The rolling miasma could be seen billowing underneath Phil as he opened his eyes and exited Annie's dream. Annie who was once affected by the miasma had returned normal as her figure turned back to a pure white, her body floating up slowly as the weight of the nightmare was gone.
Looking at the numerous bodies that were still infected by the miasma, some of them had been swallowed by the twilight zone and forever lost in the abyss. Phil clenched his hand knowing that he does not have the ability to save them all. Phil sighed and returned to his dream to rest and sleep.
In the sandy plains of Egypt where the sun was slowly setting, the shadow slowly crawled out of the dunes to roam in the empty plains. An old man and a young woman were walking following a strange creature with flesh dark as shadows and wriggling tentacles forming somewhat a dog. The creature was sniffing the ground following a specific scent when suddenly the world stood still.
A deep and odd humming can be heard in the depths of space, both the old man and the young woman stopped on their tracks, they raised their heads and looked upon the stars adorning the night sky. The deep humming slowly faded after a minute as bad premonition dawned over the old man and the young woman.
"Cathie, stay here and guard the hound, I need to meet someone really quick."
Cathie nodded and raised her arm, he threw a wriggling and pulsating growth towards the hound, and which it ate hungrily, devouring it in mere seconds, after that the "hound" sat still by her side.
Howard walked away from Cathie and raised his cane. The raven skull glowed green as a tear in space slowly manifested, frowning and a little irritated he walked inside the portal.
Deep in the darkest part of space, in the center of the universe where the matter was born. A colossal being of unfathomable dimensions which had lived far beyond the birth of time, its body filled with multiple mouths as it devoured the things that come near it and a singular large eye which it uses to watch over the different realms it governs.
The being watched as a small tear in space started to manifest near the tear it had made to watch over the boy who was struggling inside a nightmare.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The old man shouted pointing at the being with his cane.
"The brat is back?"
"Not even a greeting?"
"What an impolite imp."
"He needs discipline."
"Who was the parent of this kid again?"
The mouths spoke answering the old man's question and laughed as if hearing a good joke.
"Enough!"
The largest mouth that was located near the eye spoke in a deep voice.
"Innom, a deal has been struck. The seed chose its path."
"We simply gave directions."
"Indeed he chose."
"We did not force him."
"No no no."
Shaking in anger, Howard clenched his fist.
"We had a deal! The boy is not ready yet! Do you want Niah to get him? Then what, have chaos destroy all you created?"
"Innom, this is what the boy has chosen. He wished to save someone, he wanted power, to protect those he considers important, and I merely gave him power. And I do know that the time is not right, that is why even though I am weak, I watch over his deeds."
The being pointed over the tear it had made on which was Phil who fighting the nightmare origin.
Concern was seen on the old man's face as he saw Phil struggling beyond the tear of space the being had created. He had decided to enter the space and help Phil when suddenly tentacles manifested from the body of the being and restrained him.
"What are you doing Innom!"
"That thing is stronger than him; he will die if this goes on."
"Calm yourself Innom."
The being threw Howard towards the deep space, it knew how reckless and protective Howard was towards the boy. The being did not want the boy to know about many things for now, and if Howard meets the boy, he was sure that stupid Innom will tell the boy many things, therefore destroying the plans he had carefully prepared. The being was weak and was slowly running out of time, its powers were waning and the being was afraid that the cannibal would come destroying its creation.
The being looked intently towards the direction where it threw Howard, he knew how hardheaded and irritating he was. The being prepared for a fight, its body changed from soft and fleshy to a hard carapace outer shell, its multiple mouths changed into monstrous mouth riddled with misaligned fangs, large tentacles bigger than an entire galaxy started to grow from the creature as spikes and spiny protrusions came out of it ready to tear and sunder those who were unfortunate to receive it.
The being watched as the deep space where it threw Howard slowly filled with a dark mist, it looked at a creature with an upper-body similar to those of humans as it slowly crawled towards it, its face was devoid of any facial features except for a pair of eyes that were strongly glowing white. It screeched towards the being and charged with all its might.
"Innom you dare go against me."
A tentacle swung at the charging mist, swatting it and stopping its reckless charge. Innom screamed in pain and tried to counter the tentacle with its sharp hands.
"You have yet to master your powers yet you defy me."
Another tentacle bound the mist, its spiky spurs dug deep inside of it immobilizing it temporarily. The mist dissipated as Innom struggled under the tentacles' grasp.
"You have been a seed just like the boy Innom."
The being bit the human body of the mist with its large gaping mouth
"Return to the realm and stop Niah, that is your mission."
Using one of its idling tentacles, the being tore a hole in the space where Howard entered and spat him inside it.
Looking at the slowly closing portal, the being sighed as it returned to its normal form, the carapace returned to a fleshy body, and its mouth returned to normal. The being sighed, although it was still unfathomably massive if one compares it from its size before and its size now, people with good observation can tell that the being has shrunk a little.
The being looked towards the still struggling boy who had used an artifact to blow the nightmare origin into pieces.
"Hopefully he will grow faster than the others. Our time is slowly dwindling."
"Why use our power and fight that brat?"
"Let him be, for now, Innom had just sprouted. He had larger things to do in due time."
"What about the other brat?"
"Niah expresses itself in its own way; both of them will sort it out."
"What about the cannibal then?"
"..."
The being did not answer, instead, it watched Phil who was unconscious and the nightmare origin was being stomped by a woman, the being was slowly getting drowsy knowing that Phil was safe for the moment, its massive eye slowly closed as the large tear in space healed itself.
A being of mist devoid of any facial features except for brightly glowing eyes was spat out of a portal, it tumbled and rolled on the sandy dunes of a desert. Cathie who watched as the being pitifully tumbled in the dunes followed and headed to wear it ends up, she did not forget about the "Hound" who was now trembling due to the sudden appearance of the being of mist.
The being of mist screamed as it stopped rolling, the mist slowly faded leaving behind a wounded old man standing on the dunes, his eyes were white as he fell unconscious. Cathie arrived and sighed looking at the sad state of the old man, she carefully carried him on her back and stretched out her palm. A crimson flame burned brighter than the sun manifested out of Cathie's palm, she flicked her hands and threw the fire and after flying for a meter, it spread out forming a large door, Cathie then walked towards the door and opened it.
Beyond the door was a lush forest filled with tall trees, the "Hound" excitedly ran towards the door without Cathie commanding it, Cathie entered soon after and the door closed after she pass-through, peace once again returned to the sandy desert.
At the same time, when the deep and odd humming was heard from the deep space, in a hidden location only known to those that worship the Chaos. A middle-eastern boy who was sleeping on a throne of bones was jolted awake, he stared towards the sky even though he was inside a hidden cave, his followers bowed down to him as they saw him move and look up to the sky. The boy smiled as he quietly listened at the humming, the boy sometimes nodded towards the deep indescribable voice. As the humming slowly faded, tears streamed down the boy's face as he looked down towards his bowing worshipers.
"THE SEED HAS STARTED TO GERMINATE!"
The boy proclaimed.
"CHAOS WILL FOLLOW SOON AFTER!"
"PREPARE FOR THE BIRTH OF OUR FATHER!"
The boy screamed, as his worshipers started to chant. Niah smiled; even he did not expect that the cycle will start early. He slowly walked towards a metal double door guarded by two-person in a white hood. The two bowed to him and opened the door, inside was a mechanical structure in a large arch, the room was clean without any dust or debris in contrast to the cave Niah had entered from. Scientists scurry from place to place holding a massive stack of papers in their hands, they bow to Niah as soon as they saw him.
Niah then walked inside the control room of the facility and asked the man wearing a red hood, the same man who Phil saw in his dreams carving strange runes on his stomach.
"Are we ready?"
"There are still crucial things missing, we would be ready in a couple of years."
Niah nodded at the man and looked at the metal arch beyond the glass window as a creepy smile painted his face.