I was the storm, the fire, and the raging tide. Within me was calamity and chaos. But I wasn't ready, it could not be channeled within my soul.

If I continued on my path I would fall short. From the wellspring of potentia, it would reduce me to ash.

Ding!

The bell erased the flurry, the smoke and the darkness. The upside-down triquetra loomed above, an eye of a being so far beyond any that I've met.

It judged, and found me lacking.

Its strings bound my wrist and stabbed into my chest. The tendrils spread into my veins and further, deeper. They infiltrated my mana channels and filled them with power as the threads touched my core.

It judged again, bolstering me with the eddies of energy churning outside the eye of the storm.

There was potential. An unbound ball of yarn begging to be woven into the tapestry–to tell its story beyond a smattering of pretty colors.

Power was given, but there had to be a price. The thread inside my chest swelled. Gifting me energy and took something in exchange.

The seed of potentia reaped its fill and expanded.

Ding!

But not too much.

The threads retracted, leaving the gaping wound to seal over. The glyph on my chest released its control and overwhelmed my skin. It weaved the new power into its mark, pumping where my heart failed.

The seed sprouted its first roots and the seal borrowed the power of another. Golden threads intertwined, securing it in place.

Ding!

And then it disappeared into the confines of my soul.

The eye vibrated with pressure, the storm demanding to move, to shift and expand in a new direction. It had taken its time and there was a lot left untouched, unrefined, and wanting.

But it had to move on.

The eye flared and the mark shrunk, returning to its former size. It slid down my skin and anchored itself onto my wrist, binding with my soul once more.

In the absence of its will, the void rushed in, tearing away what scraps of power it could in its efforts to consume.

But it was my power, and I wasn't about to let it go.

With a flex, the energy slipped into my hand, consecrating into a ball that I shoved through my mana channels. I couldn't contain it for long. There was more than a tier one should ever have, but what I ripped away was mine alone.

It joined the center of my chest and the island in my soulrealm drank deep before the void sucked the last of the energy into its hungry maw.

That was fine. I had achieved what I needed. And now... my body was ready for the final change.

The energy had to go somewhere and it drew from my soul and its experience.

My soul contained the raging inferno, a beautiful thing that brought the fury of the sun. Beside it was the calming breeze amidst a forest, a boon of soft flowers and rejuvenating fruit. It hid the shadows that dwelled underneath the foliage, the cold decay that brought renewal through death.

And hidden underground, yet all around, was the stillness of crystal that rejected the chaos that sought to move it. From its shine it sought simply to sit and enjoy, unlike the storm that raged in the sky above.

It was harsh, majestic, and illuminating. The cold rain joined the hail as the lightning danced between the drops. With each crackle of thunder, the wind would not be forgotten as it added its howls into the symphony.

Further still, in the stars beyond, thoughts flowed free, jubilant and whimsical before the nightmares pransed and tore the fabric of space.

And that left one more, the jealous serpent that swam around from one point to another. It's form split to give attention to many, and demand the interest in return. Both a ball of life and energy that tapped into something deep and ancient while swallowing toxins and corruption. The serpent dipped its scales into everything in a desperate bid to be noticed.

My familiars were the main proponents that fueled what my soul defined as me but there was more. The subtle roar of a commander empowering its allies, the ball of endless forms that sat unrefined until it connected to another, and even the rumbling runes that dotted the landscape; it took from all and shaped the change.

Blood burned with mana, bones shattered and regrew as crystal, and multiple streams of thought directed the power.

A strange sensation erupted from my back, the crystal in my physical body–the one that sat inside my stomach–it broke apart to fuel the new growth. It didn't stop there and pushed into my skull where the extensions protruding from my head itched and burned like a thousand fire ants.

I floated through the nothingness until the sensation stopped and the changes slowed. As it reached the crescendo of evolution, the chime bells played and I slammed back into my conscious body.

DING!

***

"Uuuugh. Cal, you lying sack of shit..." I whispered.

My head throbbed but it eventually settled. For a time, I kept my eyes closed and embraced the calm that slowly crept in. I could already feel the difference but it felt natural if uncomfortable.

Hooray... I get to skip second puberty. Let's get this over with. I'll bake them a nice cake as an apology, surely that'll shut Isaac up.

As I opened my eyes I shut them again and counted to three.

Yeah no, what the fuck?

The others–despite what I expected--were not lounging around or desperately battering the barrier in an attempt to rescue me.

Instead, they were frozen.

"Uhhh. What the fuck is happening?"

They weren't in slow motion but frozen. Igas was mid-swing, as was Teddy and Isaac. Celenae had her staff pointed at the ready and Eodyne had a bolt drawn next to her ear.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Even Sereza and Arturous were behind me and posed to attack.

I tried to stand up but something tripped my leg and I fell forward, cracking my head against the barrier. At once, the unending will returned and I stared into the abyss before the crimson eye retreated.

Fuck!

I tasted copper and started heaving before there was a sharp crack and I looked up.

Igas' sword had touched the barrier, the ice around it crunching with the impact.

Wha-

I dived as the other's unleashed their assault.

"Stop! Everybody stop!" Teddy commanded.

Isaac's tendril smacked my leg and I lunged for his ankle and sank my teeth through his pants.

"Aaagh! Monster! Attack!" he shouted.

I released him and glared at the rogue as Celenae waved away a barrier.

"Cyrus? Is that you?"

"Who else would it be?"

"Well, you certainly look different. How?"

"I tiered-up? Why?"

Teddy helped me up and I flopped onto the beanbag as everyone settled. They stared, more than few with suspicion in their eyes.

Except for Celenae, she was burning ink as she churned through pages. As I cocked my head, Sereza's jaw dropped.

"Okay, what's up?"

Teddy cleared his throat. "Cyrus. One moment you were convulsing, the next... You're well..."

I frowned but Igas summoned a thin sheet of ice and Teddy provided light.

"Oh. Ooooh"

I started from the top. My horns were no longer bone but instead crystalline. It retained its silver color but there was a transparency to them that wasn't there before the evolution.

Next were my eyes, the pink glow having gained a chromatic line around the orbs.

I smiled and found my teeth still teeth-coloured, but like my horns there was a subtle difference. As my thumb pushed onto my canine, I clacked them together.

They were sharper, and probably longer. It was impressive enough to give the meanest dracula competition.

"Well that's not too big of a change. You can close your mouth."

Sereza raised her hand and pointed behind me.

"What?" I asked.

"Cyrus. Congrats? But what in the hells?"

Slowly, I turned and froze as something sweeped the ground. I didn't see it at first because it was nearly invisible.

Four feet of crystalline tail whipped the air trailing a spectral flame that burned at the tip.

Stop.

The tail slapped against the wall, eliciting a dull sting on a part of my body I wasn't use to feeling.

Stop!

It didn't listen and I reached to grab it. It used the pointed tip at the end and smacked my hand away.

I stared in disbelief.

Sereza giggled before erupting into a laughing fit as she rolled across the floor.

"Not funny."

"It's... Holy fuck. Oh that's really funny. You're like a newborn kit!"

I reached for her tail and she jumped away. "What's the issue?"

"It won't listen."

She snorted but reined it in. "Cyrus, it's not a familiar. It's a muscle. Force it to stop, don't ask it."

It took a minute but my tail stopped long enough for me to reach out and examine the new appendage. It was thin, reminding me of a stereotypical devil's tail, including the arrow-headed tip at the end. But even as I held it up to the mirror I could barely make out its form.

The flames that sprouted from the tip were lion-like in shape, a chromatic fire similar to my eyes. From red to crimson then sharp yellow and deep purple, it was mesmerizing.

Sereza placed her hand above the fire and frowned. "There's no heat."

"Describe it better!" Celenae shouted, not bothering to look up from her furious scribbling.

"Just that. It's on fire, but there's no heat, nor cold." She stopped and met my eyes. "Can I touch it?"

I nodded.

She ran her hand along the length and stopped near the tip. She tapped her thumb and blood spilled as she pulled back.

"Fuck that’s sharp."

I channeled my magic and it connected instantly. Áine appeared and she healed the cut.

"Oh, well don't you look amazing. I'm loving the new dress,"

Áine twirled, the petals of her dress lighting at the tips as she curtsied.

"Taller. Gained two inches. New clothes. Wing's are bigger, and more colorful. Hair still green, eyes still black," Celenae muttered. She paused and nodded to herself. "Will test for new abilities. Expected new healing method."

She landed on my shoulder and gave me a hug. "New form is good. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, I promised this."

"Promise kept."

She waved goodbye and dived into my chest, earning an outcry from Celenae.

"Bring her back!"

"Later. I think it's time we get out of here."

"But-"

Teddy shook his head. "Cyrus is right. We should leave now before trouble shows up."

"I resent the implication," I protested.

"And yet you're not denying it," Isaac said.

I ignored the insult and placed my hand along the wall. It was only a small test, so I didn't need to summon Galarion.

As my mana connected and pushed through the pathway underneath the stone, I was met with a scream that rattled my eardrums.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Hey! Calm down!"

"Keeper! You must leave! The monsters are not under our control! They're coming for you!"

The connection snapped and a pounding headache thumped across my skull.

"Cyrus? What's wrong?" Teddy asked.

I coughed. "Time to leave. Dungeon's going crazy."

"I fucking called it. You owe me five gold!" Isaac shouted.