Letting out another sigh, I carefully returned the box to its shelf and turned my attention to the wardrobe. I needed to focus on something other than the box and regain my composure.

Luckily, there were a couple of leather suits belonging to Cala right outside the box. These were part of a Mephisto set and were designed to accommodate various body forms. I opted for a gray set that complemented the color of my eyes. First, I put on the trousers, and then I selected a rather provocative blouse. Not because of its seductive appearance but because it had minimal binding around my neck, covered my front, including my breasts, and featured another binding around my waist. This design allowed my back to remain completely exposed, except for the two bindings, ensuring it wouldn't tear when my wings emerged during form-shifting.

The blouse had side straps connecting to the respective bindings, and it possessed enough elasticity to stay snug against my body, even when I twisted into various positions, preventing any accidental exposure. It was crafted from an expensive, exquisite material that resembled silk. I hesitated momentarily, considering if it would match my leather pants. After studying my reflection in the mirror, I decided that it was an acceptable combination.

My back, arms, and a portion of my belly would be exposed, but I believed I had become more cold-resistant lately. Besides, I could always wear the jacket when in human form.

Opting for my sole pair of Mephisto boots, a finely crafted set of relatively small leather boots, I once again checked my appearance in the mirror. My frustration with the troublesome inventory box had lessened somewhat. I picked up the jacket in my hand, shifted into my winged form, and gracefully leaped out of the window while simultaneously cloaking myself with a camouflage spell.

In flight, I headed towards the location where the police car had previously halted me. Relief washed over me when I discovered the little bike still waiting, forlorn, and covered in dust. The spot was rather desolate, and I had worried that it might have disappeared by now.

With a fluid motion, I reverted to my Dolores/Lores appearance and simultaneously removed the camouflage.

I wiped the dust off the bike and was delighted to find that it was still in working order. It didn't use a traditional key but had a number lock. After inputting the correct combination and pressing the button, it roared to life... or rather meowed.

Riding that small, slow bike made me feel somewhat ridiculous like I was perched on a child's toy. Several trucks zoomed past me, enveloping me in dust clouds each time.

This made me nearly miss the entrance to Gonzo's yard. Once I saw it, I sharply veered to the left, earning angry honks from an oncoming truck due to my abrupt maneuver.

Gonzo, who was busy working on a car in the yard, glanced up at my arrival and shook his head in amusement.

"Well, well, well, look who's here, accompanied by a chorus of horns!"

"Hey, Gonzo! Can I trade in this toy for the real deal?" I quipped.

He chuckled.

"Hey Dolores, nice to see you... Oh, God! What happened to you?" Gonzo exclaimed once I got closer and he saw my tortured skin.

"Uh, don't worry about it, Gonzo. It's just some superficial burning. It'll be gone by tomorrow."

"Are you sure? It looks..."

"It's OK, trust me!"

He shook his head, still somewhat unconvinced, but nonetheless took the bike.

"Okay, if you say so."

As he pushed the bike back to its place, I glanced at my jacket, now covered in dust. Those darn trucks! I shook it, creating a cloud of dust around me. I'd have to find some spells to clean it in a more efficient and elegant way.

"So, how's Helen?" I inquired.

"She's not feeling well. She's seen a couple of doctors and is taking some medicine, but it doesn't seem to be helping," Gonzo replied.

"Is she here?"

He nodded.

"Can I go see her?"

"Of course! She'd be happy to have a visitor."

I wasn't particularly fond of Helen; something about her personality rubbed me the wrong way. However, I cared for Gonzo, so I put up with her. Plus, she was a good person, and I knew her heart was in the right place.

We entered the house and found Helen in one of the upper rooms, lying in bed and reading a book. At first, she seemed a bit flustered by my visit, then became very concerned when she noticed my red, burned skin. I had to reassure her that it was just a superficial burn.

During our conversation, I tried to scan her, but in my human form, my mana manipulation abilities were limited. Still, I think I identified her problem. After about ten minutes, I left, and Gonzo accompanied me downstairs. I let out a sigh.

"Gonzo, let me do one more check; don't be surprised."

I removed my jacket and transformed into my horned form. He gasped, as he had seen me with horns before, but not in this form.

"You..."

I raised a finger.

"Just give me a moment!"

I closed my eyes to concentrate better on the mental image of her within my domain. Gradually, her image expanded, revealing more details. It was like examining an X-ray, and as I delved deeper, I saw them clearly. Though they were small and well-concealed within her body, she had... magical worms.

Magical worms? How was that possible? Why did she have them? Besides the enigma of how she got infected, the question was, why? She couldn't; she was no caster!

She had used the ring, but I'd never heard of a non-magic user contracting these worms, even if they were surrounded by magical items. Was she a caster without knowing it? Or did they know? Could contact with the ring have triggered her transition, or was it something from her time in Mephisto? I was sure she had no magical abilities the last time I saw her.

I changed back to my Dolores form as my horned appearance seemed to unsettle him.

"Gonzo, I know what her problem is, and I know how to cure her. I just don't know how she got infected."

He watched me for a moment, appearing uneasy. Then, he closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and nodded. When he opened his eyes again, there was a hint of fear.

"Infected?" - he shook his head - "Can you really help her? And what would this entail, and what would you expect from me?"

Was that fear for her well-being due to her infection, or was he afraid of me? I met his gaze squarely as I spoke.

"Gonzo, we're friends, and I'll do this for the sake of our friendship. It's relatively straightforward: she's got a type of worms," I chuckled, "magical worms, so there's no chance of you catching them. That's what puzzles me because I can't fathom how she got infected. Well, it doesn't matter. I can rid her of these worms in less than a minute, but it might be a bit uncomfortable for her, and I have to do it in my horned form."

"Can you do it from here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Possibly, but I'd feel more confident in its success if I were there and could physically touch her."

"Touch her?" he inquired.

I shrugged.

"Perhaps. I might need to do that," I replied, not revealing my true motive, which was to check if she truly was a caster.

"And what do you mean by 'unpleasant'?" Gonzo pressed.

"She'll experience a sensation of a foreign substance, like some liquid invading her body, coursing through her bones, muscles, and insides, everywhere," I explained again with a shrug. "I imagine that's highly unpleasant."

"But it'll only take less than a minute?" he asked for confirmation.

"About that," I affirmed.

"Let me talk to her," he requested.

I nodded. "Okay."

I heard him climb the stairs and engage in a conversation with her. Ten minutes later, he returned downstairs.

"I explained to her that you know someone who might be able to help with her condition. She agreed. I'll blindfold her so she won't see you like this. Is there anything else you need? Should we proceed now or later?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "It might be better to wait for half an hour for that person to arrive, don't you think?"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

He nodded in agreement. "You're right. Are you hungry? I was just about to grill some sausages for myself; I'm absolutely famished."

"Sounds good; I haven't eaten anything today, so make it two," I replied.

He chuckled.

As we enjoyed our meal, a customer arrived, the reason for his earlier rush to finish the car. While he attended to the formalities and handed over the vehicle, I continued to savor the sausages. When he returned, he looked at me.

"Ready? Can we go?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure."

Once he informed me that she was ready, I ascended the stairs in my horned form. She lay in her bed, a blindfold covering her eyes.

"Hello?" she greeted as she heard me enter the room.

"Hello, Helen," I responded.

"You are?"

"You can call me whatever you'd like. I'm the doc," I replied, realizing I hadn't thought of an alias and feeling too lazy to think of one. Doc was good enough.

"Alright, doc. Dolores said you could tell me what I have. I'm feeling weak, generally unwell, no appetite, dizzy, nauseous, vomited a couple of times, and..."

"Let me check," I interjected, placing my hand on her shoulder.

Now, I saw them with horrifying clarity.

"You have worms," I stated.

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise, nearly sitting up.

I gently pushed her back onto the bed.

"It's alright, I can cleanse them. These are magical worms," I assured her.

She let out a nervous chuckle.

"If you want, we can attempt to retrieve one so you can see them, but that would be time-consuming, challenging, and painful as I'd have to coax them closer to your skin and make an incision. The simplest thing would be for me to cleanse them."

I might have pushed the limits, but it was the only way I could think of to obtain a worm.

"And you'll just place your hand on me and claim I'm clean? What a charlatan!" she exclaimed, swiftly removing her blindfold, but she froze upon seeing me. She swallowed hard and turned to Gonzo with a terrified expression.

"Who, what?" she stammered.

I chuckled and shrugged, using my hand to keep her from rising.

"You weren't supposed to see me. Now, I'm not sure how you contracted those worms. They typically only affect people with some magical talent. Those worms feed on mana, young lady, and can't be treated by conventional means."

"Gonzo, help me! Gonzo! She won't let me move!" she cried out.

As Gonzo approached, I released her and took a step back. She jumped out of bed and attempted to hide behind Gonzo.

"Sorry about that," I offered.

"Who is this person?" she inquired.

Gonzo sighed. "Dolores vouched for her. I understand she can heal you in a minute, and then we're done."

She nervously shook her head.

"I don't want to be healed by her! Who knows what else she might do!"

I let out a sigh.

"If I wanted to do something, I could have already. All I want to do is rid you of these worms and then leave. I have a debt to Dolores, and I intend to repay it."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You have a debt to Dolores? How did that happen?"

I shrugged.

"That's a different story, young lady. I don't have to share it with you."

She sighed and then met my gaze directly.

"What will happen if I don't get treated?"

I shrugged again.

"Probably nothing particularly dire in the short term. You'll continue to experience nausea and dizziness. However, over time, the symptoms will worsen as these worms grow. I'm not sure how they found nourishment inside you; you must have some kind of magical ability."

"I'm not a caster!... Oh, that cursed ring! I must have gotten them from it! If I'm not a caster, then what?"

I shook my head.

"The worms were active even though barely. There's something else. May I check again?"

She was a little bit less frightened. She glanced at Gonzo and then back to me.

"Alright." - she nodded.

I motioned toward the bed, and she slowly sat back down. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and upon closer examination, I noticed faint traces of mana occasionally appearing and being quickly devoured by worms.

I huffed.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, well. Young lady, that ring seems to have awakened something in you. The mana in you is white, so you could probably become a priest or a paladin, but right now, you're only nourishing those worms inside you."

"Me, a..., a... and what can you do?"

"I can kill them."

"Here and now?"

"Yes, here and now."

"How would you do that?"

"The only cure I know. I would flood you with black magic. That would instantly dissolve the worms."

She nodded.

"I see... What side effects will that have?"

I sighed.

"It would be very uncomfortable for you. You'll feel overwhelmed and genuinely believe you're going to die."

Gonzo stepped forward, trying to position himself between me and Helen.

"Dolores didn't tell me that!"

I resisted his push without much effort, then stepped back. I wasn't there to force myself upon them.

"That's because she didn't know that this young lady has any magical aptitude. That feeling comes from my magic overpowering hers, and a caster understands and feels it more. This sensation combines with the flow inside her body, but as I said, these are only... some minor discomforts for less than a minute."

Gonzo's eyes widened.

"Feeling like you're dying is a minor discomfort?"

I protested.

"It's just a sensation! A fleeting one. Shall we proceed?"

She shook her head.

"I have nothing but your word. How can I be certain I can trust you?”

How can you assist someone against their will? Should you help them against their will? I sighed. Now I have to convince her and gain her trust?

"Look, this didn't happen by accident. I know there's a group using this to identify casters. A regular person wouldn't have an issue even if the eggs remain dormant in their body. You probably got infected somehow, and they simply erased it from your memory, just as I could erase this conversation from your memory."

I glanced at Gonzo, whose eyes widened. I shrugged. Maybe I was getting too mean.

She was thinking of alternate ways.

"But if I see a doctor, they could scan and detect the worms! That would be confirmation!"

I chuckled.

"The worms are tiny right now, less than a millimeter; they might not even be detectable. Even if they are found, these worms move within your body towards your mana sources. In your case, I believe the primary source is near your heart. I'm curious about the treatment, but chances are, the ones responsible for this will intervene at some point as soon as they become aware. Most likely, you'll survive and eventually find yourself working for them. The terms and conditions of that... well, I can't say for sure."

She still shook her head.

"I need some time to think about this."

I gave a nonchalant shrug and chuckled, thinking that I might get sore shoulders from all the shrugging.

"Alright," I turned to Gonzo, "I'll take my leave for now. Just inform Dolores when you're ready, and I'll be here as soon as I can."

"Is there anything you'd recommend in the meantime?" he inquired.

I shrugged again.

"Don't do anything foolish," I advised, heading for the door.

"Are these worms dangerous? Could they cause her a stroke?" he questioned, hurrying after me.

"It's possible but highly unlikely," I responded. "These are parasites that feed on the host and typically avoid causing harm to it. They instinctively avoid blocking blood vessels, but... they're still just worms, even if they're magical worms."

"I'll do it! Please come back!" Helen exclaimed, rushing behind me.

I let out a sigh.

"You've made the right choice, young lady. Let's get through this together."

We returned to the room, and she lay back down on the bed, her eyes still showing fear.

I shook my head, trying to ease her anxiety, and placed my hand on her belly.

"Think of it like being at the dentist," I suggested. "There might be a bit of discomfort, but in this case, it'll all be over in a minute. Just let me know when you're ready."

She chuckled at the comparison and gave a determined nod.

"Alright."

The moment she nodded, I allowed my mana to flow into her.

Well, my mana had already been there, as all I saw was through mana, but previously, my mana's influence had been like a gentle breeze, barely noticeable. Now, it surged like a mighty river, overwhelming everything in its path.

Her eyes widened, and she began to breathe heavily, her hands clenching the blanket under her tightly. A wave of darkness emanated from my hand, spreading across her body. She bit her lip, and then her screams pierced the room, her body contorting and her eyes rolled back.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd gone too far; her reaction seemed unusually severe.

"I'm finished," I declared.

Her body slumped back onto the bed. She did not answer, appeared completely disoriented, not even seeming to draw breath, and I couldn't hear the sound of her heartbeat. Had I used too much mana?

"Is something wrong?" Gonzo's voice quivered with panic as I bent over her torso, straining to hear the beating of her heart.

I contemplated whether I might need to perform some sort of resuscitation on her.

But just at that moment, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath as if she'd been submerged underwater for ages.

Gonzo pushed me to the side and cradled her in his arms. She was breathing heavily and clung to him weakly.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she whispered, her gaze not on me. I seized the opportunity to slowly make my way towards the door and exit, still keeping an eye on them within my domain.

"Do you feel okay?" Gonzo inquired.

"Yeah," she replied weakly from his breast. "I do smell sausages? Could you bring me some? I feel hungry."

"You feel hungry? That's good!" he replied. "What about the rest? Are you really okay?"

"Better than the last few days. Was Dolores here?"

My eyes went wide hearing that. His answer came after some time.

"Yeah, she brought that bike!"

"Ah, next time she's here, call me, okay?"

"Sure! I'll head downstairs and make those sausages."

As he descended the stairs, he shot me a hushed question.

"What happened? Did you erase her memory?"

I shook my head and sighed.

"No, that might be some sort of side effect. I... may have been a bit too thorough in ensuring she's cleansed."

"You scared me to death! Is she okay now? And no more worms?"

I chuckled. "Not a trace of them. But, as I mentioned, it seems she might be developing into a caster. Please be aware that there are malevolent individuals out there tracking all casters."

He nodded as he fired up the grill. I shrugged.

"Can I take the old bike sometime?"

"Anytime!" he said, gesturing towards the bike.

I grinned, admiring its beauty. Slipping on my jacket, I pulled the bike closer. Oh yeah, baby!