Dayton, Ohio. Cherished Light Orphanage.

[Sara]: Grandma, I'm hungry...

[Johnny]: Granny, Missy is crying again!

[Madaline]: Matthew! get your lazy butt up and help clean! Dinner's almost done and Grandma's already got enough to worry about!

[Matthew]: *random mumbling*.... Ouch! You Bastard! Watch it!

[Johnny]: Granny, Matthew said a bad word!

Amidst a seething gaggle of small (and not so small) children, Bethany Greenee (Ms. Bella to her friends), age 72, went about her duty as best as she could, gently stirring their last pot of beans over the small electric stove.

[Bella]: Dinner is almost dear, just a moment more. Johnny, Missy can cry all she want, don't you bother her, and what have I told you about tattling? Madeline, don't hit your brother, he's already sore as it is. Matthew, I know you're tried, but I need to you keep watch. Please?"

[All]: """"" Yes Grandma..."""""

Bella shooed the children away, though a smile spread across her face. They were strong children, but it did her old heart good to see them act like their former selves. Maybe it would do their newest family members some good as well, a little bit of normality in these chaotic and strange times. She just wished her husband could be here to help, he always was better at these kinds of things than she was. The orphanage had been his dream; after years spent in the military, seeing the children left behind by pointless wars, he made it his life's work to do what he could for them.

After the sickness took him, their son and his wife had taken over most of the heavy work, while she had nestled into a comfortable life of retirement, becoming a "Grandma" to all of the children. And she treated them like her grandchildren in turn. Even after they had found new homes or moved out on their own, she kept in touch with everyone as best as she could. She had a safe full of letters and emails from all over the world, and news clippings, detailing the antics of her, by now dozens, of "Grandchildren."

It had been a good life, and even though she knew she didn't have much more time to spend with them, each day was filled with smiles and happiness.

Until a month ago, that was.

They had been eating dinner when the windows appeared. At first, Bella thought she was having an adverse reaction to her new medication, but she soon realized that she wasn't the only one to see them. Matthew, the young black boy who was both their oldest (16) and longest child, had been the first the react. She could still see the emotions that played across his face in those first few moments. First confusion, then amazed joy, quickly followed by terror as something dawned on him, and he began to hyperventilate.

When the strange little creatures appeared from the windows, all speaking in the same voice, explaining about some game or another, Bella had almost laughed out loud. Was it some kinda prank his son was playing? She'd seen the neat little holograms that were being developed on TV, but she didn't know they were this advanced.

And then the world shook.

No, not just the world. Everything. The ground, the air, the house...her Soul. Was she dying? was this how she went? Then, before she knew it, it was done, and the windows vanished. Everyone stood around in shocked confusion, as several of the younger children burst into tears. Matthew seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, as he screamed that they all needed to hide, to get to the safe room her son had built, while her daughter-in-law tried to calm the young boy down.

No one seemed to know what was going on, and everything was in chaos. Her son was on the phone, trying to get a hold of someone, anyone, but nothing would go through. Then they heard the crash from the parlor. It sounded like someone had broken in and started wreaking the place. The dining room went silent, as my son stood and walked upstairs, shortly returning with the shotgun he kept in the gun safe in his office.

He gave everyone a look, then put a finger to his lips before making his way to the parlor. Matthew clung to his legs, tears streaming as he shook his head back and forth, begging him not to go. Her son had simply given that gentle smile of his that told the kids, "everything would be all right," then walked away.

The next few moments past, before the sharp crack of a shotgun, echoed from the parlor, shortly followed by another, then nothing. They waited in silence for her son to appear around the corner, but with each passing moment, he didn't a sinking feeling grew in Bella's heart. Her daughter in law silenced the whimpering children, before passing the struggling Matthew to her, and stood, carefully making her way to the parlor.

A moment more, and her daughter-in-law gave a scream that still haunted Bella's nightmares in the deepest parts of the night. Matthew tore himself from her grasp before dashing towards the parlor. She stood and followed after him, abet slowly, making sure to leave the next oldest, Madeline(13) in charge.

She rounded the corner into the parlor, and nearly bumped into Matthew, who stood frozen, staring at something in the room. Bella's daughter-in-law was desperately trying to drag the boy out as tears streamed down her face. Bella rushed over as fast as her old bones could move her to grab the boy when she caught sight of the room.

It looked like a tornado had swept through the room. Books and wood were scattered all over, the couches and chairs torn to shreds and turned over, while every window was blown out and the glass sprinkling everything. But what drew her eyes the most was the blood.

God, the blood...

It looked like someone had taken a cow and slaughtered it in her parlor. And there, in the middle of the room, lay her son. She couldn't see much of him, for the furry monstrosity blocking her view. But the massive pool of blood he lay in, and the shotgun laying next to him, cleanly cut in two, told her all she needed to know.

The moan that escaped her lips as her heart sank felt like it came from the deepest part of her soul. And yet even in her grief, some primal part of her brain told her they couldn't just stand there. She latched her bony hands around the frozen boy's arm and slowly dragged him out of room with her daughter-in-law. As they backed away, however, Matthew's foot stumbled on a large piece of glass that shattered the silence.

The creature locked its eyes on the boy and gave a wicked hiss, like a mix of a cat and a rattle. Bella had never seen anything like the beast standing before her; it was like someone had taken a weasel and blown it up the size of a mastiff. Then decided the thing needed ten-inch long, sickle-shaped claws on its front paws. Half of the thing's body was bloody and mangled, fur singed and matted, with its left arm missing entirely. She assumed that was the work of her son and the shotgun. Good job, my boy.

Unfortunately, it seemed it wasn't enough. Now the thing stared down Matthew with its teeth bared. Its sickle-like claws clicked on the wood floor before it reared back and threw itself at him with speed she didn't think was possible for such a large creature. Bella's daughter-in-law was one step faster, however, as she threw herself between the two with a yell.

The creature slammed into the small woman's body and sent all three of them flying into a nearby wall, while Bella stood in shock. Bella could feel a warm trickle flow down her leg as her old bones shook. What the hell was that thing?! How did it get in the orphanage?! The creature stood from the pile of eerily still forms next to it and shook its head, a bit unstable either from blood-loss or the impact. It then turned its attention to the two on the ground. Matthew lay on his stomach, unmoving, while Bella's daughter-in-law covered him, a horrific gash on her back stretching from her shoulder to her waist.

Its long snout seemed to grin as it raised one of its claws to finish the job, when a chuck of wood slammed into its injured side, causing it to scream.

[Bella]: "Over here, you sorry excuse for a fur coat! I've seen better looking rats in my dumpster!"

The thing turned its head in annoyance towards the panting old woman. Bella held another piece of furniture, ready to swing it like a club as she taunted it towards her. Her brain screamed at her to run, told her she was no match at all. But it didn't matter. She had to get this thing away somehow, had to give the kids time to escape. She had seen how fast this thing was, she doubted she could make it far, but all she needed was a little time. Madeline was fiery and stubborn, but she was a smart girl. Bella could already imagine the girl trying to shove all the kids into the safe room at this moment.

Tears streamed down her face as the beast turned and inched it was towards her, its eye warily following the makeshift club.

It was fine. This was fine. The children were strong, they would be fine. Madeline already nagged them like a mother, and Matthew knew where they kept the emergency contacts and supplies. They would be able to get a hold of someone, and they would be fine.

[Bella] "... I'm coming home, John..."

She whispered through her tears, before dropping the club and dashing towards the front door as fast as she could. The creature gave a screech, and she heard the telltale click of claws on wood, as she braced for the impact she knew was coming. She only hoped it would be enough.

[Matthew]: NOOOOOOOO!

But the pain didn't come. Instead, a massive blast of cold air blew past her with a cloud of ice and snow, sending a chill running down her spine. Bella turned around, eyes wide, to see the creature (in mid-leap), encased in a thick layer of ice, only a short distance from her. At the other end of the hall, Matthew leaned against the wall on his knees, eyes glowing a deep, frigid blue, his outstretched hand frostbitten and white.

Bella stood there with mouth agape, not sure how to process the scene before her. After a moment, her mouth slowly closed as a fire lit in her chest. Her hands shaking, she picked up the makeshift club she'd dropped and stared are the frozen creature. Then with a roar unbefitting a tiny old woman of 72, she slammed it into the beast with all the strength she could muster. The monster shattered like glass, sending chunks of frozen flesh and blood scattering around the room.

Bella struggled to calm her breathing as she stared at what remained of the beast who had destroyed more than just her home. Then, she dropped the club and slowly made her way to Matthew. The boy was shivering, as a tiny layer of ice surrounded him, and he tried to move the fingers of his damaged hand. Bella stopped in front of him and knelt down. The two simply stared at each other in silence, before she wrapped him in a warm hug, and they wept together.

[One month later]

Bella was dragged from her memories by the smell of burning beans. She cursed under her breath as she turned down the heat, then gave a sigh. It had been a crazy month, to say the least, and they still weren't fully adjusted to their new reality. But no matter what, she would protect her grandchildren. And no funny looking aliens or giant Hell beasts would stop her. She had promised that to her son and daughter-in-law when they buried them in the back yard. Promised that to herself.

As if calling her out on that promise, a thundering roar sounded from somewhere outside. The house went silent for a moment before the skittering sound of small feet could be heard rushing towards the safe room. As she turned, she caught Matthew's eye as he rushed the children to safety and nodded.

The young man had matured dramatically over the past month, going from a skinny and slightly nerdy young black boy to a powerfully built and steadfast young man. When the weasel creature had attacked them, he'd awakened a natural talent for Cryokinesis, and coupled with the help of the System, he was gaining greater power every day. And as for Grandma Bella?

Well...

The little old woman who would stand out in any senior center calmly dried her hands and made her way to the front door. She opened the door to see a sight that would have given her a heart attack a month ago. A large black tiger-like creature the size of a bus, sat on the street, glaring at her with hungry eyes. It was stopped just short of the lawn; however, by a massive glowing barrier swirling with mystical symbols, she was only starting to truly understand.

Each time it struck the barrier, its paw would rebound with a blast of golden lightning. The black tiger began to pace in frustration, unsure why it couldn't break the seemingly thin wall between itself and its prey. Bella just stared at the creature with cold eyes, before giving a humph and snapping her fingers.

A huge illusionary symbol with an eight-pointed star appeared above the Orphanage. Matthew had called it a "Bagua" or "Eight Trigram", whatever that was, but Bella thought it looked more like a compass rose, herself. The image began to shimmer with light, then ripple like water as eight massive swords, each the size of the tiger, emerged from each point of the star.

One was a glowing, shifting lash of flames, another seemed to be carved out of living wood, leaves still fresh, a third again flowed and twisted like mercury as light bounced off its silver surface. Each was different, and yet each gave off an air of majesty, of power, so much that the Black Tiger felt its spine tingle. It lowered its head, ears laid back and gave a loud hissing like sound before slowly backing away.

As for Bella? No one would hurt Bella's family again.

Not as long as she drew breath.