POV: ELARA
The panic hit like a wave.
One moment, people were listening—afraid but willing to hear us out. The next, dozens were transforming simultaneously, their bodies betraying them in ways they couldn't control or understand.
"What's happening to me?" a young woman screamed, staring at the golden scales spreading across her palms. "Make it stop! Please, make it stop!"
"I can't breathe," a soldier gasped, clutching his chest as his ribcage expanded slightly, making room for enhanced lungs. "Something's wrong—"
"My eyes," another whispered, trembling. "I can see everything. Too much. It's too much—"
The fear was contagious. People backing away from those transforming, afraid they'd be next. Others trying to run, as if distance could somehow protect them from what was already in their blood.
Through the Merge, I felt Kael's instinct to command, to use authority to impose order. But authority wouldn't help here. These people didn't need a king right now.
