Saturday, June 15, 2007 - 6:23 AM
San Francisco, California
“Yawn.” Charlotte stretched, blinking sleepily as she got ready for her day off. Yet, something felt… off. Her skin tingled, itchy in places, with sensations she’d never felt before.
"That's... weird," she muttered, shuffling to the bathroom. When she caught her reflection in the mirror, a shriek escaped her. "What happened to me?! Why do I have fur and... bunny ears?"
Turning around, she froze, noticing a fluffy tail. Her hand reached out, hesitantly brushing it. “Okay… the tail isn’t so bad.” She forced a half-hearted smile, but her eyes flicked back to her reflection, wide with disbelief.
"How did this even happen? And when?" Charlotte racked her brain, replaying yesterday’s events until one moment stood out—the vial of strange liquid that spilled on her. "Yeah, that has to be it… But can I even go back to normal?" She stared at herself, dread settling in.
Determined to return to normal, she sat down, closing her eyes and meditating, attempting everything she’d learned from yoga and training. But no matter how much she tried to relax or concentrate, nothing happened. Frustration seeped into her voice. “Ugh, why won’t it work? Am I doing something wrong? Fine, I'll just keep trying. It has to work eventually."
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Saturday, June 15, 2007 - 7:30 PM
San Francisco, California
Charlotte lay sprawled on her bedroom floor, panting as sweat clung to her fur-covered body. “I’ve spent… how many hours now?” She clenched her fist, her eyes twitching with irritation. "And I still can’t change back! What in the hell..."
Resigned, she muttered, "Whatever. I’ll just cover up." She rummaged through her closet, tugging on a long-sleeved sweater and pants, but paused. “How am I supposed to hide these ears and tail?” Her brow furrowed as she glanced at herself in the mirror, adjusting her hood to cover her ears. “I’ll just say they’re for show.”
At least her face, hands, and feet hadn’t transformed, or she’d have been out of luck. Sighing, she stepped outside, muttering, “Now… what should I do?”
Her stomach growled loudly in response. “Guess it’s food first.” Charlotte headed for the nearest Wendy’s, ignoring the curious looks as she strolled down the street.
Inside, the cashier barely looked up as she approached, sounding uninterested. “What is it that you want?”
Charlotte gave a polite smile despite the attitude and ordered her meal. She wasn’t about to let a little rudeness spoil her day, not after everything else. Taking her food to go, she munched on her burger while walking. “Some people are so rude for no reason,” she muttered, tossing the wrapper into a trash can.
Looking around, she sighed. “I had so many plans for today, only for them to be ruined…” She pouted, thinking of everything she’d wanted to do before her sudden transformation.
As she passed by various stands, one caught her eye. “Hello, sir, how much for those carrots?” she asked, eyeing the fresh produce.
“Oh, hello, young lady!” The old man at the stand beamed. “The carrots are fifty cents each, freshly grown. Would you like one?”
“Yes, I’ll take three.” She paid the man and walked away, but as she glanced down at the carrots, a thought crossed her mind. “Why did I buy these? I don’t even like carrots…” Yet, her mouth watered, and she felt an overwhelming urge to munch on them. Grimacing, she took a hesitant bite, muttering, “I take it back; this transformation is awful.”
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Sunday, June 16, 2007 - 12:00 PM
San Francisco, California - Golden Gate Park
“Today is such a nice day to relax at the park.” Charlotte lounged on a bench, nibbling a carrot. “Stupid carrots… but at least I’ve had an interesting past two days.” She recounted everything that had happened since yesterday—becoming a “bunny girl,” dealing with rude cashiers, and, much to her shock, discovering she had powers.
Flexing her arms, she looked at a nearby tree, her lips curving in a mischievous grin. Approaching it, she gripped the trunk and, with a quick twist, snapped it in half. “Super strength…”
Charlotte then leapt into the air, kicking off of nothing, practically soaring across the park. “Enhanced agility and super speed…” She sniffed, picking up faint scents around her. “I can smell people nearby—ten to the left, five to the right. Enhanced senses, too. And if that wasn’t enough…” She glanced at a tiny burn on her hand from earlier that had already healed. “Regeneration.”
She looked at her hands, a sense of purpose swelling in her chest. “Maybe… maybe I can make a difference. Maybe I can help others in need just as my hero helped me. I could be more than just… human.” She grinned, heart pounding with excitement at the thought of becoming a hero, someone others could rely on.
Just then, the sound of panicked screams reached her ears. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the commotion, arriving just in time to see a building engulfed in flames. People were trapped inside, desperately pounding on the windows for help.
“I have to do something!” Determination blazing in her eyes, she leapt through a top-floor window, ignoring the flames licking at her clothes. She moved with a swiftness that surprised even her, rescuing people one after another.
Is it my training? My gymnastics, my workouts? Or… these new powers? she wondered as she carried an elderly woman to safety. Within minutes, everyone had been rescued, and Charlotte quickly slipped away before anyone could catch a glimpse of her. She watched from a nearby rooftop, a sense of satisfaction in her heart.
Little did she know, someone had seen her—someone who could be friend or foe. Time would soon reveal which.
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Sunday, June 16, 2007 - 12:30 PM
San Francisco, California - Secret Laboratory
Charlotte sat hunched over her desk in the lab, trying to focus on her research when the door flew open.
“Heyyy, Char! How’s it going?” came a familiar, teasing voice.
Charlotte barely looked up as a pair of slender arms wrapped around her shoulders. “I’m fine, Lilith. What do you want?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Lilith whispered into her ear, her breath warm and unsettlingly close. “I just wanted to say… good job yesterday, saving those people.” Her tone was laced with mockery, making Charlotte tense up.
She forced a blank expression, trying to hide her shock. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lilith laughed, her fingers trailing up to Charlotte’s hat. With a swift tug, she pulled it off, exposing Charlotte’s bunny ears. “Ha! You can’t hide those.”
Curse this stupid form! Why can’t I change back? And why did I even come in today… oh right, the paycheck, Charlotte thought, her brow twitching in annoyance. “What do you want, Lilith?”
Lilith stepped back, eyeing Charlotte with a playful smirk. “I need your help with something. As you know, I’ve been researching dark energy and how to harness its power. And you, dear Charlotte… are the key to unlocking it.”
Lilith stands at 5'9" with a slender yet toned build, graceful curves, and long, lean legs. Her skin is smooth and pale, complementing her piercing lavender eyes. Jet-black hair cascades down her back in a glossy, wavy mane, ending just above her hips. Her face is strikingly symmetrical, with high cheekbones, darkly painted lips, and arched brows that give her an intense, mysterious look.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
She wears a sleeveless, dark gray high-neck crop top with a subtle glossy sheen, revealing a hint of her toned abdomen. High-waisted, fitted black pants with reinforced sections on the thighs and knees enhance durability, while subtle violet stitching adds to her sleek, shadowy appearance. Dark, low-heeled ankle boots with silver buckles and magnetic soles provide stability. Slim, fingerless black gloves embedded with dark energy sensors cover her hands, and a silver chain belt around her hips holds small vials and tools. A single earring dangles, with a shard of crystal catching the light.
Her outfit is completed by a midnight-black lab coat with a faint, iridescent purple shimmer. The coat is tailored to fit snugly at her waist, with silver, shadow-patterned stitching along the edges. It reaches mid-thigh, with a back slit for easy movement, and its high, dramatic collar frames her face. The sleeves are lined with silver conduits that spark with faint purple energy, giving her an aura of quiet menace.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “What makes you think I can help you?”
Lilith’s eyes sparkled with a dangerous glint. “Because your specialty is giving people abilities, and I intend to gain power like yours.” She took a step closer, her lavender eyes gleaming with dark intent. “Help me, and it could be mutually beneficial.”
“Lilith, I work with animal DNA and enhancements, not… whatever dark energy you’re messing with,” Charlotte replied flatly. “I can’t help you.”
“Oh, you can, and you will.” Lilith’s smile turned sinister. “If you refuse… I’ll tell everyone about your little ‘bunny’ powers. You’d be perfect for experimentation, don’t you think?”
Charlotte's blood ran cold. “You wouldn’t…”
“Oh, but I would. So, either help me out, or watch as I turn your life upside down. The choice is yours.”
Charlotte's shoulders slumped, defeat washing over her. She knew Lilith was serious; the woman took too much pleasure in manipulation to bluff. “…Fine. I’ll help, but there’s not much I can do.”
Lilith grinned triumphantly, spinning on her heel. “Good girl. Now, follow me, Char.” She strode out of the lab, Charlotte trailing behind, resignation etched into every step.
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Sunday, June 16, 2007, 12:30 PM
San Francisco, California - Lilith's Secret Lab
"I’ll say this once: I do not like you, and don’t blame me if this doesn’t work," Charlotte says, arms crossed.
"Just get to work, Char," Lilith snaps, dropping into a nearby chair. "This is the Eclipse Core. It's designed to function as a Dark Energy Resonator, harnessing and amplifying dark energy to manipulate shadows, distort space, and bend matter. At its core, it taps into shadow particles, elusive subatomic entities that exist in parallel with visible matter. These particles absorb light and heat, generating fields of tangible darkness. The Core’s main goal is to refine these particles into ‘Dark Constructs’—weapons, barriers, or mobile shadows under my control. I need you to get it to transfer that power to a host."
Charlotte sighs, looking over the machine. "This is a lot to process. I’ll need time, so sit tight and look pretty." She gets to work tinkering with the Core.
The Eclipse Core is a towering, cylindrical machine of polished metal with an eerie, iridescent sheen, stretching three stories high. At its center, a large crystalline sphere rotates within a cradle of magnetized black metal arms, suspended by swirling dark energy. Intricate conduits channel the energy through glowing circuits etched along its walls, with control panels and dim purple and blue lights at the base. Above, mechanical arms and cables feed energy into the core, like pulsing veins. When active, the Core hums with an ominous, low-frequency vibration, filling the air with a charged, oppressive energy.
Hours pass, with Charlotte making adjustments. "Almost done. I’ve rerouted the energy to project outward rather than inward. Now I need to create a device to transfer the energy to a host," she says, glancing at Lilith. "But what is this dark energy, exactly?"
"All you need to know is that it’s unlike anything normal. Think of it as antimatter, theorized to exist within the unseen spectrum—opposite of conventional energy. It’s inherently unstable, with entropy-increasing properties. It destabilizes whatever it contacts, breaking atomic bonds, leeching heat, removing light, and distorting physical spaces."
Charlotte frowns. "Isn’t that, I don’t know, extremely dangerous? The human body won’t survive that kind of power."
"Just finish the machine. I’ll decide what’s dangerous. Don’t ruin what I’ve been working on for years."
Grumbling, Charlotte completes the final touches. "Done. Now, get over here." She straps Lilith to the machine and activates it. The Core hums ominously, its vibration deepening as the air grows even heavier. "I still don’t think this is a good idea, but since you won’t listen—good luck."
The Eclipse Core activates, transferring dark energy into Lilith. All seems stable until the machine’s hum intensifies, the core spinning faster and shaking violently.
"Is this supposed to happen? Let’s shut it down," Charlotte urges.
"No! Don’t stop it until I say so!" Lilith yells.
"90% complete… almost there," Charlotte mutters, her eyes on the panel. "Wait—something’s wrong! Get out of there, Lilith!" She tries to pull her back, but shadows form a protective barrier, flinging Charlotte back.
"Just great. I knew this would happen."
At 99%, the machine malfunctions, exploding in a condensed burst of dark energy that fires off in all directions.
"This much dark energy released into the atmosphere—it’s deadly. I need to shut it down now." Charlotte steadies herself, leaping toward the machine and smashing it to pieces before it hits 100%.
Rushing to Lilith, who lies motionless on the floor, she lightly taps her cheek. "Lilith, are you alright? Speak to me."
Lilith stirs, opening her eyes—now hypnotically glowing—and her skin faintly shimmering blue. "I’m alrigh—Aaughh!" She screams as her body begins disintegrating atom by atom, turning into shadows. The pain forces her unconscious, though she remains aware of the agony.
Charlotte jumps back, watching in horror as her hand begins to disintegrate from contact with Lilith’s shadows. "It’s breaking me down to atoms too. She won’t survive this, but what can I do?"
“Now that is not good. This much energy floating in the air is bad. With its negative properties, all wildlife will die. I have to stop the machine now,” Charlotte declared, determination sharpening her features. She anchored her feet into the ground for stability, then propelled herself towards the Eclipse Core, delivering a powerful punch that shattered the machine's structure.
Just before the machine’s destruction, the Eclipse Core hit 100%.
Charlotte dashed over to Lilith, who lay sprawled on the floor. “Are you alright, Lilith? Speak to me,” she urged, lightly tapping Lilith’s cheek in an attempt to rouse her.
“Ugh, what happened?” Lilith groaned, her eyes fluttering open to reveal a hypnotic glow, while her skin began to emanate a faint blue hue. “I’m alri—Auggghhhhh!” She screamed in agony as her body disintegrated atom by atom, each fragment turning into shadow. The pain was unbearable, causing her to lose consciousness, but even in the depths of her darkness, she could feel the torment.
Charlotte instinctively stepped back as shadows coiled around her hand, beginning to disintegrate it. “What the hell is this? It’s breaking my hand down to its atoms! This is not good; if this continues, I don’t think she will survive. What can I do?” Panic surged through her.
Suddenly, Lilith’s eyes shot open, fixing onto Charlotte’s striking blue gaze. “This is all your fault! The reason I’m like this, the reason I’m in pain—it's your fault! My dream is ruined! I’ll kill you!” Lilith extended her hand, unleashing tendrils of shadow that darted towards Charlotte. With agility, Charlotte leaped into the air, dodging the attack. “Not so fast!” she retorted, redirecting the shadows upwards. “Got you, Char!”
“Think again!” Charlotte launched herself, bouncing off the air at high speeds while throwing a carrot that disintegrated upon contact with Lilith’s body. “This is not looking good. How many times am I going to say that today?”
“How about until you’re dead?” Lilith spat, pressing her hands against the ground. Instantly, shadows began to envelop the room. “There’s nowhere for you to escape now, Char. Time for you to die!” As Lilith wielded her dark powers, her own body destabilized rapidly, her form disintegrating at an alarming rate.
“I can’t touch the ground or I’m done for,” Charlotte thought desperately, propelling herself through the air. “There’s no way I can defeat her, and I can’t escape…”
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her mind, cutting through the chaos. “I did not save you just for you to get yourself killed.”
“That voice… it can’t be… can it? My hero?” Charlotte glanced around, searching for the source.
“I’m beside you,” Paradox announced, floating nearby with an expression of disinterest. “How did you get yourself into this mess?”
“Well, it’s funny actually; it’s a very long story. It all started when—”
“Don’t care. Now let’s get out of here because I am not dealing with this,” he interrupted, grabbing her arm just as multiple cloud-like shadows surged toward them.
“I don’t know who you are, but you are not leaving!” Lilith declared, her voice dripping with menace.
“One, I am leaving, and two, do not ever tell me what to do,” Paradox shot back, unfazed as the shadows passed through them harmlessly. With a swift motion, he brandished his Omni Scythe. “Now here’s a parting gift.” In a single swing, he cut through space, severing Lilith’s head with a smirk. “Die faster.”
Before Charlotte could react, Paradox teleported them away, reappearing in Golden Gate Park.
“Thank you, my hero!” Charlotte exclaimed, only to find Paradox already gone, leaving behind a letter that read: Next time stay out of trouble; I’m not going to save you again. Also, I have something big planned in the future, so be ready.
Charlotte’s heart raced. “Something planned in the future? Could it be a proposal? I’m not ready!” She felt her cheeks flush as she quickly shook off the thought and headed home, her mind swirling with worries about her co-worker Lilith and the cataclysmic events that had just transpired.