WebNovels

Chapter 1 - Before The Beginning

Some stories don't start with love at first sight.

They begin in silence — in bloodlines, in debts of loyalty, in promises whispered long before the children destined to carry them are even born.

Before they were vows.

Before they were choices.

Before love learned how to speak—

there was a house that opened its doors to grief and called it family.

For one, it began with loss.

A boy pulled from wreckage, placed into arms that were not his by blood, yet bound to him by duty, by legacy, by a promise his father carved into fate with his final breath.

For another, it began with light —

born into warmth, growing toward the boy who stood quiet and cold, determined to be the reason he never felt alone again.

But families are never simple.

And this one least of all.

There was the one who could make ice laugh when the world could not — the shadow who would stand, fight, and fall beside him.

The chaos, loud and loyal, who would one day bleed before he ever thought to run.

The spark of mischief and drama that refused to dim, no matter the storm.

The quiet blade, watching everything, holding truths no one saw.

And above them all — always — was fate.

A promise born in tragedy.

A family that should have shattered under grief, yet grew louder, messier, brighter.

This is not a simple love story.

It is the story of chaos and comedy, of brothers and sisters, of secrets and vows, of laughter loud enough to drown sorrow — and love strong enough to survive it.

This is the story of WHEN FOREVER BEGAN.

Chen: Okay STOP. Abort the tragedy. Who approved that sad opening? Are we trying to emotionally damage people before chapter one?!

Paola: I agree. Where is the spotlight? Where is the drama? Where is me?

Knight: It's a prologue, not your award ceremony.

Paola: Every moment is my award ceremony.

Chen: Exactly. Finally someone understands narrative priorities.

Narrator: You weren't invited yet.

Chen: I live here now.

Ping: Are we… allowed to talk?

Knight: No.

Ping: Oh.

Chen: YES we are! Hello readers. You're welcome. I'm Chen Rang. The Fan Favorite. The most Handsome. The most Intelligent. The reason this story exists. If anything explodes later, assume it was important.

Jenn: It wasn't.

Chen: Lies. Innovation always looks like disaster at first.

Knight: You blew up a microwave.

Chen: It challenged me.

Narrator: Since you've hijacked this, introduce yourselves properly.

Paola: FINALLY. Step aside, peasants. I am Paolina Lang — beauty, brilliance, future icon, emotional centerpiece of this entire saga.

Knight: You cried because your hair tie snapped.

Paola: It was a betrayal.

Chen: She has range.

Ping: She does cry very loudly…

Paola: Loyalty sounds like volume, little brother.

Ping: I am Older than you.

Paola:(….) (Ignored)

Narrator: Next.

Knight: Knight Lang. The Sexiest Man Alive. I handle everything. Especially cold ones.

glances at Ping

And small clingy ones.

Ping (Furious): I'm not clingy!

Chen: He once followed Nathan into a closet.

Ping: I was helping!

Knight: He got stuck in a laundry basket.

Ping: That was ONE TIME.

Paola: He cried.

Ping: I did not— I just… had strong feelings.

Chen: He's our emotional support sunshine. Very portable. Very loud when threatened.

Ping: Nate likes that about me…

Knight: That's debatable.

Ping: It is NOT.

Narrator: Moving on.

Jenn: Jennifer Lang.

Chen: That's not enough. She's the quiet one. The smart one. The "I knew this would happen" one. She doesn't shout — she judges.

Jenn: Correct.

Paola: She's scary when calm.

Knight: She runs half this family and doesn't raise her voice.

Chen: She confiscates things without moving.

Jenn: Chen.

Chen: Yes.

Jenn: Breathe.

Chen: Sorry.

Narrator: And you?

Nathan: Nathaniel Lang.

Ping (Blushing): He forgot to say he's the best, handsome, strongest.

Knight: He forgot to say he's in charge.

Paola: He forgot to say we orbit him.

Chen: He forgot to say he adopts strays. We're the strays.

Jenn: He doesn't need to say things. That's the problem.

Ping: He's… my person.

Knight: quietly Yeah.

Chen: See? Emotional gravity.

Narrator: That's… surprisingly helpful.

Chen: Of course it is. I'm a professional narrative device.

Jenn: You're an accident.

Chen: A meaningful accident.

Paola: A loud accident.

Knight: A walking hazard sign.

Ping: A good one though.

Chen: THANK YOU, small loyal citizen.

Narrator: Fine. Introductions complete—

Chen: No they're not, I didn't list my talents.

Knight: We don't have that kind of time.

Chen: I'm athletic, brilliant, charming—

Jenn: No.

Knight: Loud.

Ping: Fun.

Chen: I accept this summary.

Nathan:(…..)

Chen: Okay NOW we can talk about the important part.

Narrator: No spoilers.

Chen: I'm not spoiling. I'm marketing.

Paola: Same thing.

Knight: Say one wrong word and I'm muting you.

Chen: Fine. I'll be vague and dramatic.

clears throat like he's about to narrate a war documentary

This story? People are going to laugh. A lot. Then suddenly not laugh at all.

Ping: That's scary…

Jenn: It's accurate.

Nathan: Continue.

Chen: There will be moments where everything feels warm and stupid and safe —

and then one decision changes the air in the room forever.

Knight: Don't dramatize.

Chen: You are the drama.

Paola: Someone is going to break in a way that doesn't make noise.

Ping: …Why does that sound like crying without tears?

Jenn: Because that's exactly what it is.

Narrator: Careful.

Chen: Relax. I'm not saying who, when, or why.

Just know this family? We don't fall apart loudly.

We hold it in until it becomes history.

Knight: And loyalty here isn't simple.

Ping: Love isn't either.

Paola: Some people love like sunshine.

Chen: Some love like fire.

Jenn: And some never say it at all.

Nathan: That's enough.

Chen: WAIT I'M NOT DONE.

Knight: Of course you're not.

Chen: Readers, you're going to pick sides.

Ping: Don't do that!

Paola: They will.

Jenn: They shouldn't.

Chen: They absolutely will. And they'll think they understand everything —

right before they realize they don't.

Knight: Because what you see first isn't the whole story.

Ping: And what feels safe… might not stay that way.

Narrator: That's enough tension.

Chen: Fine. Then DEMANDS.

Narrator: No.

Paola: YES. I demand more outfits, more entrances, and at least three dramatic wind scenes.

Knight: I demand fewer explosions caused by Chen.

Chen: Denied.

Ping: I want more happy parts.

Jenn: Noted. Ignored.

Nathan: I want quiet.

Everyone: Not happening.

Mrs. Lang: EXCUSE ME?!

(Everyone freezes.)

Ping: …Mom.

Chen: Oh no. Final boss.

Mrs. Lang (entering like a hurricane in silk): Why is no one properly introducing themselves? What will people think? Where is the dignity? Where is the presentation?!

Mr. Lang: Eleanor, they're arguing with a disembodied voice. Expectations should be managed.

Mrs. Lang: Harold, this is important! First impressions matter!

(turns dramatically to the "readers")

Hello, darlings. I am Eleanor Lang — mother of these disasters, emotional backbone of this household, the only reason any of them are alive.

Knight: Debatable.

Mrs. Lang: KNIGHT.

Chen: She did feed us.

Paola: And yell at us.

Ping: And hug us.

Jenn: Mostly yell.

Mr. Lang: I'm Harold. I pay for the chaos.

Chen: Respect.

Mrs. Lang: They are all my children.

Chen: Technically—

Knight: Don't.

Paola: This feels like a trap.

Mrs. Lang: They. Are. Mine.

Jenn: Biology has questions.

Ping: I'm hers!

Chen: I was… acquired.

Knight: Found.

Paola: 100% Authentic.

Nathan: Chosen.

(A brief pause.)

Mrs. Lang: See? Mine.

Mr. Lang: Don't ask too many origin questions. Paperwork is exhausting.

Chen: WAIT this sounds like a PLOT POINT—

Narrator: And that is precisely where we stop.

Grandpa: Enough noise.

(Silence drops like a curtain.)

Chen: …Oh. Supreme authority has logged in.

Grandpa: You will scare them away before chapter one.

Paola: But I was shining.

Knight: She was blinding.

Grandpa: Quiet. All of you.

(They actually listen.)

Narrator: Thank you.

Grandpa: Tell it properly. They'll see soon enough what kind of family this is.

(The family grumbles but fades back.)

Narrator (taking control):

Some families are born in peace.

Some are forged in fire, in laughter too loud, in promises no one fully understands yet.

You've met the noise.

You've met the warmth.

You've met the fault lines no one is naming.

Everything else… waits.

This is only the beginning.

This is: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.

✧ ━━━ ⛨ HOUSE OF LANGS ⛨ ━━━ ✧

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