Nauthizia stood before the tall mirror in her chambers. She stared at her reflection, tracing the contours of her body, her face. She was Nauthizia again, fully and completely, but the glowing red of her eyes and the faint glint of her fangs reminded her that she was still Dracula.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and concentrated. Slowly, she felt her body shift, the soft curves of her form hardening, broadening, as she assumed the form of Nauthiz. When she opened her eyes, the mirror reflected the sharp, imposing figure of her fabricated twin brother.

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She tried to hold the transformation midway, to blend aspects of Nauthizia and Nauthiz, but the magic resisted. Her body snapped between the two forms, either fully male or fully female, with no room for ambiguity.

“It’s all or nothing,” Nauthiz murmured, his frustration evident as she shifted back into Nauthizia’s form. “There’s no in-between.”

Constantine appeared behind her, his reflection faint in the glass. “Perhaps that’s the point,” he said softly. “You’re not meant to be divided. You’re meant to embrace both.”

Nauthizia glanced at him, her glowing eyes narrowing. “Spare me the philosophy. This complicates everything.”

Constantine’s gaze darkened slightly. “Then uncomplicate it. Decide who you need to be.”