Barn had a rather peculiar quirk. Whenever he took down anything—or anyone, really—it was, well, a tad excessive. Bodies didn’t just fall; they were flattened, squashed right where they stood. Just this moment, for instance: his disintegration magic shield was floating around me, having just vapourised an entire chunk of the dungeon. Even that blasted tongue of the creeper that dared to attack me? Poof! Gone, without a trace.

Gold-rank magic was truly terrifying, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake. It’s as if Barn’s repertoire lacked any spells that might at least leave the bodies in a somewhat collectible condition.

So, I turned to him with a rather reasonable request: could he, perhaps, leave these creeper bodies intact? After all, they were practically a walking treasure trove of morphogen! And, well, I was absolutely full at the moment, though I wouldn’t mind stashing a few bodies for later. His response was three crisp clacks of his jaws, signalling a most agreeable “yes.”

And so, the one-sided hunt began. Barn disappeared from my side, taking on that ominous form behind me once again. By now, I was quite accustomed to the dread that followed his presence. I simply ignored it and focused on the frozen creepers. One by one, they dropped from the ceiling, their grips slackening. It was as if they could sense the same icy dread that real Barn brought with him.

Even the one that lost its tongue seemed to forget its shrieking, or perhaps it was just too frozen, unable to muster a scream of agony. Then came those three slow, deliberate cackles from Barn’s jaw, followed by two scythe-like black blades erupting from the tunnel’s sides. These blades were something else—so strange that even the hues in my vision seemed to shy away from them.

What happened next was over in the blink of an eye. One moment, the creepers were struggling in their frozen state, and the next, their heads, limbs, and tails were all neatly sliced apart. I swear on Thalador’s name, I didn’t see a single thing move.

Yet, there it was—the spider monster, still in one piece. Barn’s fine control over magic was nothing short of mesmerising. Honestly, I was now itching to know more about these NetherBeasts. What sort of magic did they dabble in? What kind of mysterious paths did they tread? Everything I’d seen from Barn so far was enough to get my curiosity dancing.

From bubbles of force that could protect or squash, to those inky blades of death, to shields of disintegration, and...umm...cleaning? Perhaps cleaning was a part of the disintegration gig too. The sheer precision—to target just the stuff that needed cleansing—was enough to give me a proper headache. Were all NetherBeasts magical prodigies like that?

I shook my head and turned my gaze to the spider monster. Poor little beastie, used as bait for other horrors, paralyzed and still alive. I knew I was amongst monsters, but something about this felt deeply wrong. Not that I was about to give those creepers a lecture on morality.

The least I could do was offer a bit of mercy and end the creature’s suffering.

“Barn, if you please, finish off the spider as well.” And just like that, its head rolled free, released from its misery. Yet, the bitter taste in my mouth lingered. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

There were more pressing matters to attend to now.

***

I nimbly clambered up the wall, poking my head through the gap like a nosy cat. And lo and behold, there was Stephan, curled up like a worried hedgehog, hugging his knees as if he might just roll away from the anxiety.

"Oi, I’m back!" I chirped, shattering the silence.

"EEP!"

He practically leapt out of his skin, springing up like a wind-up toy released.

"JADE!"

I flashed a grin and waggled a claw through the opening before pulling myself fully through. "Just returned from my little jaunt in the dungeon!"

He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for hours. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe. I was worried sick when you didn’t return. Where on earth have you been?”

Oh, umm, where do I begin—stuck in a sticky mess, thanks to those creepers chasing me. I gave him the Cliff Notes version, explaining how I’d lost my way running away with them.

"My vision’s a bit... different in this form. I could spot them even when they were camouflaged on the roof," I explained.

He exhaled deeply and rubbed his eyes. "I’m just glad you made it back in one piece."

But something was nagging at me. Stephan had helped me count those spider monsters earlier, hadn’t he? Yet there wasn’t a single light source around in this dank tunnel. How on earth was Stephan able to see anything, let alone help me count them?

Hmm. Well, why not just ask? So I did.

He looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I can sort of see. It’s dark, but not pitch-black. I just need to focus a bit more, that’s all."

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"Hoh?"

Intriguing. Perhaps those odd hues that danced through my vision had something to do with it? They were scattered all over this dungeon—maybe they were enhancing normal vision too? It seemed plausible, in a weird sort of way.

"Is something wrong?" Stephan's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Ahh, no, nothing. Just curious, that’s all..." I decided to let him off the hook, sparing him from trying to untangle the mystery of the hues. Some things are best left unsolved for now. Besides, I had a more pressing matter to attend to once Barn woke up. And blimey, what a whirlwind these last eight hours had been. I’m sure Lotte would be dying to hear about my little escapade.

"Right then, I’m knackered. Time for a kip!" I announced, plopping down on the stone floor like it was the softest feather bed.

Stephan stared at me as if I’d sprouted antlers. "Shouldn’t we be figuring out how to escape? That’s why you went out in the first place, isn’t it?"

"Later. I’m no good at escaping when I’m half asleep. You should get some rest too. We might have a long day ahead of us."

"But shouldn’t I keep watch while you sleep?"

Bah!

"Don’t fuss about it. We’re probably the safest pair in this whole dungeon right now. Just rest up and stop worrying so much," I said, curling up like a cat settling in for a snooze.

Stephan looked like he had something on the tip of his tongue, but the words seemed to dissolve before they could reach his lips. Was I doing this all wrong? That’s the second time he’s clammed up like that. Maybe I should just ask him to spill whatever’s on his mind instead of bottling it up. Or perhaps that’s a terrible idea. Ugh, no time for overthinking. Lotte must be eagerly waiting for me.

Finally, the promise of answers loomed just beyond my dreams.

I was out like a light within seconds.

***

I’d finally stopped plummeting through the heavens.

Like, used to be that every time I drifted off to dreamland, I’d find myself tumbling from the sky, as far back as I can remember. But now, with this monstrous new form of mine, I always appear right on the ground—no more freefalling for me.

Which was ironic, considering I'd sprouted wings—utterly useless, I might add. I gave them a half-hearted flap. Ugh, they’d just have to wait their turn on the to-do list after I’ve sorted out these new peepers.

Lotte was nearby, her serpentine head resting on a rocky outcrop, eyes glazed over, lost in those threads of hers. I sprang to my feet and flung myself at one of her massive claws, hugging it tightly. The dungeon was terrifying, and last time we barely exchanged words. It felt like an eternity since I’d had her company, and I couldn’t bear the thought of being without her.

As expected, she sensed my presence.

“How does it feel?” Her voice echoed in my mind.

I knew exactly what she meant. I hopped away, practically vibrating with excitement. “It’s exhilarating! Thrilling! Knowing that the path to power is this raw, this… straightforward. Not just the progress, but the sheer adrenaline of those battles! Oh, when I pounced on that turtle monster…” I babbled on, knowing Lotte enjoyed listening. Always had. And I, well, I loved a good ramble.

I spilled everything—every little detail of the monsters I’d hunted, the ones I narrowly escaped, the endless wait for Barn to wake up. As terrifying as it all was, a primal part of me was completely in tune with it. Never in a million years did I think I’d feel this way, but here we are.

Yet, none of this shed any light on the burning question sizzling in my brain: HOW IN THE BLOOMING HECK DID I TURN INTO A MONSTER? And Lotte—oh, she was definitely in on something.

“So—” I started, but before I could finish, an invisible force snatched me up. “Eh?”

“I’m fully attuned to the intricacies of your mind. Rather than elucidating it in mere words, allow me to show it to you, Jade.” Her voice echoed in my mind as the force delicately plonked me onto her back.

With a thunderous flap of her colossal wings, we were off, soaring into the skies. Soon enough, we arrived at a vast grassland—rolling green as far as the eye could see.

Lotte touched down with such a thud that the earth quivered beneath her massive form. She turned her gaze in a particular direction, and I followed it.

There, standing stark against the greenery, was a sapling—if one could even call it that. It was huge, about as tall as human-me, but there was something dreadfully off about it. Instead of a healthy green, its stem was an ominous black, with a texture more akin to metal than any plant. It had only two leaves—or what should’ve been leaves. They were actually segmented metal blades, arranged in a way that vaguely mimicked the shape of leaves.

And then there were the lights—odd, mismatched colours blinking and flashing at random along its twisted form.

“What on earth is that?” I blurted.

“That,” Lotte began, “is the origin point of the interface you continually encounter. It is also the medium through which I have been communicating with you.”

I blinked and looked at it again, thoroughly baffled.

“So… this thing… it’s the source of my growing powers?”

“No, no,” Lotte corrected, huh, was that a hint of amusement? “think of it more as an archivist, not the true source. The power you wield is a manifestation entirely of your own making.”

Once again, I could tell Lotte was making some sort of point, but it still didn’t explain how I’d ended up as a monster.

“Sooo… this ...gizmo turned me into a monster?” I ventured, trying to untangle the mess in my head.

Lotte’s chuckle rippled through my thoughts. “Oh, my young hatchling, you misunderstand. It’s time you learned the truth—nothing external transformed you into what you are.”

“Eh?”

“Catalogue the runes that captured your attention on that central pillar.”

“Hold on—what? That’s out of left field!” I groaned, mentally throwing my claws up in frustration. Lotte’s methods, though they had their merits, could be downright infuriating. “Do we really have to go through this rigmarole? Just spill the beans!”

When the silence dragged on, I let out a sigh, hopping off her back and rummaging through my memories. I began listing them on my claws, one by one. Veilo, Echon, Dawn… Bonds… Severin? Argh, most of them were gobbledygook to me, but I could still picture a few shapes.

“Did you discern a pattern?”

I shook my head. “Not really. The runes were so intricate, not from Vel’ Tan, their shapes stood out more than their meanings.”

Lotte paused before her voice echoed in my mind again, “It was an Oblivion Seal, just on a colossal scale.”

Now that rang a bell. Oblivion Seals—standard kit in Enchanting Workshops. They’re the magical ‘oops button.’ If something went haywire, the seal would halt all magic flow and save the day. Otherwise, kaboom.

So, a mega-sized version of that? Wait a tick... THE WHITE SHOCKWAVE! The very thing that knocked out every scripted device in that wretched lair! Turned them into lifeless lumps.

And the same shockwave that… changed me. My brain did a quick somersault. No, no, no—utter nonsense! That was absurd!

But Lotte wasn’t one for indulging denial. She promptly crushed any hope of my wild guess being wrong.

“You were never ‘turned’ into a Dragon, Jade. You merely regressed to your true state—what you have always been.”