Chapter 1
386 Words
THE FIRST MEET
It is a scorching summer afternoon, and beneath the blazing sun, a small child and a young woman make their way across the endless desert, their footsteps slow and weary against the shimmering sands. As they reach the base of a towering mountain, the shimmering heat gives way to a breathtaking sight—a distant kingdom nestled far beyond the horizon, its spires rising like a dream against the golden sky.
The young woman, her dress tattered and her face streaked with sweat, gasps softly. "Do you see that, little one? We made it... We’re almost there."
The child, eyes wide with wonder and exhaustion, clutches her hand. "Is that where the stars go to sleep at night?"
The woman smiles faintly through her fatigue. "Maybe. Or maybe it’s where stories begin again."
Their journey continues for hours, the sun dipping lower as shadows stretch across the desert floor. As twilight paints the sky in hues of orange and violet, they finally reach the towering gates of the kingdom, ornate and guarded, gleaming even in the fading light.
The guards at the gate draw their spears as the pair approaches, dusty and worn from the road.
"Halt! Who goes there?" one of them calls, his voice firm but not unkind.
The woman takes a shaky step forward, shielding the child slightly behind her. "We are travelers from the south. We seek shelter... and safety."
The guards glance at each other, uncertain. One step forward. "There are laws. No one enters without purpose or name."
She hesitates, then kneels in the sand, her voice barely above a whisper. "My name is Xiang. This child... she must be protected. Please. We’ve come so far."
The child steps out from behind her, eyes locking with the guard’s. There’s something ancient in that gaze—something that quiets the wind and stirs the air.
The guard’s expression softens. “Open the gate,” he murmurs, surprising even himself.
As the heavy doors creak open, Xiang lifts the child into her arms, whispering, “You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you again.”
And as they stepped into the kingdom, neither the woman nor the child knew that this moment would mark the beginning of a tale that would one day shape the fate of nations.
- Writer
