{ Backstory }

Admire was born into the royal family of Canetan, a wealthy desert kingdom known for its vibrant colors, fine fabrics, and oil trade. He was the only child of Queen Avina, the king’s second wife, making him the younger half-brother of Crown Prince Zacha. From early on, Zacha often told Admire that he never wished to rule and would gladly pass the throne to him. Admire grew up believing that he would one day be king — an idea that deeply displeased his father.
At the age of four, Admire was diagnosed with a rare disease that slowly took his sight. By five, he was completely blind. In a deeply superstitious kingdom, this was seen as a curse from the goddess of fate, punishing sins from past lives. The royal family, already grieving the death of Zacha’s mother during childbirth, now faced further disgrace. The people began to whisper, and the king’s pride suffered.
But fate had more in store for Admire. Just a few months after losing his sight, he realized something — he could still see, but not through his own eyes. Somehow, he was able to see through Zacha’s. The connection between the two brothers had unlocked a magical gift, a forbidden one. Canetan allowed only one kind of witch, one kind of ability: the divine ability to see the future, which Zacha had inherited. Any other form of ability, no matter how harmless, was outlawed. King Zakath was horrified. Another scandal could destroy the throne. He ordered Admire’s ability to be kept secret from everyone, including the court. Queen Avina, heartbroken and powerless, fell into a deep silence. From that day on, she never spoke again.
Zacha, however, never treated his younger brother as a burden. In fact, he grew even closer to him. The two often snuck out of the palace in disguise, exploring the bustling capital and its surrounding towns. With time, Admire learned to share not only Zacha’s sight but also his hearing and sense of touch. To help maintain the illusion of blindness, the king gifted him a shepherd dog as guide dog named Milo. Unexpectedly, Admire formed a magical bond with the dog as well, seeing and feeling through Milo’s senses just as he had with Zacha. One evening, Zacha returned from a vision with news that filled Admire with hope. He had seen himself standing in front of Admire, older and crowned, sitting beside a beautiful woman with snow-white hair. That image became Admire’s dream, his compass.
But everything changed when Zacha vanished without a trace. The palace grieved, and King Zakath declared him dead. Admire refused to believe it. There was no body, no evidence — only the prophecy, still unfulfilled. Zacha had seen the future, hadn’t he? At fifteen, Admire made a quiet vow: he would find the woman from the vision. He would prove Zacha was alive. But the king, already having lost one son, forbade Admire from leaving the safety of the palace.
Two years passed. Admire played the part of a perfect heir — he excelled in his private studies, completed all royal duties, and spoke gently but persistently to his father. Eventually, Zakath relented. In Canetan, kings and queens ruled together as a pair; a royal marriage was essential before a coronation. The king allowed Admire to leave on a formal journey to find a future bride — though he knew his son’s true motive. To ensure his safety, Admire was accompanied by three trusted protectors: Gunther, a battle-hardened advisor who had served the crown for many years. Adam, a young knight with unmatched speed and agility, known as a prodigy of the sword. And Heinz, Admire’s personal bodyguard and closest friend, who had stood by him since his brother had disappeared.
The four of them set off on what was meant to be a two-year journey. They crossed deserts, mountains, and coastlines, visiting kingdom after kingdom, meeting princesses and nobles across the continent. And eventually, their path led them to one of the most modern nations in the known world: Tilflanden.

{ Royal Engagement }

In a dimly lit bar in Tilflanden, Admire crossed paths with someone who instantly caught his attention — a mysterious figure disguised as a man, hiding striking white hair beneath a hat. White hair was a rare mark of royalty in both Tilflanden and Canetan, and it sparked a memory in Admire: his brother Zacha’s vision of him on the throne beside his white-haired wife. Believing this might be fate, he approached the stranger — but she panicked and fled the bar.
The very next day, Admire formally introduced himself to the Tilflandian king as the crown prince of Canetan, explaining he was in search of a bride. The king presented his daughters, all of marriageable age — and among them was the girl from the bar. She stared at him in shock, clearly recognizing him. Without hesitation, Admire chose her as his fiancée. Her name was Philippa, the third of King Leonard Lindgren’s daughters. Surprised and unprepared, she accepted the proposal.
Admire sent a letter home by carrier pigeon, announcing the wedding would take place in Tilflanden. His companions celebrated — all but one. Heinz, usually cheerful and close to Admire, grew quiet and distant, as if something troubled him. Meanwhile, Philippa discovered an anonymous note warning her not to marry the foreign prince. It didn’t take much prodding from her older brother Linus to get the truth out of Heinz. He panicked.
Before anyone could stop him, he disappeared into thin air — he became invisible, revealing he had been hiding something all along. He was a witch. In a desperate move, Heinz kidnapped Philippa while invisible, hoping to stop the wedding. Why he did it was a mystery only he knew.

{ The Stolen Crown }

Chaos broke out in the royal palace. Soldiers were sent in every direction to search for the missing princess. The Canetan guests quickly came under suspicion, but Admire firmly insisted on their innocence. In a gesture of trust, he revealed a well-kept secret to Linus — whom he had grown close to over the past few days. He confessed that he was a witch, though his power was harmless: he could share senses with those he trusted. Until now, only Gunther had known.
Admire worried that Heinz had somehow discovered his secret and misunderstood. Perhaps Heinz hadn’t acted out of malice, but fear — maybe he was only trying to protect Philippa. Either way, they had to find them.
Days passed with no trace. Admire’s parents arrived in Tilflanden, expecting to celebrate a royal wedding. Instead, his father was furious when he learned what had happened. He blamed Admire for the scandal and the princess's disappearance, cutting Admire deeply. Tensions were high until a lead finally emerged: a witch named Hector had been arrested. Authorities planned to hang him as a way to pressure the supposed kidnappers into acting. But before the execution could begin, Philippa appeared, very much alive. She defended Hector, insisting he had not kidnapped her. Relieved beyond words, Linus and Admire brought her safely back to the palace.
But peace was short-lived. There, they encountered someone only Philippa recognized — Walerian, one of her actual captors. Unhappy that she had escaped, he revealed he had taken her two younger siblings hostage. From Admire’s point of view, it looked like vengeance.
Walerian killed several soldiers and gravely injured others — until Hector returned, this time with a group of witches. He defused the situation, rescued the children, and took Walerian with him.
Admire, helpless in the chaos, could only witness it all through the eyes of his dog, Milo. And Heinz kept missing.

{ Masquerade Ball }

As the wedding drew near, preparations began in full swing. According to Canetan tradition, a grand masquerade ball would follow the ceremony, and the palace hall was soon decorated with candles, silk, and countless masks. Admire and Philippa helped with the decorations themselves, slowly growing closer. Though she had come to accept that Admire was a witch, she couldn’t forgive the ones who had kidnapped her. Quietly, she told the guards where the group had been hiding, so they could be arrested.
On the day of the wedding, both Admire and Philippa were nervous. As they stood at the altar, they could feel the eyes of nobles, diplomats, and family watching their every move. It was hard to focus on the priest’s words. When the moment came for Admire to kiss his bride, he sensed her tense up. She wasn’t ready for that yet. So instead, he gently kissed her cheek — and she smiled at him with visible relief.
The masquerade ball that followed was magical. The hall overflowed with people in dazzling costumes. A massive buffet from the kingdom’s best chefs stood at the center. Music echoed through the room as laughter and dancing filled the night. Admire and Philippa even performed a simple but elegant dance they had practiced together — and the guests cheered as they moved gracefully, despite Admire’s blindness.
Later that night, Philippa grew quiet. When Admire asked her what was wrong, she admitted that someone unexpected had approached her during the party — Grace, one of the witches from the group that had once kidnapped her. Grace hadn’t come to cause trouble. She only wanted to wish Philippa happiness and offered a handmade gift. Touched, Philippa had suddenly confessed that she had told the guards where Grace and the others were hiding — and they were coming for them the next day. Grace had fled in tears. The joy of the celebration vanished in an instant for Philippa.
Admire listened carefully and gently suggested they step away from the noise. Hand in hand, they slipped out of the party and found a quiet place beneath the stars. There, away from the lights and music, they talked until sunrise — just the two of them, trying to make sense of everything they had been through.

{ The Witches and the Throne }

The morning after the ball, something felt… wrong. Admire woke up unable to use his ability — no trace of his shared senses. At first, he feared something had happened to Milo. But when Gunther checked on the dog, Milo was as healthy and cheerful as ever, wagging his tail with joy.
At the same time, Philippa was overwhelmed with guilt about her conversation with Grace. In tears, she collapsed before her father — and in that moment, ghostly arms suddenly appeared, stretching out from her back. It didn’t take long to understand what had happened: overnight, Philippa had become a witch… and Admire had somehow lost his powers entirely.
The palace was thrown into confusion. Linus, trying to stay calm, offered to search for the witches’ hideout with the guards on his own. But neither Philippa nor Admire wanted to be left behind — despite the chaos, they insisted on being part of the mission. Several search parties were formed. One included Linus, Philippa, Admire, Gunther, a handful of soldiers — and, unexpectedly, Veronica, the wife of Philippa’s cousin.
The search party reached the mine, only to find it abandoned. Still convinced the witches couldn’t have gone far, they decided to search the surrounding area. But instead of witches, they ran into a group of bandits — and were quickly ambushed. A brutal fight broke out. One by one, the soldiers fell. In the chaos, Linus threw himself in front of Admire to block a deadly axe strike and was seriously wounded. He collapsed, bleeding heavily. Then, by sheer luck — or fate — the witches, who had heard the sounds of battle from afar, arrived just in time. They were shocked to find the noble group nearly wiped out. Without hesitation, they brought the survivors to their new hideout, an abandoned house deep in the forest. There, a witch named Willi — a doctor with the ability to heal — began treating Linus’s wounds with great care. While he fought for Linus’s life, Admire, Philippa, and the others sat in silence, still frozen in shock from the horror they had just escaped.
The recovery took days — days in which both sides had no choice but to talk. It was Veronica who tried to lift everyone's spirits. She talked with the witches, smiled often, and brought some lightness into the heavy atmosphere. Meanwhile, Admire reunited with someone he hadn’t seen in a while — Heinz, who had now found refuge among the witches. Gunther confronted him for his betrayal, but Heinz dropped to his knees in front of Admire, deeply regretful. He confessed what Admire had already suspected: a friend of his had the ability to sense witches and had told him the truth — that Admire was one, and had kept it secret. That’s why Heinz no longer trusted him.
But what Admire didn’t know was the rest of the story. In Canetan, there was a rumor that he had killed his older brother. Many believed it. Combined with his blindness, this made him hated in his own homeland more than he had ever realized. The weight of that truth, the loss of his ability, and the guilt of nearly getting Linus killed crushed him. Making things worse, Walerian — the same reckless witch who had kidnapped Philippa — was also part of the group and took every chance to mock Admire and his wife.
But finally, after days of fear and sadness, there was hope: Linus woke up. He was healing. Admire and Philippa rushed to him in tears, overwhelmed with relief. Now they could return home — but what about their original mission to arrest the witches? After everything that had happened, Linus made a decision. With Philippa’s quiet approval, he chose to give the witches — even Walerian — a second chance. Despite his attitude, Walerian had been helping Philippa understand and manage her new powers. So the group said their goodbyes, made their way back to the palace, and gave an official report that the witches had never been found.

{ Betrayals and Goodbyes }

Back at the castle, preparations for the journey back to Canetan began. But Admire refused to leave. Not without his ability. He couldn’t risk putting anyone else in danger like Linus again — not while he was still so vulnerable.
Together with Linus and Philippa, he began to investigate. They discovered something strange: several people in the city had suddenly developed magical abilities, even though they had lived their whole lives without any. All of them had one thing in common — they had recently visited the traveling fair.
Philippa was sure the shady fortune-tellers were behind it. Admire couldn’t wait any longer. With the help of his loyal knight Adam, he rode off to find the fair, not knowing exactly what he’d do. Philippa followed, and the three of them confronted the fortune-telling couple. The pair only laughed at their accusations — until Philippa stepped forward and showed what she had learned from Walerian. Her ghostly hands grabbed them, and she forced the truth out of them. They finally admitted what they had done and agreed to give Admire his ability back — before quickly disappearing. Admire fell to his knees, tears in his eyes, as he saw Philippa’s face through Milo’s eyes again. His gift had returned.
At last, it was time to say goodbye. The farewell to Philippa’s family was emotional and full of warmth. Even Admire, who had once been seen as a stranger, was now accepted by all her siblings — especially Linus. And just before they left, Admire noticed something incredible: he could now share senses with Linus. Somehow, they had formed a deep bond — even before he had reached that same level of trust with Philippa.

{ Daily Life }

The journey back to the much warmer continent of Ozusirah took several days. A few more days later, Admire and Philippa finally arrived in Canetan’s capital. Philippa was warmly welcomed at the palace — even Zakath, Admire’s father, seemed far more relaxed in his homeland than he had been in Tilflanden. Admire’s mother, Avina, hugged Philippa like her own daughter. Though the heat and the unfamiliar culture were a shock at first, Philippa adapted quickly. Wanting to prove herself to the people, she agreed to take part in a local tradition: taming a Kukuri, the fierce animal that symbolizes Canetan. She did it with surprising ease — and Admire couldn’t have been more impressed.
Over the next days, the couple carried out their royal duties. They toured Canetan’s main oil refinery, visited the Grand Library of Knowledge, and explored busy markets. In between, Admire and the palace staff helped Philippa learn the customs of Canetan nobility.
But their peace was broken when Admire, through his ability to share senses, received terrible news from Linus: Philippa’s aunt and cousin had been murdered. And Veronica — the cousin’s wife — had been kidnapped. The main suspect? Walerian. For some unknown reason, he was now headed to Canetan. Shocked and deeply shaken, Admire and Philippa asked themselves the same question: Had they made a mistake by sparing the witches?
Linus didn’t wait. Relying on his noble status to travel quickly, he began his journey to Canetan, hoping to reach his sister before Walerian did. Meanwhile, the newlyweds began planning their next move.

{ Pursuit }

To everyone’s relief, Linus arrived in Canetan quickly. Admire and Philippa shared their plan with him right away: they didn’t want to face Walerian in the palace, where innocent lives could be at risk. Instead, they wanted to lure him to an empty place — the royal family’s old summer house. To make it believable, they spread news through the press, claiming they were going there for their honeymoon. They hoped this would draw Walerian away from the capital. So the three of them waited at the remote villa with a few skilled knights. But Walerian didn’t show. Days passed and still nothing.
Then one afternoon, while they were visiting a nearby market and admiring colorful silks, Admire suddenly froze. He had heard a voice — familiar, too familiar. Softly, he asked Linus to let him see through his eyes. What he saw shook him to the core. Just beside him, calmly shopping, stood a man Admire thought he’d never see again — his brother. Zacha.
Without thinking, Admire ran to him and wrapped his arms around him, tears falling freely. But the man stared at him with confusion. When Admire asked if he really didn’t recognize his little brother, Zacha stepped back in shock and pushed him away, then turned and ran. Adam, Admire’s loyal knight, chased after him. Thanks to the diaphanous ability he’d gained from the shady fortune tellers, he caught up quickly. But just as Zacha was cornered, others appeared to defend him — Hector, Veronica, and… Walerian.
Surprisingly, they didn’t fight. As soon as they saw Admire and Philippa, they stopped and raised their hands. Walerian stepped forward with an unusual calm in his voice. “I only want to talk,” he said.

{ The Talk & Reunion }

Back at the summer house, the conversations finally began. Admire wanted to speak with Walerian, but first — more than anything — he needed to talk to Zacha. The brother he had once loved more than anything. And thought to be dead.
But Zacha didn’t have much to say. Years ago, he had lost his memory, shortly after his disappearing. He had truly believed he’d been abandoned — or even that Admire had tried to kill him. In fact, it was Zacha himself who had started the rumor in Canetan that his younger brother was his murderer. He had believed it, simply because he didn’t remember anything else. He told his story: a traveler had found him years ago, nearly dead and confused, and saved his life. Over time, she had become his partner — and together they had a daughter: Nana. Blushing, he introduced the little girl to Admire.
Zacha had never dared return to the palace. He was sure the royal family would reject him — or even try to finish what he thought they had started. Admire’s heart broke. All these years, his brother had believed the worst of him. But instead of anger, Admire made a quiet promise to himself: to prove to Zacha that he had nothing to fear, and that both he and Nana would always be welcome in the palace — as family.
Meanwhile, Linus and Philippa spoke with the bound Walerian and Hector. Veronica had been allowed to rest in a servant’s room. Walerian explained why he had come all the way to Canetan: he believed Admire had still lost his ability, and he wanted the same to happen to himself. Surprised that it had nothing to do with the recent murders, Linus asked directly: “Then who did it?” Walerian fell silent.
To Linus, this silence was an admission of guilt. But Philippa looked at Walerian closely — and she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t need long to uncover the truth.
The killer wasn’t Walerian. It was Veronica. Walerian had simply protected her. When Linus confronted her, devastated, Veronica finally broke. Tears streaming down her face, she confessed everything. She had been abused for years — by Philippa’s aunt and cousin, her husband’s family. And one day, she snapped. It wasn’t planned. It was a moment of pain, of anger, of despair. A tragic, human mistake. Linus, not wanting more blood on his hands and moved by her story, declared her banished, never to set foot in their land again.

Before Veronica, Hector and Walerian left, Admire told them everything about the mysterious fortune tellers from the traveling fair — the ones who had taken his ability and later returned it. Walerian listened closely, a strange mix of curiosity and quiet hope in his eyes. With that, the three prepared to leave the summer house. Zacha, however, didn’t join them. He had spent the past weeks traveling with the trio, and saying goodbye was harder than he thought. Admire had gently convinced him to that it was finally time to return.
As the trio rode off, Linus stood back and watched. A storm of thoughts clouded his mind. Had he made the right choice by letting them go? Or would this mercy come back to haunt him? Only time would tell.

{ The Present — current arc }

Back at the palace, emotions ran wild. Admire had always believed deep down that he would see Zacha again — but their parents, the King and Queen, had long given up hope. Seeing their eldest son alive and well after all these years brought tears to their eyes. They nearly crushed him in a storm of hugs and joyful sobs.
But with Zacha’s return came difficult questions: What had truly happened to him all those years ago? And now that the real crown prince was back… would Admire lose his title?
For now, no decisions have been made. The royal family is simply focused on being whole again. Zacha, still adjusting to a life and family he barely remembers, is slowly finding his place — thanks to Admire, who is doing everything he can to help his brother feel at home.