Then, slowly, reluctantly, she lowered her hands.
Her claws retracted slightly, though she kept them visible.
"If this kills me," she said quietly, "I'm haunting you. Forever. I'll make your afterlife absolute hell."
"Noted."
I activated the skill.
The effect was immediate and startling.
Scarlet's breath caught sharply, her hand flying to her chest as her body began to change. I could see the panic in her eyes even as the transformation started, her entire frame going rigid with shock.
Her hair shifted first. The vibrant red, that distinctive fox-fur shade began bleeding away like color draining from waterlogged fabric.
It was replaced by a rich, natural brown that spread from roots to tips in a wave, transforming each strand as it went.
Then her eyes. The bright, almost luminescent green flickered once, twice, like a candle struggling against the wind. Then it deepened, the color transforming into warm amber. Still striking, still beautiful, but undeniably human.
