I'm usually tied up with business, hardly spend time with her. I just give her whatever she wants and let her do what she likes."
Daniel understood -- Bella was a classic spoiled rich kid, detached from parental control.
Turning to Jenna, he asked, "Has Bella reached out to you?"
Jenna shook her head emphatically. "Bella doesn't like me. She barely talks to me."
Daniel nodded, unsurprised by the tension between stepmother and daughter.
"Have you reported Bella missing to the police?" Daniel asked.
"Of course," Logan replied. "According to them, three of Bella's classmates vanished with her. The last time those classmates contacted their families was three days ago."
"Three days ago -- that would be June 22nd..." Daniel calculated and recorded this date on another piece of seal paper.
He then asked, "When they last called home, did they mention their location?"
"Yes," Logan said, "but when the police checked, they found nothing."
"Where exactly?"
"A small town... Hardwick Township," Logan recalled.
Daniel took the map Logan gave him and marked Hardwick Township's name on another paper.
He requested a photo of Bella and, once he had all the information, prepared to initiate the search ritual.
...
Although the basics of exorcist magic included the Search Technique, Daniel had never used it before. Unlike combat or banishing spells, this technique relied heavily on spiritual resonance, and Daniel was not sure whether it would work.
Carefully, he placed the sheets of the seal paper bearing Bella's details on the incense table. Lighting three sticks of green incense, he began circling the table, chanting the incantation:
I call upon the witnesses of the unseen and the keepers of rightful judgment.
Attend this petition and bear record of what is asked.
I seek one of the living: Bella Frick.
Born [birth date].
Last known at Hardwick Township, Los Angeles, California.
Missing since [missing date].
Let holy light pierce what is hidden.
Let truth be drawn from shadow, and false trails be cut away.
Show the direction of her trace -- east or west, near or far-
and reveal whether she stands in safety or danger.
By sealed authority and lawful decree, return her whereabouts without delay.
Each time Daniel voiced the word "reveal," he struck the hand bell once and held perfectly still. According to the information about the spell, incense ash falling during the signal indicated the missing person's direction. By centering on the disappearance spot and moving that way, one could find her.
Daniel circled three times, ringing the bell thrice -- covering southeast and west, but no ash fell. Doubt crept into his mind; maybe the technique wouldn't work?
Still, he tried one final ring, turning north and ringing the bell once more.
"Pfft!"
An abrupt pop sounded; the tips of all three incense sticks flared and went out.
Daniel froze. His expression darkened instantly.
According to the spell, bursting incense tips signal one of two terrible fates: the missing is either trapped by a malignant spirit or already dead.
One extinguished stick might be coincidence. But all three? Absolutely not.
...
Logan, who had watched intently, felt hope ignite as Daniel performed the ritual. But when the incense went out and Daniel's face fell, the spark died immediately.
"Mr. Cross, what does this mean?" Logan asked, his voice strained with dread.
Daniel set the incense aside solemnly. "Prepare yourself for the worst."
Logan paled. "You mean..."
"Exactly as you suspect," Daniel replied.
Logan staggered, nearly falling.
"There's one more method. I'll need the name and birthdate of one of the three classmates who went missing with Bella. I'll try again."
"Right away." Logan hurried to make a call.
...
Soon, Daniel performed the Search Technique once more:
I call upon the witnesses of the unseen and the keepers of rightful judgment.
Attend this petition and bear record of what is asked.
The first three circles yielded nothing.
On the fourth, as Daniel rang the bell, the incense tips again burst into flame and then died.
Once could be chance. Twice? No way.
Daniel's voice was grave: "Logan, your daughter is most likely dead."
Color drained from Logan's face; tears welled as he asked, "Mr. Cross, is there any chance she's alive?"
Daniel shook his head. "Based on this ritual and my judgment, less than ten percent."
A regular person enduring an Evil Spirit's grasp for three days? Survival odds were near impossible.
Logan's face grew even paler, but Jenna's steady presence kept him from collapsing.
"Do you still want to search?" Daniel asked gently.
Tears brimming, Logan nodded fiercely. "Yes, Mr. Cross. Dead or alive, I must find her. Please help me, even if it's only to bring back her body. Don't worry about the final payment. If she's alive, I'll give an extra $100,000 beyond the agreed $100,000."
Daniel met his gaze steadily. "I will do everything I can. Wait for my word."
He packed up and headed toward Hardwick Township -- the last place Bella and her missing friends had been seen.
...
The town was small and sparsely populated. Logan said the police had searched already but found nothing except confirmation that the group had been there.
The main road ran south to north. According to the Search Technique, Bella had encountered danger north of town.
Daniel entered a local restaurant and ordered a meal. As he ate, he asked the waiter about the area north of town.
The waiter shrugged. "Nothing living out there for miles. No sign of people."
Daniel pressed, "What about farther out?"
The waiter hesitated, his expression darkening. Without another word, he abruptly turned and left.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.