What did I imagine a soul to be, I wonder? Perhaps something ethereal, like a wisp of mist, or maybe a tangible essence, like a sparkling gem. Honestly, I never thought to ask anyone, not even Lotte. In hindsight, that was a blunder of monumental proportions. I really, really should have asked her.

The very moment I granted Barn permission to nibble on these unfortunate souls, the air turned frightfully cold—much colder than it had been. With three swift clicks of his jaw, tiny specks of light began to appear above the heads of each cult member, who were now frozen in place by Barn's overwhelming presence.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd turn into an icicle myself if I dared to look at Barn right now. Shaking my head, I pushed that thought aside, a worry for another day. The motes of light reminded me of little faeries as they floated above everyone. And then, in the blink of an eye, it happened. Everyone. Simply. Vanished.

Cultists standing in aisles, leaders near the main ritual, and people gathered in ritual circles—all gone. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me as I stared at the floor, now drenched in crimson. But when the shrill cries pierced the air, and I saw the multitude of eyes emerging from the puddles of blood, I knew something was dreadfully amiss.

The ominous chanting had morphed into bone-chilling shrieks. Slowly, these grotesque puddles of eyes and teeth began to rise, no longer frozen. They swirled together, like a ghastly blender, forming two distinct crimson vortexes around me. The tops of these whirling bloodstorms gravitated towards Barn, who loomed just behind me.

I saw it pass by—an actual bloodshot eye, very much alive in that gruesome state. Twisted teeth intersected it, swirling through the vortex. I could feel it—the sheer dread in those unholy cries. The mere sensation of what Barn had done was enough to chill my very soul. Perhaps this was why Lotte had forbidden the munching of souls.

The wretched screams just kept on, swirling through those ghastly vortexes of gore that whisked past me, never to be seen again, presumably making their way into Barn's belly or whatever he had that passed for one. The hall had been bustling with people mere minutes ago, but now, only two of us remained.

The guy with the horns, still rooted to the spot, poor sod, because he'd had the unfortunate idea of looking directly at Barn.

My mind was off on a dreadful jaunt I'd rather it not have taken. I had just... killed people. Well, ordered Barn to, but still, it was my hands that were metaphorically drenched in blood. The crimson whirlwinds continued their eerie dance around me, chilling my very core, yet Barn's sheer ecstasy was nearly overwhelming. But before I could dwell on that peculiar sensation, it seemed I was out of time.

There was a sudden rumble.

What the deuce?

It wasn't from Barn but from the massive, ornate pillar beneath me, where my head had so recently been poised for sacrificial execution. The tremor echoed through the hall. What on earth was happening? I glanced around from my floating vantage point. The surrounding pillars, designed to work as mana-condensing apparatus, were going haywire as well. My eyes slowly traced the ritual lines beneath me.

The runes were still functioning, but what I hadn't noticed earlier was that the ritual lacked a focus. Many rituals don't use a focus, instead relying on the person conducting it to redirect the mana using themselves as a conduit.

And Barn had... well, he'd offed all the conduits. There was no one left to redirect the mana from these towers.

A bit of a kerfuffle from halting the ritual, it seemed. The entire hall was in a right state, with the five towers around me shaking like leaves in a gale. Cracks began to slither up the walls, and though I couldn't feel it directly, I knew it was the handiwork of untamed mana. Blast it! This was precisely the sort of chaos I should have anticipated, but I was so consumed by my loathing that I hadn't given a fig for the consequences of halting an unknown ritual midway. I needed to act, and swiftly.

"BARN!" I bellowed. The crimson vortexes were nearly gone, swirling away into nothingness behind me.

The horned guy, still paralyzed, was staring blankly. He wasn't going to move in his state. Dash it all! I had to get a grip. The situation was spiralling out of control, and if I didn't do something, the entire place would come tumbling down. Or worse, the mana might bottle up and explode without warning.

The force that had been holding me in place began to waver. Wait, what was Barn up to?

"BARN!" I shouted again, louder this time. Why on earth wasn't he responding?

Still, there was nothing. No clacking of his jaw, no sound of bone knitting, just an eerie silence. Tapping into our bond only brought a wave of ecstasy, not the reassurance I needed.

"Barn…" I called once more, but there was only silence in return.

I felt it as the force holding me fizzled out completely. Blast it. But I was ready. Though devoid of magic, I compensated with sheer physical strength. I was at the top of the main ornate tower—well, not exactly on it, but close enough to grab its edges as I plummeted. My hands found purchase on its metallic surface, adorned with massive words from the same script, deeply carved.

Using the engravings, I began my descent. I wedged my fingers into the grooves, sliding down carefully, my muscles straining as I controlled my speed. I swung my legs to the side, finding the next foothold. It required a bit of precision, but nothing I couldn't do. I repeated the process until my feet finally touched solid ground.

The moment I landed, I bolted without a backward glance. Something was wrong with Barn. And I was an utter nincompoop for even letting him attempt something forbidden by Lotte's contract. It was as if he were... intoxicated, in a way.

Damn it!

I dashed towards the frozen man. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, covering his eyes and spinning him around a full 180 degrees. The instant I did, life surged back into his stiff form.

"P-Princess Vernia!" he wheezed, his voice a raspy whisper that quickly morphed into a horrid retch as he emptied his stomach onto the floor. Thankfully, he had the decency to avert his eyes.

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I could have sworn he called me something similar earlier when he was dragged in. Why on earth was he calling me that? I was no Vernia, and certainly not a princess. But there was no time for a comforting chat. The whole hall was now vibrating like an overworked teapot.

My eyes widened as I bolted to the nearest pillar, my fingers brushing against its cold, metallic surface. Orichalcum. The best mana conductor ever known. Too soft to make weapons but perfect for magic tools.

The runes were etched deep into the metal. I could decipher some, but not enough, a rather worrying sign in the book of enchanting. Even if I could translate the lot, could I stop the cursed thing from hoarding mana and going berserk? I couldn't sense mana, let alone control it.

"Princess Vernia! I-I can't fathom how these people got hold of you. B-But what did you do to them?" the man stammered behind me.

I sighed, casting a weary glance at him. He flinched, directing his trembling finger towards where Barn was, though he dared not look.

"I don't know who this Princess Vernia is that you speak of, but I assure you, it's not me. You've got the wrong person."

He gawked at me as if I'd grown another head. Well, I'd told him the truth; I'd never met any beast-kin in my entire life.

"B-But…"

I cut him off, "We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to es—"

A sudden, more formidable rumble sent me sprawling, and a gust of chilly air washed over me. I kept my eyes firmly on the ground, steering my gaze towards the central tower of the ritual, in an attempt to not gaze at Barn.

It began to glow.

OH CRIKEY!

Without a moment's hesitation, I grabbed the guy next to me—who seemed to grasp that something was amiss but lacked the good sense to leg it—by his arms.

"RUN!" I bellowed.

"H-Huh!" he stammered as I yanked him along, but that was enough to ignite his survival instincts. He screamed and sprinted after me, making a dash for the end of the hall.

The hall was now shaking with a vengeance. I was screaming too as I ran. What else could I do? The main tower was about to unleash its pent-up mana, and I needed to take cover. My feet pounded against the stone floor, dodging debris falling from the quivering ceiling.

So close.

So… Close…

The last thing I remembered was my hand reaching out for some semblance of protection that probably didn't exist, as my vision was enveloped in a flash of silent white.

Then everything went black.

***

I blinked myself awake to the most splendid sight – a vast expanse of clear blue sky, a perfect canvas of azure, adorned with the laziest, fluffiest clouds one could imagine. They floated about as if time were of no consequence. The grass beneath me, soft as a green velvet cushion, was a tad damp for my liking, but it cradled me as though I were nestled in the finest down.

Hmm, was I dead?

I stretched out a dainty claw towards the sky. Good heavens, what a delightful little appendage! Black scales sparkled in the sunlight, and the tiny paws were adorned with the most fearsome-looking pointy bits.

Hmm?

...

...

...

With a slow, deliberate motion, I lowered one claw and raised another. My neck – when had it become so absurdly long? – stretched as I peered down at my scaled tummy, plump like a chubby little salamander. I wiggled my clawed toes, each a miniature paw. My tail, long and sinuous, swayed lazily at the end, covered in those sleek black scales.

Damn.

I willed my tail to the left, and it obligingly followed. To the right, it swung with equal compliance. Hehehehe. I coiled it around my claws, and it wrapped perfectly. Death, it seemed, was quite the serene experience, affording me the leisure to play with this peculiar new body.

Suddenly, a rumble shattered the tranquillity, sending tremors through the grassy field as if something colossal had landed. A massive silhouette loomed above me. A giant serpentine head with eyes larger than my entire form.

"LOTTE! I'VE MADE A RIGHT HASH OF IT!" I shouted, unable to suppress a giggle.

"It appears that way," her singsong voice echoed inside my head.

"I dare say, letting Barn gobble up all those souls might have been a tad unwise," I mused.

Lotte's enormous head tilted ever so slightly. "NetherBeasts use souls to grow," she explained, "but consuming too many at once overwhelms their bodies, making it impossible for them to think or function properly. That's precisely why I added that clause in the contract." She paused, before adding, "How many did he devour?"

Ah yes, daft me struck again! I chuckled nervously, "Erm, would hundreds be considered excessive?"

"Depends on how powerful they were."

"Mostly yellow cores, I suppose, with a smattering of reds." I wasn't entirely sure, but the hooded fellow was definitely at red – those black fireballs were quite something.

Lotte's enormous head drifted closer, coming to rest on a rocky outcrop beside me. I swear it hadn't been there before; these rocks just appear whenever she fancies a spot to rest her noggin. "Eight hours should suffice for him to recover," she mused, her voice still the same delightful melody in my head. Oh, how I adored her voice.

"Splendid," I replied, stretching out my new and quite marvelous claws. "So, what's on the agenda in the meantime? I must confess, being deceased isn't as ghastly as I'd feared."

"Well, being dead is rather different, I assure you," she retorted.

Was there a dash of sarcasm in her tone? I wasn't entirely sure.

"Uhh…"

"Up you get," she commanded.

Right-o, I sprang to action straightaway, making a right hash of it by trying to hoist myself up on all fours, only to promptly face-plant into the grass. Ouch, that smarts. Well, that was a bit of a cock-up. Tried again. Front right claw, then front left. Hmm, nice and steady up front. Now for the rear. Shifted each hind leg, one after the other. This bizarre sensation of stretching muscles and tendons felt positively queer. My tail, bless it, stretched out and lent a surprising bit of balance. Success! Finally standing on all fours like a natural!

I shot a glance at Lotte as the question bubbling up inside me popped out. "Hold on a jiffy, in the real world, I'm either squashed flat under a mountain of rubble or vaporised by that mana burst. What in blazes did you mean by 'quite different'? Am I..." I faltered as a wave of anxiety washed over me, "still alive?"

"I haven't got much time to explain; you need to wake up soon and eat something."

Wake up? So, still dreaming, then? Not some cushy afterlife. Hang about! "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY THEN?" I started hopping about, gradually getting the hang of my new form. Peered down at my tiny self, noting the feeble little wings—just a chubby, scaled critter.

I looked at Lotte, then back at myself, then back at her again. Her long, serpentine head, black scales, two pairs of clawed limbs, and that graceful, sinuous tail. "And why do I look like a pint-sized version of you?"