Changeling fragment. (Patreon)

AN: As someone mentioned, Nestra doesn't check her new body after awakening for the first time, which is weird and a little illogical. As such, I have added the following fragment to the RR version of the story:

Nestra woke up after sleeping fitfully. The light of dawn filtered through her windows, chasing away the fog of her mind. She felt tired but too nervous to go back to sleep. Too shaken. Pudding and Nut were dead. She’d killed Bard. Fuck, she’d toasted him for his birthday only a couple of months ago during a truce because it was important for the team. He’d betrayed her first. He’d betrayed all of them and she’d killed him for it. Hollowed out his chest. She remembered gore pouring through the massive bullet wound. She’d done that.

She’d killed the gleam. His skull had crumpled under her blade. It had been far too easy but he’d really underestimated her.

It had felt good to kill them. Not just because they’d tried to kill her and failed, but also physically. It had given her something. She was feeling better now than any morning in the past seven years. No cravings. Even the pain and lack of sleep couldn’t dull the relief and euphoria.

Deaths. Vengeance. Pain. No cravings. End of her career, also, she assumed.

And a new species.

Had to be honest, that was the one thing she’d been trying not to think about. Was it all a dream? She retreated to the bathroom, shut down the door, locked it. Darkness became almost complete. She couldn’t see her fingers but she could see the tiny green dot of her charging toothbrush, hear her panicked breath.

Had to be sure.

She pinched a symbolic point above her head and pulled. The Mask disappeared into the recess of… she didn’t know. She couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was not disappearing so much as… going somewhere else? Immediately, her pain abated. The dark of the bathroom became a black and white canvas, clear as day. Her vision sharpened. Her nose picked up the scent of soap, humidity, her favorite shampoo which she’d spilled last morning and not cleaned yet. She felt strong. She was also slightly taller, and naked.

Had to find out more.

Nestra left the bathroom and picked a cotton pajama, which was a little tight in her demon form. She closed all shutters, switched off all cameras and all lights since she didn’t need them. Followed a brief inspection.

Her teeth were sharp, incredibly so, to the point that she pierced her skin just by brushing them. Her blood was grey, then red as it spilled. The wound closed almost immediately.

Sucking on her thumb, she checked the nubs of her horns next. They felt very sensitive and the mana was somehow thicker around them. Not sure what else.

Her ears were a little longer and thinner but that was the last weird thing except for the color. Her hair felt normal. All her senses were better though.

Next, she headed to the basement and the gym there. Her flexibility hadn’t changed though it was already good. She casually bench pressed twice her normal maximum next.

Ok, so stronger. Definitely stronger. Maybe a little faster as well, though she wasn’t sure. There was also something else. She still felt… a little hollow, like an empty hearth waiting for a roaring fire. This was just the beginning. Or at least, that was how it felt.

Which led to the next question.

Why, and how?

Why was she not human, and how the fuck did that happen? Was she born like that? Had someone sacrificed her soul to the monochrome devil or something?

Her alarm rang. The surprise made her pull her Mask on before she realized it was just that. One thing was for sure, she could choose to transport her clothes from one form to the other as she changed. So at least there was that. Really weird, anyway.

Maybe the box sender would have more answers tonight. For now, she had to leave if she wanted to keep a normal life.