Chapter 3

⟨ BEGINNING OF HIS DARK POWER ⟩

"Where are you taking me? Put me down!!" Cheng screams struggling to get down from his shoulder. The leader of the group drop him on the ground and Cheng winces.

"Ouch!! How dare you push me that way? Do you know who I'm?" Cheng asked.

"We will get to know who you are after teaching you a lesson to always mind your business" One of the gang members said.

And the four of them began walking close to Cheng. Cheng gulped down, using his butt to go backwards. The leader of the group was about grabbing his neck when Tatiana hits him a huge stick from behind and he screams in pain.

"How dare you hit my master!!" A gang member said but Tatiana hits his head with the big stick, she also landed the stick on the two remaining member.

"Let's run" She said grabbing Cheng's hand.

"I thought you ran away just to save yourself?" Cheng asked.

"Just shut up and come with me" Tatiana said pulling up from the ground.

The leader was just recovering from the hit when he sees both Tatiana and Cheng trying to escape.

"Get them. Don't let them get away!!" He shouted. Both Tatiana and Cheng grab each other's hand at the same time and took to their heels.

Their panting and running feet could be heard, as they ran in the woods, with their robes doing justice to it. They stopped running when they didn't see a sign of them anymore.

"I-l-l think Mali and his minions have stopped chasing us" Tatiana said trying to caught her breath.

"Mali? That means you know them, right?" Cheng asked.

"Yes I do" She answers.

"If I know you were a trouble marker I won't have interfere" Cheng said.

"First of all, I'm not a trouble marker and lastly I didn't ask you to help me. You don't like minding your business and that's why you interfered" Tatiana said.

"Then why did you come back for me? I thought you were going to leave me with them and boom you came acting like a super hero".

"I wanted to leave you behind, but I just couldn't do it. And I don't want you to blame me for having bruises on your face the next time we met".

"So you were hoping for us to meet again" Cheng asked smiling.

"Quit with that creepy smile of yours. I have done my part. You saved me and I saved you and it makes us even. So this is where we say goodbye and part ways" Tatiana said turning to leave but Cheng held her wrist and she gave him a look of why're you holding me.

"I-l- I don't know my way around here" He said and Tatiana sniggers.

"How can you don't know your way around the woods? I know you are dressed in expensive robes, but even the rich knows their way around here".

"Is my first time being here" Cheng said.

"Really? How can it be your first time in the woods? From the rumors I have heard, is only the royal children of the King that knows nothing about the woods, since they don't have the opportunity to roam around the kingdom, or are you by chance one of the princes?" Tatiana asked looking at him.

*If I tell her I'm a prince, she won't talk to me freely* Cheng thought before clearing his throat.

"Of course not. My dad is a merchant, so we both came to Maelstrom to supply goods to the king" Cheng lied.

"Aah, I see why you are not familiar with this place. But don't worry, I'll lead you out of the woods. I'm heading to where the lantern festival is held" Tatiana said.

"I also want to go too. Can we go together?" He asked smiling.

"Sure. Come with me" Tatiana said taking his hand, leaving the woods, Cheng looks at his hand that were on hers and smiles.

"Wow a lot of people are already here" Cheng said looking at the lanterns that were already going up in the sky.

"Is so beautiful" He said again smiling.

"The lantern festival is always so beautiful, it will be my third time here to make a wish. Let's find a spot and light up our own" Tatiana said holding his hand and they find a spot to do theirs.

Both wrote something on it before releasing it to fly to the sky. Tatiana and Cheng squatted as they watch their lantern go went further to the sky.

"What did you wish for?" Cheng asked.

"Secret" Tatiana said sticking out her tongue and Cheng smiles.

"What about you? What did you wish for?" She asked and Cheng looks at her.

"Secret" He said sticking out his tongue and Tatiana laugh lightly.

"Copycat" She muttered.

"My wish is to see what my mother looks like" Cheng said.

"Your mother?" Tatiana asked.

"Yes. My father told me she died after giving birth to me. There weren't any portrait of her, so I'm stuck in the dark, wondering what she looks like".

"So you came to the lantern festival just to wish for that?" She asked and Cheng nods.

"Do you know what I do anytime I want to see something?" Tatiana asked and Cheng shakes his head.

"I close my eyes and let my imagination take over me"

"Really?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes. And it always works at for me. You should try it to".

"I doubt is going to work for me" Cheng said.

"You haven't even tried and you're giving up already" Tatiana said.

"So what should I do?" Cheng asked.

"Listen to me attentively, Okay" She said and Cheng nods his head.

"Now take a deep breath in and let it out". Cheng did exactly like he was told.

"Close your eyes and don't let any sounds from the real world distract you. And after that, try to imagine yourself being in a different place entirely. Then think about those qualities you were been told your mother has, her beautiful eyes, pointed noise, thin lips, her long hair, combine all this attributes together and imagine what she looks like with it" Tatiana said in a soft voice.

Cheng did exactly what Tatiana said without leaving anything behind and wander off into his own world of imagination.

"She's beautiful. I see her smiling at me" Cheng said with his eyes closed and slowly tears falls down his eyes.

"Are you crying?" She asked and Cheng opens his eyes.

"I just got so emotional. My imagination might not be what she looks like, but I'm glad I was able to create a portrait of her, in my head. Thank you so much" He said and Tatiana smiles.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Cheng. You?"

"Tatiana"

"Huh"

"Tatiana. Ta-Ti-Ana" Tatiana said breaking it down for him.

"Tatiana is way too long, I'll just call you Tiana" He said and Tatiana smiles.

"Then you will be the first person shortening my name" She said.

"I'm glad I am the first person" He said and both smiled at each other.

"Oh everyone already left" Cheng said some minutes later, looking around.

"The lantern festival already ended. Which means we should return home" Tatiana said standing to her feet.

"But I don't want to go home yet" He muffled, going back to the palace means going back to the people that hate him. Queen Vanya, Waylon, King Osvaldo and Narmada might like him, but Queen Anjali and her son Thiago were his problem.

"I have somewhere I can take you" Tatiana said.

"Huh? Did you hear what I said?" He asked.

"Your voice was loud enough for me to hear. I too don't want to go home yet. My mother is resting and I don't want to disturb her".

"Where're we going?" He asked.

"Just come with me" she said holding his hand.

"Do you love my hand that much? You kept holding it with every chance you get" He asked with a smile and Tatiana quickly let go of his hand.

"I am just holding your hand because you claim that you don't know anywhere around Maelstrom and I don't want you to get lost" Tatiana said.

"Then keep on holding my hand" He said smiling. Tatiana looks at his hand and jerked it off.

"Just come with me" She said walking away.

"Aren't you going to hold my hand anymore?" He asked.

"No"

"I might get lost, please hold my hand" He said

"Go missing if you want to" She said increasing the pace of her feet. Cheng smiles running to caught up with her.