PROLOGUE

Life is a gift given to every breathing being that exists in this world. May it be the small creatures that crawl on the ground or the ones that prance through the white storm. Whether they could be the birds that reign the skies or those with fins and gills that grace through the deepest of waters. They might the ones that live within the comfortable boundaries of home or those that shed blood, sweat and tears as they brave under the scorching sun. Every single one is given a gift. Every single one is given life. It’s something that belongs to us, something that we call our own.

Life was a gift given to the King and the Queen.

The kingdom of Tianchao lived a humble and harmonious life among its people. It may have not been the biggest and richest country, but it was independent enough to stand on its own. The kingdom was located near the ocean, thus their economy, business and trades greatly relied on the sea. Even so, the kingdom had been satisfied with what they had.

When the news came that their beloved Queen was bearing a child within her, the kingdom rejoiced. A huge feast was held and everyone dance, laughed and celebrated to their hearts’ content. It was a new life, a new family member and an heir to the throne of Tianchao.

Due to its small population, every single person in Tianchao knew each other and kept close bonds. Family and friendship were extended to every corner of the kingdom. The King and Queen were humble and close to their people. Everyone gave their blessings for the unborn child and had sworn loyalty to the new life growing inside.

Months after months passed, the Queen grew ill. She was as pale as the moon that shone by her window, her eyes no longer held the beautiful light within them, her breaths come in shallow, painful gasps yet her skin burnt as if she was iron under the sun. The King grew worried for his wife and their baby that was yet to come out and see the world. He then ordered for people to search and find the best doctors in town that could help his wife’s condition.

But in all the years of his life, the King had never been unsatisfied over the state of their country until that moment. He thought that he and his people could continue living the way they were. But he realized that he could have done so much more to improve their economy for not only were the kingdom scarce of good medicine but also of professional healers. They had all been too busy focusing on the ocean—fishing and trading.

Out of desperation, the King invested with other kingdoms. All the money, fishes and ships he was willing to trade in exchange of professional healers to heal his queen. But the world was cruel. Arrogant kings found no interest nor benefit in helping a poor country such as theirs. No matter what he offers to give, they all turned a blind eye. No matter that he was a king, in the end; he was just a beggar knocking at their doors.

With this realization, the King’s broken heart lost its light to the darkness and cruelty of the world.

The day came when the Queen finally had to give birth to a new life. The people were all awake despite the ungodly hour, praying for the success in the child’s birth and for their Queen’s wellbeing. The King was right beside his wife, holding her hand as she cries weakly at the pain of giving birth.

“You’ll be okay.” he promised, his voice firm despite the fear dancing in his eyes, “You’ll get through it.”

The Queen squeezed her hand tightly in his hold as she felt the baby come. Her screams of pain covered the night and the candles that lit the room had danced and flickered even if there were no gush of wind inside the walls that witnessed the birth of a child.

At the near end of everything, the Queen gave her last push to deliver her baby, her last ‘I love you’ to a tearful husband and her last breath that she tried to hold on to. Then she laid limp, still and cold on the soft mattress. The King shook his beautiful Queen, once, twice and thrice until he broke down in unrestrained sobs and anguished cries.

In the night where the King’s wails had finally died down, there was silence. There was dull silence. There was deafening silence. And all the silence did not mean peace. It was just so wrong. The King realized this and he slowly raised his tear-stained face off his now dead wife and turned to face the woman who held a bundle in her arms. There was a solemn look on her face that just looked so wrong.

The bundle was still and there were no cries.

The baby was dead.

The King had asked to cremate the dead bodies as soon as possible. He was in a depressed and hopeless state that he didn’t want to look at the figures of his dead loved ones any longer. He wanted to let them go in peace so he can continue mourning before he can move on—he wasn’t even sure if that was possible.

The ceremony happened at the crack of dawn but it only came as a blur to the King, the words drowned out and he was cold and empty inside. The time to burn the bodies came and the King held his wife’s face for the last time.

The flames came to eat away the remnants of the love he had lost and the love he was yet to have. The fire consumed the bodies, making them unrecognizable and charred in black ashes. The smoke went up and up to the sky—the heavens itself was grey, dark and sad, the King wondered if they mourned with him as well.

In the silence of their burning departure, a soft cry had pierced through the quietness. The King broke his gaze away from the sorrowful sky, wondering if his sadness finally led him to insanity and delusions. Has he been hearing a child’s cry that he never had the chance of hearing? How pitiful must he have become?

But in the midst of his self-pity, he also heard the same gasps in the crowd of people that mourned with him. That was when he realized that the sound of cries weren’t his mind playing deceptions. Others have noticed it as well. With that realization, he turned his head to the source of all crying sound and found a body squirming as the flames ate upon it.

His heart skipped a beat when he realized—his child was alive! Adrenaline rushed through his system and he was before the burning body in an instant, trying to take the crying child caught in the fire. But he shot his hand back when the pain came to him. He held his burned arms against his chest and winced in the pain.

No one came to the aid of the King as he cradled his arms but the King had no time to worry about that. For as he looked up, he saw that the flames surrounding his child had died down and lying on the once blazing surface was the baby—unharmed, unburnt and most of all, alive.

Walking up and ignoring the pain, he held the baby in his arms as it calmed down in his warm embraced. He’s beautiful, the King thought as he stared at the blissful child.

He was small and cute in his hold, almost like a new born deer. Luhan, the King immediately thought, he will be called Luhan. The Deer of the Dawn.

Right after the miraculous and unexplained event, people had different reactions of what had occurred. Some had demanded that the child be put to death for it was said to be a rebirth of a demon and not their prince. Some had defended that a child was innocent and therefore shouldn’t be harmed. Some were merely confused and didn’t know what to believe.

The King was none of the three. All he knew is that he lost his wife and almost lost his child, but he was given a chance, a miracle. And he was going to protect that miracle with the best of his abilities, until the very last of his breath.

However, the hearts that lived within the kingdom were angry, scared and confused over the event that happened before them. There was a divide amongst the people and all thiese accumulated negative feelings caused turmoil. The voice of demand to execute the ‘demon child’ was higher than most.

If it had been the old King, he would’ve heard their opinions and made a rational decision that would benefit the majority. But the King’s heart had been broken and turned dark. His only light left was the miracle that was his child, and no one can make him part with his son ever again—not even the people he had served all his life.

He made a decision that sparked fear in every corner of Tianchao.

A new law was made—anyone, regardless of age or gender, who makes a comment or demand about putting the prince to death with be put to death themselves. A few had deliberately disobeyed this and true to his words, the King had them executed in front of everyone to see.

This silenced the words that proclaimed death and instead, carved fear into everyone’s hearts. No one said a thing about it but everyone had one thing in their minds: the child was a curse. The King had changed and the Kingdom was never the same again.

Years passed, the Kingdom changed immensely over time. Even though the words of the prince’s curse had left people’s mouths, the myth was starting to change itself. The Kingdom had prospered ever since that day of dawn.

The King grew distant from his people but the Kingdom became one of the most powerful and richest countries known all throughout the land. Nobody knew how it happened and what made it possible. It all occurred too quickly and no one saw it coming until it came to be. Words changed and the cursed prince was now called a blessing in disguise.

People started to believe that the prince’s revival was a miracle and his presence in the Kingdom caused the country to prosper. The ones who wished his death now kissed his name as they spoke sweet praises about him. Stories came to life—some said that he could tell the future, some say that everything he touches turns gold, some say that he was an immortal in secret and some said he had the ability to bring the dead back to life.

No one had any confirmation but almost everyone believed the rumors. Prince Luhan was now loved by the people that never saw him ever since that fateful dawn of his rebirth. Even so, rumors of him continued to grow and even traveled outside of the kingdom.

In another part of the world, a man lost his own family in an unexpected event. He was in a daze as he held his little sister’s limp body in his arms and to the point of insanity as he begged for the people he loved to wake up and not leave him behind. The man, in his hazed state, brought a blade against his neck and slashed it until he bled, and bled, and bled.

But he did not fall to death like the rest of his family.

He was cursed with a life that will never stop bleeding, breathing, and living. He was cursed to a lifetime of remorse.

For days since his loss, he went mad. He saw illusions of his loved ones, he talked to and clawed himself until he bled again. However one day came when he caught scent of interesting news.

“The faceless prince of Tianchao was said to have the gift to bring back the dead”, said the gossiping women of town. Some laughed in disbelief of the ridiculous tale, some awed at the unbelievable myth.

That was when the man stood from his place of sorrow and asked, “Tell me more about this prince.”

His presence had surprised the women but they immediately smiled at the sight of his undeniably handsome face. They entertained his every question and piqued his interest. Until he finally asked for the miracle maker’s name and the woman had responded, “His Royal Highness Luhan, the prince of Tianchao.”

“Luhan,” The man repeated, internalizing the name in his mind, “the one who can bring the dead back to life.”

He finally saw another meaning to his life. He found his new goal and drive. To find this prince and bring back the family he lost. As he was about to leave, one of the woman clung herself onto him and flirtatiously asked for his name.

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds before offering the smallest of smiles, “Wu Yifan.” he replied before detaching himself from her hold and preparing to start another journey in his life.

Life is a gift given to all. But as much as it is a gift, it is a curse to some. To live a life confined, to live a life in loss, to live a life in madness. Life is about living and living doesn’t always equate to happiness. Living consists of pain, hardships and losses.

But life also consists of happiness, joy and love. Life also was full of surprises.

And surprises will find their way between two hearts that desire two different things that are similar.