Novels by Alfonzo Perez

Ratih’s eyes stared blankly at her beloved’s handsome face, a wave of sadness washing over her. If she had her way, none of them—Aji, Rangga, Yoga, or herself—would be tangled up in this web of danger and intrigue. As an ordinary woman, she dreamed of nothing more than a quiet life with Aji, building a family in a home filled with peace and harmony. But the path Aji had chosen seemed to pull her along with every step he took, and protest was impossible—not when he had devoted his life to the cause of justice, wandering the land in its service. Time flowed onward like a river, unhindered by the worries that weighed on their hearts. Before they knew it, the Sun had sunk below the western horizon, replaced by the elegant Moon, whose golden light spilled over the forest floor. Night creatures emerged from their hiding places, their calls echoing through the trees, filling the still, ominous air with sound. In the darkness, a shadowy figure streak

“Aji, Ratih… be careful!” Duke Hanggareksa called out, his voice heavy with concern. Aji and Ratih smiled warmly, nodding slowly in reply. There was no trace of fear or doubt in the eyes of the young couple—only a quiet resolve that shone as bright as the morning sun filtering through the palace windows. “Do not worry, my Lord Duke,” Aji said, his voice steady and calm. “We will return to this palace, I promise you.” The Duke smiled back, though his heart was heavy. He felt a pang of guilt at drawing Aji and his three friends into the chaos that now threatened his Duchy. But with the loyalty of his court officials still unknown, he had no one else to turn to—no one else he could trust with such a perilous task. “If we can stop Prince Dananjaya’s movement—if we can even destroy it—I will personally tell King Wanajaya of the great service you have done,” the Duke said. “He will surely reward you with great honor.” Aji nodded

“Everything I know—I’ve told you everything!” the surviving soldier of Prince Dananjaya begged, kneeling in the dirt, his voice cracking with fear. “Now please, let me go—you promised!” “I only swore I wouldn’t kill you,” Bargowo replied, a grin spreading across his face to reveal his dark-stained teeth. “But my friend here… well, that’s another story entirely.” “You… you tricked me, you dogs!” Cresssh! “Aaaakh!” A strangled cry escaped the man’s lips as his head rolled into the grass, blood gushing from his severed neck in a thick, red stream. Bargowo shivered slightly, watching as Rangga stood over the body, his expression cold and impassive, wiping the blood from his sword on the dead man’s tunic. “He would have been a problem if we let him live,” Rangga said, his voice as steady as the forest floor beneath their feet. “He would have run straight back to Lodra and told them everything—about us, about what we kn

“Don’t play dumb with us!” one of the pursuers snapped, his voice trembling despite his attempt at bravado. “We’ve got plenty of friends waiting behind us—they’ll be here any minute!”“Friends from Prince Dananjaya’s army, you mean?” Rangga scoffed, his eyes glinting with amusement. “They won’t be coming here. They’re far too busy hiding in the Duchy, pretending to be common folk.”How do they know that? the first pursuer thought, panic flaring in his chest. This is dangerous— I have to get away and warn Lord Lodra.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered, forcing his voice to stay steady. “Who is this Prince Dananjaya?”“Hahaha! Either I’m an idiot, or you’re just terrible at lying,” Rangga laughed, nodding toward the man’s forehead. “That little furrow in your brow tells me you know exactly who I’m talking about.”“Here’s a better idea,” Bargowo cut in, his large hand resting on the hilt of his machete. He drew the blade slowly, and the steel caught the sunlight, send

The middle-aged man—whose face still held the faint echoes of the beauty he had known in his youth—closed his eyes and let the silence wrap around him for a long, heavy moment. In his mind’s eye, he traveled back through years of bitterness and rejection, reliving the day that had forced his hand, that had set him on the path of rebellion he had never wanted to walk.The stepbrother of King Wanajaya let out a deep sigh, the sound heavy with regret. Truly, he thought, I never wished to be a traitor, never dreamed of seizing power from the man who shared my father’s blood. But King Wanajaya’s refusal to acknowledge him as family—his cold dismissal, his refusal to even speak his name in the palace halls—had left him with no choice but to turn to force. It was the only language the king seemed to understand.He felt a spark of gratitude for Lodra, the man whose loyalty had never wavered, even in the darkest of times. The figure in the dark cloak, whose face was so often hidden beneath a h

A furrow of confusion creased Rangga’s brow. Though he had never traded in his life, he knew well enough that selling grain to a distant land at a higher price was a fool’s errand—especially for staple foods, whose values held steady across kingdoms, as constant as the rising sun. In his mind, he reasoned: if such a place existed where prices soared above the norm, word would have spread like wildfire through every village, every market square, every corner of the realm.“How strange,” he murmured to himself, his thoughts swirling with doubt. “That is a story woven from thin air—no truth to it at all.”The man in the bamboo hat suddenly straightened, breaking Rangga’s reverie. “I’ll go ahead and drop off my goods now, friend! Looks like it’s my turn at last.”“Oh… by all means, brother,” Rangga replied, forcing a warm smile as he stepped aside to let the man pass. There was a lightness in his voice that did not reach his eyes—eyes that were already scanning the courtyard for signs of

“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