Soon after Mia left, Huang, his sons and a few guards reached the sight of the bloodbath Mia just did. Before he could start to do anything, Marry ran towards him with tears in her eyes. “Dear, Dear. Our daughter, she ran away, it's my fault, find her.”
As he was calming his wife down, the other guards started to interview the people and once everyone reported what happened, along with some input from a now more calm Marry let Huang understand what happened in this place.
“Kai, escort your stepmother to the house, she is very shaken. Choi, you know what to do. The rest of you, half make sure that none of these bastards try to flee, the other half with me. My daughter has gone to the forest and I intend to find her.” Huang said in a calm and commanding tone.”Also, if I come back and discover that any of you bastards tried to flee, the world will become a very small place for you.” He added, directing it to the people of the caravan.
In the morning of the next day, a tired Huang along with his two sons entered the house only to be jumped by Marry. “Where is she, where is my daughter?” She said with apprehension.
Distraught, Huang couldn't say anything. Choi intervened.”We followed the trail of blood until the small river outside town. After there we had to disperse and look everywhere around town. Me and father went as far as two towns away but we found no traces of her. It is like she has vanished.” He said angry at himself.
Upon hearing that Marry began to break down.”I am unfit to be a mother. I am a horrible person that forsaken her own child in the moment she needed the most. I looked at her like a monster and she saw it, she understood it.” Upon hearing this the rest of the family could do nothing but to console Marry.
Monsters are the enemy of people. Being seriously called or seen as a monster is one of the worst things someone can do to another in society. This hatred of monsters is so ingrained in people that most don't realize how they truly feel and act with monsters, even if they are inoffensive.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and the Old Man's town mourned the absence of Mia. Hope waned as search efforts yielded no concrete leads. The people began to accept the grim reality that Mia might never be found. Whispers circulated among the townsfolk, a mix of sympathy and relief intertwined. The fear of a young girl capable of unleashing such destruction was not easily forgotten.
One of the few lights the family found in this dark tunnel is that Gina informed them that Mia was more knowledgeable about the wilderness than some of the hunters she saw in the town.
Huang, accompanied by his sons, returned home after another exhausting search. The weight of the fruitless endeavor bore down on their shoulders. As they entered their house, they were met by a scene of anguish. Marry, inconsolable, clutched a sheathed sword while Lin and Liza tried to restrain her.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Huang's eyes widened with alarm as he quickly approached Marry, forcefully taking the sword from her trembling hands. “What are you doing!? What use would be using your old powers to find Mia if you weren't here to welcome her back? She is alive, I will find her and we will all welcome her here, together!” Haung angrily berated at Marry.
Upon hearing her husband's words, she began to confess about her state. ”Every time I see my reflection in the water or in the mirror, the guilt eats me alive. I need to pay for my sin somehow and my life is the only thing I can use.” She said in a very depressed tone. Huang's anger softened into concern as he realized the depth of Marry's pain. He held her tightly, offering solace and reassurance that they would endure this ordeal together.
As the hours passed, emotions gradually subsided, and exhaustion settled upon the family. Lin, Gina, and the sons made the decision to rest for the day, seeking respite from the relentless pursuit of Mia's whereabouts. Sleep came fitfully, plagued by dreams of a lost daughter and unanswered questions.
Time continued to elapse, marked by the absence of Mia. The planned wedding ceremony between Kai and Mei never materialized. Both families agreed that celebrating such an occasion without Mia present would be hollow. Instead, a small formalization of their union took place, a bittersweet acknowledgment of love amidst the prevailing sorrow.
Choi, spending much of his time outside the town in search of Mia, found solace in the companionship of a hunter named Elara. She had aided in the search efforts upon learning of Mia's disappearance, drawn by Choi's tale of tragedy. Their bond grew as they shared a mutual understanding of loss and a shared goal to find Mia.
Huang and his sons made a difficult decision, resigning from their positions as guards to devote themselves fully to the search for Mia. They relied on their skills as formidable fighters, venturing into the wilderness, battling monsters, and turning in the bodies for rewards. Roy, Huang's loyal friend, continued to assist them, coordinating with the guards and gathering any information that might lead to Mia's discovery.
Occasional sightings of a young girl riding a wolf circulated among the townsfolk. Rumors reached Huang and his family, but each lead proved elusive, offering no definitive proof of Mia's whereabouts. It became clear that Mia lingered somewhere in the vicinity of the town, but her presence remained shrouded in mystery.
As Mia's 10th birthday approached, the tension within the family intensified. Hope flickered in their hearts, mingling with the anxiety that had become their constant companion. They clung to the belief that their beloved little girl would be found, safe and sound.
On the eve of Mia's birthday, Huang gathered his family together, their faces etched with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The weight of their shared pain was palpable, yet their determination remained unyielding. They lit a single candle, illuminating the darkness that had settled upon their lives. With tear-filled eyes, they made a silent wish, fervently hoping for Mia's return.
In the depths of their souls, they held onto the unshakable belief that their love would guide Mia back to them, transcending the barriers of time and distance. And so, with heavy hearts and a glimmer of hope, they faced the new day, ready to continue their relentless search for their missing daughter.