CAMPA KINGDOM
"Kaabooommm!!!" A loud explosion rang out from the main gate of the Campa royal palace. The gate made of thick wood and steel had fallen apart. Outside the shattered gate stood a man in shining red armor. It was the man who smashed the gates of the Campa royal palace with a flick of his finger. The man's name was Mushu, the ruler of the eastern region.
"Blugh… Blugh… Blugh…" Mushu walked slowly through the gate and entered the palace grounds of the Campa Kingdom. Every step he took was as if shaking the earth. Hundreds of fully armed Campa special soldiers, including the highest generals of the Campa Kingdom, just stood still watching Mushu enter their palace. Fear and trepidation make them do not know what to do in these conditions. The bravery that they had before is gone after witnessing Mushu's unearthly power.
Mushu continued to walk slowly, past the palace soldiers who seemed to be giving him a path without doing anything. An extremely powerful aura emitted from Mushu's body like a war god was descending to earth. Just by looking at Mushu, everyone around him felt suffocated and had difficulty breathing due to being intimidated by Mushu's overwhelming power.
Mushu continued to walk slowly as if ignoring the hundreds of soldiers around him. There was not the slightest bit of fear in him even though the hundreds of soldiers surrounding him were well-trained soldiers with martial skills that couldn't be underestimated. To Mushu, everyone in the Campa kingdom was just like ants before a beast. Mushu continued walking until he entered the magnificent palace of the Campa Kingdom which was counted as one of the greatest kingdoms in the eastern region.
CAMPA KINGDOM MAIN HALL - A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE
"Ming Er, hurry up and go with Xiao Xi! He'll be here soon!" Xiao Long, the king of Campa said to his wife Ming Er, who was sitting while hugging their only child, three years old Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi still looks cheerful while playing with a ball made of woven straw in her hand. He did not understand the current state of affairs in the Campa kingdom. For a child of his age, playing is the only thing he understands right now.
"No, my king. I will stay here with you. When we got married, I swore to be faithful to you. I won't break it even death god comes to me." Ming Er refused her husband's orders.
"But, what about Xiao Xi?! I don't want our family line to be cut off." Xiao Long slowly walked over to Xiao Xi who was beside her mother and knelt to hold Xiao Xi's shoulder. Xiao Long looked deeply into Xiao Xi's eyes with a smile. Tears started to fall from the corner of his eye. It had been a long time since the last time Xiao Long cried, but right now his heart was felt very hurt because he felt that this is the last time he would be able to see his beloved son. As a king of an influential kingdom, Xiao Long must always appear dignified and charismatic, but right now, the instinct of a father in him who knows that he will be separated from his beloved son undermines his desire to always appear perfect as a king.
Ming Er stood up from her seat and hugged her husband and son together. "I've asked Ling Er to take Xiao Xi away from this place. I'm sure Ling Er will take good care of him. After all, Ling Er loves Xiao Xi very much." Ming Er said softly as she continued to hug her husband and son.
Xiao Long looked at Ming Er and smiled. His heart ached because he couldn't keep his family together. Even so, he still feels happy because he has Ming Er in his side, a wife who is very loyal and loves him very much. As a king, Xiao Long could have many wives or concubines like other kings, but he chose to remain loyal and only made Ming Er his only consort. "Thank you, my dear. If that's your choice, I'm very happy. Thank you for being willing to accompany me until now." This time Xiao Long hugged Ming Er tightly as if he had no intention of letting go. A hug that will be the last hug of their love story.
Knowing their time is running out, Ming Er let go of her husband's embrace and called out to Ling Er, her sister, in a fairly loud voice, "Ling Er, come here."
A teenage girl walked up to Ming Er and Xiao Long. All this time, Ling Er was waiting outside the door of the main hall. The tension was visible on Ling Er's face. Ever since their parents passed away ten years ago, it was Ming Er who took care of Ling Er, her younger sister. Five years ago, Ming Er brought her sister into the palace after Xiao Long had married her.
Ming Er and Ling Er weren't descended from noble families, they were just commoners. However, Ming Er's angelic beauty makes Xiao Long fall in love and choose her as his consort despite initially getting a lot of opposition from the royal family. After they got married, Ming Er gradually managed to bring herself and earned the recognition of the entire kingdom as the consort that Xiao Long deserved.
"Ling Er, as I told you yesterday, take Xiao Xi as far away from this place as possible. You already prepared what I asked for, right?!" Ming Er asked her sister.
"Yes, sis." Ling Er answered curtly, her heart pounding. She knew that today would be the last day she saw her beloved sister.
Ming Er hugged Ling Er very tight, "I believe you will be strong, Ling Er. You can do it. Take good care of Xiao Xi. You don't have to worry about me, we will meet again with mom and dad in the afterlife." Ming Er tried to be strong and cheered Ling Er, even so, she couldn't bend her tears and flowed freely.
Ling Er was just silent even though she also started to cry. She didn't know what was going to happen in the future and where to go after this. All this time, she had always been under her sister's protection, and now all of sudden she had a heavy burden to bear on her shoulder.
"Kabbooommm!!!" Suddenly a huge explosion could be heard from outside the palace. Ming Er, Ling Er, and Xiao Long were shocked and spontaneously looked towards the source of the explosion "Quick, go now! There's no more time." Ming Er released her embrace from Ling Er's body, she lowered her head and turned to hug Xiao Xi. "My dear, you follow Aunt Ling, and don't be naughty. Obey Aunt Ling, okay." Ming Er said as she continued to hug Xiao Xi.
"Yes, Amma." Xiao Xi said in a childlike voice. He obeyed his mother's orders because all this time he was also close to his aunt.
Xiao Long knelt down and took turns hugging Xiao Xi. Not only that, he stood up and carried Xiao Xi with his arm and start spinning his body. Xiao Xi laughed hard and so does Xiao Long. This is something he used to do almost every time he saw his son and now will be the last time they do this to his son. "Xiao Xi, you should know that mom and dad love you very much. Maybe later you will forget the faces of your father and mother, but we will still love you and protect you from far away." Xiao Long said after he stopped spinning his body. Once again, tears rolled down on the corners of Xiao Long's eyes before he put down Xiao Xi's body.
"Hurry up, go Ling Er! There's no more time!" Ming Er rushes Ling Er to leave the Campa royal palace immediately. She knows that right now is the time for Ling Er and Xiao Xi to go away.
With a heavy heart, Ling Er carried Xiao Xi who suddenly burst into tears to return to his parents. The child's instincts began to realize that this was the last time to see his parents. Ling Er firmly hugged Xiao Xi and still carried him away, she knows that she must leave the palace immediately. Even though her heart was felt very sad, Ling Er knows that she and Xiao Xi don't have another option if they still want to live. Xiao Xi continues crying loudly while looking at her parents who smiled at her while shedding tears until finally, his parents were nowhere to be seen after Ling Er left the main hall.