There was once a city that stood tall, gleaming with bustling lives. Located next to a serene river, the harbour and the market were always busy with people—both citizens and visitors running errands or just to see what Miri had to offer. The busiest place would always be the town square as The Hwas, a well-known family within the town, had built an open stage right in front of their residence. Tales of their mesmerizing dance spread far and wide, which had boosted the city’s reputation.
Yet not even The Hwas could maintain the city’s magnificence if the mayor was blinded by pride and greed.
One day, cities close to Miri had decided to unite to form what would soon be known as the Empire. Miri was offered to join the union but the Mayor of the time had declined as he assumed that the other cities were trying to leech off Miri’s success. Instead, he focused the town’s money on useless grandeur. As the empire grew and flourish, Miri started to have less and less visitors until it slowly turned into a forgotten city. The townsfolks lost their jobs, and some moved out to find better places to stay with more opportunities. With guards also leaving their posts, security faltered and raids happened frequently, looting the almost dried up town’s resources.
Some of The Hwas, after realizing their shrinking crowds, suggested leaving, but the head of the household had chosen to stay. The Hwas would continue to do as they had always done—to entertain.
So even in the darkest days of Miri, The Hwa family had always provided light for the remaining townsfolk through their dance and music in the town square. Seeing the spirit of The Hwas never wavering, the folks also refused to give up. Slowly, the city grew again, and the town square is always at the centre. Even after the mayor had fled from the city, the folks couldn’t care less about it, content as long as they have The Hwas. With public approval and nobody objecting, the Hwas had suddenly rose as the town’s leader. The Hwa’s residence had turned into both the city headquarters and the entertainment hub, earning the name Hwa Pavilion by the people of the city.
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As The Hwas took control, they had approached a new style for governance by keeping joy and spirit in its core. Every choice—whether political or economic—was always made by keeping the wellbeing of the townsfolk in mind. However, Miri still attracted the attention of raiders and The Hwas slowly realized that leading the town would take more than just joy. The family's devotion to dance had always been a symbol of their pride and resilience, but it soon became something more.
During one of the raids, a group of bandits charged into the town square, expecting little to no resistance. The Hwas were just finishing up a performance when the bandits started their looting. With blades sharp enough as their tongue, the bandits were confident with themselves. Yet, The Hwas still rushed and charged to protect the townsfolk, and that was when something unheard of happened.
The Hwa’s movements, honed through years of precision and discipline, flowed naturally on the battlefield as if they had never left the stage. Each step, each movement, reminds them of a dance technique. Their feet shifted as if there were music in the air, dodging blades with the natural grace of a dancer. Their arms, trained to tell stories through the air, deflected blows with the precision of a sword. The bandits, unprepared for such fluid and coordinated defense, were instantly overwhelmed and confused. What began as an instinctive reaction soon developed into a refined martial art. When The Hwas realized that their dance could be used as a form of combat, they began to train not only for the stage but for battle as well, perfecting their techniques with the same intensity they had once reserved for the stage.
With each raid that followed, The Hwa’s style evolved. Gradually, The Hwas perfected their arts, not only as performers but also as warriors. Their steps became evasive maneuvers, their leaps turned into deadly strikes, their hands able to deflect blades with such precision, their synchronization with each other was perfectly choreographed that there were no openings in their attacks. Bandits and thieves, once eager to prey on the weakened city, found themselves helpless against the dance they could neither predict nor counter. Soon, the raids dwindled to nothing and thus the safety of both citizens and visitors were finally secured.
Soon, the great town of Miri grew and bloomed with the heart, the entertainment hub of The Hwa family, bringing life again to the once-abandoned town.