Thyssa crept through the mist, deeper and deeper into the valley. The deeper she went, the more thorns and roots stood in her way – were they trying to trap her, or warn her?

At the very bottom of the valley was an abandoned hospital. The stories said a doctor had taken up residence there. Stories of twisted experiments and cruel devices and feverish minds. They contradicted each other: Some stories were second-hand accounts of malforms who managed to escape, but others said nobody made it out alive. All of them agreed that this was a bad place, that no malform should tread here.

But one story of the experiments was tantalizing to Thyssa. Strange, forbidden, but exciting, full of hope. She couldn’t get it out of her head. The doctor probably couldn’t do that…but what if she could? The story kept in her head, slithered around her mind at night.

Thyssa crept up to the hospital’s glass doors and tapped them with a claw. She heard a sound from above her and looked up to see glass doors opening up on the hospital’s upper level. Out stepped a tall, beautiful woman with cold eyes. Thyssa felt a chill as those eyes fixed on her.

“What creature enters my domain?”

The voice was beautiful and gentle. There was no kindness and no malice, just a cold curiosity, as if she was looking at some interesting plant.

Thyssa drained the poisonous spittle from her mouth and tried to form human words.

“Th-Thyssa offf…Grendel Pack.”

Her voice was a terrible hiss, the words choppy and distorted.

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“And what is Thyssa of Grendel Pack doing so far from home?”

“Isset…Is it true you make monsters into girls?”

“I have not conducted any such treatment.”

“Then it…it was liyuze…lies. All lies.”

“No. I’ve not tested it, but I am currently researching the transformation of malform into human.”

“Poz…possible?”

“That’s what I hope to find out. Theoretically, it’s viable. But, as you see, I am alone here. I haven’t been able to find a proper test subject.”

“I could be…tessst sssubjeck…test subject.”

The doctor looked Thyssa over, her beautiful face contorting with disgust. “You? Your enthusiasm is admirable, but…I was looking for a subject a little more…humanoid.”

Thyssa was filled with shame and frustration. She wanted this because she wasn’t humanoid!

“Test me aneeah. Anyway.”

“I thank you for the offer, but…” The doctor sighed. “Even a malform with very humanlike anatomy, this would be a long shot. For something like you, the chances of success…” She shook her head.

“Don’t care…hownlikely…how many times it takes.”

“You don’t understand. According to my hypotheses, a failed treatment would kill you. Slowly.”

“Neeud…need to try.”

The doctor smiled. “Well. I’ve warned you of the risks. Wait there.”

She went back inside the hospital. Before long, she reemerged from the ground entrance. She was carrying a strange bright stone, dangling by a silver cord. The stone was shaped like a serene woman, caressing her own exposed heart. An image of perfection through violence.

“This is the Benevolent Heart. It is the greatest invention of humanity. It made us humans into something better. But no one’s ever used it on a malform.” Her voice was almost a whisper, amazed at the power she held in her hand. “Until now.”

Thyssa approached.

“You will be the first test subject,” said the doctor. “You will show the world whether you have what it takes to become human. You will either be reborn or die a martyr to science. Let us see which.”

And, with that, Lili wrapped the cord around Thyssa’s neck. The brightness, the warmth, flowed into Thyssa’s body, lighting up all her senses.

Everything was bright, and then everything was dark.