Kairav rubbed his temples, frustration tightening his face. "But if I really have that power, then why hasn't it ever appeared again since that day?"
"Have you ever seen any other members of your family use their powers?" Casildo asked, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"You know," he continued, "one of your parents must've been an Astral Conjurer. That ability is hereditary, passed down from ancestors directly to their bloodline."
Kairav frowned, thinking hard. "Never," he finally said. "My mother died when I was little. I don't remember anything about her."
"As for my father… I'm sure he's hiding something. Every time I told him I saw a unicorn on the day my younger brother disappeared, he brushed it off like I was hallucinating."
"And whenever I asked about the winged unicorn statue, he always changed the subject."
"I'm also sure he knows something about my brother's disappearance. Because exactly one day after Sagara vanished, he moved me to the Nusantara Kingdom, and we've lived here ever since." Kairav sighed, sounding exhausted.
Then his expression suddenly shifted. A mix of shock and realization. "Wait. You said that power is passed down directly through the bloodline… So that means my younger brother should have had it too, right?" He looked at Casildo, oddly nervous for the answer.
The muscular young man nodded. "Yeah, he should've. Did you ever see him use it?"
Kairav's head dropped slightly, a heaviness settling over him. He shook his head slowly.
Casildo frowned, a mix of confusion and irritation crossing his face. "That's just weird. Is your whole family some kind of failed experiment?" he muttered.
He let out a long breath, then patted Kairav's back a little too hard.
"Alright, Failed Product, enough of your tragic life story. Let your senior here unravel the great mysteries of your overly dramatic existence," he boasted, tapping his chest.
"But first… You've been talking nonstop, but I don't even know your name. I can't just keep calling you Failed Product, can I?" He crossed his arms with mock annoyance.
"Kairav Pikatan. Just call me Kairav."
Casildo raised one eyebrow. "Huh? The white lotus blooming under the enchanting light of the full moon? What, are your parents poets? That's so romantic…" he teased, waving a hand as if to stifle laughter.
Kairav just rolled his eyes and sighed, silently plotting revenge.
Casildo slung an arm over his new companion's shoulder, oblivious to how uncomfortable Kairav looked.
"But seriously. Don't worry. I'm a genius. No puzzle is too hard for me." His mouth kept running.
Then his expression changed sharply. "But before that… shouldn't we focus on getting off this island first?! No point uncovering secrets if we die right after!"
Kairav sighed deeply, too drained to argue. "Casildo, didn't you say that since we have special powers, you can fly?" he asked gloomily.
Casildo dragged a hand down his face. "Failed Product, are you serious? Have you ever seen a bull fly?!"
"And think about it! Why would I waste money on plane tickets if I could just fly myself?!" he snapped.
Kairav rolled his eyes. "Tsk. How should I know? I'm just trying to find a way out."
"Forget it! Just stay quiet like a statue. You're giving me a headache!" Casildo grumbled, glaring at him. "Just pray there's a portal on this island."
Kairav frowned in confusion. "Portal? What kind of portal?"
Casildo slapped his own forehead. "A magical portal that connects two linked locations. Usually, an island with this kind of mystical energy pull will have at least one hidden somewhere."
He stood, turning toward the dark forest beyond the beach and planting his hands on his hips. "But the problem is, I've never set foot on this island before, so I can't say for sure if there's one here."
Kairav slowly stood as well, brushing sand off his palms. "In that case, let's start looking for it now," he suggested.
Casildo pointed toward the thick, shadowy treeline in the distance. "You want to go into the forest without light? Be my guest. If you want to keep slamming your head into tree trunks," he said dryly.
Kairav grudgingly admitted he had a point and kicked at the wet, broken branches scattered across the sand.
"If these weren't damp, we could make a fire," he muttered. "Should we just wait until morning to head in?"
"We can wait until dawn," Casildo agreed. "Eh, but what time is it now?"
Kairav tilted his head back, his amber eyes scanning the still-dark eastern horizon.
"No idea. The morning star isn't out yet. It usually appears about an hour before sunrise, when the sky's starting to lighten but the sun hasn't risen."
"Tsk! If only the Nameless Young Man were here, this would be solved in no time," Casildo grumbled, frustration and irritation in his tone.
Kairav turned his head. "The Nameless Young Man? Who's that?"
Crack! Boom!
As if answering his question, a bolt of lightning ripped across the horizon, making both castaways jump.
"Damn it, Failed Product! Even nature's tired of listening to your rambling!" Casildo barked, though his startled expression was still plastered on his face.
Kairav didn't even have the energy to retort. He was too busy trying to steady his racing heartbeat, staring toward the horizon now roaring with thunder.
The sudden shift in weather came so quickly that he hadn't even noticed the moonlight vanish behind thick, dark clouds.
"Damn! Looks like another storm's coming!" he cursed, shivering as a burst of icy wind whipped against his body.
Sand stung his eyes, forcing him to rub them with an irritated groan. "Ugh! What's your problem?!" he started to snap, only to feel his sleeve yanked sharply.
"You'll owe me for this," Casildo said, eyes locked with fierce excitement on the open sea ahead.
Confused, Kairav blinked through the grit in his eyes, following Casildo's gaze.
Through the blur, he could just make out several glowing blue orbs bobbing among the crashing waves.
"Jellyfish?" he murmured, narrowing his eyes, automatically counting them. At least ten in total.
Hussshh…