Darkness. Screams. The scent of blood thick in the air.

The infant did not understand what was happening, but his tiny body trembled as his mother clutched him tightly to her chest. Her breath was ragged, her heartbeat frantic. The world around them was shrouded in chaos, shadows twisting, walls crumbling, and a monstrous presence that loomed ever closer.

A deafening roar tore through the night.

- Asher - his mother whispered, voice barely audible over the carnage. Tears streaked her dirt-covered face as she ran, pushing forward despite the pain slowing her steps. Behind her, the sound of a struggle, a man fighting, screaming.

His father.

- Asher, my love, you must live. -

A sharp turn. A hollow space between broken walls. She placed him there, her hands shaking as she covered his tiny body with whatever she could find. Footsteps, heavier than any human's, pounded the ground. The air trembled.

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She kissed his forehead one last time, then turned away.

And then, silence.

The infant did not cry.

He did not move.

Through the cracks in his hiding place, he saw only glimpses—his mother standing in front of the beast, arms spread wide, her body small, fragile. The monster’s eyes glowed like burning embers, its grotesque form barely human. It reached for her.

Then everything faded.

Memories did not exist beyond that point.

The only thing that remained was the echo of a monster’s roar and the cold, unshakable truth.

He had been left behind.

And he had survived.