Power of Runes-Chapter 103: Death

{Human...}

The moment that voice echoed in his mind, Ash’s eyes widened—not just in surprise, but in a kind of stunned disbelief that gripped his entire body.

Even his usually calm, blank expression shifted slightly, revealing a flicker of shock that rarely broke through his composed face.

Did that voice... really just speak inside my head? But that shouldn’t be possible, right?

The Rune of Knowledge... isn’t it supposed to block all forms of mental intrusion?

Ash stood still, his mind racing. There had been no mention of other Mythical Beasts except Dragons in the original novel, not a single clue that creatures like this existed.

The only knowledge he had about unicorns came from the books he’d read back in the academy’s library, but it was nothing more than basic information.

Before he could gather his thoughts again, the voice returned—low and curious.

{Why are your thoughts... sealed away from me?}

Hearing that, Ash froze on the spot. His heart skipped a beat as he processed those words.

It tried to read my thoughts... Unicorns can read minds? But it couldn’t read mine?

Then the realization hit him like a slap.

Right—the Rune of Knowledge. That has to be it. The Rune must’ve stopped it from digging more deeper into my mind.

He swallowed hard just thinking about that how powerful the King must be to force it’s voice in his mind.

Ash took a cautious breath, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

"I... I’m sorry," he said slowly, choosing each word with care. "I didn’t know someone like you was living here. I didn’t mean to disturb your rest or offend you in any way."

He bowed, not out of habit or manners, but from a desperate instinct. He had to show this being that he wasn’t a threat.

But the reply came sharp and cold, without even a second of pause.

{Someone like me? You speak as if you even understand what I am, little human.}

There was something in that voice that cut deeper than anger. It wasn’t just irritation—it carried a heavy weight, a tiredness that had built over years, maybe centuries.

This wasn’t the voice of a wild beast. It was ancient, bitter, and worn down by time.

Ash winced slightly, sensing the truth in its tone.

This creature wasn’t just powerful.

It was old.

And it had seen more than he could ever imagine.

"I only know what the books say," Ash admitted, his voice softening, trying not to offend again.

"That unicorns are sacred... noble beings tied to the elements of purity and Aether. That’s all I’ve learned."

His words hung in the air, a mix of honesty and hope. Maybe the truth would earn him a little mercy.

But the unicorn’s voice didn’t soften. If anything, it deepened, now filled with something colder than before.

{Even legends are written with pretty words now. But humans... humans never change. You act like you can understand or claim what was never meant for you.}

The sentence struck harder than expected, and Ash found himself clenching his jaw as the voice continued, growing heavier with disdain.

{This glade was untouched for centuries. Even the scaled ones had enough sense to stay away. But now you’re here. Another human, walking into a place you don’t belong, acting like you have the right to be here.}

The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Like thunder gathering behind dark clouds, waiting to strike.

And then, slowly, the voice returned. This time it wasn’t just curious. It was sharp, suspicious, and dangerously calm.

{Tell me clearly—what are you? No human has ever blocked their thoughts from me before.}

Ash’s throat felt dry. He knew lying was useless.

He could feel it.

This monster has no patience for dishonesty.

So he did the only thing he could.

"I’m Ash Burn. I’m twelve... and I didn’t come here to fight or take anything. I swear."

The silence that followed stretched longer this time. He could feel the weight of the creature’s gaze—even if he couldn’t see it.

Then the voice returned, which was now filled with a strange mix of confusion and hostility.

{Your name means nothing to me. But there’s something wrong with you. You carry a twisted feeling—something that doesn’t belong in this world.}

{There’s chaos around you. It’s not just strange... it’s completely unnatural.}

{Hmm... You were never supposed to exist..... Interesting.}

{Are you... the one who disturbed the fate?}

Hearing the voice filled with curiosity and contempt, Ash could feel heavy pressure settle over him, and his mood turned dark, like a cloud hanging low over his head.

His heart dropped in his chest.

He wasn’t exactly scared, but something inside him felt tight and uneasy. It was because he knew—deeply—that his life wasn’t just his own anymore.

If he died here, it wouldn’t just be the end of him. Elysia would die too, and that thought alone made his chest tighten even more.

Even back when he spoke rudely to the Saints, even when he challenged them without thinking twice, he didn’t feel this kind of tension. Back then, he was sure they wouldn’t kill him.

But this was different.

And wasn’t that the whole reason he came here in the first place was to find a way to escape just in case the elves refused to let him in or decided to kill him on sight?

"I didn’t come here to harm anything," he said quickly, trying to explain.

"Please, just listen."

But before he could finish his sentence, the unicorn’s horn began to glow.

A pulse of shimmering rainbow light erupted from it, cutting through the air like a rippling wave.

The once serene clearing, bathed in soft morning light, was now filled with a sudden, rising intensity.

The air thickened, charged with energy as the colors in the light seemed to swirl, building in power with each passing moment.

Shit...

Ash’s instincts screamed at him to move, to flee. His heart pounded as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Every fiber of his being urged him to run, but his body didn’t move fast enough.

He forced himself into action, tapping into his mana reserves. His core started to overload, the familiar rush of energy filling him like a rising tide.

His mind raced, calculating, weighing options, but they all came too late.

Because the beam was already on its way.

The unicorn’s horn pulsed with deadly light, and a beam of destructive rainbow mana shot out, faster than any human eye could track.

The force of it was so sudden, so overwhelming, that Ash couldn’t even blink before it struck.

And then, for a split second—there was nothing but Silence.

The world around him went still.

His mind went blank, every thought wiped away in an instant.

There was no time to react.

No chance to scream.

With a wet, thunderous pop, his skull ruptured exploded in a horrific, gory splash.

Blood and brain matter rained down, coating the flowers and grasses beneath him in a red, viscous spray.

The once peaceful clearing, now tainted by the remnants of a boy who had barely time to understand the danger he was in, became an unsettling scene of death.

The rainbow beam, as if satisfied by its work, slowly receded. The light faded into silence, leaving only the faintest echo of its destructive force.

The air grew still again, the gentle rustling of leaves the only sound left in the aftermath of the carnage.

Ash’s headless body, a puppet without its strings, crumpled to the ground.

His lifeless form fell backward, crashing to the earth with an eerie, final THUD.

The unicorn, as if uninterested in the scene it had just caused, let out a loud snort.

It was the sound of a deep exhale, heavy and dismissive, as if it were simply clearing its conscience after carrying out a task.

Mist curled from its nostrils as it flicked its ears, giving one last glance at the remains.

"Huff..." it grunted, and with that, its eyes shut once more.

Like an ancient being at peace with itself, it drifted back into its sleep.

The life it had ended barely left a mark in the air.

{Now, the fate can return as it was before.}

With that last thought, everything returned to the stillness it had once held.

The breeze resumed its gentle sway, the flowers swayed lazily, and the light, warm and golden, once again bathed the glade in its calm embrace.

Time moved forward, oblivious to the fleeting existence that had just been snuffed out.

But Ash death was only a single thread in the larger tapestry of fate.

The King of Unicorn’s had merely reset what Ash’s existence had disturbed.

Ash’s death wasn’t just a loss—it was a correction.

A necessary void to restore the balance.

In every turn of fate, there is a hidden cost. Those who play with its threads, tampering with what was never meant to be touched, may believe they can bend it to their will.

But fate always has a way of bending back.

When one alters destiny, it will inevitably fight back. And Ash’s meddling was no exception.

His twisted path, carved by unnatural forces, had met its inevitable end.

A death, yes.

But also a reset.

***