Claire’s body trembled as the energy around her pulsed like a living thing, as though the world itself was shifting, bending to the force of Ethan’s will. She could feel the change—beneath her skin, in her bones, in the very depths of her soul. The transformation had begun.
The sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her human form felt like a fragile shell, cracking and reshaping under the weight of the power that Ethan was forcing into her. Her breath came in shallow bursts, each inhale burning her lungs as her muscles twisted and stretched, her senses becoming sharper, more acute.
Ethan’s hands were on her, guiding her, steadying her as her world seemed to collapse in on itself and then explode outward in a rush of sensation.
“You’re doing fine,” Ethan’s voice was cal
