Casildo grew even more confused, scratching his head with a hint of impatience.
"And what about your father? Have you never seen him use his powers either?" he asked, his tone carrying a touch of frustration.
Kairav let out a sigh and shook his head with a weary expression, silently indicating the answer was 'No.'
That only made Casildo more exasperated. But before he could complain, Kairav spoke up. "But my father is actually a bit... strange," he said hesitantly.
"Strange how?"
Kairav met Casildo's gaze with a serious look. "I can understand why my father thought I was hallucinating when I told him about my memories—about seeing a unicorn in the forest that day," he began, taking another deep breath.
"But the thing is, when I was little, I remember something very clearly. On the day before Sagara disappeared, he accidentally found a small statue of a winged unicorn in our house's storage room, hidden among our father's old belongings."
Casildo's eyes widened in shock at that revelation. "Huh? A winged unicorn? I've never seen or even heard of anything like that," he said, frowning deeply.
"Did your father say anything?" he asked.
Kairav slowly shook his head. "He looked panicked, and it was obvious he was struggling to come up with an excuse. He was clearly hiding something," he explained.
He sighed again, the exhaustion and frustration evident in his face. "Because of all that, I ultimately decided to become a cryptozoologist."
"I hoped that by studying cryptid creatures, especially unicorns, I could find a clue that would lead me to my missing brother... and uncover my father's secrets."
Casildo let out a breath and patted Kairav's shoulder a few times. "Damn, you've got quite the complicated backstory, brother," he said, his expression exaggerated and dramatic, almost comically so.
"But don't worry, I'll do my best to help you. I'll explain everything I know about Astral Conjurers and the history of the Pure-Hearted Clan," he promised.
"But before that—" The muscular young man's expression suddenly shifted. He stood up abruptly, irritation clear on his face as he grumbled,
"Shouldn't we get off this island first?! What's the point of uncovering a secret if we die right after?!"
***
Time seemed to slow after that, the night filled only with the whispers of nature's melody. The two young men sat in silence, watching the foamy waves roll onto the shore.
"Casildo. Didn't you say we have special powers?" Kairav asked gloomily.
Casildo, who had already resigned himself to his fate, sighed heavily. "Yeah, that's right."
Kairav immediately grinned with newfound hope, his right dimple showing. "Hah! Then can you fly? Maybe we can escape this place that way!" he suggested enthusiastically.
Casildo rubbed his face roughly. "Failed Product, are you serious?! Have you ever seen a flying bull?!" he grumbled, equal parts exhausted and frustrated.
"Besides, think about it! Why would I waste money on a plane ticket if I could fly on my own?!" he snapped.
The wavy-haired young man rolled his eyes. "Tsk! How would I know? I'm just trying to find a way out of here," he retorted.
"Well, stop trying! Just sit still like a statue! You're giving me a headache!" Casildo snapped, glaring at him with clear annoyance.
"Just pray there's a portal on this island," he added with another tired sigh.
Kairav frowned in confusion. "Huh? A portal?"
Casildo smacked his forehead in frustration. "A mystical portal that connects two linked places. Usually, an island with this kind of mystical energy has at least one portal hidden somewhere."
He stood up, placing his hands on his hips as he gazed at the dark forest in the distance, just beyond the beach where they stood.
"The problem is, I've never set foot on this island before, so I have no idea whether a portal actually exists here or not."
Kairav also stood, brushing the sand off his hands. His serious eyes locked onto the dense jungle ahead. "Then let's start looking for it now."
Casildo let out an exasperated groan and pointed toward the shadowy mass of trees in the distance. "You want to go into the forest without any light?" he scoffed.
"Go ahead, if you want to keep smacking your face into tree trunks."
Kairav clicked his tongue in frustration, kicking at the broken branches scattered beneath his feet. "If only these branches weren't wet, we could make a fire," he grumbled. "Do we have to wait until morning to go in?"
"We can wait for dawn," Casildo replied. "Eh, but what time is it now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kairav instinctively looked up, his hazel eyes scanning the eastern horizon, which was still shrouded in darkness.
"I don't know. The morning star isn't visible yet…"
"It usually appears about an hour before sunrise, when the sky starts brightening but the sun hasn't risen yet," he explained, searching for the brightest planet that typically appeared at dawn and dusk.
"Tsk! If only that nameless young man were here. This wouldn't be a problem…" grumbled the tan-skinned young man in frustration.
Kairav turned toward him, his brows furrowing at the unfamiliar title. "The nameless young man? Who's that?"
Crack...! Boom!
As if answering his question, a sudden bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, making the two stranded young men flinch in shock.
"Damn it, Failed Product! Even nature is tired of hearing your rambling!" Casildo cursed, still startled by the sudden lightning strike.
Kairav had no time to argue back. His heart was still racing as he stared at the horizon, now filled with rolling thunder.
The weather had shifted so suddenly and violently that he barely registered that the moon's light had been swallowed again by thick storm clouds.
"Damn! It looks like another storm is coming!" Kairav cursed as a freezing gust of wind hit him hard.
Grains of sand stung his hazel eyes, forcing him to rub them while muttering in irritation. "Shit! What's with you?!"
"You'll owe me after this," Casildo declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he focused on the sea ahead.
Kairav, still confused, slowly opened his eyes and followed his gaze. His vision was blurry and stinging, but through the haze, he could make out several bright blue orbs floating and swaying amidst the crashing waves.
"Jellyfish?" he murmured, narrowing his eyes to count at least ten glowing spheres.
Hushhh…
The howling wind suddenly fell silent, and eerily, the leaves stopped rustling.
Even the sky's furious lightning quieted, plunging the world into an eerie stillness.
"What's going on?" Kairav muttered, his eyes darting around at the unnatural phenomenon.
Meanwhile, Casildo was busy stretching his muscles, his face lit with excitement, making Kairav glance at him with a weirded-out expression.
"Bro, why are you stretching all of a sudden? Are you about to do Zumba? Can't you see how strange this is?" he asked, annoyed.
With a fiery gaze, Casildo bent slightly forward, taking a stance like a bull ready to charge.
"What else? I'm getting ready to fight!" he shouted.
In a blur, he sprinted toward the now eerily calm waters.
Then suddenly, in just one second, the ocean came alive, as if it had a will of its own.
A massive wave, like a towering wall of water, surged up and crashed toward him.
"Casildo! Watch out!"
Growl!
Ping!
[ System: Scanning Object... ]
Scanning: 85%... 95%... 100% Complete!
Monster: Blue Jellyfish Monster / Euntei Iek
Species: Depths Abominations
Origin: Deepshadow Realm (Mystic Tides Strait)
Special Ability: Liquid Body
[ Additional Info: This creature is highly aggressive and attacks in groups. Extremely dangerous for Astral Conjurers who are unaware of its weakness. Proceed with caution! ]