“But I don’t see anything...” Kairav concluded, looking confused as he frowned deeply. Outside, all he could see were the flashes of white lightning slicing through the dark sky.

“Tsk! Didn’t I tell you you’re blind?!” Casildo snapped, clearly exasperated. He tore his gaze away from Kairav’s clueless expression and focused again on the epic battle playing out before his eyes—one that only he could witness. “There are two things that don’t add up here,” he said suddenly, his tone more serious.

“First, it’s odd that the silent ghost tribe left the forest depths of North Lushwood Island and revealed themselves, let alone got involved in a fight,” he began, his voice low and thoughtful. “And second, it’s been a long time since the Darkconians were rumored to resurface, but this is the first time they’ve caused trouble by fighting with other Astral Conjurers after lying dormant for so long.”

Kairav’s frown deepened. “You’ve been talking in riddles since yesterday. Can you explain all of this slowly so I can understand what you’re saying?!” He snapped, growing impatient with Casildo’s cryptic remarks.

Casildo paused, his face shifting from tense to resigned in an instant. “It’s too late, brother... The great energy of these two spirits...”

“Huh?” Kairav’s brow furrowed in confusion.

With a heavy sigh, Casildo shook his head. “How tragic... I always thought I’d die in some grand battle against monsters or in an explosion of stellar essence, but now it looks like I’ll meet my end at the age of 50 because of a plane crash.”

Roarrr!

A deafening roar echoed across the horizon just as the tiger spirit tore free from the dragon serpent’s coils. Its sharp teeth sank into the dragon serpent’s body, ripping apart the tight grip that had held it captive.

The Tiger spirit wasted no time, using the brief moment of freedom to escape. But the dragon serpent wasn’t ready to admit defeat. It lunged forward with fury, its massive body streaking through the sky in pursuit of its enemy.

The two spirits collided again, their colossal bodies surging with immense power. In their relentless chase, they didn’t realize the danger their energy posed—until it was too late.

Their enormous forms crashed directly into the path of a plane, shattering it upon impact.

Boom! Kaboom!

***

Kingdom of Bentala, 11 Years Ago (2012)

A somber memory lingers in a kingdom located on a small continent called Nirvana. On a cloudy afternoon, seagulls soared high over the vast Eternal Celestial Strait, the natural divide between an island of the Nusantara kingdom and the Coral Reef Peninsula of the Bentala kingdom.

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The blue waves crashed against the shore where fishing boats were moored at a peaceful village dock. Near the edge of a secluded mangrove forest, far from the other houses, a seven-year-old boy played in his yard with an old beagle. Around his neck hung a black cord, from which dangled a deep red gemstone.

“Brother!”

Kairav looked up as soon as he heard the cheerful voice call to him. At the open door of a nearby shed, his four-year-old brother, wearing a matching necklace, came running out, something clutched in his small hands.

“Look what I found!” the boy exclaimed.

Kairav walked over. “What have you got, Sagara?” he asked gently.

Sagara’s brown eyes sparkled as he held out a small bronze statue. “I found it in the shed, with Father’s old things!” he said excitedly. “But Brother, why does this horse have wings?”

Kairav took the ancient statue, brow furrowed. The figure depicted a horned horse with wings spread wide. “I’ve heard of horned horses called unicorns, but I’ve never heard of one with wings.”

“Then what is this animal?” Sagara asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know,” Kairav admitted. He patted his brother’s head reassuringly. “We can ask Father. Since it was with his things, he’ll probably know.”

Sagara’s frown disappeared, replaced by a wide grin. “Let’s go!” He shouted, racing toward the door. Kairav followed close behind.

Their sprint came to an abrupt stop, though, when they heard a loud bark.

Woof! Woof!

“Brother, why is Nala barking like that?” Sagara asked, confused.

Kairav frowned, watching their old beagle stand stiffly by the fence, growling and barking at the dense forest beyond, as if sensing a threat.

“Nala! What’s wrong?” Kairav called softly as he moved toward the dog.

But before he could reach her, Nala bolted through the fence, disappearing into the forest.

“Nala!” Sagara screamed, chasing after her into the mangrove trees.

“Sagara! Stop! Don’t chase after her! It’s dangerous!” Kairav shouted as he ran after his little brother into the thick mangrove forest.

Anxiousness crept onto his face as Sagara’s small figure began to disappear amidst the dense trees. Even Nala’s barking had faded into silence.

“Saga! Come back!” Kairav’s small feet struggled through the muddy water, his eyes darting around in confusion and fear. He spotted their footprints, pressed into the mud, and immediately began to follow them.

“Sagara! Nala!”

His voice echoed as he called out, his hazel eyes scanning the darkening forest, the overcast sky dimming the last of the evening light. “Sagara! Where are you?”

Suddenly, a soft, pained sound reached his ears. “Nala...?” Kairav whispered, his heart pounding as he recognized the faint whimper of their dog.

He ran towards the sound, his fear growing. But relief quickly followed when he spotted Sagara standing beside a mangrove tree, unharmed. “Sagara!” he called out, rushing towards him.

“Why did you run off like that?” Kairav asked, frustration in his voice as he neared his brother.

But his irritation quickly turned to confusion. Sagara stood frozen, staring ahead, his face pale with fear. “Sagara, what’s wrong?” Kairav asked, shaking his brother’s shoulder gently.

With a trembling hand, Sagara raised his finger, pointing to something ahead. Kairav turned slowly, and as he did, the groans of Nala became more distinct, accompanied by a low, menacing growl.

Growl...

Kairav froze, his face going pale. Emerging from the trees was a massive creature—12 feet tall, with thick black fur covering its primate-like body. Its sharp claws raked across the tree trunks, leaving deep gashes, and its glowing red eyes locked onto them.

It was a Shadowrift Abomination, known locally as the Giant Man or Orang Gadang, a creature thought to be nothing more than an urban legend. But here it was, looming over them, its sharp teeth sinking into Nala’s small, bloodied body as she let out pained whimpers.

The beast’s red eyes flicked to Kairav and Sagara, its mouth dripping saliva as it eyed them like prey. With a growl, it dropped Nala’s dying body onto the mud and let out a piercing screech, then charged at the boys.

“Sagara! Run!”