The saying that the beautiful ones are not yet born was true until Prince Wang Ju-long Chun Wei Li Artem Borya. The meaning behind his name was the Emperor’s wishes for his future. “A King as mighty as a Dragon born in Spring; the only powerful one: Artem Borya.” He was the epitome of charm, as any eye that rested upon him could rarely depart his beautiful face. His creamy white skin glistened like freshwater pearls, and his dark full hair makes him mythical worthy. No one could deny his beauty and presence. Several pet names emerged for the boy from his people, with the most popular one being Yīnghuā, meaning Cherry Blossom. He was likened to the delicate and beautiful flower petals that only bloom in spring. Paintings of those flowers swept across the kingdom in his honour and adoration. But as much as they rejoiced, something else about this boy brought worries upon the land. People claimed he was born with an evil eye. This is because his eyes were not the same. His right eye was blue, and his left eye was as dark as night. The mesmerizing aquatic allure eye was the one that seemed to grab the first attention, but the glossy pitch black is the one that enchants you. Despite the acclaimed evil eye, this little boy melted Emperor Dewei’s heart as he cradled him, starring into his dark abysmal eye.

“My enchanting prince, I can agree that you have your father’s eye shape, lips, and complexion. You also have your mother’s magnificent beauty that makes it almost uncomfortable to call you a boy. But there is a mix of something else in there, is there not? Something out of this world. Something divine. And that is both intriguing and scary.” He whistled as he carefully studied the boy in his arms, and he turned to the Empress Consort. “Do you know what makes him perfect?”

“His beauty?”

“His soul. When I prayed at the temple, I prayed for a boy born of light and not darkness. He will grow up to unify this land with the soul of our founding father. His Majesty, Emperor Artem Borya.”

“Well, I think he is perfect because of the two souls he was born with.”

“Two souls? What two souls?”

“Your Majesty. Why do you think he has a dual-coloured pair of eyes?”

“The doctors said he was born with an eye disorder called Heterochromia. It is a condition where a person has over one eye colour.”

“Most things have scientific meanings to them, but do not forget they have spiritual meanings too, your Majesty. I think his eyes reflect his souls. Just like the duality of his eyes, his souls differ. When you prayed at the temple, you asked Hai nu shen for a boy born of light. But I prayed too, your Majesty. And, my prayer was for a son born of the highest power on earth. It is safe to say both of our prayers were answered. He was born with both the light and the dark. He was born with the soul of the greatest Emperor to rule this land, Emperor Chen Ping Li, and the soul of Artem Borya and his eyes are the mirrors to their souls.”

A few days after the kingdom celebrated the birth of the prince, the temple rejoiced as Nafy birthed the most beautiful in all the land. Her dark skin glitters in likeness to black opal, and her beautiful face could brighten the darkest of days. With her big orbs as auburn and fiery as like Baltic amber stones, the legend of Hai nu shen was reborn. Amira (Princess) Hai nu shen Hassan Akimitsu; they named her.

His Majesty was sure the reincarnation of these souls was a disaster in waiting. He wondered what kind of Emperor Prince Wang would grow up to be. Would he destroy the kingdom or save it? Only the future can tell.

***

The Mad Dragon pointed at the mighty throne and looked at his son. “The gold chair standing on this seven-stepped platform and the dragons are symbolic of the divine power of the Emperor who sits on this throne. Members of the Imperial bloodline are descendants of dragons. You are one too, my son. And someday, you will sit on this throne as the dragon master and rule this kingdom after me.”

“Are all Dragons the same?”

“We have different Dragons. There are Black, white, and red dragons. And there are Gold dragons who are born to be kings. Our lineage is of Golden dragons. I am of a different breed.”

“What type of Dragon are you?”

“A real one. One who doesn’t exist in a fairytale.”

“Is there an actual dragon in this world?”

“Yes. Komodo dragons. They are the heaviest lizards found on earth and extremely lethal. Their venom rapidly contains toxins that decrease blood pressure and speeds up blood loss. They have powerful jaws that can snap bone and have razor-sharp serrated teeth for cutting and tearing flesh. Komodo dragons can smell blood miles away. Even if their prey escapes and gets a few miles ahead, the lizard will still catch up to it. They are the largest predators in their habitat and aren’t picky with prey. Anything is fair game. That is the type I am. The question is, what type of dragon would you like to be?”

“A Komodo Dragon.”

“Are you sure you are ready to be a Komodo Dragon?”

“Yes, father.”

“Come with me.”

The Mad dragon walked out of the throne room, and his son trailed behind him. They arrived on the path framed by blooming cherry blossom trees.

“Show me you are worthy of being a Komodo dragon.”

He followed his father’s gaze to his puppy, and he shuddered as his father handed him a dagger.

“This blade is laced with the venom of the Komodo Dragon. Show me what you can do with it.”

“You… You want me to kill Fluffy? But it is my most cherished possession. Grandfather gave him to me on my tenth birthday.”

“Remember, Komodo Dragons are not picky with prey. You want to be one, act like one.”

“Must I? Can I kill anything else but him?”

“My son, a man’s strength is tested when he realizes that his prey carries familiar eyes. Your most arduous battles in life will come when you have to fight those you cherish. Will you let your emotions rule? or will you rule over your emotions? Son, like I always say, tears are the second weakest emotion a man can show. The first is a smile. To be the dragon you want to be, you must erase emotions from your heart, or you are nothing but a monitor lizard. I am the Mad Dragon. Show me you are my curb.”

“Yes, father.”

He picked his beloved pet, who is licking his face and wagging its tail. A wail left the dog’s mouth as the dagger slowly pierces its thigh. He set him down and trail behind him as the puppy ran away in pain. They watched him slow down due to blood loss and exhaustion. They enjoyed watching him, wincing and bleeding to death.

“I cannot help but worry, your Majesty.” Said Princess Calista to Emperor Dewei Li as they watched the father and son from a distance.

“What are you worried about?”

“My son. He becomes more like his father with each passing day. That dog is the most precious thing to him, and he just killed it like a true predator without a shred of emotion. I love my son, but I fear the darkness in his heart. I worry about the future of a kingdom under him. We thought he would become the saviour of Borya from my husband’s claws when he was born. Now, I am not so sure. Their stripes are no different.”

“I used to feel the same, but time has taught me that the heavens do not make mistakes. The coexistence of light and darkness is the phenomenon of the natural world. As much as the dark has amassed a terrible reputation, it has a powerful force. It carries with it a supreme power capable of overshadowing the brightest of lights. Wang was born with a balance of both light and darkness. And that makes him truly perfect. The darkness will be the weapon shielding the light from other forms of darkness. It will be his superpower.”

“Both souls may live in his heart, but we cannot deny that he only favours the dark. He is too cold and indifferent. He lacks empathy and is utterly inhumane. He only enjoys hunting innocent animals, and my efforts to get him interested in humanitarian services have proved futile. He will be worse than my husband if he continues this way.”

“His dark soul is presently overshadowing the light because that is the soul his father is stimulating. We have not yet had the chance to guide him to harness the light inside him.”

“And we may never get that chance. My husband keeps a tight leash on him. We have no chance to kill the darkness in him.”

“I do not wish to kill the darkness in him, Calista. I only want a balance between light and dark. I strive for equity between both souls.”

“What if the dark swallows his better soul whole before you have time to enforce that balance?”

“I am aware of that possibility, but… he needs the dark as much as he needs the light. He cannot survive without it. Not with the menacing darkness before us. I do not know what will happen in the future. We can only pray that I get the chance to instil enough wisdom in him to control the dark and light in him before I die. For these are powerful forces of nature living in his heart.”

“What if we do not get that chance?”

“Then we leave it to fate. Only the spirits and the Goddess above the heavens know why they blessed him with two souls. The battle before him is great, and there must be a balance of the two souls, working in unity for victory to be assured. To me, he is like a black deer with a beautiful bloom of cherry blossom flowers sitting between its tentacles. Those flowers can only bloom if he shines a light into his darkness. And if he fails and the flowers wither away, there will be another bloom on a spring day.”

“I pray for a good spring day.”