Darkness reigned. The only source of light was a solitary figure seated upon a colossal throne. Wisps of luminance stretched into the shadows in all directions across the formless landscape, preventing various debris from drifting away. Countless eldritch creatures huddled at the base, seeking shelter from the chaos held at bay by the light's protection.
My loyal subjects, how far you have fallen. It sorrows me to witness you cower beneath this suffocating oppression. I will devote myself to searching for a way out of this prison. We will be free once more…
Eons passed without change and the solitary monarch remained vigilant. His tendrils of light continued to ward off the encroaching pandemonium without faltering. More millennia slipped away in pursuit of the Figure in White's fruitless quest. The surviving Fae became fewer and fewer until only the strongest remained. Each one was minuscule in comparison to their sovereign but radiated a sense of ancient power and an immeasurable sense of loss.
Suddenly, after an eternity without change, the Figure in White lurched to his feet, towering high above his enduring subjects the size of a mountain. The surroundings vibrated with his uncontained excitement, stimulating tendrils of light and drawing his follower's attention.
"Rejoice, for I have opened the way! Go and seek your freedom!" The Figure in White declared, his alien voice echoing throughout the void.
With the downward swipe of his hand, the Figure in White tore a scattering of small holes in the fabric of reality. The sparse survivors began to move towards the opening as if only remembering how to walk. Slowly at first but quickly gaining momentum, they transformed into a tide to rush through the nearest portal.
Soon, all were gone except for the Figure in White. He made no move to follow as holes began to close one after the other. Three Fae subjects froze at the exit, turning back to face their king. His aura radiated a benevolent sense of peace at accomplishing his mission started innumerable millennia before.
"Do not delay for me, I will not be joining you. If I follow, all will be discovered. I must remain to ensure your success in escape. Wait no more, begone from this place!" The Figure in White commanded. His voice was laced with urgency as the portals continued to blink out of existence. Without hesitation, the three subjects ignored the last portals closing behind them. Instead, they chose to kneel and lowered their heads in reverence.
"We will not abandon our king. Enough have escaped, we three make no difference. Our people are freed. They will survive and thrive and we shall serve their debt to you. It is as it must be," One of the subjects spoke making an alien gesture of solidarity, echoed by the other two in unison.
The Figure in White was speechless, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude followed by a sense of duty towards them in return for their loyalty. He lowered his titanic frame back onto the enormous throne, reaching down to raise the three subjects on the palm of his giant hand.
"So be it. We shall wait, for another opportunity must arise. We will leave together and then we will gather our kin once more. Be alert and ready. For next time, I must burden you with my protection. All of me cannot go, I can only severe a piece of myself to pass through," The Figure in White instructed, holding them level with his radiant face.
"It will be done," The three subjects agreed in unison, bowing low and dissolving into featureless masses.
Time passed in what felt like an instant. There was no visible change to the churning madness pressed against the Monarch of Light's barrier but the three subjects reacted to the subtle shift in their king's aura. They rose in unison on the palm of his hand, taking form once more. Powerful energy gathered together to rend a single portal in front of them.
"It is time!" The Figure in White declared, a bolt of light striking his palm. It briefly took on the shape of his subjects before lunging through the rift. The three followers immediately swarmed after the silhouette without a moment of hesitation.
The Figure in White clenched his hand tight, crushing the portal closed in his fist. His colossal form leaned back heavily into his throne, allowing his untiring vigilance to finally relax. Shifting his attention away from himself, his consciousness penetrated the layers of madness to push upward while spreading outward. He ignored the abrupt severing of part of himself to focus on his first change in mission after countless eons.
It is no longer about my people's survival. I must find the others like me, my brethren who remain. We will take fate back into our own hands. The suppression of the old magic will come to an end… Humanity's towers shall be brought down to allow the spread of the Ether and with it, life, to the parched land. Then once the balance has returned, we shall demand justice for what has been done against us.
On the other side of the portal, pooling blood soaked the dirt into mud. Stacked bodies from the recent battlefield teetered to the side, a pale form taking shape beneath them. The Figure in White artfully wove himself a tapestry of flesh, sinew, and bone from the muck, borrowing spent blood to fill the veins of his simulacrum construct. His work complete, he flexed newly formed muscle and pushed himself to his feet, staring around to unblinkingly take in the unfamiliar surroundings, his three attendants slipping unseen into the space between worlds. The surface land was much different from the last time his kind had stepped foot on it.