The next day, bright and early, a modest carriage rattled down a winding forest road. Inside, Celeste, Cleo, and Tuk sat together—Tuk and Celeste on the bench seats while Cleo sat curled up on the floor of the carriage, her ears twitching at every noise. Behind them, a cluster of armored warriors rode on horseback, the rhythmic clopping of hooves echoing through the trees.

Up ahead, riding tall and proud on a black horse, Prince Michaelli led the procession, his face serious, eyes fixed on the road ahead. The warriors trailed behind him in silence.

Celeste, barely able to keep her eyes open after a restless night, was slumped against the carriage wall, blissfully snoring away. Cleo, however, sat alert on the floor, her head tilted in thought as her tail swayed slightly.

“So,” Cleo said, her voice tinged with curiosity, “there’s a rumor about a creature—similar to a unicorn—that can grant any wish if you give it an acceptable gift?” 

She looked up at Tuk with a puzzled expression. “Do you think that’s why the prince is dragging us out here? He seems like the type to crave more power than he can possibly handle…”

Tuk blinked, briefly distracted—not by the question, but by Cleo’s adorable head tilt and dog-like charm. Her instinct to pet her grew stronger, but Tuk hesitated, stopping herself just before her hand reached out. She reined in the urge, not wanting to be disrespectful.

“It’s possible,” Tuk said, keeping her voice steady. “But we need to find it before he does. The creature supposedly grants only one wish every ten years, so we can't let Michaelli get to it first.”

Cleo whined softly, the words weighing on her. “But that means... You won’t…” Her voice trailed off, clearly upset at what this news meant for Tuk.

Tuk gave a weak smile, leaning back slightly against the seat. “It’s okay, Cleo. You two can have the wish. It's much easier for me to survive here than it would be for you two. But especially her.” 

She glanced over at the still-sleeping Celeste with a quiet sigh. “This world isn’t kind to all kinds of women.” The words seemed to hang in the air for a moment before she spoke again, more gently, “But I'll be alright, don't worry.”

The journey took a few days, the landscape shifting from dense woods to open fields, and finally, the group found themselves at the edge of the forest, having arrived at their destination. Michaelli turned his horse toward the group, signaling the warriors to dismount.

“You all know why we're here,” Michaelli said with authority, his voice carrying over the faint sounds of the forest. “Half of you will scour the woods for the creature, the rest of you make camp. Understood?”

The warriors responded with a unified, enthusiastic chorus: “Yes, Your Highness!”

Tuk, Celeste, and Cleo stayed behind, helping to set up the campfire and prepare a meal for the warriors who would be returning from the search. As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, Cleo huddled by the fire, her tail flicking nervously.

“When do we go looking for it?” Cleo whispered to Tuk, who was stoking the flames.

Tuk nodded thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “I heard the creature only comes out at midnight, near a source of water. We’ll sneak out an hour before that, just in case.”

Celeste, barely awake, yawned softly and cupped her hands under her chin. “That’s an oddly specific rumor…” she muttered, blinking her eyes open just enough to look at Tuk.

Tuk smiled faintly, the firelight flickering in her eyes. “I'm sure it’ll make sense when we see it.”

As the hours stretched on, the camp grew quieter, with the warriors who had returned from the search settling down to eat and then sleep. The three of them took a brief nap, carefully ensuring no one noticed their movements when they finally gathered again.

“What if they ask where we’re going?” Celeste whispered, looking around nervously.

Tuk just smirked, a finger pressed to her lips to signal for silence. “I’ll tell them you need to go to the bathroom, and that I was instructed to keep an eye on you no matter what by the prince. Now let's go!”

The three girls slipped away into the night, the moonlight casting faint shadows over the forest floor. They stumbled a little as they walked, trying to avoid making any noise.

“Ow! You’re stepping on my paw, Tuk!” Cleo yelped, her tail bristling as she shifted to the side, clearly uncomfortable.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” Tuk whispered back, startled by the sudden outburst.

Celeste waved her wand lazily, a soft light blooming from its tip. “This should be far enough away from the camp. Does this help?” she asked, her voice quiet as she lit their way.

“Yeah, and I think we’re close now too. There’s only one water source in the area,” Tuk said, leading them confidently through the trees. “It should be right around here.”

A few minutes later, they reached the edge of a large, crystal-clear lake. The moonlight shimmered off the water’s surface, casting ripples of silver light.

“Wow… it’s beautiful,” Celeste murmured, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. She glanced around, puzzled. “But… there’s no creature here. Are we too late? Or does it not—”

Tuk cut her off, pointing to a spot near the center of the lake, where bubbles began to form beneath the moon’s reflection. “Look.”

In the next moment, a creature emerged from the water, and the trio was left utterly speechless.

Cleo blinked and leaned forward, frowning. “Um… you said it was supposed to be similar to a unicorn, right? But… that’s definitely not…”

Tuk, equally stunned, nodded slowly, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Yeah… that's no unicorn. It's a giant pink seahorse… with a horn on its head?”

The seahorse's top half emerged from the water, looking around as if aware it was being watched. Spotting them on the opposite side of the lake, the seahorse then began moving towards them, its tail making small splashes as it waded through the water. Stopping next to them, the seahorse stood tall, neighing as it gazed down at them expectantly.

“Have you come to have a wish granted?” The creature’s voice was like a soothing melody, calm and inviting.

Cleo blinked. “You said this creature required a gift to grant a wish, right? Do you have one?”

Tuk rummaged through the bag she had brought with her, pulling out a small, finely crafted metal rabbit with ruby eyes. She held it out to the seahorse. “I had this made just for you. I hope it’s acceptable.”

The seahorse sniffed the rabbit, then pushed it away with a sudden, sharp motion. The little figure sank beneath the water, disappearing into the depths.

It shook its head, exhaling sharply, and then turned its attention to Celeste, who was watching with wide eyes.

“Hmm. I guess my gift wasn’t good enough…” Tuk muttered, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.

Celeste, determined not to give up, stood taller and waved her wand. “Let’s see what I can do.”

She began to channel mana into her wand, sending out sparks of different colors. The sparks exploded into the air like fireworks, each one shimmering brightly before disappearing. Then, one of the fireworks took the shape of the seahorse, soaring through the air and diving through rings of light just like a dolphin.

The seahorse's eyes lit up, clearly delighted. It nodded eagerly.

“Yes! I’m glad you liked it,” Celeste said, smiling. But before she could take a breath, the seahorse suddenly reared its head back and slammed its horn into her chest. 

Though it didn't pierce her skin, the force behind it sent her flying backwards, crashing into a tree with a loud thud.

The world blurred at the edges of her vision as she lost consciousness, and the last thing she heard was Cleo’s panicked scream calling her name.

Later, Celeste awoke with a jolt, her head throbbing. She touched the sore spot on the back of her head, blinking in confusion as she looked around.

“What… what happened?” she mumbled, surveying her surroundings. To her surprise, she was back in her dorm room, with Cleo curled up peacefully at her feet, as if nothing had happened.

Cleo stirred and looked up at her, sleepily yawning. “Hmm? What’s wrong, Celeste?”

Celeste rubbed her head, still trying to make sense of what had just occurred. “It’s nothing. Just a strange dream, I guess. I’ll tell you about it later…”

But as she went about her day, Celeste couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t just a dream. Something about it felt too real, too vivid. And more than anything, she hoped—no, prayed—that if it hadn’t been a dream, Tuk would also find her own way home someday.

~Fin