Once upon a time there was a queen who was both intelligent and foolish, named Sarah Kinney. She was said to be the smartest person on earth. She experimented and excelled magic. But she eventually grew bored with, and could push no father. So she started to dabble in the darkest types of magic. She found a spell, and decided to play God. She wanted to create a life, of a fairy no less, just for the sake of knowledge. She acquired the blood of a powerful fae, whom it was said to be impervious to all wounds. For 23 months she worked, until she got the spell just right.
She used herself to incubate the child, if it could be called that. For in the process of creating the child queen Kinney did not realize the side effects. She did not know that by using black magic, it corroded the blood. It left holes and gaps in the blood, and scarred it a deep dark black. So when the babe popped out nine months later, it was she, and she looked just like her mother. For queen Kinney had filled in the embryo's missing blood with her own. And she named the girl 23, as a reminder of how long she had worked only to fail.
One night when praying to whatever power she believed in, she had a thought. If the girl had not been made perfect I will make her perfect. So she did something even more foolish. She contacted one of the oldest, evilest demons in all of hell. It's name was Kimura. On the night of the full moon, Queen Kinney spilled her and her child's blood over the roots of a willow tree, and cried in an old forgotten tongue, "Come, come creature of darkness, I will you to rise to this mortal plane, and trade you what I have." There was a deep rumbling from the earth and then SNAP! Went through the air as a bold light split through the air. And there under the willow tree, was the spectral image of a beautiful woman. "What does your heart desire dearie?" Asked the demon slyly. "I have an imperfect child, born of dark magic, I will you to fix her." AS the Queen started to creep into her mind. "Aww, mama wants her baby to be the prettiest princess in all the land, is that it?" Kimura sneeringly asked. "I want her to bring nations to their knees, I her to cast fear into the hearts of mortals where ever she shows her face, I want her capable of setting this wretched world aflame." Dreamed the Queen out loud. "Now, now, mommy has big plans for her baby. But I think it's doable. But only if draw me to your mortal plane, Okay?" Kimura said. The queen burned some incense and salt and conjured Kimura. "Well then, let's get started, shall we?" Kimura asked with a wicked smile.
Kimura moved into the palace after that night. Every midnight after that Kimura would call to the darkness in 23's blood, and speak to the shadows of 23's mind. As the girl grew older Queen Kinney became attached to the girl. She read the girl Pinocchio, and taught her all of her wisdom. The girl grew twice as intelligent as she did beautiful. But the girl was forbidden to leave the palace, and every night at midnight, demons came to play within her mind. But she did not scream, for she learned the hard way it went Kimura would beat her. When she was not being taught or having demons dance in her head she was training. Kimura taught her how to fight, and demons do not fight fair. 23 lost every fight with Kimura she ever had. But, she did not just fight Kimura. She fought soldiers, lions, tigers, and bears. She grew detached and obedient and she allowed the demons to dance in her head without Kimura there to command them.
When she was twelve Kimura cast a spell on 23, she was in a fitful trance for a whole week. When she awoke she felt different. She soon found out why. Kimura had used dark magic to call forth 23's father's fae blood. She was now impervious to all wounds, could see the a mouse a mile away, and smell and hear it to. She also had indestructible metal claws in her hands and feet. The only difference between her and her father's magic was that he had 3 claws in each hand, while 23 had 2 in each hand and 1 in each foot. Soon after Kimura took 23 out and had her kill not animals, but other things. Goblins, witches, wyverns, and dragons. Yes she killed monsters. But she also killed other things, like commoners, royalty, unicorns, and sometimes lonely faes. So she killed monsters and saints, and all grew to fear her for, she did not know which one was which, nor did she care.
Things continued on like this for three years. Queen Kinney grew sick at the knowledge of the pain and death she was causing, but she feared Kimura and realized her foolishness at summoning her. One day she could stand it no longer. She called Laura to her bedchamber one day. "23, I am giving you one more mission." She told the girl. "You are to go at 11 o'clock in the night to the nearest village with me, and disappear." She said. "Yes my Queen." Was all her response she got before 23 left. It was the Queen intents to flee without Kimura's knowledge. But Kimura heard of their plan and snatched one of her own. She cast a spell over all the people in the castle at ten at night, left the castle and waited. She soon heard the screams of the castle's servants screams. She smiled. 23 was currently slaughtering them. Kimura's spell had turned her into an animal filled with primal bloodlust. It took fifteen minutes for the castle to quiet. Suddenly the front doors burst open, and out spilled Queen Kinney. She fell onto the freshly fallen snow. As she tried to run she turned around to see 23's blood red eyes come at her, and her claws slammed into her gut. The blood poured from the wounds. 23 slowly blinked as the red turned to colors and shapes, with no memory of what had happened. She trembled as she saw the Queen on the ground, and almost screamed when she saw the blood on her claws. "Your name, your name is Laura. I love you my sweet, dear Laura." Rasped Queen Kinney. With that the life bled out of her. 23 felt odd. It was as if there was a pain in her chest, but there was no wound. This frightened her and she fled.
Her head was a jumble, her senses seemed to sharp, the world too much. In her haste she unsheathed her claws, and accidentally cut herself. She watched the blood flow from her wrist. It had a strange effect on her. She felt calmer, in control. So she did it again. She got up, and sprinted towards the woods. She went deep, deep into them, where she lived for months. She hunted with wolves and stole dragon's eggs. She loved this life of freedom and solitude. But all good things must come to an end. And the ending of her paradise is the beginning of our story.