Novels by Alfonzo Perez

The two warriors emerged from Aji’s chambers after a brief but deliberate council, their minds set on a single purpose: to find where King Surajaya indulged his vile appetites. It seemed unthinkable that he would sully his own private quarters with such depravity—thus, they knew they must search the palace’s lesser-known halls and hidden chambers for the place where he kept his victims.For what felt like hours, they wandered the labyrinthine corridors of the palace, their footsteps silent against the cold marble floors. Torches cast dancing shadows across walls adorned with tapestries depicting the glory of Kalingga’s past—scenes of heroes and dragons that now felt like bitter mockeries of the realm’s current corruption. At last, their path led them to a section of the palace they had rarely traversed, where a heavy wooden door stood flanked by guards.Fifteen soldiers were posted there, their backs straight and their hands resting on their sword hilts—far more than would ever be ass

A flicker of sheer astonishment crossed Aji’s countenance, and in that very instant, his gaze locked with that of the Princess. The radiant maiden bowed her head low, her delicate features shadowed by a profound sense of shame—for the deeds of her father weighed heavy upon her heart like a boulder cast into still waters.“Your Highness,” Aji ventured, his voice carrying the quiet curiosity of one who sought to pierce the veil of mystery surrounding her thoughts, “what manner of vision has visited you in your dreams?”Princess Larasati closed her eyes, and a long, labored breath escaped her roseate lips. The weight of his question pressed upon her soul with such force that words themselves seemed to wither on her tongue. For deep within her heart lay a fear so potent it threatened to unmoor her resolve: that Aji might be the very figure fate had ordained to bring about her father’s end.Yet she knew, too, that her father’s unseemly conduct could not be allowed to persist unchecked. Onl

“Aji…?” Jaya whispered to himself, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes narrowed to slits, as if trying to pierce through the half-light of the corridor and the veil of his own disbelief. The figure seated at the desk ahead was bent low over a scattering of parchments, their shoulders hunched in concentration—but even from this distance, there was something familiar in the set of their spine, the way their fingers moved across the pages as if tracing words they knew by heart.Still uncertain, Jaya took slow, deliberate steps forward, his boots making no sound against the polished marble floor. The palace corridors were quiet at this hour, save for the distant tread of guards and the soft crackle of torches mounted on the walls. Each step brought him closer, and with every pace, the truth of what he saw became harder to deny.“Aji…” he called out softly, his voice carrying just far enough to reach the seated man when he was barely five meters away.The figure lifted their head t

After riding for what felt like hours through the winding paths of the forest, they at last reached their destination—a structure of considerable size, its stone walls weathered by time and gnawed at by countless generations of termites. Thickets of thorny brush clawed at its foundations, while vines as thick as a man’s arm crept across its facade, draping the windows and doorways in a tangled curtain of green. Moss grew in dark patches across the crumbling mortar, and the air around it carried the scent of damp earth and decay—a smell that spoke of long years of abandonment.Setiaji’s face broke into a warm smile as he looked upon the building. “A most remarkable hiding place,” he said, his voice echoing softly in the quiet of the woods. “No soul in all Kalingga would ever suspect that human hands dwell within these walls. The very appearance of it repels all who might draw near—they see only ruin, not refuge.”“Let the exterior remain as it is,” Jaya replied, his eyes sweeping over

“Can it truly be so—that great beast is Lord Jaya?” Setiaji asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, his face etched with a disbelief so profound it seemed carved from stone. Even as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the tiger, watching as it paced slowly before the line of royal soldiers, its massive head tilted as if assessing each man with cold, calculating intelligence.Ratih offered him a small, reassuring smile, the corners of her lips curving gently despite the tension that hung heavy in the air. “If you do not believe me, Uncle, watch closely. The tiger will not raise a claw against us—not now, nor ever. Its fury is reserved solely for those who would hunt us down.”The certainty in her gaze was unshakable, like a beacon cutting through the fog of his doubt. Taking a slow, steady breath, Setiaji felt the tight knot of anxiety in his chest begin to loosen. He turned to his companions, who stood clustered together with weapons still raised, their faces pale with fear and

In the blink of an eye, Setiaji’s company scattered like leaves before a gale. Each member moved with silent purpose, their eyes scanning the forest floor and canopy for trees thick enough to shield their forms, or undergrowth dense enough to swallow them whole. The ancient woods of Kalingga were vast and wild, and in its depths, even a band of men could vanish like smoke if they knew where to hide.Setiaji himself, alongside Ratih, slipped behind a massive thicket of thorny brush—its branches woven so tightly together that not even a shaft of sunlight could pierce through to the ground below. From their concealed vantage, they peered out between the leaves, their gazes fixed on the direction from which Setiaji had sensed approaching hoofbeats. He had guessed correctly that these riders belonged to the royal forces of Kalingga, and now every muscle in his body was coiled tight as a spring.The mounted company—some fifteen strong, their armor gleaming like polished silver beneath the d

“But I will not accept being accused of belonging to that cursed sect! If they dare accuse me again, I’ll make sure everyone here dies!” A Long’s yellowish skin turned white as his anger flared.“Don’t be afraid, he’s only trying to scare us!” shouted A Fu, trying to sway the others.“If you accuse us one more time, I will let my brother here kill all of you!” Fang An barked, pointing his finger straight at A Fu’s face, which immediately froze in silence.“Watch your tongue, A Fu!” another man shouted, backing Fang An.Ying Sue and all the villagers in the dining house swallowed nervously. They didn’t know whether the young, sharp-eyed man’s words were true or just a bluff. But one thing was certain: the accusations A Fu hurled at the two young men were a mistake.“If you don’t want us in this village, we will leave. But only after we finish our meal. If I hear even one more accusation, I’ll hang the man’s head at the village ga

"Yu Wei, how are the preparations for the Grand Blood Moon Ritual? Is everything ready?""My apologies, Leader… Of the thirteen virgins required for the grand ritual, we are still short of two. Our members are already moving to find the remaining ones. I am certain that before the ritual begins, the number will be complete," replied the long-haired man named Yu Wei."For the success of this grand ritual, I entrust everything to you, Yu Wei. Do not fail me, for I have never known the word failure. You know very well what I will do to you if the ritual fails!" said the man who was, in fact, Ren Zhi, the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect.It should be known that the Grand Blood Moon Ritual was a mandatory ceremony for Ren Zhi. Besides strengthening his martial power, the ritual also served to keep the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect eternally youthful.If at present his face looked around thirty-five years old, then after the ritual he

Fang An gave a small smile and nodded."At the very least, we need some information from you, Sir, about the situation inside that sect."Duke Song Jian took a deep breath and released it slowly."As for the current situation, I do not know, Prince. It has been more than twenty years since I last joined them.""It’s all right, Sir. At least it can serve as a rough picture for the two of us about the situation there. But for now, we want to bathe first. Later, we will meet you again," Fang An said."Very well, Prince." Duke Song Jian bowed slightly to show respect. After that, he walked back to his chamber.Nearly two hours passed before Fang An and A Fu came out of their room. The two of them hurried toward Duke Song Jian’s private chamber to continue their discussion.Inside the chamber, Duke Song Jian still looked uneasy about the situation he was facing.On one hand, he feared that Fang An and A Fu might fail in their plan to attack the Holy Blood Moon Sect. If that happened, he to

Although it looked like a smile, to the four figures dressed in black, the smile on Fang An’s lips appeared terrifying and intimidating. The wide grin of the young man with white hair instantly drained their courage.“You must have thought we had already left this province, didn’t you?” Fang An chuckled softly, recalling how he and A Long had led their horses out of the palace gate earlier that morning.The four figures exchanged disbelieving glances. They, who were used to spying, had now been thwarted by two young men still younger than them in age.The exits were sealed tightly, leaving the black-clad figures confused about what decision to make. Their only hope of escape was to fight back, though they knew the chance of success was almost nonexistent.Unconsciously, cold sweat began to drip from their pores. The chill that gripped their bodies was nothing compared to the icy sweat brought on by fear.“Why do you look so confused? Relax, I won’t kill you. But on one condition—tell

“The Sacred Blood Moon Sect is a dark sect hidden in a valley beyond Mount Yuelu, Prince. They use the blood of virgins for their offerings,” explained Duke Song Jian.“Then why are they extorting you, Duke? What connection do you have with them?” Fang An pressed. He already sensed a breakthrough.The duke lowered his head, regret written across his face.“I was once part of them, Prince. I joined secretly before I was married.”“And after you married, you left them?”“Yes, Prince. I left without permission from Ren Zhi, the leader of the Sacred Blood Moon Sect.”Fang An nodded, understanding. He could see the duke’s regret was genuine.No matter how strong a man was, when the safety of his wife and children was threatened, he would become fragile—especially when he was powerless to act.“Very well. Now we know who the perpetrators are. What remains is to uncover which of their members is hiding inside this palace.” Fang An’s gaze lifted to the ceiling as he thought hard.“Do you have

Not long after, the two of them finally arrived in front of the palace of Province Sihan. The gates, which had been tightly closed, opened at once when the two young warriors arrived.From inside, a finely dressed man escorted by two guards hurried toward the gate.Fang An and A Long leapt down from their horses and handed the reins to a soldier.“Welcome to Province Sihan, Prince Fang An, Prince A Long. It is truly a great honor for me to receive the arrival of both Princes.” The finely dressed man, who turned out to be Duke Song Jian, bowed respectfully.“Do not be so formal, Duke. We just happened to pass by, so we decided to stop here. Besides, we also need a place to rest for the night,” replied Fang An with a smile, though his sharp eyes studied the finely dressed figure before him.From his experience dealing with officials, such respectful behavior often had two meanings. Some showed respect because of rank and position, while others used it to flatter or to cover up their wro