Chronos had climbed up and was now sitting atop Empress Shi Kong's shoulders, his tiny hands grasping at her soft locks of hair.
He looked down at his chubby legs, his mind wandering in confusion
"What's goin' on with me?"
Chronos muttered to himself.
'Did I actually just scream out that there's a translucent bitch in the sky?'
'Who says shit like that?'
'And why does kicking my feet back and forth like this make me so happy???'
'Oh my word and it took me this long to notice how much I enjoy riding on this grown woman's shoulders!!!'
While Chronos was lost in thought, making sense of his strange quirky child-like demeanor, the Emperor and Empress were having a telepathic conversation of their own.
'Our baby boy seems to have inherited your cheekiness…'
Empress Shi Kong smiled as she glanced over to her husband.
He grabbed her soft hand, held it firmly and replied,
'He's got your looks and by the looks of things the Tai Kong Clan's affinity for time and space…'
'Even his hair! Argh… and he only inherited my… youthful cuteness??'
'Ughhh I hope he awakens … or my old man is going to kick my ass'
Empress Shi Kong let out a chuckle but the warm moment was interrupted by a sudden approaching...
Giant Ethereal Claw!
However, the couple stood unfazed.
Empress Shi Kong radiated a protective aura surrounding them while Emperor Aion charged forward with his sword.
His blade released a giant slash of fire that tore through the air like a blazing comet.
The sound of the slash was deafening...
It roared and shook the world around us even though it was still suspended in a period of stasis.
The world of purple and white shattered like glass at the point of impact of the claw and slash.
*BOOOOM*
A sonic wave sent the family of three flying backward...
Unfortunately, the claw shattered the fiery slash after only a moment's delay and proceeded to clash into the invisible barrier that was cast around them.
*Flash*
Just before the claw could break through the protective barrier...
The family of three teleported a distance away, Empress Shi Kong quickly handed Chronos over to Empress Dowager Tai Sui.
"Mom, take care of him,"
Empress Shi Kong said before disappearing into a mist of purple energy particles.
"But remember, don't break your seal. We need you to lead Astral and take care of the kids if we don't make it."
"Come baby boy, Grandmama will protect you…"
The elderly woman said lovingly.
As Empress Dowager Tai Sui held Chronos protectively,
"Well, this is a bit of a change of pace from my usual afternoon stroll."
She quipped, trying to keep the mood light despite the gravity of the situation.
Chronos was still stunned by the show of godly powers.
Lost in thought, Chronos started absentmindedly climbing onto his Grandmama's shoulders.
'… I'm in a world of superpowers?!'
'And it seems like I'm a prince? Hehehe after those nightmarish 15 years… I'm finally bout to live it large!'
He thought to himself, chuckling at his own absurd luck.
But as he looked down, he saw his tiny feet rocking back and forth, and confusion set in once again.
'WTF? Why am I up here again?'
Chronos thought to himself.
Ignoring his peculiar propensity to ride on the shoulders of grown women, he looked up and marveled at the light show.
His parents were locked in a fierce battle with the otherworldly face in the dark clouds.
This time, they both had forms of energy projecting titanic versions of themselves.
"GO !! KICK HER BUTT !!"
Chronos cheered excitedly.
By now, he had started embracing his childish quirks. He was, after all a newborn child, the thought of re-doing life all over again, sent a wave of anticipation within him
- This time it seems like he had been dealt a different hand, a Royal Flush, quite literally.
At first, the fluid coordination of the purple and maroon forms of the couple seemed to give Chronos's parents an upper hand.
Their movements were fluid, graceful and coordinated...
Dodging the evil being's attacks and landed blow after blow.
But as time went on, the evil being seemed to recover quickly from their attacks, hinting at their ineffectual attempts to damage it.
Soon, the couple's attacks lost force and their movements became labored.
The face in the sky, sensing weakness, let out an eerie grin...
*BOOOOOOM*
It struck the couple with a pair of brutal deep red lightning bolts.
Suddenly, just as the evil being was prepared to deliver the final blow...
A beam of light began to pierce through the clouds.
At first, it was a mere speck...
But it grew in intensity and size until it illuminated half of the sky.
It enveloped the couple in an orb of transcendent holy light before suddenly disappearing.
The light shone with a holy brilliance, casting an otherworldly glow across the landscape.
As the light shone with a holy brilliance, something miraculous happened – the light began to take on the shape of a face.
'Is that… Jesus?'
A thought flashed across Chronos's mind, one so ridiculous even he chuckled at his own silliness.
But the levity was short-lived as the holy figure roared, her voice echoing with transcendental might.
"VORTA! Have you no reverence for the laws that govern our domain?!"
She bellowed at the malevolent red face amongst the dark clouds.
"LAWS?! WHAT LAWS??? I had already emerged victorious! Mother cheated for the sake of the two of you and you dare speak of LAWS ??"
The malevolent face spat back, its tone manic and filled with rage.
"Sister, you have lost your way…"
The holy figure responded, her tone sad and mournful.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! You may have managed to send them to the Realm of Destiny but this child will not be spared!"
The malevolent face roared back.
Before anyone could even react, a bolt of dark crimson lightning struck Chronos, sending him flying off his Grandmama Tai Sui's shoulders.
Regardless of Grandmama Tai Sui's abilities, she couldn't do much especially against what seems to be a God.
Chronos screamed in agony as lightning crackled and hissed throughout his being, like the very essence of anger made manifest.
"TRANSLUCENT B..B…BITCH…"
He let out a piercing cry, but the curse was already taking hold...
His head began to glow with an eerie crimson light
The air around his body started crackling with an equally crimson electricity.
"Chronos! My baby! What happened?"
Grandmama Tai Sui let out a cry of panic and desperation, struggling to hold back the immense power stirring within her.
"YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE, VORTA! Don't make me strike you down sister! Such impudence shall not be tolerated in my realm! Know your place, sister.""
The face of holy light boomed with a voice that resonated with divine authority, its radiance intensifying with each passing moment.
"Hahaha! My future is imminent Verta, the Realm of Destiny is but a futile attempt to stop the unavoidable and you know it!"
The giant red projection cackled with delight, pleased with the havoc it had wrought.
Her overbearing voice trailed off as she disappeared in a burst of dark red energy.
The crimson bolt of lightning that surged into Chronos's body brought an unbearable pain to the core of his existence -
He was being stabbed and sliced open by millions of daggers dead set on leaving no inch unscathed.
The convulsion of torment and anguish made it feel like his brain, his consciousness itself was being torn apart.
Millions of micro-lacerations were testament to the indescribable torture, forcing him to blackout…