Kai's heart skipped a beat, when the snake broke free of the force field and pounce straight at his face. But Li Jie's quick attack of his sword, slice it in half before it would get it's venomous strike at Kai's face.
"Li Jen! Are you ok?!" Li Jie ask his sister. Fright and concern lacing his voice.
Kai nodded after patting down his body and getting his trembling breathing under control.
'What was that thing? And why did it choose to attack me out of all the people in the room? Did it sense that I wasn't like them? That I am pretending? And that I am just normal?' Kai thought to himself.
"Father-" Li Jie turned to King Li Wei, with a questioning look.
"I don't know why the serpent wanted to hurt Li Jen.
As evening came and Kai didn't see any sign of Li Jen, his heart started to race. A million different scenarios popped up in his head as to why she is late.
It is now sunset, and still, Li Jen hasn't returned. Kai started to panic.
He had learnt earlier that the serpent that attacked him was the doing of Fong Wen. He got a hold of the dark moon orb that the once friend of the master Prospector, stole. Kai heard that the orb is filled with darkness, and it consumed Fong Wen. Turning him into a soulless, ruthless and dangerous man.
It was said that Fong Wen was once on the side of good, as one of the most powerful Mages in and outside the seven kingdoms. But his thirst for power got more and more. He was the ruler of the Wade kingdom also known as the Tiger kingdom, but because of his revolting doings, he was overthrown by his younger brother and banished to the Gates Sect which is known now as the Forbidden lands.
Yang Xu ,who was a close friend to the master Prospector, was jealous of his gifts and betrayed him by sealing the orb and giving it to Fong Wen. Fong Wen was so consumed with the orb's dark power and vengeance in his heart for the seven kingdoms and every power filled soul, that he started a war.
Fong Wen made armies on top of armies with his newfound dark powers, but they wouldn't last. He later figured out with the help of Yang Xu that if he snatched lotus aura from the master Prospector, he would become unstoppable. But his scheme didn't go as plan, and he killed and tortured as many disciples and sect members in spite of his rage. But his rain of terror didn't last long, because he was inpale from the back to the chest with a purity sword by king Huang Bao, the king of the Winter Sect kingdom, and who is also one of the head of the Prospector's concil.
Cracks started to form on Fong Wen after Huang Bao pulled the sword out of him, and dark smoke emits his body. Flying through the air and soaking into the hot rocks beneath the ground that Fong Wen palace stood on. To where it took back it's rightful place into the orb. The Prospectors searched throughout many years to find the orb, but failed.
Fong Wen's stony body was destroyed, and everything was good. Upon till the incident that happened earlier on today, which put everyone in the cultivation sector on edge.
Kai nervously sighed, before biting the nails of his shaky fingers. It's now nightfall and Li Jen hasn't returned. He was out on her balcony, when he spotted his mother and the worry looked on his face. He mentally cursed himself that he totally forgot that he was supposed to meet her to go home after work.
"What am I going to do now?" He muttered to himself. "I can't leave, or else an alarm will be raised about Li Jen's disappearance. And I can't tell my mother what I have been up to throughout the day." Kai gripped his hair, or more likely Li Jen's hair in annoyance.
He was so engulfed in his inner battle that he didn't notice his mother calling out to him.
"Princess…. Princess!" Sue-May called out when she saw the figure of the princess standing on her balcony.
She hasn't seen her son all day, and she is really worried. After hearing gossip circulating around the palace that the Dark moon orb is at play, she had panicked and ran to the stables to see Kai. But when she got there, Jun informed her that Kai didn't come in today because he is with the princess. Her thumping heart had finally calmed down when she remembered that Kai was in a hurry to get to Li Jen this morning, but when sunset came and Sue-May didn't see her son come to leave together, fear struck her heart.
"Princess Li Jen!" She called one last time, and she smiled in joy when the princess noticed her and told her to wait for her where she's standing.
"Mo…I mean Wang Sue-May!" Kai called out to his mother as he approached her. For a minute there, he almost revealed his true identity.
"Princess." Sue-May bow, showing respect. "Is Kai still with you? I haven't seen him all day, but Jun told me that you requested a day off for him."
Kai's mouth suddenly became dry, and the dilemma of the situation he's in suddenly hit him at full force.
"Ah yes, I-i w- was h-helping h-him with his studies. B-but h-he decided to stay here overnight to get ready for his tests tomorrow." Kai started to stutter, finding it hard to lie to his mother.
Sue-May brows nit in worry, but she smiled a little when she made eye contact with Li Jen.
She wasn't convinced though. Even though Kai and Li Jen are the best of friends, he wouldn't stay at the palace. No, he would want to come home and be in his own space. But what could she do? She can't go against the princess's wishes, and she couldn't barge into the palace demanding to take her son home. But what she can do is just pray that Kai is ok and safe.
"Alright then princess, if that's his wish. But can you please tell him that I love him, and he should be safe because these are dangerous times right now." Sue-May's worried expression didn't leave her face, and Kai's conscience clawed at his insides even when Sue-May turned to leave.
"Wait!" He called out, and Sue-May quickly turned to face him.
"Yes princess?"
It's me."
"I beg your pardon princess?"
Kai took both of his mother's hands in his and looked her deep in the eyes. "It is me mother." He smiled at her, but Sue-May's eyes still held an unconvinced look.
"No disrespect princess, but what game are you playing at? Where is my son?"
Kai scratched his head, with his eyes looking around to find something that he could use to convince his mother, when a brilliant idea came to mind.
"You always make me lotus root and fish soup when I am sick." Kai uttered with a smile of triumph on his face, but it suddenly faded by his mother's face.
"I am sure Kai tells you everything, but please princess. If you have nothing more to say, can I please go. These are dangerous times, and it's not safe for a woman like me to walk alone in the dark.
Kai quickly thought of something else, he couldn't let his mother worry about him all night.
"You are right, I tell Li Jen everything. But I never once told her how I felt when you and father told me that I was adopted. I never told her how I felt devastated, alone and unwanted. I never told her that I ran away and you came and found me, telling me that I am your son no matter what. And I never told her that secret that I kept from everyone but you." By the time Kai was finished, Sue-May was crying her heart out and hugging him. "It's me mother." Kai shed tears of his own.
"But why? Why are you dressed as the princess?" She pulled back and looked at his appearance.
"It's a long story mom, but for some reason I just can't lie to you."
"You should, I am your mother." Sue-May pulled his ears.
"Ouch!" Hiss in pain. "Li Jen wanted to explore the normal world, so she did a spell and we switched lives. But she promised that she would be back by sunset, but she hasn't returned as yet and I am really worried."
"What were you thinking Wang Kai, what if the king and queen finds out? You will be punished." Sue-May worriedly said as she looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I know mother, I am worried about that too. But with what happened today, what if Li Jen is hurt or in trouble. I am so frightened and worried about Li Jen."
"It is ok Kai, maybe she is just delayed. I will go without you tonight, but promise me that when I come to work tomorrow, you will be ready and willing to go home with me."
"I will mother." Kai promised her.
"Ok. Well then, I guess this is goodbye until morning." Sue-May hugged her son one last time before she turned to leave.
"Mother, wait." Kai stops her. "It's dangerous to go in the night by yourself, let me get a disciple to accompany you."
Sue-May opened her mouth to protest but she saw the determined look on her son's temporary face, she couldn't resist.
Kai watched from the balcony as his mother departed from the palace with two disciples in tow. He had convinced Li Wei to send two of his most skilled disciples to accompany his mother home. He had made up this story that Kai had left early because he felt ill and his mother wasn't informed, but night had caught her and it wasn't safe for a lady to walk home all by herself, especially since the Dark moon orb has found itself into the wrong hands again.
"Hmm, Li Jen, please be on your way coming back home. And not hurt or even worse…kidnapped or killed." Kai sighs as he looks out into the night sky.
Meanwhile, far east of the Drogan's kingdom and Cherry Blossom Sect. The Forbidden lands is filled with terrifying unknown scream, and the small of burnt flesh. The eerie darkness roam over the hot rocks that the scary looking palace stood up, as the rocks crack up releasing said darkness. Inside the throne room of the palace, a malicious laughter of a deranged man echoes throughout the empty halls. His black waist length hair with streaks of grey, tangled in knots, his bread over grown, brushing the stone floor beneath the throne he sat on. His fingernails long and sharp and his robes rugged and torn by the millions of shadows that flies throughout the room before hitting him all over his body. His laughter grows stronger and black smoke pushes from every opening on his body, as he grip the Dark moon orb in his hands like the most precious jewel in the whole entire universe.
"They will see! They will all see! I will unleash darkness up on this land, and the cultivation sector will tremble beneath my feet. I will finshed what Fong Wen started, I will wipe out every Mage and Elementealist who dare to defy me. And for those pesky Prospectors, I will demolish every single one of them. Especially Huang Bao, you will pay for killing my father. And Feng-Huang, thought you were so clever. Haha, thought you hid your lotus aura well. But tough luck for you because you didn't. I know where it, or rather who is." An evil snarl coated his lips, as he got up from off the throne and down to the center of the room. Where out of nowhere, a black metal staff with a snake at the top appeared in his hand, which he knocked harshly onto the ground. Making cracks appeared and zombie like creatures emerge from the cracks.