*In the beginning, when the world was still young and the skies were untamed, there existed a legend known to only a few. It was the tale of the 5 Birds, celestial beings created to safeguard the realms and maintain the balance of nature. These five majestic creatures were revered and feared, their power unmatched and their wisdom boundless.

Divine Owl Sagea, soared above the highest peaks, her golden wings casting a protective shadow over the lands below. She embodied courage and strength, always the first to confront any threat to their world. She was the leader of the 5 celestial birds.

Nocturne, the Raven of Secrets, dwelled in the shadows, his black feathers blending with the night. Keeper of ancient knowledge and hidden truths, he was a master of dark magic, using his powers to protect the innocent and punish the wicked.

Zephyra, the Falcon of Speed, raced with the wind, her silver feathers shimmering in the sunlight. She was swift and agile, a messenger of the gods and a symbol of freedom, her presence a harbinger of hope.

Seraphina, the Swan of Serenity, glided gracefully over tranquil waters, her pure white feathers reflecting her inner peace. She brought harmony and healing, soothing the hearts of those in turmoil and restoring balance to the land.

Pyra, the Phoenix of Rebirth, burned with an eternal flame, his fiery plumage a beacon of renewal and transformation. From the ashes of destruction, she rose again and again, a testament to the power of resilience and the promise of a new beginning.

These five were the Pentad of Protectors, united by their mission to defend the world from the forces of darkness. Their greatest challenge came in the form of the Shadow Flock, a sinister group intent on plunging the realms into chaos and despair.

The Celestial Birds fought valiantly, but the battle was fierce and unforgiving. One by one, they fell, their spirits lingering in the hopes that one day, successors would rise to continue their legacy. The world was left vulnerable, waiting for the day when the celestial Birds would return to restore peace and order.*

Consciousness returned slowly, through a haze of pain and confusion. I kept my eyes shut tight against a dull green light filtering through the lids. Every muscle ached as if I'd fallen from a great height. The sun glistened on my ebony skin and leaves fell out of my messy hair.

"Where... where am I?" I attempted to ask myself, but nothing came out except a hoot. "What happened to my voice?!" It seemed I couldn't talk, only hoot.

Fallen...the memory came rushing back in a flood. The ledge, the long drop beneath my feet, the moment when I decided I didn't want to live anymore. "I jumped... I killed myself," I thought, the realization dawning on me. I couldn't remember much about my past self except it was hell. No memories of how I used to look, no memories of my family, and no recollection of who I was anymore. But there had been something else—a gleam of gold, and a strange voice in the wind. I did remember seeing a bright owl.

I opened my eyes to a blur of leaves far overhead. Vines choked gnarled trunks all around, enclosing me in an alien tangle. Panic rose in my throat as I pushed unsteadily to my feet, searching for any trace of the city that had been my whole world.

"This isn't... this isn't where I was," I thought in confusion and fear.

Only the forest surrounded me, deep and silent. As my vision adjusted, a gnawing hollowness awoke in my gut, a hunger like nothing I'd felt before. My hands flew to my belly, fingers sinking not into flesh but... feathers? "What is happening to me?" I cried out, panic seizing me as I frantically felt my face. I then realized that my fingers had razor-sharp talons along the fingernails.

I yelled out in pain as the talons scratched my skin, but to my astonishment, the wounds immediately began to close, the pain subsiding. Staring at the razor-sharp talons protruding from my fingertips, I drew in a shaky breath and willed them to retract. "Please, go away," I shouted, and to my surprise, the talons swiftly receded, leaving my hands looking almost human once more.

Compelled by a growing sense of dread, I rushed to the edge of a nearby pond, peering into the still water. "No, this can't be real," I thought, as what gazed back at me was a face that was undeniably my own, yet dramatically transformed. Feathers crowned my head in a wild, unkempt mane, and I spotted more along my arms and... even my crotch. More alarming still were the golden irises and large, black pupils that dominated my eyes, giving them an unearthly, almost avian quality.

Luckily, my face still resembled my old self to some extent—I didn't have a beak, at least. And my face was human-like. But when I brought my hands to my mouth and felt my teeth, which were now razor-sharp, like obsidian blades lining my jaw. "What is happening to me?" I repeated, a hint of desperation creeping into my voice. I then saw that my physique was stronger, very different from my older body.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A rustle startled me and I spun, glimpsing only fluttering leaves in the green half-light. "Worms," whispered a sibilant voice straight into my mind. "Fat, juicy worms await beneath the rot." I realized that it was my stomach, sending signals to my brain.

"Worms? No, I can't..." I shook my head, recoiling at the thought.

Heart pounding, I crept to a fallen log and raked aside mulch and mold. Writhing pale bodies emerged, glistening in the dimness. Revulsion and ravenous need warred within as I snatched up a worm, stuffing it into my mouth without thought.

The taste was rich and earthy, satisfying some nameless craving. As I ate, fragments drifted back—of wingbeats beside my own failing body, and gold feathers flashing before darkness took me.

In the midst of eating, I heard loud roars which made me turn my head behind me without turning my body. I saw four green bears; they looked to be ten feet tall and had horns growing out of their bodies.

"What?" I thought, my eyes widening in fear.

Alarms blared through my head as I saw the monstrous bears. "WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?! DO BEARS LIKE THIS EXIST?!" My thoughts raced as one of the bears, with tremendous strength, uprooted a tree and hurled it towards me.

I let out a loud hoot of fear, watching the tree soar through the air. "No, no, no!" I cried in hoots, before pure instinct took over—I leapt onto the tree as it flew, running along its length before jumping off just as it crashed into a cluster of other trees behind me.

I landed in a crouching position as one of the bears roared loudly and charged at me. No, all of the bears were now barreling towards me with insane speed. "These things are incredible!" I thought, sprinting faster than I ever had. Surprisingly, I didn't feel tired at all. As I ran, I glanced at my feathery legs, marveling at their strength with each powerful stride. "I must've lost them by now." I stopped and looked back, but all I saw was the darkness of the forest.

To my shock, one of the bears suddenly appeared in front of me, letting out a deafening roar before slashing at me with lightning speed. I raised my arms instinctively, but the force of the blow sent me flying through the forest, crashing through multiple trees. "AHH!" I hooted in pain, then I looked down, and realized that my arms had been sliced off.

Before I could even process the horror of my arms being cut off and spewing golden blood, they began to heal instantly.

{Healing process activated}

{Proceed with your battle}

An AI female voice echoed in my head. "Proceed with my battle?" I repeated, bewildered, looking around for the source of the voice. "But how? What am I supposed to do?"

My newly healed arms tingled with energy, and I flexed my fingers, amazed at their rapid recovery.

Before I could gather my thoughts, the bear was upon me again, its eyes filled with primal fury. I could feel a surge of strength and agility coursing through my body. The AI voice had said to proceed with the battle, and it seemed I had no other choice.

The bear lunged, and this time I was ready. "Shit," I yelled, dodging its massive claws with newfound speed, feeling my muscles responding with a precision I had never known.

Instantly, my talons retracted, then extended again in a fluid motion as I threw an upward slash. "Take this!" The bear's entire upper body severed cleanly, blue blood gushing from its lower half and spilling onto the forest floor.

I hooted in surprise, staring at my glowing black talons, now stained with a bit of blue blood. "What... what am I?" I thought in shock.

The other three bears backed away, sensing the danger. One of them reared up and then stomped the ground. "This isn't over, boy!" one of the bears growled.

Suddenly, the earth rumbled and a rocky pillar shot up, launching me into the air. "AH!" I yelled as the pillar struck my stomach, sending me soaring.

As I plummeted, the forest blurred beneath me. "No, no, no!" I shouted, flailing helplessly. Just beyond the forest, a whole kingdom came into view. "What is that?!" I gasped, eyes widening in astonishment.

The ground began getting closer and I closed my eyes in fear before my body made contact with the ground.

{Flight activated}

{Proceed with your battle}

{USE AVIAN WEAVING!}

A rush of energy surged through me, and I felt my wings instinctively spread wide. My fall slowed, and I opened my eyes in astonishment as I hovered above the ground. "I can fly?" I whispered in disbelief, feeling the powerful beats of my wings.

The AI voice echoed in my mind again. {USE AVIAN WEAVING! NOW!}

"I don't even know what that is!" I shouted back, panic mixing with exhilaration. But the bears were still there, recovering from their surprise and preparing to attack again.

"Focus," I muttered to myself, trying to remember anything that might help. "Avian weaving... maybe it's something to do with flying?"

I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the air currents around me, and then it clicked. I began to move, weaving through the air with agility I hadn't known I possessed. My body twisted and turned effortlessly, dodging the bears' attempts to swipe at me.

"That's it!" I yelled triumphantly, darting above and around my enemies. One of the bears lunged at me, but I flipped over its head, slashing at it with my talons, slicing it into pieces. "Take that!"

Another bear roared and tried to catch me mid-air, but I spun away, feeling a newfound confidence. "I'm not the same anymore," I declared, feeling the power of my transformation. "I'm stronger. Faster."

As the last bear tried to corner me, I swooped down and unleashed a series of rapid slashes, my talons cutting through its defenses. "This is for throwing me into the air," I growled, delivering a final, powerful strike.

The bears retreated, sensing their defeat. I landed lightly on the ground, my wings folding behind me. "What am I?" I repeated, looking at my glowing talons and feeling a mix of fear and excitement.

The AI voice returned, calmer now. {Congratulations. You are now the divine Owl. And this is just the beginning, Gaian.}