“I guess leg day is cancelled—permanently,” Vivienne quipped, sprawled on the dirt like a toppled marionette.

“Leg day?” Rava asked, raising an eyebrow as she tried to catch her breath.

“It’s funny to me, and that’s all that matters,” Vivienne mumbled, the bitterness in her voice undercutting the joke. She rolled her shoulders experimentally, her shadowy form flickering weakly. “Anyway, I’m a bit… stuck here. Whatever that oversized clock was, it did something to me. Like my body’s fallen asleep, but, you know, also not there anymore. Like it made my body more structured.”

Rava groaned, dragging herself into a sitting position. “Great. So, not only do I have to deal with the fallout of saving both our hides, but I’ve also got to figure out how to carry your legless arse through a forest crawling with who knows what. Fabulous.”

Vivienne smirked, sharp and crooked. “You’re welcome, by the way. For the entertainment.”

Rava muttered something under her breath, but her focus quickly shifted as her eyes roved over the battlefield. Sparks still sputtered from the Arbiter’s remains, its fractured core flickering weakly amidst the debris.

“What do you mean it’s ‘structuring’ your body?” Rava asked after a moment, her tone more serious.

Vivienne frowned, her dark eyes narrowing. “It’s hard to explain. My form—whatever it is now—it’s supposed to be malleable. Like clay. But after that thing hacked me apart, it feels like I’m stuck in this… shape. Like someone’s gone and locked all the doors and thrown away the key.”

“Wonderful. That sounds very… fixable,” Rava deadpanned.

“Actually, I think it is,” Vivienne said, her tone almost casual despite the grim situation. She flexed her fingers experimentally, watching as faint wisps of shadow began to stitch along the edges of her severed limbs. “My body’s slowly pushing back against whatever that thing did to me. That being said…” Her eyes glinted hungrily as she glanced toward the Arbiter’s shattered remains. “I didn’t finish off those spiders earlier. Maybe absorbing them would help.”

Rava’s ears twitched, her tone half-exasperated as she folded her arms. “Are you saying that because it would actually help, or because you’re hungry?”

Vivienne smirked, baring her sharp teeth as she leaned back against the dirt with exaggerated ease. “It can be both. I did lose a lot in that fight, after all. Legs, an arm... a perfectly good outfit.” She let out a dramatic sigh, shaking her head. “Honestly, the universe owes me a snack.”

“Well,” Rava muttered, her shoulders sagging as she slumped onto the ground, “be my guest. I can’t exactly move right now.”

Vivienne snapped her head toward the lekine, her predatory grin fading. “What? What do you mean you can’t move?”

Rava winced, resting her head back against the charred grass. “Used an empowerment that’s more of a last resort. Every muscle in my body feels like it’s been set on fire and pounded with hammers. The aether’s still surging through me—I’m trying to discharge the excess, but it’s slow going.”

“You mean to tell me,” Vivienne said, her voice dry with disbelief, “that my backup plan, my unshakable knight lacking in armour, is completely out of commission right now?”

“Yes,” Rava replied simply, her tone flat but unapologetic.

“Right. Fair enough.” Vivienne exhaled sharply, then began dragging herself through the grass and dirt, her clawed hands digging into the soil as she pulled her half-formed body toward the forest.

“Where are you even going?” Rava called after her.

“To refuel,” Vivienne shot back without looking. “Unless you’ve got a better idea, Lady Lightning?”

Rava muttered something under her breath but didn’t argue.

When she started crawling toward the half-consumed pile of corpses she’d left behind, Vivienne’s ears twitched at the sound of a high-pitched yelp. Her head snapped toward the noise, her glowing eyes narrowing.

The boy—Taron—was peeking out from behind a tree, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at her. His face was pale, his body trembling, and he clutched a crude wooden staff like it might somehow protect him.

Vivienne froze, her claw sinking into the dirt. “Well, hello there,” she said, her voice low and soothing despite the monstrous grin spreading across her face. “Didn’t expect to see you wandering around here, little lamb.”

Taron flinched, pressing himself tighter against the tree. “D-Don’t come any closer!” he stammered, his voice shaky but defiant.

Vivienne tilted her head, the grin softening into something almost bemused. “I’m not going to hurt you, kid.” She glanced down at her mangled, shadow-wreathed body, then gave a hollow laugh. “Okay, maybe I look like I might, but trust me—I’ve got bigger problems right now.”

“Like dragging your sorry self back here when you're done so you can carry me home,” Rava’s voice cut through the clearing, sharp but strained. “What’s going on over there?”

“Found the missing boy,” Vivienne called back, her tone bright with mock cheer. “And he’s acting adorably—if a bit skittish.”

Taron’s grip on his staff tightened. “Stay away! You’re one of them, aren’t you? One of the monsters!”

“Monsters?” Vivienne scoffed, placing a hand over what might once have been her heart. “That’s hurtful, truly. I helped to save your life, you know.”

“You… you ate them!” Taron accused, pointing toward the pile of half-devoured spider corpses.

Vivienne blinked, glancing back at the remains, then at him. “Oh. That.” She shrugged, an unsettlingly casual gesture. “Well, I needed the energy. It’s a survival thing. You eat bread, I eat monsters—it’s all very balanced if you think about it.”

“You’re not normal,” Taron whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Kid,” Vivienne replied, her smirk returning. “I think we passed ‘not normal’ a long time ago.”

Behind her, Rava groaned and forced herself to sit up slightly. “Viv, maybe tone down the terrifying predator act? He’s a kid, not a spider.”

“Fine, fine,” Vivienne muttered, raising her remaining claw in mock surrender. She dragged herself a little closer to the boy, her tone dropping into something almost gentle—almost. “Listen, Taron, is it? You don’t have to be afraid of me. My friend back there would be very upset if I so much as scratched you, and I prefer to stay on her good side. Trust me, it’s better for everyone.”

Taron blinked, his grip on the staff still white-knuckled, but the terror in his eyes shifted into wary confusion.

“Now,” Vivienne continued, her claw gesturing lazily toward the pile of corpses nearby, “if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some monsters to eat. Once I’ve done that, I’ll be very happy to escort you back to your mum.”

Her sharp-toothed grin returned, though she quickly turned away, sparing the boy her full predatory stare. The whimpering that escaped him as she dragged herself toward the pile made her wince internally, but she ignored it. There were priorities, and right now, hers involved recovering enough strength to stand.

Am I really going to resort to eating half-eaten corpses? she thought, pausing briefly before letting out a resigned sigh. Yes. The other half was eaten by me, so that makes it okay… right?

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With a deliberate motion, Vivienne extended her claw toward the largest of the spider-like creatures, wrapping her elongated fingers around its mangled remains. Her claw closed around the corpse like a vice, and with a flick of her wrist, she brought it to her mouth.

In one fluid motion, she dropped the creature into her jagged maw, biting down with a sickening crunch that echoed in the otherwise quiet forest.

Her form convulsed again, shivering as aetheric energy surged through her, igniting sparks along the jagged edges of her shadowy body. Strength returned in waves, her severed limbs rippling as though something unseen strained to rebuild them. The faint glow in her eyes brightened with every pulse of energy, even as fractured memories—foreign lives and alien instincts—poured into her mind like a deluge.

But she was learning. She pushed the memories aside, banishing them to the periphery of her consciousness. Not now. She needed focus, not someone else’s dying screams or fractured remnants of who they’d been.

The chaos was coming back.

Every corpse she consumed broke the Arbiter’s hold over her body a little more. The rigidity, the unnatural structuring that locked her form in place, was loosening, disintegrating. Her amorphous body twisted and reasserted itself with every bite. Her claws flexed, her frame expanding and contracting with the liquid ease of something primordial.

The flavour was an unexpected bonus. She tilted her head, her sharp teeth tearing through the thorax of a particularly bulbous spider, savouring the bizarrely pleasant combination of surf and turf.

“This might be the weirdest meal I’ve ever had,” she muttered, licking a smear of ichor from her claw, “but at least it’s... versatile?”

From behind her, Rava’s voice was sharp but strained. “I think I’d prefer to starve than eat those... things.”

“Good thing it’s not on your menu,” Vivienne quipped, her grin sharpening as she grabbed another spider, this one smaller and charred. “Honestly, it tastes better than that meal we had with your dearest mother. No offence.”

Rava blinked, her ears twitching in mock indignation. “Wait, you didn’t like it? You ate enough to feed the table twice over!”

Vivienne swallowed down the spider in one bite, wiping a smear of ichor from her chin. “Oh, it was fine, but it lacked... depth. Most of the flavour had been cooked out of the meat. Now, the fruit? That still had plenty of aether left, so points for that.”

Rava’s tail flicked, her tone dry. “Noted. Next time, I’ll tell my mother you’d prefer raw and wriggling.”

“I appreciate it.” Hummed Vivienne.

Taron, still cowering behind the tree, watched with a mix of horror and awe as she devoured another creature whole. “You’re really... eating them. Like... all of them?”

Vivienne turned, the faint glow in her eyes sharpening as she tilted her head toward him. “Taron, my dear traumatised lad, I’ve already committed to this path. It would be rude to stop now.”

“Rude to... who?” Asked the young boy.

“Why, monster etiquette of course!”

Taron blinked, confusion written all over his face. “Monster etiquette?”

Vivienne nodded solemnly, a mischievous glint dancing in her glowing eyes. “Of course. I’m a very polite monster, you know. All about maintaining a certain... je ne sais quoi while devouring one’s enemies.”

Taron stared at her, his mouth slightly open, clearly uncertain whether to laugh or cry. “That doesn’t even make sense,” he finally muttered.

“Perfect,” Vivienne replied with a smirk, finishing off the last spider with an almost casual flick of her claw. The remnants of her monstrous meal disappeared into her maw, and she let out a low, rumbling sigh as the final traces of rigidity melted away. Energy coursed through her like a storm breaking free of its restraints, and her form began to shift once more. The jagged, towering nightmare smoothed and shrank into something smaller, softer, and—if one squinted—marginally more human.

With her dress entirely in tatters, Vivienne’s curvaceous form shimmered under the pale light of the moons, her shadowy essence twisting faintly as if it relished the freedom. She stretched with a contented sigh, her sharp teeth flashing in a relaxed smile. “Ah, but I feel so much more comfortable like this,” she murmured, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

The moment of indulgence didn’t last. She caught sight of Taron, who was staring at her with a mix of confusion and something perilously close to mortified curiosity. Realisation hit her like a splash of cold water. Oh, right. The kid.

Vivienne’s grin faltered, and she grumbled under her breath, “And here I was, finally enjoying myself.” With a reluctant sigh, her form shimmered and shifted, the alluring lines of her figure fading as her body darkened and coiled. Her monstrous revenant form returned—a shape more jagged, more intimidating, and decidedly less exposed.

“Better?” she asked, her hollow eyes flicking toward Taron.

The boy blinked rapidly, his face bright red. “Uh... yeah. Definitely better.”

“Good,” she muttered, her tone both annoyed and amused. She gave one last glance at the moonlit clearing, her earlier comfort already a fading memory.

Vivienne approached Rava, her steps purposeful but gentle as she gazed down at the warrior’s exhausted form. “I’ll look around for any clues and anything useful, then I’ll carry you home. No reason for you to limp about when I can do the heavy lifting.”

Rava gave a soft grunt of acknowledgement, her chest rising and falling heavily. “Most of them fled when I attacked, but a few are dead. Might be worth searching through their remains.”

Vivienne surveyed the battlefield, the carnage scattered across the area. There was a distinct scent of aether in the air, mixed with the sharp tang of metal and blood. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the wreckage. Rava had let most of the cloaked figures escape, but the ones who had died here could still hold secrets. The wreckage of armour, the broken weapons... they could all tell a story.

She moved closer to a pile of discarded equipment, kneeling carefully beside it. Almost everything that could be used as identification was either damaged or just entirely absent. One item caught her eye—an ornate piece of metalwork, partially melted, but its craftsmanship still evident. She grabbed it with her lone claw and floated over to her friend. “Hey Rava, what’s this sigil?”

Rava turned her head sluggishly, her expression shifting to one of sharp disgust as her eyes focused on the sigil Vivienne held. “That,” she said, voice dripping with disdain, “is the emblem of High Priest Kaelen Varis’ personal sect. Judging by the design, it’s for the lower ranks.”

Vivienne tilted her head, her eerie glow dimming slightly as she regarded the object. “Kaelen Varis… He’s the one you were sent after, right?”

Rava gave a shallow nod. “And failed.” Her jaw tightened briefly before she let out a frustrated breath. “But what are his priests and priestesses doing out here? And how in all the gods’ names did they get past the alarm wards?”

“Alarm wards?” Vivienne asked, her claw turning the sigil over thoughtfully.

“Yeah,” Rava said, her tone laced with irritation. “They’re placed along the borders of clan territory to alert us to intruders. Those guards we saved were probably investigating you, but since you were with me, they must’ve decided not to act. That also explains why my mother was expecting us.”

“I see.” Vivienne’s toothy grin spread wide, her sharp features playful despite the sinister edge they carried. “Well then, shall we return this poor lad to his mother and head back to finish the thrilling lecture I’m sure your mother has prepared?”

“Please,” Rava muttered, her exhaustion seeping into her voice. “The sooner the better.”

With a hum of acknowledgment, Vivienne tucked the sigil into one of the folds of Rava’s clothing for safekeeping. Then, with surprising tenderness, she slid her claw and her stump under Rava and hoisted her into her arms. She adjusted her grip, careful not to jostle her too much, though the awkwardness of her missing limb made it less than elegant.

Vivienne’s gravelly voice rang out. “Taron!” she called, her sharp tone cutting through the night air. “Time to get you home, darling.”

The boy hesitated, still wary of Vivienne’s monstrous form, but when she turned her glowing eyes toward him, he quickly scampered to follow.

As they trudged through the dense forest, the air heavy with the mingled scents of damp earth and aetheric residue, Taron kept stealing glances at Vivienne. His shoulders remained tense, his steps careful, as though expecting her to pounce at any moment. But as the trees thinned and the warm glow of lantern light spilled into the clearing ahead, his entire posture shifted.

Taron let out a breath of relief, his tension evaporating in an instant. Without another word, he broke into a sprint, feet pounding against the dirt path as he bolted toward the comforting familiarity of home.

Vivienne watched him with an amused smirk, her sharp eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “Well, that’s gratitude for you. Not even a ‘thank you’ for saving him from a pack of nightmare beasts.”

The warm, golden light spilling from the farmhouse windows flickered in the night, a beacon of safety against the encroaching darkness. The faint scent of hay and livestock mingled with the damp earth, carrying with it a sense of calm that stood in stark contrast to the tension of the forest they’d just left behind.

As Vivienne approached the farmhouse, the door swung open, and Leda stepped out, her face pale and tense. Relief washed over her features as her eyes landed on Rava, though it was quickly overshadowed by concern. Her gaze shifted to Taron, and without a word, she pulled him into a fierce hug, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly as if to assure herself he was real.

“You’re alive,” she breathed, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and irritation.

Taron mumbled something indistinct, burying his face in her shoulder, while Leda’s sharp eyes flicked to Vivienne. The moment stretched in wary silence as she took in the towering, monstrous figure holding Rava firmly.

“Thank you,” Leda said at last, her voice careful but genuine. “For bringing my boy back.”

Vivienne’s sharp grin spread wide, a glint of mischief in her glowing eyes. “It was either that or let him keep screaming in the woods. I figured you might appreciate the former.”