Xander woke up to the sound of crackling coming from above him, suddenly a wooden beam came crashing down next to his bed. Springing to life Xander quickly scanned the room to see a fire had begun to spread around the room swallowing every wooden item in its wake. Fearing for his life, Xander screamed out for his parents, as another beam slammed into the ground splitting in two.
"Xander!" A feminine voice rang out through the sound of crackling wood and flames.
"Mom!" Xander called back, the flames inching closer and closer by the second forcing him against the wall beside his bed.
"Hold on honey, I'm coming!" Amanda began slamming her body into the door as hard as she could.
"Amanda, together!" Jacob's voice sounded rough and muffled through the door.
The door in Xander's room came crashing down within seconds. Xander's father Jacob stood tall with his sword sheathed on his back, he quickly scanned the room and rushed to Xander. The hardy man leaped through the flames and grabbed him unphased by the roaring hell at his feet. As they hurried back through the door, another burning beam came crashing into the floor.
"Dad, what's happening!" Xander yelled, begging for an answer out of fear and confusion, but for the first time, Jacob was speechless. As Jacob racked his brain for a response, Xander saw something in his dad's eyes that had never been there before, fear.
The room began to cave in from the flames that had swallowed the house. Jacob rushed toward the front door with Xander in one hand, and his wife's tightly gripped in the other. A loud bang on the front door stopped the family abruptly in their tracks. Jacob held his hand over his wife's stomach shielding her and their unborn baby. Another loud bang shook the door frame this time causing the door to crack along the sides.
"Amanda, get down!" Jacob pushed Amanda to the side as the door suddenly flew off its hinges towards the family. Reacting as quickly as possible, Jacob turned around letting the door slam into his back. Stumbling forward, Jacob dropped his sword and lost his grip on Xander, causing him to fall onto the ground.
Xander quickly shuffled to his feet after the landing. As he stood another rush of fear struck him as He stared at his defeated father lying on the floor. Amanda grabbed Xander's hand and began pulling him to the kitchen where the only other exit was. Xander could feel her tugging, but he didn't budge; For a moment, he had been completely shocked and utterly disoriented. He had never before seen his father beaten by any man, or by any obstacle even. Hot tears began to swell in Xander's eyes as his mother's voice began flooding into his ears.
"Xander, run…" Amanda yelled through a cough, "Xander!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Xander could see a figure moving towards him slowly. As he looked up, shock pierced the boy's skin as what stood before him was a demon. A tall black figure with sharp teeth, thick wings, claws the size of large kitchen knives, and a twisted smile engraved in its face that would haunt even the happiest of people. All over, Xander's bones stiffened as the demon got closer and closer.
"Jacob, Jacob!" Amanda begged for Jacob to move, shaking him as the demon drew closer to Xander, but Jacob wouldn't budge.
Xander watched as the demon got closer and closer to him and placed its hands over Xander's face.
"Nooooo!" Amanda screeched ramming Jacob's sword through the demon as hard as she could.
"REEEEEE!" The demon let out a screech that sounded like multiple nails on a chalkboard. The monster suddenly flew up into a wall, then into another as it panicked and writhed from the pain.
Xander dropped to the ground. As quickly as Amanda could, she picked up her son and ran out the front door. As soon as Amanda had gotten through the doorway, the house came crumbling down completely.
"Jacob!"
"Dad!"
The surrounding area of the house looked almost apocalyptic. A scream from behind made Xander quickly turn around prompting Amanda to do the same. A man in ripped clothing was running violently toward one of the kingdom's exits. Amanda shielded Xander's eyes, diverting him from the chaos as she began looking around in horror. The once green, lush, and vibrant kingdom was now riddled with burning buildings and demons flying in the sky carrying and dropping people, watching them fall to their demise. The citizens were running through the streets, trying to escape the hell that had been unleashed, but most were already slaughtered by the hands of demons.
"What is this," Amanda cried squeezing Xander close to her chest.
Looking around Xander couldn't wrap his head around the chaos that had now engulfed his home. For the first time he had realized just how beautiful it all used to be.
A loud BOOM erupted from the burned down house prompting Amanda to shield Xander. As she turned the demon stood tall and grimacing. It began stepping through the flames and debris from the house slowly lifting its wings readying itself to pounce.
"NOOOO!" Amanda yelled, turning her back to shield Xander once more.
Through Amanda's arms Xander could see a bright light engulf the demon and suddenly it was gone. All that was left was his father's sword.
"'Mom, Xander pleaded for his mom to pay attention, "MOM!"
An eerie feeling crept up Amanda's back as she began slowly turning to see the demon was gone. She looked around for a moment and then grabbed Xander and began running into the forest.
Branches and twigs cracked and twisted as Amanda furiously burst through the forest carrying Xander.
"Xander!" A voice came echoing through the forest sounding identical to Jacob's.
"Dad," Xander said softly after hearing his fathers voice.
Amanda stopped in her tracks turning around and searching in the torn forest for him.
"Where...Xander where!"
"I don't know mom I jus...I heard him...I know I did."
Amanda and Xander stared into the distance waiting for Jacob to come swooping in with his great sword to save them. Suddenly slicing through a giant broken tree limb a demon darted toward Amanda knocking her down. Xander rolled out of her hands into the snowy ground.
The demon turned sharply around some trees and came back for another attack. Amanda was grabbed by the demon and lifted into the air.
"Mom!" Xander cried out.
Xander gave chase after the demon but keeping up with the master aerobatic creature was impossible. Soon his mother was almost out of his view and seemingly out of nowhere a giant light slammed into the creature sending it flying backward so hard it sailed behind Xander crashing into What little trees weren't destroyed.
The light shot up into the sky and vanished and his mother was just...gone. Xander's eyes were wide in disbelief. Had he lost his mother to a demon as well? Why couldn't he protect her or his father or even his unborn sister? He dropped his knees staring into the sky in defeat only wondering one thing...why?
In his moment of mourning Xander began to hear a rustling coming from behind him. All the hairs on his back spiked up and every pore of his skin became inflamed. As he turned a demon was slowly making its way towards him. It looked hurt and it's wings were torn.
"St-Stay back," Xander yelled, backing away from the giant beast, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
The demons walking quickly turned into running and Xander knew he couldn't escape it.
"NO!"
The demon grabbed Xander by the face lifting him high above the ground. It's other clawed hand began to extend to resemble a great sword. Xander struggled against the demon's grasp but it was to no avail. The demon pulled back it's arms and pierced his chest straight through the middle.
The pain was so sudden and sharp that Xander immediately felt his body go numb. The demon pushed Xander off the sword and his limp body dropped into the snow like a sandbag. Whimpers of pain escaped Xander's mouth and truly that was the only thing he could do. A rush of blood began to fill his chest and throat and he knew this was how he ended.
The demon stood above him staring down at his body and watching it become lifeless. It then pulled back its arm to strike him again when a giant orange light slammed into the beast and just like that it was gone. Xander's vision began to fade more and more. He tried to move his arms or legs but nothing worked. He wanted to yell or run but he couldn't. His body was so cold but he could no longer feel the snow he was laying in.
Xander began to fade in and out of existence when the light appeared again this time so close he could feel its warmth. The light flooded his vision and its warmth seemed to fill his body. The empty darkness began to cloud even the bright light in front of him but as the light drew closer Xander could make out what it was at last. As he slipped from the torn mortal plane he heard a small whisper.
"Phoenix."