The lion and the tiger

Chapter 1: The search

Life is so cruel, it will let you see the beauty in this world but also take away the reason why you were able to see it. For a moment, you will have everything you could ask for but then suddenly, everything vanishes in a blink of an eye.

At the mere age of 10, I lost both of my parents. I could never forget that day, how my parents died trying to save me. Of course, how could I forget, it was the date of my birthday, it was supposed to be a very special day, yet I lost the two most important person in my life.

After that day, I couldn't be how I used to be anymore. After killing those murderers I walked back to the place where I last saw my parents. Along the way I saw many damages left by the fight, there were also some obvious marks and blood. The once beautiful forest now is nothing but a ruin.

After walking for so long, I could finally see a silhouette of a woman lying down on the grass and next to her is a man holding her hands seemingly taking a rest, but they weren't, they were already gone, never to return again. He could recognize these two bodies even with eyes closed, how could he not when they are the most precious person to him.

He came closer to the corpse of his parents and finally, the tears he was holding up till now, broke free and he cried. The marks have disappeared for quite a while now. He was in so much agony. He hugged the dead bodies of his parents and tightly clung to them, hoping that they would wake up as soon as they heard his cry. He wants to believe that he still has his parents with him, hugging him, comforting him, and assuring him that they were alright and they would still come home together but he knew they couldn't, not anymore.

And because of that, he hated the lions, he hated those who took away his everything and more so he hated himself, for not being able to protect them, for being a burden to them. Without him, his parents would've survived, he keeps on blaming himself.

"I should be the one who died, without me my parents could've escaped and live longer. Mom, dad please come back to me, what will I do without you?" The boy wailed and let out all his grief.

After a while of crying, the boy fell asleep beside his parents' dead bodies. Because of what he just experienced, he became tired, it was too much for a kid to handle. And so he fell asleep, after a while the rain started to pour down heavily seeming as though it could feel the grief the little boy is going through.
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A couple of hours has passed and the rain stopped on pouring, the place is now covered in dewdrops glistening as the light hits them. On this big and wide forest, one could hear a hurrried footsteps followed by a loud call reverberating through the forest and breaking the silence of the night.

"Master! Madam! Young Master!"

The call echoes through the dark silent night. And soon it was followed by a lot of calls with different voices.

"Master Xiao, Madam, Young Master! Where are you?!"
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*Huff huff huff

After a long while of searching, they grew tired and the feeling of hopelessness suddenly arised through them.

"What if we don't find them Sir Zhou? What if we're too late?" asked a female servant.

"don't say such thing!" The guy, Zhou, shouted, mad at the way of thoughts of this servant "we must search for them and even if what you say is true, we still have to find them" he said with determination.

"Search everywhere, don't leave a single corner unturned!!" He commands

*Cough cough

Suddenly, they heard a faint coughing sound coming from behind a small hill a bit far from them. Because of the silent night, the sound was a bit loud breaking through the silence of the night.

They immediately ran towards the direction with the fastest speed they could.

"Sir Zhou! It's the Young Master!!" A guy shouted out.

The guy known as Sir Zhou ran faster and stood at the front of the guy. After seeing the situation in the small hill, he immediately took off his coat and used it to cover the Young Master, he was so hot and so pale. He checked the pulses of the two couple and shook his head with disappointment.

After a while, he sighed and stood up lifting the Young Master on his embrace.

"What about the master and the madam?" The servants can't help but asked.

"Few of you will take care of the bodies of master and madam and bury them at the Xiao cemetery and the others follow me back at the mansion, the Young Master is having a high fever" and after saying so, he walked away with the little boy held in his arms.

The servants immediately got to work, they carefully transferred the bodies of the master and the madam to the special cemetery, after arriving there, they cleaned the bodies of the two and buried them with a high respect.

The servants were all full of sorrow at the death of their masters, and now their Young Master is heavily sick, with a very high fever and still unconscious.

At the mansion

After arriving at the mansion, the guy, Sir Zhou, immediately took care of the Young Master, he changed his wet clothes and made him lay on his bed. After doing so, he called the family doctor, telling him about the current situation of the little boy.

Seeing the little boy in bed with a high fever, Sir Zhou couldn't help but sigh. He is used to see the boy being lively, always carrying with him a beautiful smile, and playing with a hearty laugh. He is does not like to see the boy feverish, sick, all tucked up in bed so that he won't feel cold.

He wished that, after his fever subsided he will still be the same Young Master as he was before, he does not wish to see the boy lose his beautiful smile. But he knew, that would be impossible. Witnessing how his parents died before his eyes, while also being beaten up so badly, some things were bound to change, but he still hopes that he wouldn't

He sat down next to the bed where the little boy lay and touched his forehead to feel it still hot but not the same as before when they found him.
A minute has passed and the doctor finally arrived.

He wasted no time and immediately got to work.
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Late at night, when all is fast asleep, Sir Zhou stayed to guard the little boy in case he wakes up. He was so tired, but he still forced himself to wake.

"Mom......Dad...please don't leave me"

He suddenly heard a faint mumbling and he immediately woke up. Without realizing it, he fell asleep.

"Zhanzhan, Zhanzhan it's alright wake up" he was sadly looking as the little boy cries on his sleep.

"I don't want to be alone, please don't leave me" the boy cried

"Don't worry Zhanzhan, your uncle Zhou is still here, I will never leave you" he pats the head of the little boy and kissed his forehead.

After a while,the boy finally fell into a deep sleep. Still, the sorrow remains on his face.