A Journey Full of Intrigue

The tall grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see. The setting sun seemed to get stuck on the hillside, slowly rolling down. The treetops of the forest canopy stood out. The sky turned orange, with white clouds tinged with red. The stilt houses stood still, with tiled roofs caved in, windows open, doors lying on the ground, and wooden walls eaten away by termites. The footpath that children used to run along to the river and fields was no longer visible. Don't even ask about the soccer field; it was overgrown with thick bushes, home to wild animals – maybe even venomous snakes. Anthony gazed at the two mounds of earth in front of him, both overgrown with grass and weeds. They were his parents' graves, clearly neglected. The one on the left was his mother's, and the one on the right was his father's. The valley breeze played with his hair as he let out a gentle sigh, looking at the grave on the left. "Mother, Anthony's home. Again." His soft voice whispered. "How are you, Mother, today?" The wind blew gently in response. Anthony, a young man born in the Sumatran hinterland, was known for his bravery, resilience, wisdom, and high conflict resolution skills. He mastered formidable martial arts and had above-average intelligence. His tall, athletic build and chiseled features made him charismatic and handsome, complemented by his dark, tanned skin. His life took a drastic turn when Mr. Robert, the head of the largest mafia in Indonesia, Nine Dragons, came to fetch him. Trained to be a formidable fighter, he rose to become the number one enforcer of the Nine Dragons mafia, replacing his father. However, he was eventually chosen by Robert to be the new leader. Yeah, though he eventually had to give up the throne to Asad, his colleague. Anyway, he never really wanted the position, so he easily relinquished it to Asad and left the Nine Dragons mafia. Automatically, he was no longer a member of the Nine Dragons mafia. It had been a long time since he left the village; everything had changed. The village had been deserted for years; even five or six years ago, the residents had left. The rice harvests had failed repeatedly, coffee and rubber prices were unattractive, and the residents moved away one by one, leaving behind empty stilt houses and a haunted village. This place was more suited for a cheap horror movie shoot. Look at the well where he used to draw water; it looked eerie with bushes creeping up the stone walls surrounding the top of the well. A rope made from a tire strip lay on the ground, its ends frayed, and a bucket was half-buried in the dirt. Add to that the giant fig tree above, which had grown bigger since he could remember, its roots stretching out. He remembered it vividly. Every dawn, when the valley was still shrouded in mist and it was still dark, he would draw water from this well. An oil lamp would be placed nearby for lighting. His mother would be busy in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, weaving rattan, and waking him up a few minutes earlier, whispering for him to go to the well quietly while his father was still asleep. Thankfully, if his father woke up and saw him washing his face, hands, and feet (performing ablution) at dawn to pray subuh, it could be costly.... Although Anthony used to be a mafia member, he still followed his mother's teachings, whose name was Asri, the daughter of a prominent cleric in their area, Tuanku Guru Basyir. "Following the teachings" meant Anthony avoided some Islamic prohibitions like consuming pork and alcohol. As for his obligations as a Muslim, like prayer and zakat, he clearly didn't fulfill them, especially after joining the Nine Dragons mafia. Actually, Anthony came from a rather unique lineage. How could it not be? Denis, his father, known as the greatest enforcer in the Nine Dragons mafia family, was the son of Genjia, the most feared bandit of his time. So how did Denis and Asri end up together? It started when Genjia entrusted Denis to the surau, a place to study the Koran led by Tuanku Guru Basyir. Despite being a major bandit, Genjia didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps. That's why he entrusted Denis to the surau when Denis was just a baby. Denis's life in the surau went by quickly. When he turned twenty, he confidently proposed to Tuanku Guru Basyir's daughter, Asri. Unfortunately, he was rejected outright. Denis was still seen as a criminal, the son of a bandit. Despite spending his childhood in the surau and him and Asri loving each other, Asri's family still refused his proposal outright. Therefore, Denis left the surau with deep disappointment and resentment. He went to the provincial city, joined the Nine Dragons mafia, and trained to be a fighter. Out of all the fighters, Denis was a prodigy. He didn't need a teacher; he learned on his own. Denis was gifted with physical strength, intelligence, and an amazing ability to learn. For decades, he became the most formidable enforcer of the Nine Dragons mafia, traveling the world. Then came the time he visited Mexico for a job, where he spotted a famous singer named Bathilda and fell in love at first sight. Denis married her. Unfortunately, months later, disaster struck. The Nine Dragons mafia headquarters was attacked by traitors. Denis fought fiercely to protect the previous leader (Budi Hartono, Robert's father). Denis managed to defeat them but at a great cost; he was hit by a rusty nail-studded wooden beam right in the thigh, leaving him crippled with a crippling injury. Maybe Denis wasn't destined to be an unbeatable fighter. Regret came later. He should have focused on studying the Koran in the surau. After becoming crippled (though not completely paralyzed, just limping), he chose to return to the surau where he grew up, disregarding his wife Bathilda, who was pregnant with his child. Instead, he proposed to Asri, his first love, in front of Tuanku Guru Ali, Asri's older brother, since her father had passed away. Soon after, they got married but were ostracized because most of Asri's family and the community didn't approve of their marriage. They were forced to leave and ended up in a village inhabited by bandits. And that's where Anthony was born. That's the origin story of how Denis and Asri ended up together.