POV: Kai Mizushino
Date: September 21, 2214 (17 Years Before the Fall)
Location: Mizushino Magic Academy – Courtyard
The morning air was unusually crisp, touched by a strange chill that crept beneath cloaks and school uniforms. A stillness hung over the academy like a waiting breath, and even the ever-noisy birds of the Forest of Withered Stars had gone silent.
Kai Mizushino stood beneath one of the tall ironwood trees that bordered the school courtyard, his small hands clenched around the strap of his satchel. He'd never seen the staff this tense before. Teachers were lined up, fixing their robes, murmuring enchantments to smooth away wrinkles and polish insignias. Even Principal Yuu Mizushino was present, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.
"What's going on?" Kai asked, his voice just above a whisper.
Touya, standing beside him, adjusted his coat. "Didn't you hear? The royal family of Luminara is visiting today."
"Royal… family?"
"Yeah," Akito chimed in from the other side. "The heir himself. Apparently, he's transferring into the academy."
Kai blinked. "Why would a prince study here?"
Touya shrugged. "Beats me. But the headmistress looks like she's going to vaporize the next person who sneezes, so I'm guessing it's a big deal."
Then, the sound of hooves echoed through the stone-paved road.
The gates creaked open, and the entire student body turned as a royal carriage rolled into view—black wood, gold trim, and reinforced with glowing runes that pulsed softly. Emblazoned on the side was the sigil of Luminara: a silver phoenix rising beneath a golden sun.
Four armored knights stepped out first, positioning themselves in perfect synchrony. Then the door of the carriage opened, and silence fell.
From within stepped a boy.
He was around their age, though his demeanor made him seem older. His hair was pure white, neatly tied back, with a few strands falling over his cold, pale-blue eyes. His uniform was not the school's—yet. It was a royal outfit with dark sapphire trim and shoulder plates forged from lightsteel. A long velvet cloak trailed behind him, lined with silver embroidery of stars and constellations.
The announcer stepped forward and proclaimed, "Presenting His Highness, Prince Haru Yamada of the Kingdom of Luminara—twin brother of Her Highness Princess Saki Yamada."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Kai's mind blanked. Twin brother? Saki… was a princess?
He turned to look at her—Saki had just arrived, slipping quietly into the crowd, avoiding attention as always. But now, everyone stared at her.
"You… you're royalty?" Kai asked, stunned.
Saki scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Surprise?"
Akito gawked. "And you never thought to tell us!?"
"I didn't want to be treated differently. I just wanted to train and be normal for once."
Touya looked like he was trying to catch his breath. "So your brother's the cold prince everyone talks about in the capital?"
"Yeah," Saki sighed. "He's a bit… intense."
They all turned back to the prince.
Haru walked slowly through the courtyard, every movement calm and calculated. His eyes scanned the crowd without emotion, barely acknowledging the dozens of stares. Then, as if drawn by something, his gaze locked onto Kai.
"You're Kai Mizushino," Haru said, walking directly toward him.
Kai swallowed. "Y-Yes."
"I've read the reports. Top marks in theory. Lowest in combat and magic. You possess no mana."
The words stung—not because they were cruel, but because they were true.
"But you're still standing," Haru added, more to himself than anyone else. "Curious."
He turned to Saki next. "You've been hiding yourself."
"I've been living," she replied calmly.
He nodded once. "You'll return to the capital eventually. You know that."
"I'm not ready to leave my friends behind," she said.
Haru said nothing for a long moment, then finally turned back to Kai. "I'll be observing you."
Kai blinked. "Why?"
"Because I don't understand you," Haru said. "And I'd like to."
Without further explanation, Haru turned and walked away, heading toward the main building with guards following behind.
The silence he left behind was thick.
Touya exhaled slowly. "That guy gives me the chills."
"Same," Akito said. "But he's strong. You can just feel it."
Kai didn't speak. His heart still beat quickly in his chest.
That boy… that prince…
He was everything Kai wasn't. Noble. Powerful. Cold and composed. But somehow, behind those frosted eyes… Kai had seen a flicker of something else.
Loneliness.
Perhaps, just like him, the cold prince was walking a path no one truly understood.
To be continued…
[End of Chapter 15: The Arrival of the Cold Prince]