A day later…

Evélyne sat on her bed in thought. After a few moments, she reached out with an open palm. Her mirror-like communication device appeared above her palm with a ruby light.

Dressed in a loose black robe, she watched the device slowly rotate for a few moments. Her lost gaze focused as she finally decided.

'I should check on Sasha.'

With a flex of her mental energy, it connected to Katlyn's.

{Good morning Veliris. How was your night?}

{Productive.}

After that flat response, Evélyne continued,

{How is Sasha.}

{…She is healing as expected.}

Evélyne's eyes narrowed at her mother's muted tone.

{Can I see her?}

{Of course, dear—}

After receiving an appropriate reply, Evélyne cut off the call and stood up. With measured steps, she left for the Katlyn's lab. In a few minutes, she found herself in front of its mighty door. It opened up smoothly letting her in.

She quickly found Katlyn standing near the entrance. She was dressed in a skin tight white jumpsuit, the design emphasizing her curves and maneuverability.

"Sasha still needs some more time to heal, a week at most."

Evélyne said nothing, her apathetic gaze still on her mother. With a sigh, Katlyn said,

"Come with me."

She led her daughter deeper into the lab. It didn't take long for them to arrive in front of Sasha.

She was in a large containment tube filled with a translucent liquid. Her bushy tail and now sky blue streaked hair bobbed lazily in the fluid. Her naked form floated tranquilly.

The sight of Sasha's nippleless breasts and lack of genitals didn't phase Evélyne in the slightest, but her normally neutral expression dropped the longer she looked at the Beastkin.

Numerous scars ran from her eyes and mouth throughout her body. She looked like a badly put together porcelain doll, the scars highlighting the extent of her injuries. After a few moments of silence, Evélyne turned to her mother.

"What happened?"

With a troubled expression, Katlyn explained,

"…I tried to increase the power of the broadcast by enhancing the energy usage of the psionic circlet Sasha uses… but… I miscalculated and Sasha couldn't bear it."

Exhaling deeply, Evélyne asked,

"Can you come here?"

Katlyn nodded and closed her eyes. In a few moments, a crimson light flashed near her. A second Katlyn made her appearance, her expression calm and dignified. Dressed in an elegant green dress, she nodded to the Katlyn in a jumpsuit. Watching her copy nod back and move over to another part of the lab, Katlyn turned her attention to her daughter,

"What's wrong, Evélyne?"

"Can you please take care of Sasha?"

Hearing the rather cold voice of her daughter, Katlyn's expression softened as she walked over to her. Cupping her face with her right hand, she said,

"I'm sorry I put her in danger Evélyne, but she is stable now—"

Evélyne's sharp gaze caused Katlyn to pause, their ruby eyes conveying various emotions without a single word. Evélyne finally said,

"Never again. Promise me she will never go through this again."

Katlyn sighed as she retracted her hand, various emotions flickered her face before she finally nodded. Evélyne's frosty expression immediately melted and she wrapped her in a hug, engulfing the smaller woman as she whispered,

"Thank you."

———

A week later…

Lucas woke up from his bed with a pleasant yawn. He lazily rolled off his bed and headed for the bathroom, his long scaly tail rolling on the floor after him.

He routinely freshened up and took a measured look at his reflection. While he still had long, curly dark hair, each strand was rather tough and strong like steel wires.

He had forgone his eyebrows for patches of ultra thin white scales. His golden irises bore his white snake-like pupil. Each pupil held a dense packet of Spirit energy which caused them to flicker erratically.

When he blinked, a second transparent eyelid was visible. His features had also become sharper and more pronounced as well, punctuating his already inhuman appearance.

"Still as handsome as always. No matter the form."

With a small chuckle, he left the bathroom to change garments. Taking off his pajamas, he revealed a chiseled, scale covered form. His torso had layers of broad, soft, white scales while his hands, elbows, and knees had smaller, denser, and darker scales.

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His legs were coated with dense black scales as well. His feet had become avian and had just three toes; two facing front and one facing back.

The barely visible scale gaps across his body and some specially designed scales drew his various Runes. On his hands, the Strengthening and hardening Runes were placed together, the two Runes now interconnected at their edges.

On his chest, his left breast carried the brand new K.D Rune. And on his back, the Lightening Rune could be found. His legs and tail bore the Sharpening Rune, but this Rune had some small but visible changes in structure.

He casually put on a tank top and some sweat pants as he headed out of his room with a lazy swish of his tail.

Before he got to the door however, a life-like hologram suddenly appeared in front of him. His tail whipped at it, coated in a transparent stream of energy before freezing centimeters from its waist with a sharp crack. It was the Queen, Katlyn. She smiled slightly as she began,

"Nice to see you're awake Lucas. I have some information to pass to you."

Lucas coolly pulled back his tail as he greeted, curiosity dancing in his golden eyes.

"Good morning, Queen Katlyn. Sorry about my overreaction, I hope it didn't bother you."

Katlyn's gaze narrowed slightly but her expression returned to normal as she said,

"It's perfectly fine, Lucas. After all, I am the one intruding. Now for the information I want to pass. Are you willing to go to an academy?"

Lucas gave her a confused look,

"Like a school?"

"Yes. But as you can expect, here the curriculum is quite different from your previous World. If you accept to join, you will receive knowledge and guidance even I can not provide."

Lucas' expression barely fluctuated at that, he just calmly asked,

"What do I have to give in turn?"

Katlyn chuckled slightly,

"Depends on you and what you wish to study. It can range from nothing to your very life. Do with that what you will. So what do you say?"

Lucas didn't hesitate as he answered,

"I accept."

"Good. I will notify you when it's time to leave."

With that, the hologram vanished. Lucas exhaled a deep breath. A contemplative expression appeared on his face.

'I wonder what it will be like. I still have so much to figure out as well…'

He eventually shelved his thoughts and stepped out. With a hum, he swaggered through the halls.

"Good morning, sir Lucas. What pleases you this fine morning."

A maid asked, her reptilian gaze locking with Lucas' as they gleamed with curiosity. Lucas smiled revealing his white teeth as he said.

"I'm just happy to be alive, Devi. Just happy to be alive."

Devi obviously didn't get what he meant but politely nodded and went back to her duties. Lucas shook his head and continued his walk. It didn't take long to get to the familiar stone path.

Gazing down, he could see Evélyne seated on a cushion at the training field. What really drew his attention, though, was the person sitting on her thighs.

'Oh, Sasha's back?'

With his perception, he could see her clearly. He could see patches of her hair now held a sky blue shade. His stride picked up as he walked towards the field, excited to see his friend again.

"Good morning guys."

Evélyne looked to Lucas and greeted back.

"Good morning Lucas."

Sasha who was wrapped in a hug waved at Lucas with a blush, her eyes sparkled as she said,

"Good morning sir Lucas. You look so pretty now"

Lucas chuckled as he said,

"Thank you Sasha."

He turned his attention to Evélyne.

"Sometimes I forget just how much you care about Sasha then you do something like this."

Evélyne just looked at him neutrally as her hug tightened. Sasha's tail coiled tighter around Evélyne's waist as she said.

"Mistress… I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes. You won't. Ever."

Lucas' eyes shrunk to pins at Evélyne's last phrase.

'She actually lost control of her aura for a bit… What happened to Sasha?'

But he reigned in his curiosity as he asked,

"So what are we up to today?"

As usual, Sasha stayed silent and waited for her mistress' word. Evélyne said,

"Nothing. Sasha has to rest."

"Ohh… how about we go for a flight then?"

They both gave Lucas a confused look,

"But we can't fly, sir Lucas."

Sasha said as Evélyne raised a hand to her head and began petting her. Lucas smiled as he said,

"Ohh, on the contrary, young Sasha. I believe I have figured out flight!"

Sasha's eyes sparkled and Evélyne's hand froze, the simultaneous asked,

"Really?"

Lucas nodded sagely before lifting his head, tail swinging is S-shapes. His face angled to have the soft morning light uplift his playful arrogance.

"How do you produce the appropriate Spirit energy density?"

Evélyne asked. Lucas smirked wider, he lifted a scaly eyebrow,

"Who needs Spirit when you have Physique?"

"Ohh."

Realization dawned on Evélyne, Sasha was still confused so she asked,

"So… how are you going to fly Lucas?"

"It's quite simple, Sasha, I will just transform into something that can fly."

Sasha just got more confused, her ears flickered as she said,

"Like a domain ship?"

Her eyes brightened as she reached an epiphany,

"You can transform into objects now, sir Lucas? That's very amazing!"

This brought a smile to Evélyne's face as she silently petted Sasha. Lucas on the other hand laughed as he clarified.

"No, Sasha. I can't transform into objects. I can transform into other creatures though, remember?"

Realization struck Sasha as she blushed, covering her face. Lucas smiled at this and said,

"Okay, I'm going to try to transform now. It might be a little gross so tell me if I should do it somewhere else."

"It's fine, Lucas, neither of us are squeamish."

Lucas just nodded and began his transformation. His clothes vanished with a multicolored light as he gave the women some space. When he felt like he had given himself enough ground, he got on all fours. Spirit energy exploded out of him as he began growing rapidly.

Lucas exhaled slowly, steadying himself as his Spirit energy surged. A deep tremor ran through his frame before—

Crack.

His bones snapped, his body twisting and reshaping itself with grotesque efficiency. His fingers stretched and contorted, nails hardening into hooked claws. While his legs bent unnaturally, pulling him onto newly digitigrade limbs.

His stance shifted lower as his frame bulked up, muscles rippling beneath pristine white scales that spread rapidly over his body, replacing any remaining traces of his former skin.

His tail thickened, growing even longer and heavier, its edges sharpening like blades. The transformation forced him forward, his body stretching and lengthening.

A deep growl rumbled from his throat as his skull cracked and expanded, his snout sharpening into a defined, muscular maw lined with serrated canines. The scales at the back of his neck gave way as a thick mane of crimson blossoms from his head and neck.

His eyes changed next as golden irises bled into a deep crimson hue. Pupils struggled to maintain their form, writhing and vibrating like caged energy barely contained. His ears grew large and rotatable, now covered in fine scales, flicking instinctively at the slightest sound.

His nostrils flattened into subtle slits, each exhale sending out thin wisps of steam. Three distinct eyelids flickered over his now-oval eyes, adjusting transparency as bony ridges solidified above them, offering added protection.

Finally, his wings burst forth, tearing free from his back with a snap. They unfurled looking like a precise yet warped patchwork of multiple animal wings. The wings were dark and leathery like a bat's yet shimmering cuticle coated them like an insect's. To top it off, hundreds of not thousands of feathers rapidly grew across them, catching the air with a soft rustle. The wings spread wide, powerful and alien, glowing faintly with the energy of their abrupt transformation.

As the last of his transformation settled, Lucas shifted his weight. The earth let out faint rumbles as he flexed his paws against the earth. He lifted his head, nostrils flaring, before turning his sharp gaze onto Evélyne and Sasha. A slow smirk curled his powerful jaws as his deepened voice rumbled, laced with amusement.

"Well… who wants a ride?"

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