"To begin with, as I mentioned earlier, the Mo Kingdom is a parallel world." Maya said, starting her explanation. "Its entire existence depended on two sacred artifacts: the Blue Gem and the Red Gem. Long ago, these two gems were encased together within a protective shell of stone and bound by powerful magic. Without the energy of these two stones, our kingdom simply cannot exist."
Hearing this, Ronan slowly closed his eyes, a deep frown settling across his handsome features as if he were trying to recall a distant, foggy memory.
"The most vital thing you must understand is that the kingdom thrives solely on the combined power of these two gems." Maya continued, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "If they are ever separated, the balance shatters, and the entire realm will be violently swallowed by absolute darkness."
She paused, looking down at her hands before continuing. "Let me tell you where this tragedy truly began. It all started twenty-two years ago... though, to be completely honest, the dark origins of this conflict stretch back much further than that."
Maya let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh as the painful memories of the past washed over her. Across from her, Ethan, Sophia, and Michael all mirrored her expression, dropping their heads and sighing in deep sadness. Ronan and Liora, who were completely blind to this hidden history, could only watch them in silent suspense.
"Even though the kingdom exists through the raw power of the gems, the stones themselves cannot physically rule a nation." Maya explained. "The Mo Kingdom is populated by citizens known as the Movians. To guide and protect them, an Emperor has always sat upon the throne. He is the legal, divinely appointed protector of the two gems, a sacred duty passed down from generation to generation. And the last true Mo Emperor was none other than Ronan's grandfather."
Ronan's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and beside him, Liora gasped in pure shock.
"What?!" Ronan stammered, leaning forward. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that I belong to an entirely different dimension?"
Maya looked at him, a gentle, nostalgic laugh escaping her lips. "Yes, Ronan. You are a Movian by blood. I will explain exactly how you became connected to Earth."
Liora slowly turned her head to look at Ronan, a soft, amused smile breaking through her lingering confusion. "Wow... so the wild theories your fans made up online were actually right. They always said you weren't from this world and called you an alien. Turns out it's completely true."
Ronan snapped his gaze to Liora, his brow furrowing in playful annoyance. "Lio, I am not an alien."
Liora couldn't help but let out a sweet, clear laugh, the tension in her chest easing slightly.
"He's right, the Movians are not aliens." Maya clarified with a smile. "They look and feel exactly like Earthlings. There is no physical difference."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Maya's expression quickly turned grim once more, pulling the conversation back to the reality of their situation. "Now, let us get to the heart of the matter. The Mo Kingdom was brutally destroyed twenty-two years ago. And it happened precisely because those two sacred gems were torn apart."
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the living room.
"How did that even happen?" Liora asked softly, breaking the quiet.
"Because of a vile traitor." Maya hissed, her eyes flashing with old resentment. "The traitor was Dakan, the high priest appointed to serve our country's Emperor. He was originally chosen for his position by Goddess Mo herself, the supreme deity who rules our realm. Because of his holy status, Dakan's position was permanent, and he was granted absolute immortality. For countless generations, he earned the unwavering trust of every single Emperor who sat on the throne."
She shook her head bitterly. "But greed changes everything. Because of his position, Dakan understood the inner workings of the two gems better than anyone else in the kingdom. Over time, he realized that if he could somehow seize ownership of both stones, he would attain unimaginable, god-like power. Driven by an insatiable lust for control, Dakan's soul began to rot."
Maya leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He began to maliciously abuse the holy powers granted to him by Goddess Mo. Horrified by his corruption, Goddess Mo stripped him of his divine gifts and destroyed his physical form. But the most terrifying thing happened at the exact moment of his execution: his mind remained entirely obsessed with the gems. He died with that pure, corrupted lust for power burning in his heart."
"Because his soul was so heavily stained by malice, he didn't disappear." Maya continued. "Instead, he was reborn as a malevolent, demonic force within the dark world. His desire to possess the gems hadn't diminished by a single fraction. He immediately began formulating a master plan to slaughter the royal family, the protectors of the stones, and claim the artifacts for himself."
"His very first step was to wait for darkness to fall, hunt down the Movians who possessed advanced spiritual abilities, and violently drain their life force to fuel his own strength. Once he became powerful enough, killing the Emperor would be an easy task. He officially became the Lord of Darkness. After years of quietly building his army, he finally launched his final assault to steal the gems. That was twenty-two years ago."
Maya took a deep breath, her eyes clouding over. "Emperor Mo knew with absolute certainty that his forces didn't possess enough spiritual strength to defeat Dakan's dark army. So, prioritizing the future security of our people, the Emperor was forced to make a catastrophic, heartbreaking decision that fateful day."
"He decided to separate the gems."
Ronan and Liora widened their eyes in astonishment.
"So he did it to keep the kingdom from being entirely captured?" Ronan deduced quietly.
"Yes," Maya confirmed. "The moment the Emperor tore the two gems apart from where they were safely stored inside the Holy Mo Temple, the entire kingdom was instantaneously plunged into absolute darkness. Immediately after doing so, the Emperor summoned me. Ethan and I were the deputy guardians of the gems, but in that chaotic hour, the Emperor spoke strictly to me. Outside, Dakan's dark forces were already tearing through the streets, slaughtering our spiritual warriors. The Emperor ordered me to bring Prince Vante, who was only a defenseless four-year-old child at the time, directly into the inner sanctum."
Ronan stiffened at the mention of his royal name.
"When I rushed into the temple with little Ronan." Maya said, looking at him with deep emotion, "his father, the Crown Prince, and his mother, the Queen, were already standing before the altar. What the Emperor announced next shocked us to our very core."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maya closed her eyes, vividly recalling the echoes of the past. "The Emperor looked at us and declared, 'The Blood Gem must be forced to take on a living host.'"
"But Father," Ronan's father had protested, his voice laced with panic. "Will the gem truly be protected that way? How can a physical body possibly withstand the sheer, volatile pressure of such an immense power?"
"The gem itself will ultimately choose the rightful vessel capable of enduring it." the Emperor had replied firmly. "If it does not choose you, then it will settle within young Prince Vante."
"Then what will become of the Blue Gem?" the Crown Prince asked desperately.
"It is a victory if even one of the stones is successfully shielded from his grasp." the Emperor explained. "Dakan requires both gems together to achieve absolute dominion. If we hide the Red Gem, his plans fail. I will find a way to protect the Blue Gem as well, but we must secure the safety of the Red Gem right now. Hurry! He has undoubtedly realized the stones have been separated, and he is coming for us."
Maya gripped the edge of her seat. "Standing in front of the massive statue of the Mo Deity, the Emperor carefully lifted the separated Red Gem into the air. Closing his eyes, he began to chant a series of ancient, powerful spells. The stone instantly erupted into a blinding, fiery red light, lifting out of his hands and floating high into the air."
The gem drifted across the chamber, hovering directly over little Ronan. Before any of us could even gasp, the stone violently shot downward, driving straight into the center of Ronan's chest. The poor child let out a blood-curdling scream of pure agony as the gem forcefully fused with his lifeforce, and his tiny body instantly collapsed into unconsciousness.
"My son!!' the Queen screamed, sprinting forward and falling to her knees to cradle her boy's limp body as tears streamed down her face."
"Do not despair." the Emperor reassured her, his voice weary. "He will regain consciousness in a moment." He then turned his sharp gaze entirely onto Maya.
"Maya, you must take Prince Vante and escape from this realm immediately... you must take him to Earth."
Maya's breath caught, and Ronan's parents stared at the Emperor in absolute horror. His father opened his mouth to argue, "But Father-" but before he could utter another syllable, a massive, explosive blast of toxic green energy tore through the temple doors, striking the Emperor squarely in the chest and sending his body crashing violently into the stone wall.
Dakan had broken through kingdom's defenses. His eyes were glowing a sickening, furious shade of green, and his face was twisted in absolute rage.
"Where are the two gems?!" Dakan roared, his voice shaking the foundation of the temple as he scanned the room.
The Emperor, coughing up blood, quickly concealed the remaining Blue Gem deep inside the folds of his royal coat and stood up, bracing himself to fight the demon head-on. He looked back at Maya one last time and screamed, "Maya! Take the Prince and get out of here right now!!"
With a trembling hand, the Emperor threw the mystical key that opens the dimensional gates toward Maya. She lunged forward, successfully catching it against her chest. In the chaos, the Queen scooped little Ronan's unconscious body into her arms and began to sprint toward the hidden exits, while the Crown Prince drew his weapon to stand alongside his father. Stunned and terrified, Maya bolted after the Queen.
But Dakan instantly sensed the shifting energy. He could feel the powerful vibrations of the Red Gem moving further away from him. His furious green eyes locked directly onto the fleeing Queen and Maya. Snapping his fingers to summon another wave of energy against the Emperor, Dakan abandoned the fight and sprinted down the corridor, chasing them like a predator.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"We ran as fast as our legs could carry us into the surrounding woods." Maya continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "In his mother's warm embrace, little Ronan was finally starting to blink his eyes open, coming back to consciousness. But he was far too young and disoriented to understand the horrors unfolding around him."
Suddenly, Dakan caught up to them. With a cruel flick of his wrist, he unleashed a heavy magical blow that struck the Queen squarely across her back. She let out a sharp groan of agony, the sheer force of the impact knocking Ronan clean out of her grasp. The poor boy went flying through the air, crashing heavily onto the forest floor.
"M-Maya, please..." the Queen choked out through her pain, using her body as a shield as she struggled to stand. "Take the Prince away from here right now. Take good care of my boy."
Dakan was completely frustrated. He knew the gem was nearby because he could feel its residual radiation vibrating through the air, but he had absolutely no idea that the artifact was actually sealed inside Ronan's physical body. He assumed one of them was carrying it.
Thinking fast, Maya raised the golden key and frantically cast a spell over it, aiming it at the space between the trees. Within seconds, a massive, circular gate materialized in the air, glowing with a brilliant, swirling blue light, a direct portal to Earth.
Maya looked back at the Queen and shouted, "Your Majesty, push Prince Vante through the gate! I will hold Dakan off!" The Queen didn't hesitate. She scooped up her crying, terrified son and desperately carried him toward the swirling blue light, thrusting him forward into the portal.
"Son!! My beautiful son!!" she wailed from the edge of the threshold.
"Mommy...!!" little Ronan screamed from the other side, tears blurring his vision as he looked back at the circular frame.
The Queen stared into the portal, her voice echoing through the vortex. "Do not cry, my sweet boy. You must be strong. You have to survive. Find the Blue Gem, Ronan... find it and save our kingdom somehow...!"
The exact moment those words left her lips, Dakan unleashed a fatal, crushing blow that struck the Queen down. The magical connection violently shattered, the blue gate snapped completely shut, and the golden key dropped uselessly into the dirt. Little Ronan was left entirely alone, crying in the middle of a dark, unfamiliar forest on Earth.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"W-Wait a single minute..." Ronan interrupted, his voice dropping into a breathless, hollow whisper. He held up a trembling hand, halting Maya mid-sentence.
The entire living room fell dead silent as everyone looked at him. Ronan's eyes were wide with a mixture of profound shock and realization, his face losing all color.
"I... I know those exact words." Ronan breathed, his chest heaving. "I have heard them before. For as long as I can remember, I have had the exact same terrifying nightmare every single night of my life. I always see a beautiful woman covered in shadows, screaming out to me through a strange light... she always tells me, 'Find the blue gem... find it and save our kingdom.'"
Ronan's eyes filled with hot, heavy tears as the puzzle pieces of his fractured childhood violently locked into place. He looked up at Maya, his voice cracking with a raw, agonizing grief. "W-What happened next? Please, tell me. What happened to my mother?"
Seeing his overwhelming sorrow, Liora gently reached over, wrapping his fingers around Ronan's shaking hand and softly stroking his knuckles to offer comfort.
Maya let out a long, heavy sigh, her own eyes misting over. "The moment the gate snapped shut, I was completely paralyzed with fear. You were stranded on an entirely different planet all by yourself, and I believed I had utterly failed the sacred duty your grandfather had entrusted to me. But the moment the portal vanished, Dakan grew completely disoriented. Realizing the intense energy signature of the Red Gem had completely disappeared from the Mo Kingdom, he panicked. He abandoned the chase and rushed back to the temple to secure the remaining Blue Gem before it could be hidden."
"Seizing that tiny window of opportunity, I lunged forward, grabbed the fallen key from the dirt, and forced the portal open a second time. It materialized in the exact same forest on Earth where I had sent you. I threw myself through the light, closed the door behind me, and frantically began searching the woods for you, Tae. After hours of searching, I finally discovered you hiding beneath the roots of a massive tree, curled into a ball and crying your eyes out."
Ronan swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. "Then... if you found me that day, why didn't you just adopt me? Why did you leave me to be raised inside a cold orphanage?"
"I desperately wanted to keep you with me, Ronan." Maya explained gently, her voice full of apology. "But you must understand, I knew absolutely nothing about Planet Earth. I had no concept of how to properly care for a child in this society. The human world is fundamentally different from the Mo Kingdom; the technology here is incomprehensibly advanced, and the customs are entirely foreign. I was terrified that my ignorance would end up hurting you. So, I made the painful decision to leave you at a reputable human orphanage where you would be properly fed, educated, and sheltered."
Ronan nodded slowly, processing the logic, though his eyes remained desperate for answers. "Then... what became of my mother and father?"
"Allow me to answer that." Michael spoke up softly.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Everyone's attention instantly shifted across the room to Michael.
"I was only a child myself at the time, barely six years old." Michael began, his gaze dropped to the floor as he remembered the horror. "When the dark forces invaded, I hid behind the heavy tapestries inside the Holy Temple and watched everything unfold. I witnessed the exact moment Prince Vante was carried away, and I saw Dakan sprint after you. The Emperor and the Crown Prince fought bravely, but they were both catastrophically injured by Dakan's dark magic. Your father... his wounds were far more severe than the Emperor's."
Michael's voice cracked slightly, his shoulders tense. "After Dakan left, I watched the Emperor crawl over to the Prince's body, desperately shaking his shoulders to wake him up. But... I think the Emperor was too late. Your father was already gone. I am so incredibly sorry, Ronan." he whispered, looking down in shame.
A heavy tear spilled over Ronan's lashes, tracking down his cheek. Even though he possessed absolutely no active memory of his father's face, hearing the brutal reality of his death struck a devastating chord within his soul. Liora immediately tightened her grip on Ronan's hand, leaning his shoulder against her to keep him grounded.
"Then... what about you, Michael?" Ronan asked, his voice thick with emotion. "How did you end up on Earth?"
"I didn't know what else to do." Michael explained quietly. "After the Emperor left the inner sanctuary to hide the remaining gem, I ran out into the woods to find Prince Vante. By the time I caught up, Dakan had already struck down the Queen and abandoned the scene to search the temple. I saw Maya standing before that massive, swirling blue vortex. I had never seen anything so beautiful or terrifying in my entire life. Driven by pure, childish curiosity and fear of the dark army, I quietly followed Maya through the threshold before the gate vanished."
Maya offered Michael a warm glance before looking back at Ronan. "He's right. The moment the portal closed on Earth, I turned around and was startled to find a little six-year-old Movian boy standing right behind me. Recognizing him from the kingdom, I decided to place him in the exact same orphanage alongside you. I figured that since you were stripped of your family, you deserved to have a true friend from your homeland by your side as you grew up."
"And that is how your journey on Earth truly began, Ronan." Maya concluded. "While I originally possessed my true young form, I utilized my shapeshifting magic to alter my appearance whenever necessary to stay close to you and watch over your safety from the shadows. My final disguise was taking on the persona of an elderly housekeeper to manage this very mansion."
A profound silence settled over the living room once more as the gravity of her words hung in the air. Breaking the quiet, Liora slowly raised her head, her brow furrowing as a massive, unanswered question began to burn in her mind.
"If Ron has the Red Gem inside of him... what about the Blue Gem?" Liora asked thoroughly bewildered. "How on earth did it end up inside my body? And how did I end up coming to Earth from the Mo Kingdom?"
"I honestly have no answer for that, Liora." Maya admitted, shaking her head. "I never stepped foot back inside the Mo Kingdom after the day we escaped. I have been stranded here on Earth for twenty-two years."
"I can tell you exactly what happened to the Blue Gem." Ethan spoke up suddenly, his deep voice cutting through the room.
Everyone in the room violently snapped their heads toward him.
Ethan took a deep breath, looking straight into Liora's wide, innocent eyes. His next words shattered the silence like glass.
"Liora... you didn't travel here through a dimensional portal from the Mo Kingdom. You are not a Movian at all." Ethan revealed, his voice steady yet filled with immense weight. "You belong right here. You are a 100% native Earthling."
Sophia's jaw dropped in absolute shock, and across the room, everyone else stared at Ethan in pure, unadulterated astonishment.