Enigma Island, Nusantara Kingdom, Year 2023

The overcast clouds slowly faded, allowing the moon to cast its pale light. Yet the drizzle persisted, mixing with the turbulent waters of the Mystic Tides Strait.

The storm’s aftermath was evident—uprooted trees, scattered branches, and wreckage floating alongside the remnants of human bodies. It all drifted in the waves near a small, uninhabited island between Enchanted Island and Sapphire Island.

Cold waves crashed against an unconscious body lying on the shore. The cries of crows circling above broke through the haze, stirring Kairav from his daze. His eyelids fluttered open, and the dim glow of the full moon came into view.

Groaning, he tried to sit up, each movement revealing the pain coursing through him. His clothes were soaked, torn, and bloodstained, his body covered in wounds. He stared blankly at the scattered plane wreckage and the floating remains, struggling to accept the fact that he had survived.

“Failed product, you survived? I thought you’d be fish food by now, like the others...”

Kairav’s eyes widened as a voice reached him from behind. He spun around, startled. “You’re alive too?!”

“No, it’s my ghost, here to haunt you!” Casildo snapped, striding toward him. Kairav rolled his eyes, clearly irritated. “Judging by that face... Failed Product, you’re disappointed to see me alive.”

Sighing, Kairav crossed his arms and met Casildo’s gaze with a sarcastic look. “Good thing you noticed. I’d rather be stranded with the other passengers than with you!”

Casildo glared, sitting beside him with a huff. “Are you stupid and useless?! Look at us! We’re in bad shape. Do you think a normal human could survive that explosion?!”

Kairav glanced at Casildo’s bloodstained, torn clothes and bruises. His expression softened, and he muttered, “Are we really that special...?”

Casildo paused, taken aback by Kairav’s sudden shift in tone. “Well, we have abilities—strength, endurance, and longevity—that normal humans don’t.”

Kairav lifted his head, confusion clouding his hazel eyes. “Then why have I never felt my power?”

Casildo furrowed his brow, studying Kairav’s puzzled expression. “Do you really believe everything I’ve said?”

“Huh?” Kairav frowned in response.

“All this talk about unicorns and animal spirits—doesn’t it sound ridiculous to someone like you?” Casildo asked, a mix of curiosity and disbelief in his voice. “I didn’t think anyone would believe that stuff in this day and age, especially without having seen it firsthand.”

Kairav let out a slow sigh, his gaze drifting up toward the dim moonlight. “As a cryptozoologist, it’s natural for me to believe in things beyond reason.”

Casildo’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a cryptozoologist?”

Kairav nodded, and Casildo’s amazement grew. “That’s not exactly a common profession. Why did you get into it?”

Kairav’s voice dropped. “Because of my younger brother...”

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“Because of your younger brother?”

The silence lingered, broken only by the breeze and crashing waves. Kairav finally spoke quietly, “I lost my brother about 11 years ago, when we still lived in the Bentala kingdom.” His voice carried the weight of old memories.

“I don’t remember exactly what happened... It was dusk, and we had gone into the mangrove forest near our house to chase after our dog, who had suddenly run off...”

His voice trailed off as he tried to piece together the fragmented memory. “Somehow, I got separated from my brother. I don’t know how, but when I woke up, I was lying in a mud puddle under a dark sky, with my dog beside me... dying.”

Casildo watched him closely, curiosity mixed with sympathy. “What happened after that?” he asked softly.

Kairav sighed, his hazel eyes lost in the waves. “That’s where things became strange, and I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or awake.”

“What do you mean?”

Kairav hesitated, looking down. After a pause, he continued, “That golden-horned unicorn spirit you mentioned earlier... I think I saw it 11 years ago. That’s why I was so surprised when you brought it up.”

Casildo’s eyes widened. “Really? I thought you had never seen one—you looked completely clueless when we first met.”

Kairav tried to recall the memory clearly. “I was sitting in the mangrove forest. Right in front of me was a white unicorn spirit with a golden horn. From its horn, golden mist flowed and wrapped around my dying dog... Then, suddenly, my dog got up, perfectly healthy.” He paused and shook his head. “That’s all I can remember...”

Casildo nodded slowly. “It makes sense that your dog recovered. People born with unicorn spirits possess special blood that can heal wounds and diseases. It can even extend the lives of other Astral Conjurers, ordinary humans, or animals.”

He became more serious. “I think you accidentally used your power back then—the Radiant Soulforge Awakening. It’s a basic ability Astral Conjurers use to engage their spirit animals.”

Kairav clenched his head, a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelming him. “But if I have that power... why hasn’t it surfaced since then?” he asked, frustration clear in his voice.

Casildo sighed, patting Kairav’s back. “Tell me more about yourself. Maybe I can help you figure it out.”

Suddenly, Casildo seemed to realize something. “Wait, I don’t even know your name. I can’t keep calling you Failed Product forever, can I?” He crossed his arms, sounding a bit irritated.

“Kairav Pikatan,” Kairav replied. “You can call me Kairav.”

Casildo raised an eyebrow. “Kairav Pikatan? A white lotus blooming under the alluring light of the full moon?” he mocked, grinning. “Such a typical name from Eternalush,” he quipped, waving his hand as if stifling laughter.

Kairav rolled his eyes and sighed, trying to keep his annoyance in check.

After flashing Kairav one last mocking grin, Casildo gave him a hard pat on the back. “Alright, Failed Product, enough with the sob story. Let your senior show you how it’s done,” he boasted, puffing out his chest proudly. Kairav, on the other hand, was barely able to hold back his disgust, his mind already plotting how to knock Casildo down a peg someday.

Casildo, unaware of Kairav’s disdain, went on. “So, who have you been living with all this time? If you’ve been with your parents, they should have told you about this power, right? Unless, of course, they’ve been hiding it from you on purpose,” he said, shrugging as if it were a casual thought.

Kairav let out a long sigh before answering. “It was just my father and younger brother back then. I was born in Bentala and lived there for a while. But after my brother disappeared, my father and I moved to the Nusantara kingdom. I’ve only lived with my father since.”

“And your mother?” Casildo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kairav shook his head slowly. “I don’t have any memories of her. My father told me she passed away when I was a child,” he explained, frowning thoughtfully. “The strange part is, we don’t have a single picture of her, not one.”

Casildo paused, rubbing his chin in thought. “Hmph… There’s definitely something off about that,” he said, his face growing serious. “You know, one of your parents must have been an Astral Conjurer. That power runs through bloodlines—it’s passed down from ancestors to their descendants. So, if you have it, that means your younger brother should have had it too.”

Kairav’s brow furrowed as he tried to process the new information. “My younger brother?” he echoed, making sure he hadn’t misheard.

Casildo nodded. “Yeah. Have you ever noticed your brother displaying any powers?”

Kairav shook his head again. “No, never,” he replied softly, his gaze dropping to the ground as his mind raced. “Sagara had powers too…?” he whispered to himself, the realization swirling in his thoughts.