It was a dark navy night, and Kai lay awake in his small, somewhat cozy bedroom, unable to sleep, wondering what would happen from now on. His life had always been strange. He had lived in the forest on the island all his life, never seeing anyone his age, though sometimes curious folk would sail near the island to give it a peek—without ever stepping foot on it.
"My dad was a unicorn… That’s wild. I thought it was cool until she dropped the rest on me. Royal family coming for us? Me? Light magic? No wonder I always felt like I was holding back. And I can turn into a unicorn? Sure, but I don’t even know how. She said she’ll teach me, but she’s not even a unicorn. And she was crying… She went through all that. If they’re really coming, fine. I’ll protect her. She raised me, taught me everything. Nothing touches her while I’m here."
Eventually, his thoughts blurred and his eyes gave in, falling asleep.
It was already morning when Kai woke up, in response of the sunlight creeping through the window. Kai sat up, rubbed his eyes, yawned, and pushed back his messy hair. His footsteps thudded against the floor as yesterday's conversation weighed heavy on his chest. He needed to see his mother.
He walked into the living room and found Sera there, focused on a strange book he had never seen before. Their shelf was small, and this one had never been on it. Its cover was pitch black. She noticed him and closed the book, smiling warmly despite the bags under her eyes.
"Hi, Kai. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah… kinda. What about you?"
"Well… you know me."
Kai caught on instantly—she had a rough night. He hugged her gently. She needed it.
When he let go, his eyes fell on the book. "What’s that about?"
"It’s… your father’s notes."
Kai’s eyes widened. "Wait—what?"
"More like instructions. He wrote them so I could help you draw out your light, sword, and healing magic… and other things."
Kai sat down beside her, stunned. He thought last night’s revelations were everything, but now—his father had left behind a book. A piece of him.
"Can I see?"
"Actually… there’s something he wrote for you." She flipped through the pages until stopping at one. A picture was glued there: a man with pale skin, silver hair, and Kai’s exact blue eyes.
"W-who is that?" Kai whispered.
"Your dad."
Kai’s heart fluttered. "We’ve got the same hair."
"And the same eyes. You look just like him."
"He looks… so young."
"Unicorns stop aging in their twenties."
Beneath the picture was a handwritten note:
"I’m handsome, aren’t I? You’re probably as handsome as me right now, or maybe you look like your mom, which would be better. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. And you better listen to her, young man! I may not be there for you and your mother, and for that I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you both more than anything. That’s why I had to let go, to protect you. I trust you can take the throne, protect your mother, and free the unicorns from their corrupted ways. You can do it, hano. I love you."
Kai’s eyes blurred with tears. He smiled through them, his heart fluttered as his father’s words wrapped around him like a hug.
Sera placed a hand on his shoulder. "Today, I’ll teach you how to use all your magic."
Kai nodded firmly. "But first… let’s eat. I’m starving."
~•~
Kai and Sera were in front of the house, Sera holding the book in her hand. Kai was nervous and a little excited. Yes, they were in danger, but that didn’t change the fact that he could turn into a unicorn—and he still thought that was awesome. They started by teaching him how to transform.
"So, you don’t have any idea how you turned into a unicorn?" Sera asked.
"Not really… I felt drowsy and I fainted," Kai answered, scratching his head.
Sera opened the black book, flipping through pages until she found something about transformation. Without these notes, she wouldn’t have been able to help her son.
"Here it says… you can transform at will if you want to. It’s like changing clothes."
"Changing clothes? That’s… weirdly casual."
"It should happen naturally, like lifting your hand at will. Can you try?"
Kai frowned, confused. He sighed, stood firm, clenched his eyes shut, and thought, transform, transform, transform! …Nothing happened.
Sera gave him a pitiful smile and sighed.
"Hmm… maybe you didn’t fully want to? Try this — deep breath, clear your mind, focus only on wanting to transform."
Kai did as she said, but again, nothing. "Shouldn’t this be easy? Why can’t I do it?" he muttered, frustrated.
Sera realized this wasn’t going to be simple. "I don’t know, honey. Maybe we should move to drawing out your other magic. We’ll try another day."
She turned more pages, eyes scanning every line until she found notes about unlocking the light, sword, and healing magic inside him. Kai waited under the scorching sun.
"Here it says you should be able to use it easily. It’s in your core. But because it was given to you by your father, you have to unlock it yourself."
Kai tilted his head, frowning. "…What?"
Sera sighed. "I’ll explain. You can use water, wind, and earth magic because they flow naturally through you. But light, sword, and healing magic don’t — they were given to you. They’re sealed inside your soul. You have to unlock them."
Kai’s eyes widened. It was complex, but he understood. "Then how do I unlock it?"
Sera focused on the book again. "Your father says… you have to believe it. Believe they’re yours now — because they are."
"Believe it? That’s it?"
"Yes. And that’s not all. Close your eyes. Imagine two doors. One open — your nature magic. The other locked with a padlock. Behind it is the essence of light magic. To open it, melt the padlock. Imagine controlling the light behind the door to melt it. Believe it. Visualize it."
Her soothing voice echoed in his mind. Kai pictured the light melting the padlock. The more he focused, the harder it became to control — like the light was resisting him, pressing against his will. Sweat slipped down his cheek. He struggled, forcing the blazing light into a new shape. With difficulty, he turned it into a rope and wrapped it around the padlock, dissolving it completely.
Then it hit him — a burst of essence surged through his body. Light magic flowed into every part of him, scorching heat flooding his veins. He clenched his fists, his eyes shone white, and he buckled under the weight of it.
Sera rushed to him, kneeling. "Kai?! Are you okay?!" Her voice trembled with fear.
Kai panted, his eyes fading back to blue. Relief washed over Sera.
"I-I’m okay… I feel it… It worked!" he said, smiling.
"I was so worried… What if something had happened to you…"
"Look, I’m fine. Maybe it was just the magic unlocking. Look."
He lifted his hand, light spilling from it, shaping into a rope. This time, he noticed something strange — the light felt warm, not scorching as anyone would expect. Maybe because he was happy.
Sera’s eyes widened. It worked — and he could already control it. "You did it! Yes!" she exclaimed, pride shining in her smile.
Kai’s heart fluttered at her joy. Yet deep inside, he felt more complete… but also like something was missing.
They stood and went inside.
"Let’s leave it at that for today," Sera said, "I’m going to prepare something sweet for the occasion."
Kai followed her like a little bird would follow his mother.
~•~
The unicorns of Ucelland were thrilled by the events unfolding. The inhabitants rejoiced at the news of a new rightful heir, though confusion lingered. How could this be? The royal castle of Ucelland had lost its color more than eighteen years ago, a sign that the original heir—Ken Hikari Ucela—had died. For that, they mocked their current king, Tanken, calling him "the king of the dead castle." Many even called the royal family stupid, assuming they had killed Ken without passing his blood to Tanken. The truth was far darker—Ken had taken his own life.
Even in their confusion, the people celebrated. They marched in honor of the new heir before the icy castle, snowflakes drifting in the air, leaving footmarks and Hoove marks pressed into thick layers of snow. Little did they know, their heir was a kind of unicorn they considered an abomination—one they would normally kill.
Inside the castle, the atmosphere was the opposite of the joy outside. Tension pressed against every heart, even the guards' chests. They could feel the anger radiating from the king's bedchamber.
Tanken was consumed by frustration and humiliation. He knew the people would throw away what little respect they had left for him and give it to the new heir, even though they hadn't seen him.
"I'm going to kill him! I have to kill him! And drink his blood, so these peasants finally give me the respect I deserve!" His veins bulged with rage. "Even so, I'm their king! They owe me respect! All these years they've mocked me, rioted for a true king—and just when things were calming down… THIS happens!" He roared. "I'll kill him!"
A dark sword materialized in his hand and shot across the room, piercing a painting. It was a family portrait: the queen, the king, and their two children. Three wore sinister expressions, but one—Ken—smiled as he always had. The sword had landed directly on Ken's face.
The blue diamond door creaked open, revealing a tall, slim figure—Yamih. He had been eavesdropping, the only one brave enough to speak to Tanken in such a state. He entered the gloomy room and tried to talk to Tanken.
"Honey…" Yamih said softly. "You need to calm down. It's not sane to stay like this. Why act like this isn't an easy problem to solve?" He approached, kneeling before him. "What can't you do? We can find him, kill him, and you can claim what should be yours."
Tanken lifted his head, glared at him, his red eyes dripping the fury that couldn't fit in his heart , then slapped Yamih hard, sending him sprawling. Yamih covered his bruised cheek, and looked at Tanken in disbelief.
Tanken rose slowly, walked toward him, and crouched beside him. His voice dropped to a whisper:
"what should be mine? You mean what is mine! Watch your words. Don't spew nonsense. I didn't call you here, and now you're angering me. What do you want? Yesterday wasn't enough? If I wanted you today, you'd already be here." His tone shifted into a smirk, whispering in Yamih's ear. Yamih's heart fluttered, his face reddening.
Then Tanken's expression hardened. "Go. Request an immediate meeting with the magic counselor. And don't come back unless I call you."
Flustered, Yamih nodded and slipped out. Tanken glared after him, muttering once alone:
"What a pathetic excuse for a mate… At least I can use him for fun when I want to."
Minutes later, in the privy council room—a circular chamber deep within the castle, its icy diamond walls shimmering faintly under a blue torchlight. At its center stretched a long obsidian table, the king's seat embedded with violet crystals. Opposite sat the magic counselor's chair, nearly as grand.
Jisa was already waiting. She wore a flowing robe of midnight-blue velvet embroidered with silver runes, her long hair cascading like frozen water, and a circlet of sapphire resting on her brow. A staff of black crystal leaned against her chair, its tip glowing faintly. Her purple eyes glowed in the torchlight. "I was enjoying myself with the human slaves when I got your summons. What a way to kill my fun," she muttered.
The giant door groaned open, and Tanken entered in full regalia: a heavy cloak of violet velvet lined with white fur, a crown of jagged black crystal upon his brow, and armor plates etched with diamond patterns. His boots struck the icy floor with deliberate weight.
"Took you long enough," Jisa complained.
"Excuse me, cousin," he teased. "I didn't want to meet you in pajamas."
She tilted her head. "You want me to find the new heir, don't you?"
"You always see through me. But why now? Ken died eighteen years ago…"
"Isn't it obvious? Halfbreeds take years to manifest as unicorns. That's most likely the case."
Something snapped in Tanken's mind. His eyes lit up, a long smile spreading into manic laughter.
"That's it! Unicorns would never accept a human king! This will be so easy… Hahaha!"
He ordered Jisa to perform a localization spell. She instructed him to reveal his horn. A long white horn emerged from his forehead. Jisa lifted her hand, and a black thread extended from his horn to her palm. Her pupils turned white as another thread emerged from her other hand, racing across the land at impossible speed, sweeping through Daiya and even the forbidden island. Then it returned, fading from her palm and his horn.
Her eyes returned to normal, but her expression was troubled.
Tanken opened his eyes. "Did you find him?"
"I… couldn't. The thread searched the whole country. No signal of a unicorn with blood like yours. Not even a trace."
"Try again!" he roared.
"Don't scream at me! Do not pull this all mighty king act with me" she snapped. "That means he's most likely outside the country… or hidden under a concealment spell."
Chapter 1: End.
to be continued.
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