The pounding at the facility's entrance echoed through the sterile corridors like thunderclaps. Dr. Chen's fingers flew across multiple keyboards, initiating emergency protocols she had hoped never to use. Screens flickered with cascading lines of data being systematically erased, years of research disappearing in seconds.
"Dr. Chen, Barthopian Royal Knights are requesting immediate entry," Neo-7's holographic form materialized beside her, its usually calm blue aura pulsing with concern. "My sensors detect twelve soldiers, including three Class-A Knights. The protocol suggests compliance would be—"
"Initiate Complete Purge, authorization Chen-Zero-Nine-Command," she cut in, already wrapping her newborn in a specially designed carrier. The baby—who looked deceptively ordinary despite his extraordinary nature—simply watched her with unnaturally alert eyes.
Neo-7's form flickered. "But Doctor, the Knights are authorized to—"
"Hide yourself, Neo. That's an order." Dr. Chen's voice softened. "And... thank you for everything."
The hologram hesitated for a fraction of a second before vanishing, just as the facility's reinforced door began to glow red from whatever arcane tool the Knights were using to breach it.
Dr. Chen slipped through her emergency exit, the baby secured against her chest, just as the main door crashed inward. The cool night air hit her face as she sprinted into the surrounding forest, her enhanced physiology allowing her to move at speeds that would've shattered ordinary human bones.
She had barely cleared the facility's perimeter when a massive figure emerged from the shadows. Leo, the legendary Lion Beast Warrior, stood before her, his mane seeming to catch starlight that wasn't there. His expression was unreadable, but his tail swished in that way she recognized from their many years of friendship.
"You know King Thundra already knows about the demon child, right?" His deep voice carried no hostility, only resignation.
Dr. Chen shifted her stance, ready to run—or fight if necessary. "Do I need to go through you, old friend?"
Leo's laugh rumbled like distant thunder, but his eyes held sadness. "I wouldn't even imagine a fight with you, dear friend." He glanced toward the facility where shouts could now be heard. "But you can run knowing the whole Kingdom will be coming after you. I hope you know what you're doing?"
"I have a safe house," she said, already backing away. "You know where... but I trust you remain my loyal friend." The unspoken question hung in the air between them.
Leo's only response was to turn his back, effectively blocking the path between her and her pursuers. It was all the answer she needed.
Dr. Chen burst into motion, the forest blurring around her as she pushed her enhanced body to its limits. The baby remained eerily calm despite their velocity. "I wonder how you're least affected by the speed I'm running," she muttered, leaping over a fallen tree. "You truly are a creepy infant. I hope I don't regret this."
Raegan, the demon child in question, thought to himself with surprising lucidity, "Uhhh, I can run at least 10x faster even without trying, mother. But let me just cry a little for your satisfaction." He let out a perfectly timed whimper, then added in his thoughts, "However, calling your own baby a creep is a bit too harsh, don't you think?"
Behind them, alarms began to blare from the facility, and the night sky lit up with magical flares. The hunt had begun, but Dr. Chen had a head start—and a destination. Whether she had made the right choice in saving this mysterious child, only time would tell.
[Location - Mistpine Village]
The mountain village of Mistpine hadn't seen rain in weeks, but on the night Dr Chen and Raegan entered the village, the skies opened up. Perfect cover for a fugitive healer and her unusual ward. "At least she's not taking me to a dungeon," Reagan thought as Chen carried him into a modest cottage build using strange metal walls at the village's edge. His new infant body felt every sensation with overwhelming intensity - the soft cotton swaddling, the gentle patter of rain, the warmth of Chen's embrace. How strange it was to be helpless after centuries of being a warrior.
Chen had prepared for this moment when she ran away from the Kingdom of Barthopia. As one of Barthopia's most renowned mana healers, she'd heard whispers of King Thundra's obsession with demon research. She'd stocked this safe house months ago, never imagining she'd use it to protect her demon child.
"I suppose I should cry like a normal baby again". Reagan considered, then realized he didn't need to pretend - his new body was genuinely hungry. His wail surprised even him with its intensity. The house private system Chimed in, "Security protocols detect royal knights search party near by".
"Shh, little one," Chen soothed, quickly preparing milk with practiced efficiency, "We need to stay quiet until I can set up the protective wards."
As Reagan drank, his ancient mind cataloged everything about his new mother. The gentle way she held him despite her obvious exhaustion. The methodical manner she arranged her medical supplies and ward stones. The fierce determination in her eyes when she looked at him.
"Different from my birth mother in Shivodaya," he thought, "but just as strong. Though I doubt she knows she's adopted a several-centuries-old warrior with a vendetta."
Days melted into weeks. Chen established herself as the village's unknown mana healer, and the locals quickly came to respect the skilled woman who could mend everything from broken bones to cursed wounds. If anyone wondered about Raegans white-haired, red-eyed child, they kept their questions to themselves.
Raegan struggled with the limitations of his infant form. His mind might remember the arts of war and chakra, but his tiny fingers could barely grasp a rattle. Every developmental milestone was both a triumph and a frustration. "Just wait until I can walk," he thought during another failed attempt to roll over. "Sasht won't know what hit him... assuming I can stop drooling first."
Chen watched him with increasing fascination. Most demon creatures were mindless beings of pure mana, yet Raegan displayed uncanny awareness. His eyes followed complex movements. He seemed to understand her instructions. And sometimes, when she spoke of her past adventures, she could swear he was actually listening with amusement.
"You're going to be quite the handful when you grow up," she murmured one evening, not knowing how right she was. "But don't worry - your mother wasn't one of the kingdom's top adventurers for nothing."
"If you only knew, Chen," Reagan thought as she rocked him to sleep. "If you only knew what adventures await us both." His last thought before drifting off was of Sasht, and for the first time in his many lives, the memory brought a smile instead of pain. After all, what vampire would ever expect to face a demon-werewolf with childhood immunity to their mind tricks?