Finally, the chase led her to the entrance of an abandoned restaurant. The building's facade looked heavily damaged. Its windows were dirty and cracked, offering a glimpse into the dark interior. Vines and moss covered much of the exterior walls, and the door hung slightly ajar, creaking softly as the mist moved around them.

Upon entering the restaurant, Maya was immediately struck by the stuffy smell of dust and mildew in the air. Wasn't quite as bad as the stench in the village, but still far from pleasant. The place was a mess, with many tables and chairs scattered and overturned.

As Maya looked around some more, she noticed movement in a corner of the room. She moved closer and found a group of cats, including the black cat she had been chasing, all loitering around as if they owned the place.

A ginger tabby with a missing ear came forward to greet her first, rubbing against her legs with a purr; while a plump white cat with spots of black lazily opened one eye before resuming its nap. The black cat she had followed seemed to be the unofficial leader, receiving occasional nuzzles and licks from the others. As Maya sat down, they all came to her, their tails flicking in contentment as she stroked their fur and played with them.

Her moment of peace was abruptly interrupted by a voice, "Enjoying yourself?"

Startled, Maya jolted back and turned to find the source of the voice. She saw a wind elemental in another corner: lying amidst another group of cats. Her green skin was marred with patches of gray, and her wings were limp and ineffective by her sides.

"Who are you?" Maya asked.

The Wind Elemental let out a small cough before replying, "Sylph, you?"

"Maya," she replied, her eyes narrowing in concern.

"Is there something interesting on my face?" Sylph asked.

"N-no, but you don't look good." Maya said.

Sylph chuckled weakly. "That's one way to put it."

Maya stood up, taking care to let down the cats near her onto the floor first. She then approached Sylph and sat down nearby. "How long have you been here?"

A weak smile tugged at Sylph's lips. "A week or so, not sure."

"Is there anything I could get you?"

"Don't bother, I'm dying soon anyway."

"Oh…sorry."

"Eh, I've just accepted it at this point."

"Oh, I…see." Maya paused and looked down, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Why so quiet?" Sylph asked.

"No, it's just... I don't know what to say," Maya admitted.

Sylph chuckled lightly and began to gently pet a familiar ginger tabby on her lap. "This girl's name is Sparkle."

Maya managed a small smile, reaching out to gently rub Sparkle's remaining ear. "She's cute."

"The cats-" Sylph began, only to be interrupted by a violent coughing fit that racked her body.

Maya moved closer to support the wind elemental. "Easy, easy," she soothed, helping Sylph lean back against the wall to ease her breathing.

"Thank you," Sylph said.

"It's nothing," Maya replied.

.

After a moment of silence, Sylph sighed deeply. "You wanna know how I got here?"

Maya nodded. "If you don't mind sharing,"

"I wasn't originally from the Tower; I'm only here because the guy who summoned me dragged me along with him and his party."

"Wait, so what happened to the party?"

"They left me."

"But…why?"

"Probably thought I was too weak."

"Wow."

"I'm not too surprised; the Tower changes people."

"Maybe, but that's no excuse for leaving an ally behind."

As Sylph gently rubbed another cat's head, she turned her gaze to Maya and asked, "Were you left behind too?"

Maya jolted slightly. "Sorry?"

"You're alone, so I figured...you know."

Maya sighed. "Fair enough, I guess; but no, I came in alone."

Sylph chuckled weakly. "Better alone from the start than left behind."

"Maybe."

Suddenly, Sylph looked directly at Maya. "The group I went with mentioned something about a cathedral; might want to check that out if you want to leave this floor."

"I'll check it out when I can." Maya replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sylph said.

Maya scanned the room, taking in the sight of the cats before her eyes settled back on Sylph. "I...can't just leave you here."

Sylph let out a bittersweet smile. "Are you seriously going to take me with you through the Tower?"

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Maya fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor as the weight of the situation settled in.

The Wind Elemental breathed out a deep sigh. "Thought so."

Maya's gaze lingered on the graying patches of Sylph's skin, a visible sign of her weakening state. "How did you end up like this?"

Sylph raised her left hand, now mostly gray, "Just what happens when a Wind Elemental is close to death; happens when we overexert ourselves too much."

"Is there really nothing we can do?"

"Not unless you can find me another wind elemental."

Maya's eyes widened. "Can you explain?"

Sylph looked down, her attention momentarily captured by the cats she gently petted. "Having another wind elemental won't cure me, but they can help me by returning me to the wind."

"Oh, doesn't that mean you'll still...die?"

Sylph nodded, her expression somber. "At least it'll be quick and painless."

After a moment of contemplation, Maya took a deep breath and spoke. "I think I can help."

"How?"

Maya raised a finger. "I can transform into a wind elemental, probably."

Sylph tilted her head. "You're serious?"

With a nod, Maya leaned in slightly closer. "I'm serious; my class allows me to transform into certain creatures I see."

"So, your idea is to transform into me."

"Yep."

"You're sure you won't also become sick?" Sylph asked.

Maya shrugged. "One way to find out."

Sylph paused, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the cats nearby, a gesture of contemplation.

After a moment, she took a breath and looked at Maya. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to," Maya replied bluntly.

"Alright, so transform then."

"I...need to know enough information about the creature I want to transform into first."

"O...kay, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your abilities and what you're capable of."

"Uh, sure. I can fly, and my signature ability is [Whirlwind]."

"Can you explain [Whirlwind] to me?"

"It's not that amazing really; just a strong wind blast that moves around in funnel-like shape."

Maya nodded and began to stand up. "I'll give it a shot now."

Sylph smirked and said, "Go nuts."

Focusing her attention on Sylph, Maya activated [Copycat]. The air around her seemed to respond, humming with anticipation.

Then, notifications appeared before her eyes.

[Target identified: Wind Elemental]

[Knowledge threshold sufficient]

[Displaying status]

Level: 8

Physique: 1

Dexterity: 4

Magic: 3

Unique Skill: Whirlwind

[Initiating transformation]

The transformation began subtly at first, a gentle gust of wind swirled around Maya and gradually picked up speed. Her feet lifted off the ground as her body became lighter, almost ethereal. A tingling sensation enveloped her, reminiscent of a thousand soft feathers brushing against her skin. Soon, her human form dissolved, morphing into a being composed entirely of air and energy.

Her arms transformed into wispy tendrils of wind, while her legs became a swirling vortex anchoring her to the earth. Her skin adopted a translucent quality, shimmering with a soft light blue hue that mirrored the color of Sylph's eyes.

[Copycat successful]

[Tier 1 form unlocked: Wind Elemental]

[Upgrade sequence completed]

[Updating status]

Level: 9

Physique: 1

Dexterity: 5

Magic: 3

Unique Skill: Whirlwind

As Maya completed her transformation, Sylph gasped. "You…look just like me."

Maya hovered slightly above the ground and marveled at her new form. "I feel really light."

Sylph laughed and pointed at Maya's head. "Be careful, Sparkle is on top of you."

Curious, Maya reached up to feel her head, her fingers brushing against something soft and fluffy. Realizing Sparkle had made herself comfortable on her head., Maya gently lowered herself to the ground and sat down. She carefully picked up the cat from her head, holding her in front of her with a gentle grasp.

"Try releasing a small gust of wind in front of Sparkle, she likes it," Sylph suggested.

Maya nodded, then blew a gentle gust of wind with her mouth onto Sparkle's face. The cat purred and squirmed around a bit, clearly enjoying the sensation. After the brief moment of play, Maya put Sparkle down, and the cat proceeded to nuzzle against her leg.

After letting out a brief chuckle, Maya turned to look at Sylph again. "So, what do I do now?"

"I'm going to close my eyes, and you're going to put a hand on my head afterwards."

"Okay, anything else?"

Sylph shook her head and gently closed her eyes. "I'll take care of things after."

Carefully, Maya placed her right hand on Sylph's head. "Is this good?"

"Yep, now just wait."

At first, nothing happened, and Maya wondered if she had done something wrong. But then, a bright greenish light began to emanate from where her hand touched Sylph's head, rapidly spreading throughout Sylph's body. The light grew so bright that Maya had to shield her eyes with her left hand.

Despite the glare, Maya watched as Sylph's entire body began to glow intensely. Then, gradually, the Wind Elemental's form started to dissipate into particles, beginning from her legs and moving upwards, as if she was being carried away by the wind.

Just as Sylph was about to vanish completely, she managed to say, "Thank you."

Sylph vanished entirely, leaving Maya alone with the cats in the abandoned restaurant. For a moment, the Shapestealer fell silent. The weight of the moment hung heavily in the air.

The familiar meows of the cats around her snapped Maya out of her trance. She looked down at them, noticing their subdued behavior. They were a lot less playful now, perhaps even they knew what just happened.

But then, the quiet moment was shattered by loud shrieks in the distance. Maya tensed, recognizing the sounds as those she presumed came from the gargoyles, whatever those creatures actually were.

Maya let out a bittersweet smile and gently petted a few of them. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to go too."

***

After saying her goodbyes to the cats, Maya left the restaurant and took off into the sky. She flew through the dense mist that enveloped the city, going higher in search of clearer skies.

Yet, the mist was a lot thicker than she expected. It obscured her vision and made it difficult to navigate. Even the taller buildings were hard to see, and the streets seemed reduced to faint lines.

Straining her senses, Maya tried to listen for the screeching she had heard earlier, hoping that sound would guide her where sight could not. After circling back to the city square, Maya finally caught the faint echoes of the shrieks far to her right.

The Shapestealer immediately turned and flew towards the source of the shrieks. As she flew closer to the source of the unsettling shrieks, faint figures began to emerge from the blanket of mist, swooping from the skies and descending toward the ground.

Seeing this, Maya slowed her approach, using the dense mist to conceal her presence. Eventually, she found a vantage point on a rooftop near the source of the commotion.

She walked silently to the edge and looked down onto the streets. She saw five stony gargoyles who were feasting on the corpses of the three black clothed adventurers she had encountered earlier.

The gargoyles had skin that seemed chiseled from stone, with wings that unfurled like leathery cloaks. Their claws and teeth were sharp and their eyes glowed with a malevolent yellowish light.

Though there was a part of Maya that wanted to fight off the gargoyles. She decided against it for now; there wasn't much reason to pick fights that might not lead to anything. Instead, the Shapestealer decided to try and find the cathedral that Sylph had mentioned before.

Maya turned back and flew through the city again, her form slicing through the mist as she flew between and over buildings. Eventually, Maya caught sight of a large structure that stood out even through the thickness of the mist.

She slowed down and came to a stop in front of it. The building before her was unmistakably the cathedral Sylph had mentioned. It was magnificently large, decorated with sun motifs and fiery designs that seemed to flicker to life from time to time. A pair of massive black doors stared Maya down, almost as if taunting her with their presence.

The Shapestealer felt a chill run down her spine, partially due to the cold, partially due to the odd aura she was getting from the cathedral. She approached the cathedral's doors and extended her hands towards the heavy wooden doors, attempting to push them open.

However, no matter how much she tried, the doors remained shut. Frustrated, Maya flew backwards and hovered in the air, thinking to herself. She guessed that the doors likely required a specific key; the only question was where she could find one. Resolved to find the key, she took off back into the skies.