Date: October 1, 2214 (16 Years Before the Fall)
POV: Kai Mizushino
The autumn evening air was cool, crisp, and quiet. As the leaves drifted lazily from the trees, Kai Mizushino found himself walking alone along the path near the academy. His footsteps were soft against the gravel, but his thoughts were loud. He had always felt like an outsider here at Luminara Magic Academy, surrounded by students blessed with the one thing he didn't have: magic.
His family, the Mizushinos, were powerful—no one could deny that. His mother, Yuuna, was renowned for her skill in magic, and her reputation alone had always carried weight. But Kai was different. He had no magic, and it seemed to follow him like a shadow wherever he went. It wasn't just the other students who looked at him with pity or scorn. It was the weight of his family's legacy that pressed down on his shoulders.
Today had been a rough day. As he sat in the courtyard, watching the other students practice their spells and show off their power, he couldn't help but feel inadequate. How was he supposed to live up to his family's expectations if he couldn't even summon a simple spell?
He sat under the large oak tree by the edge of the courtyard, the ancient roots curling around his feet like they were trying to ground him to the earth itself. He rested his head against the tree's bark, staring up at the moonlit sky. The wind rustled through the branches, carrying with it the scent of autumn and something else... a conversation.
It wasn't clear at first, but as the wind shifted, Kai could hear the faint murmur of voices. His curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly stood up, creeping closer to the source of the conversation.
"Yuuna," a voice he recognized as belonging to the Headmistress, Yuu Mizushino, spoke. "You know it's not easy for him. He's only a child. But this burden you've placed on him…"
"I never meant for this to happen," Yuuna's voice, usually so strong, wavered. "He's my son. I don't want him to suffer. But the weight of our family's legacy... it's all too much."
Kai's heart skipped a beat. His mother sounded... vulnerable. He had never heard her like this before. Was she talking about him? His curiosity only deepened, and he crept closer, careful not to make a sound.
"You've given him the best training, Yuuna," Yuu continued, her voice calm and steady. "But there's only so much we can do. He has to walk his own path."
There was a long pause before Yuuna spoke again, her voice filled with an edge of desperation. "I just want him to be happy. To be able to live up to the Mizushino name. But he's so different from us. From me. He doesn't have magic. How can he live up to our legacy if he has no power? He'll never be able to protect himself, let alone protect anyone else."
"He doesn't need to have magic to be strong," Yuu replied firmly. "Kai is his own person. And he will find his way, just as you did."
"But—" Yuuna's voice broke, a catch in her throat, "He has to know his place. He needs to understand who he is."
Kai could feel his stomach twist at the words, and a sharp pain pierced his chest. His mother, the woman he had always admired and loved, seemed so burdened by his lack of power. She had been trying so hard to make him fit into a mold that he couldn't fill, a mold that had nothing to do with who he truly was.
"Yuuna, you need to trust him," Yuu said, her voice softer now. "You've done what you can. The rest is up to him."
The two of them fell silent, the weight of the conversation hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Kai was still processing everything he'd just overheard when a voice called out from behind him.
"Kai?"
He turned, startled, and saw his best friends, Akito and Touya, standing in the distance. Their faces were a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Kai, you okay?" Touya asked, taking a few steps closer.
"Yeah," Akito added. "You've been awfully quiet lately."
Kai hesitated, his mind still reeling from what he had just learned. He didn't want to burden his friends with the weight of his family's problems. "I'm fine," he lied, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."
The two didn't seem convinced, but they didn't press further. Akito gave him a knowing look, and Touya patted him on the back.
"Well, if you're ever ready to talk, you know we're here," Touya said. "Anyway, you coming to the training ground with us tomorrow?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. I'll be there."
As his friends walked away, Kai stayed rooted to the spot. He had to process everything. The conversation, his mother's words... and most of all, the fact that the Headmistress, Yuu, had been speaking so openly about his family.
His mind was racing as he walked back to his dorm room. He couldn't help but feel the weight of the Mizushino name pressing down on him. But he also felt something else... a creeping sense of realization. He had overheard only part of the conversation, but there was something more.
When he reached his dorm, he collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The truth about his family had always been hidden from him. His mother, his grandmother—there was so much more to their legacy than he had ever been told.
It wasn't until the middle of the night, when the academy grounds were quiet and the moon was high in the sky, that the truth truly hit Kai like a thunderbolt.
He had been thinking of Yuu as just the Headmistress, the stern woman who had always kept her distance from him. But now, after overhearing the conversation, everything clicked into place.
Yuu was his grandmother.
It took a moment for the reality of it to sink in. The Headmistress, the woman who had always held such authority over the academy, was his grandmother. The woman who had been keeping watch over him all this time. But why had she kept this secret? Why hadn't anyone told him?
Kai sat up in his bed, his heart pounding in his chest. His family was powerful—immensely powerful—but there was so much he still didn't understand. His mother, Yuuna, the most powerful mage on Solaris Earth, and his grandmother, Yuu, had kept their connection to him hidden all this time.
With a deep breath, Kai closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would confront them both. He couldn't hold onto this knowledge any longer.
The truth had come to light, and now, there was no turning back.
---
To be continued
[End of Chapter 17: The Truth About the Mizushino Family (Part 1)]