The moon cast its silvery glow over the sleeping village, but for Li Xiang, there would be no peaceful slumber. His life was about to take a drastic turn, one that would leave him shattered and alone.
Li Xiang's family had always been his rock, his safe haven. His parents, though poor, had always provided for him and his younger sister, Mei. But on this fateful night, their love and protection wouldn't be enough.
The demons came without warning, their twisted forms materializing out of the darkness like specters of death. Li Xiang's parents fought bravely, but they were no match for the demonic horde. Mei's screams still echoed in Li Xiang's mind as he watched, frozen in terror, while his family was torn from him.
Somehow, Li Xiang found the strength to flee, his legs pumping as he sprinted through the narrow village streets. The demons gave chase, their roars and snarls closing in around him. But Li Xiang didn't dare look back, fearing what he might see.
Finally, he reached the inner village, where the wealthier residents lived. Gasping for breath, Li Xiang pounded on the nearest door, begging for help. But the citizen who answered, a portly man with a cruel face, slammed the door shut, leaving Li Xiang to fend for himself.
The days that followed were a blur of hunger and despair. Li Xiang scavenged for food, but the villagers, fearing the demons would follow him, shunned him. Even the children his own age taunted and beat him, stealing what little food he managed to find.
One group of boys, their faces twisted with cruelty, cornered Li Xiang in a narrow alley. "Beggar," one of them sneered, kicking Li Xiang in the stomach. "You're not welcome here."
As the boys dispersed, laughing and jeering, Li Xiang curled up in a ball, his body wracked with pain and his spirit crushed. In a dark corner of the alley, he spotted a sharp metal fragment, partially hidden in the shadows. Without thinking, Li Xiang picked it up, the cold metal feeling strangely comforting in his hand.
As the darkness closed in around him, Li Xiang made a decision, one that would end his suffering but also change the course of his existence forever. With a heavy heart, he raised the metal fragment, and in a fleeting moment of desperation, ended his own life.
But little did Li Xiang know, his journey was far from over. In a world beyond his own, forces were stirring, and his soul was about to embark on a new adventure, one that would take him to the realm of Maloria, where magic and monsters reign supreme.