verecundus

In a world veiled in mystery and shadows,
an eight-year-old boy embarks on an unexpected journey alongside Maomao, a talking cat with sharp eyes, a sharper tongue, and a past as secretive as the boy’s own.

Together, they travel through enchanted forests, encounter strange creatures, and unravel cryptic puzzles. But this isn’t just a tale of adventure it’s a quest for identity, forgotten memories, and truths long buried.

Can the boy unlock the secrets of his past?
And who or what is Maomao, really?

This is a story of wonder, courage, and the powerful bond between a child and a creature from beyond the ordinary.

My Adventures with Mao Mao

Deep within the palace, where darkness clung to crumbling walls and the air shifted between chill and dust, stood a forgotten stone chamber.

At its center rested a massive metal coffin, its surface etched with the crest of an ancient aristocratic family. Sealed shut for centuries, it stood silent... like a sleeping soldier.

The moment Mao Mao and Jonathan stepped into the palace

With the third impact, the coffin's hinges shrieked like time itself groaning in protest. Slowly, agonizingly, it opened.

From within emerged a knight clad in full iron armor tall, imposing, each step echoing like a funeral drum. His rust-covered plate mail bore ancient designs, his featureless helm hiding all humanity. In his right hand: a wicked lance. In his left: a shield bearing the palace's crest.

"Was that... an earthquake?"

Mao Mao's ears twitched as he felt the subtle tremor.

The knight had frozen mid-step. Then, with eerie precision, turned toward Jonathan.

(He's not reacting to intruders... He's reacting to the boy!)

Mao Mao's fur bristled as realization struck.

The knight's chestplate creaked open, revealing a flicker of pale blue light

Then he marched toward the main hall.

Mao Mao launched himself like a black arrow, landing between the child and the approaching threat.

"Something's coming. Something... wrong."

Jonathan stood paralyzed in the grand hall, his small frame trembling. Not from fear—but from something deeper. Something primal that rooted him to the spot.

Above them, the little girl who'd been watching clutched the wooden railing, whispering:

"The Knight... has awakened."

The iron knight materialized behind Jonathan without sound or warning.

His hollow chest yawned open a metal maw ready to swallow the boy whole.

Jonathan couldn't move. Couldn't scream. His wide eyes reflected the knight's featureless visage as cold dread seeped into his bones.

Mao Mao struck like a thunderbolt from above, his claws screeching against the knight's helm as he kicked the armored figure back.

"How about fighting someone your own size?"

His tail lashed furiously as blue sparks danced along his claws.

The knight's chest emitted a mechanical whirr

A man or something shaped like one appeared between them. Clad head-to-toe in green fabric, his face obscured save for two eyes glowing like frozen stars.

An invisible force hurled both Mao Mao and the knight backward

Directly into a massive mirror that hadn't existed seconds before.

The surface rippled like water as it swallowed them whole.

Jonathan stood alone, his rapid breaths the only sound in the suddenly empty hall.

The green-clad figure stepped closer.

The Palace of the Iron Knight