Chaos had consumed the world around me and I was drowning at the centre of its ocean.

The shadows were swooping down on us like vultures from the cage of Satan himself, savaging any foolish new-born that did not choose to join the main huddle in the beginning. We watched in astonished silence as the cannibals came against the strays in tidal waves of carnage, screeches of pain sounding in the near distance as flesh and bone were consumed together in the intense thirst for blood and power. Faces were left a scarlet mess: eyeballs hung out of sockets above gaping holes that were left to reveal hints of tooth and gum- expressions of horror turned into sources that create it.

When presented with that sight, of course, silence became an impossible memory.

Every being around me started to scream. I started to scream. Was the noise coming from the body I was in, or me? I couldn't tell. Fear had muddled and paralysed my brain cells.

As the monsters circled in on us, everyone started to run. I followed blindly: terror was my only guide and I was as vulnerable as any of my counterparts.

We met like charcoal on a blackboard, teeth grinding and mouths screeching in sinister synchronisation as the game of slaughter was brought to our feet. In front of me new-borns were running to their doom, trying and failing to dodge cannibals before being ripped and torn to mere blood and bone.

But there was hope. A few rogues had slipped past the shadows and gaps were beginning to form before me like sunlight in the midst of a storm. Was the body I was in smart enough to make it?

In moments my question was seemingly seconds away from being answered as I felt myself surge forward in a brave attempt to secure any small amount of freedom, reluctance thrown to the sulphuric wind.

However I supposed I should've learnt by now that youth was nothing but a foolish vanity, and behind every victory was another mountain which commanded experience and power to climb.

And I knew that I didn't have enough of either of those things to face the shadowy peak suddenly obstructed my path.

Amber orbs fixed upon me as the escape route I foresaw had become blocked in its entirety, turning into a gateway to pain. By seeking freedom I had put a target on my head. Would I die with this body once it was ripped to shreds?

The tall, shadowy monster advanced and instead of backing away or running the body I was in froze, obviously struck by terror at the sight of the cannibal and its never ending silent scream.

I began to panic again. This was the worst reaction I could've hoped for. At least try to escape dammit.

He got closer and closer and closer, until he was only metres away. My body was still frozen and I still had no control over it.

The putrid smell of rotten flesh drifted into my nostrils and danger was now too near to escape.

The monster prepared itself to lunge.

Internally I started to cower back from the situation, for I could do nothing else but watch my death roll out like a movie part: on queue everything around me slowed to a gruelling pace.

The amber eyes gleamed with excitement as they realised they had found an easy meal, and I prayed for some inspirational last words to tell myself before I left this world, but came up blank. What did I have to say that was important, when my life had meant nothing anyway?

And then it was all over. Because the monster pounced.

I closed my eyes.

I felt my stomach lurch.

But instead of experiencing an intense and agonising burst of pain, I was greeted with a sudden rush of wind and I felt the body I was in move. Confusion and fear forced me to engage with my vision again and the scene that was revealed to me was unexpected.

I wasn't dead: somehow the new-born had dodged the cannibal and was now racing towards some sort of freedom in the surrounding bushes.

But I still wasn't safe.

The monster was on our tail. I could see him picking up speed as the new-born anxiously glanced back to assess his predicament.

Dread came again as quickly as it had gone. There was very little chance that a baby could outrun an adult.

I had to stop myself from praying- demons weren't allowed to rely on God like humans could- and hoped dearly that another stroke of luck could propel us to safety.

I couldn't die like this.

Temporary safety was getting closer and closer. The cannibal wouldn't bother to chase prey through the thick shrubbery when it had much easier targets back on the Birthing Ground. But the distance between us was slipping away inch by inch, metre by metre. And I just knew that soon enough there wouldn't be any left.

I was running on borrowed time.

Suddenly the body I was in stumbled and almost fell down, tripping on a random root in the ground. The obstruction was enough to stop the new-born for a couple of seconds but that was all the predator needed.

In the corner of my eye I watched in horror as the cannibal raced towards me, galloping in excitement on all fours as it watched its prey try to start running again. It knew it was too late.

I didn't panic this time. Death was something I needed to face with my head held high, not cowering in the shadows away from it. As powerless as I was I would've liked to have hoped that this fear hadn't taken away all of my dignity.

The demon was close enough to pounce and I was readying myself to die when my thoughts were suddenly drowned out by an incredibly painful scream.

My vessel stopped and turned around to see that the predator had taken down another new-born who had foolishly crossed its path before us. Feeling relieved but horrified, the body I was in wisely chose to keep running and didn't wait around to be dessert. I would've felt sorry for the other new-born if I wasn't so grateful for its timely interruption.

I watched in silence as it just kept running. I couldn't guess how long for, but I really didn't care. I just wanted safety or some sort of power to protect myself with. I wanted to get out of this body, although I had to admit it had been pretty courageous and intelligent to escape the Birthing Grounds.

The thick, black shrubbery around me opened up to more rocky ground, and at the first sheltered spot I saw I felt myself collapse to the ground. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was the new-born's hands holding what looked to be some sort of road sign that had been battered in a fierce wind, leaving only three letters readable to the naked eye.

D. E. V.

And then I finally understood whose body I had been in all this time.

This was the day of Dev's birthing.

I woke up to a glorious light, cascading around the dark walls of my apartment bedroom as it shined brightly in what looked to be the very early hours of the morning.

I squinted at the white orb in between panicked and exhausted breaths, taking in all the air I could have done in an attempt to get rid of the sulphur in my lungs. It didn't work. And I broke down into a scratchy coughing fit, poison bellowing throughout the fibres of my skin.

I'd never felt like this after coming out of Hell before, but I supposed I did have some sort of power at those times. What I had just experienced was completely different to any routine visit to the Underworld, and it had left me feeling more vulnerable than ever. I hadn't felt that kind of fear for decades.

"Roman."

I almost jumped out of my skin as The Oracle's voice boomed out of the bright light, and my coughing fit suddenly ceased.

"I have proved my trustworthiness enough for you, and it is time that you obey my request. This is my last warning, and it is time for you to act or you and everything you love will perish."

And it was like The Oracle's words set off a mechanism inside of me, because as soon as she disappeared from my presence everything turned black and I fell into a deep sleep that I bloody hoped would be peaceful.