[Unknown POV]:
The moon hung a crescent in the night sky of a forest, part way blocked by the clouds that rain down water overhead onto the forest floor below.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The rain may have been mild to heavy, but it wasn't the only sound heard in the distance. The labored sound of breathing accompanied by the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard as a cloaked figure was running across the forest floor at blurring speeds, almost like a phantom. Across the forest floor they ran, blurring the line between normal running and supernatural speeds, rushing as if being chased.
Cloaked in a black flowing cloak, a thin short sword in hand, a female shaped figure was rushing through the forest floor, oftentimes limping with a cloak full of holes, and, in some areas, painted red and stained with blood. She was injured.
As the figure constantly looked back at whatever was chasing her, she never stopped running. Not even once. She was someone on a mission.
"FIND HER!" a voice boomed off in the distance, but she never stopped to look back at the monstrously loud voice that didn't sound entirely human. "BRING HER TO ME!"
Thunder rumbled overhead, startling her, causing her to flinch and trip over a root of a nearly dead tree. She groaned, gasping in pain, but she got up and continued running. Not even the ruthlessness of nature could keep her from completing her mission.
Dashing away in a blur, she looked behind her, towards whoever, or whatever, was chasing her, then looked above her head and around her again, as if some strange winged beast were also chasing her. She did this a few more times as she continued to run, the most animalistic roar in the distance triggering her to become even more of a blur of movement, nearly reaching sound speed in her dash.
After a while of running, she reached a small hut barely the size of a bedroom, made of wood and stone. It was seemingly an insignificant little building, if it could be called that at all, but, for her mission, it was vital to her success. And, as she entered the hut, she quickly discarded her cloak and rushed to a computer screen, where she began typing.
She was dressed all in black; well, almost in all-black. She wore a white blouse, black jeans and a pair of well-used running boots. She had pale white hair, a youthful face and wore a tiara made of gold upon her head that covered her forehead with a black ge, in the middle of it. She was covered in injury, cuts, scrapes and one of her leg tendons was fractured — all were wounds quite gory for a beautiful woman such as herself, yet she did not complain about them. They would not serve her or help her in any way, complete her mission.
The screen she rushed to was embedded into the wall, its digital keyboard, an interactive hologram as blue as any digital hologram could be. She quickly tapped on the keyboard before looking to her right, where a cradle layed, and, inside the cradle, a baby lay sound asleep with a strange pendant tucked away in the cradle: It was of a symbol, a black, circular ring with two black angel-like wings connected to each side of this ring. It was a metallic black necklace.
Looking at the baby, the woman picked it up,after typing on the keyboard, filling in vital information. She cradled the baby back and forth, as it began to stur from the movement.
"My little nephew, Corven Nexus Nox Umbrovante," she said softly, with a smile on her face. "Shadow Realm is tearing itself apart. Only you, my child, can save us. Your mother is doing what she can, but she can only do so much. She's entrusted me to your safety. The Sealing will be at its weakest any minute now. Another opportunity won't present itself for another few hundred years, but we can't wait that long.
"Find the keys. Unseal us, and House Umbrovante and the Shadow Realm itself can reclaim the power and prestige it once had. The other realms seem to have forgotten us and the enemies who haven't, they plot to destroy what remains of us, but, to do that, they must kill you, for you are the Last Royal Son of House Umbrovante, and a king with a powerful bloodline that will attract attention of both gods and mortal alike – A fate I wouldn't wish on anyone.
" Unfortunately, you are not normal. You aren't meant for a normal life. You are a royal and of divine ichor — Primordial ichor at that.
"Only you can save us. Be strong, my child and you will see us soon.
"You will bring House Umbrovante back from the brink, I just know it. When you grow strong enough, find the keys, and make your mother, your father, me and our House proud."
As the baby cooed to the woman's soft words, a robotic computer voice spoke "Enemies inbound, 2 miles, and approaching fast."
"Your father's enemies are approaching quickly," the woman said, more to herself. "They're nearly here."
The mysterious lady looked up at the sound of the nearing roars and strange creature cries, before turning back to the baby. "Be well, my precious nephew, my precious boy. Be well, grow strong and find us, and maybe, we'll meet again."
Setting the baby on the circular platform next to the computer, the woman tapped a button on the keyboard as a blue light began glowing around the baby. On the screen, numbers in percentages flashed below the words "Interdimensional Teleportation Sequence Initiated. Beginning Teleportation Sequence. Wait Time: Three Minutes!"
"They won't find you," the woman said, making her way to a wardrobe closet, in which she opened. "I won't let them. Computer?"
"Yes, Madame Umbrovante?" the same robotic voice from earlier sounded throughout the hut.
"Initiate Self-Destruct Sequence in T-minus three minutes and five seconds," Madame Umbrovante said, with steel resolution. "This Sequence should cut off any cosmic trace you'll leave in your escape, my dearest nephew. I love you."
"Command Acquired," the voice spoke, as a beeping sound began. "It has been an honor serving you, Madam."
"The honor was mine to have, Computer," Madam Umbrovante said. "You have served me well. Now serve my nephew when the time comes."
"Command Acknowledged," the voice said.
"You will have to find them, but there are allies that escaped the Sealing all that time ago," Madam Umbrovante said, thoughtfully. "Then again, they'll likely find you. You won't be alone."
Madam Umbrovante gave her nephew one last look before strapping a silver breastplate to her body along with a black spear to her back and a short in-hand. A single tear falling from her dark eyes, as she steeled her resolve.
"Enemies Located WIthin The Perimeter," the same computer voice spoke again.
Hearing the sound of roaring and crunched gravel, Madam Umbrovante let out a deep breath. It was time. She exited the hut.
Upon exiting the hut, what awaited Madam Umbrovante outside could only be described as the most chaotic pack of monsters she'd ever laid eyes upon. Seven, red, smokey apparitions of lions with wingspans half the size of its body sprouted from their backs. Razor sharp teeth the size of golf balls lined multiple rows of their canine-like jaws, and their red, soul-piercing, chaotically fiery eyes seemed to eye Madam Umbrovante like prey. They had very predator-like bodies, full of muscles and sturdy forms, despite being made of red smoke, seemingly, and, like male lions, they had deep red manes of hair, so red in fact that they could've been confused with blood. Their faces shared similarities with lions and other big cats of predation, but there were also some human-like qualities, especially noticeable in the facial features.
'Chaos Sphinxes…Apex predators and top grade agents of Chaos,' Madam Umbrovante thought in realization, but she paid them no heed nor mind. What she really found her attention drawn to was what was behind them… Or rather, whom.
Twelve feet tall, with leathery red wings greater than its size, was a giant, beefy figure with red eyes that were fixed triumphantly at Madam Umbrovante as if it had won. She almost laughed to herself at the thought.
"Madam Umbrovante," it said, its voice like a pressure onto this land, as it said her name with a sneer on its face. Oh, how she wanted to knock it off its face herself. "Surrender the child and relinquish its, and your, souls unto me, and you will simply reincarnate.. After a few millennia of chaotic torture, of course."
"What do the forces of the Realm of Chaos want with the heir to the Shadow Realm?" she tried to stall, hoping to at least buy some time. So long as the baby made it, she could hardly care about herself. Her house's survival meant more to her than her own individual interests. "How have you managed to shatter the seal placed upon your realm and breach into ours?"
"Why ask questions you already know the answers to?" the being said, gloatingly.
It took a minute for the Madame to realize what he meant. "The Weakening… But that hasn;t happened yet."
"Unless…," the being seemingly tried to help her complete her thoughts.
"Unless you passed through the last one 100 years ago," Madam Umbrovante stated, perplexed, to which the creature nodded, laughing in agreement. "But that's impossible! It only happens every hundred years, except on rare occasions. That said, if you were using these times to cross over realms, we'd have sensed it."
"House Umbrovante's reign of the Shadow Realms is fleeting," the creature said. "Soon, we'll conquer your realm and then shatter the sealing with Primal Chaos, and invade the other Realms of the outside. All will kneel before the Great Chaos, and no monster, legacy, demigod nor deity will be able to stop us."
"Trillions will die," Madam Umbrovante stated, gaining some awareness of the situation more. "No one will be safe. Countless realms will fall."
"And in the madness and chaos, only one power will remain," the being stated.
"Her…," Madam finished, horror stricken.
"Her," finished the creature.
"You'll never get him," she snapped back, drawing out her spear from her back. "The Last Son of House Umbrovante will not fall into your hands today, and by the time you find him, he'll find you and avenge us. But today, I will expel you from Shadow Realm, or at the very least, weaken you long enough to buy my House the necessary time needed to take out what little forces of chaos you have snuck into my realm. Of this, I give you my word."
The being stopped laughing, and began to look at the lady carefully, then checking it;s surrounding. The creature just realized that something was up. It didn't see the baby, and the confidence in this bitch's voice sounded too high. "What have you done?"
"What I had to," answered Madam Umbrovante.
"Very well,"the creature nodded, suddenly calm and collected. "Arrangements can be made." It turned to its pets. "I want her. Bring her to me!"
And, as if waiting for the command, the seven Chaos Sphinxes charged at the woman, as Madam Umbrovante readied herself for the onslaught.
The first beast collided with her, but she quickly stabbed her spear through its skull, killing it instantly. She then blocked a claw to the face, and deflected it, slicing her spear through another's heart, and, before it even hit the ground, she had her spear through another's brain, lodged in it sideways. She then unlodged her spear and threw aside the beast into a pile beside her and prepared herself for the next to attack her.
Spear up and ready, she threw it through the eye of a fourth beast, stilling it as it died in an instant.
A fifth beast tackled her, jumping onto her as a sixth one went for her legs. She quickly used all her strength to kick it off her, quickly rushing to get her spear to which she threw it threw the beast that had gone for her legs, its neck now had a piercing spear through it. Two more remained, and one of them had already leaped onto her once again, this time before she could dislodge her spear free from the carcass.
There was no time to relax.
It bit opened her wounded tendon on her leg which had just started to heal. She let out a rageful, moaning groan, in pain and enrage. She unsheathed her sword and sliced its neck off.
Then, she was about to charge at the last one but it had already reached her. It knocked the sword from her hands with it's paw, and then was about to bite her head off.
Before it could, Madam Umbrovante formed a sickle from her own shadow, and stabbed the glowing purple sickle into the heart of the creature.
"Very good," the being from before startled her, before she could take a break. She quickly limped for her spear and twisted to face the being. She was wasted and tired, despite being rejuvenated by the darkness around her, which was not as rejuvenating as it should've been — Most likely the work of the being before her. "Impressive… Most impressive. Though not nearly enough to survive what's to come. As the princess of the Shadow Realm, I'd expect nothing less. That said, you have already lost. Tell me, where is the boy?"
Unable to get free from the creature's sudden grip around her neck, as it began tightening surprisingly fast, Madam Umbrovante felt helpless. She couldn't die right now, at least not yet. Not until she personally saw to it that the teleporter had gone off and her nephew had successfully escaped this place. Only then, could she die in peace.
She was just wondering how much longer she needed to stall for when the hut's window flashed a brilliant blue and five seconds later, it blew up.
"What? NO!" the creature screeched, turning from the mysterious rubble of the hut to the woman. "That was interdimensional energy. I felt it. Where is it!? Where'd you send it?"
"You'll never find him now. He's beyond your reach, beyond the Sealing, and by the time he comes back, he'll defeat you and avenge our house," Madam Umbrovante grinned, finally ready to die.
"Perhaps that day will come…but you won't be here to see it," the creature, suddenly calm, its sneer long gone. "Perhaps… But you and I both know that there are fates far worse than death. And my master won't say anything about you being stuck in such a fate."
Just as Madam had the realization to go wide-eyed in horror, not the least bit curious to find out what this being meant, the creature squashed his hand and she turned into red and black smoke, before vanishing into thin air.
The being then looked at the rubble before looking into the distance.
"The Last Son of House Umbrovante, huh?" it said to itself. "Don't worry, boy, I'll find you, eventually. Even if I have to rip apart the seams of the multiverse to do so."
Then, with a final glance at the rubble that was the hut, the creature walked into the dark forest, vanishing into the treeline.
No one knew that the boy that barely escaped today, would one day become a power unlike any other!