Icarius found Astrid resting in a small clearing, his graceful form almost blending with the shadows of the trees. The unicorn's ears twitched as he sensed his companion approaching, but the moment he laid eyes on Icarius's pale face, a deep frown appeared. Something was clearly wrong.
"What's with that pale face of yours?" Astrid asked, his voice edged with concern, though he tried to keep his tone light. Icarius didn't respond immediately. He simply raised a shaky hand and pointed toward a nearby patch of water.
Curious, Astrid trotted over to the water's edge. His eyes widened as he caught his reflection. There he stood—not a disguised horse, but his true form: a unicorn, his silvery coat and spiraled horn visible for anyone to see. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Icarius's magic was gone, and with it, the enchantment that kept him hidden.
"Wait... Your magic is really gone?" Astrid turned back to Icarius, his voice now serious and full of worry. "Why do you look so drained? What happened out there?"
Icarius finally met Astrid's gaze, the exhaustion clear in his eyes. "I lost it all," he whispered, his voice hollow. He then explained everything—the sealing, the pain, and the overwhelming feeling of weakness that now clung to him like a heavy fog. Each word seemed to pull more energy from him, leaving him looking even more fragile than before.
Astrid, usually quick with a sarcastic remark or a biting joke, was stunned into silence. After a long pause, he shook his head, trying to process it all. "This is bad. Really bad. We need to get out of this forest now. There's no telling what kind of trouble we'll run into if we stick around, especially if someone realizes what you've lost. We can't stay here. We need to—"
"Slow down," Icarius interrupted, holding up his back. His voice was steadier now, even if his body was still trembling. "What's done is done. We can't change it. All we can do is keep moving forward, right? We just… have to keep living."
Astrid's eyes narrowed, still concerned, but he recognized the determination in Icarius's voice. There was no point in arguing. "Fine. But where do we even go from here?"
"I remember there was a city marked on the map," Icarius said, his mind racing to piece together a plan. "It was west of here, near the edge of the forest. The name was… Elfista, I think. The forest looked smaller compared to the human nations, so it can't be too far. We head there, get our bearings, and figure things out from there."
Astrid nodded, though the worry in his eyes didn't fade. "Elfista… It's better than wandering around aimlessly. But you're in no shape to push yourself. You're barely holding it together."
"I know," Icarius admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "But we don't have a choice. I can't just sit here and hope things will magically get better. We need to reach the city, find some information, and maybe—just maybe—figure out how to get my powers back."
The two set off slowly, with Icarius leaning heavily on Astrid for support. Every step was an effort; his body was still weak and aching from the sealing. The forest seemed even more hostile now, the shadows longer, and the silence more oppressive. But Icarius kept pushing forward, his mind clinging to a single thought: he couldn't give up, not now.
As they made their way through the dense underbrush, Icarius's thoughts kept circling back to how easily everything had been taken from him. He had always thought of himself as resourceful, someone who could adapt to any situation. But now, without his magic, he felt like a shell of his former self. "I've relied too much on borrowed strength," he admitted to himself. "But what do I do now?"
Astrid's steady pace kept him moving forward, even as doubts gnawed at the edges of his mind. The path ahead was uncertain, and the road was long, but Icarius knew one thing: he had to keep going. Giving up wasn't an option. He had come too far and faced too much to let despair win now.
With that thought anchoring him, Icarius kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the distant lights of Elfista flickered like a beacon of hope. The city was close, but it still felt like a world away. Yet, step by step, he inched closer, fueled by the faintest spark of determination that refused to be snuffed out.