A tall, slim figure stood at the window of the topmost tower of the castle stronghold with tears streaming down her beautiful face. Outside, the once magnificent kingdom of Elderon was covered in voracious flames that raged completely out of control, and the air that hung over the city was black with the acrid scent of smoke.
In the distance, there were screams of those in desperate agony and pain, ringing out from many different directions. As she looked out into the burning streets, she could see dark, monstrous shapes of the creatures who were hunting down her beloved people with coldblooded intent.
For over a thousand years in the world of Gaia, the glorious civilisation of the Fae had battled against the foul and corrupt demonkind that spawned each night, every time the darkness fell. No one quite knew when the first 'darkening' had even started, or what sins and mistakes they had committed for the gods to permit this malevolent plague upon their land.
All they knew was the horror which would follow the night.
The early days were the worst.
They had no understanding of these hellish fiends which seemed to appear out of nowhere to bring death to all around them, before vanishing once dawn arrived each day. Entire sentient races and all sorts of species of beasts were completely eradicated, one by one, and the world descended into complete despair and hopelessness under the unstoppable onslaught of evil.
This was until the benevolent God of nature, Physis, appeared to the faithful remnant of the Templar Priests, who had continued to uphold her traditions and worship through the darkest days. To these Chosen Ones, Physis would provide supernatural revelation on how to activate the holy power of runes to counter the overwhelming onslaught of demons.
In the many days that followed, the Chosen Ones would carve miraculous inscriptions around city walls, which would act to repel the vicious horde of hellspawn that rampaged each night. In time to come, the most honoured and valued profession would be known Rune Masters, who received teaching under the academic institutions established by the Chosen Ones.
These Masters would branch out in many different professions - warriors, weapon and equipment crafters, artisans and builders - each who would specialise in applying specific techniques to wage war against the wretched demons.
And for a time, the impending extinction of Gaia was halted.
Although the world had lost three quarters of its population to the brutal and relentless invasion, it could finally envision a path of hope and survival within the fortified walls it had built up which were covered with runic protection.
But cooped up within its walls, even with reduced populations, resources became scarce because not many dared to venture outside the cities. The demons who ruled over the darkness seemed to be able to reproduce and keep fighting without limitation, and other than the main fortified cities, the land outside became a wilderness of death.
Naturally, the ones who received the most protection and resources were the nobility and leadership in the various kingdoms, and safety became the most important bargaining chip in the political maneuvers and decisions of once-proud civilisations. Every kingdom would selfishly hoard their Rune Masters and resources without caring for neighbouring lands in case things turned for the worst.
As feared, this era of stability did not last.
Driven into paranoia by the endless fears of the night, some rulers became convinced that they needed to attack other cities in order to obtain the best weapons, equipment and Rune Masters to protect their own kingdoms with.
The walls that had been built to withstand demons crumbled under the onslaught of the physical weapons of warfare built by the kingdoms and when the runes carved on the walls lost their shape and integrity, the demons took advantage in the night to flood into the exposed cities and feast on the terrified citizens.
One by one, kingdoms were destroyed, as much by fighting amongst themselves and sabotage, as by the inevitable devastation caused by the bloodthirsty demons driven by insatiable hunger and mindless ferocity.
The demons were patient, as though the passage of time did not concern them at all. The only thing that concerned them was emerging from the depths of the ground every night and finding fresh flesh to consume and satisfy their hellbent cravings.
Over time, the mages of Elderon had divined that the demons were from the endless void, and had somehow travelled through a dimensional rift to enter into their world. After consuming enough life force from Gaia, they would be able to open up another gateway to the next world as well.
In fact, the demons had already gathered enough power to open up multiple gateways to their next destination, but they wanted to make sure that they had cleared up any threat from their existing conquest.
And so, it had finally come to this.
Elderon, the last kingdom standing.
The sanctuary provided by the most powerful family of the Fae race, the Kingborne.
The last remaining beacon of hope for the survival of Gaia.
The city that was now burning to the ground in ashes.
.....
"Princess Danae, it's time."
An elderly man, wearing a simple grey robe, gently motioned to the woman who continued to stand at the window, her ethereal figure containing the noble bearing of a royalty of Elderon.
"Even thought it's too late for us, maybe we can warn the next world and help to prevent this...tragedy."
She discreetly wiped away her tears and walked over to the platform in the middle of the room. She placed both hands on the glowing orb in front of her, which was pulsating with a majestic, radiant force. As she made contact with it, a brilliant azure light erupted in the room and the old man began chanting ancient words which resonated with incredible power.
All of the remaining runic power stored within the castle abruptly channeled into the mysterious orb, which was covered in layers of intricate inscriptions, and a gentle golden light surrounded the princess, making her appear translucent, as though blinking in and out of existence.
As she turned to say goodbye, her mouth opened in horror as she saw the old man lifted up and torn into two pieces at the waste, his life's blood splattering all over the room. A hideous demon emerged from the gore, glaring at the flickering girl in front of him. It was covered in rippling scales the colour of pitch blackness, and razor-sharp claws could be seen at the end of four massive arms covered with serrated spikes.
Its glowing red eyes narrowed as it seemed to sense something and it lunged at the girl in front of him. Right at that moment, there was a blinding flash of light, and in the next instance, both the Fae and the demon vanished as though they were never in the room.