Shan lounged in the tub, feeling the comforting warmth seep into his scales. He was improving with his transformations, his ability to change between human and mer-form growing stronger each day. Today, he’d wanted to show Loka how far he’d come. He’d been so excited that he didn’t even mind having to strip down—he couldn’t shift while clothed anyway, and by now, the initial embarrassment had faded. Loka had been sitting with him, and her gentle encouragement and steady presence helped him focus. But then Lanni accidentally burned her hand and needed healing, so Loka left the room for a moment. Shan waited, half-expecting her to return any second. When the door opened, he heard her voice from the hall. “Shan, give me a moment,” she called, the door closing before he could respond. With a sigh, he slid back into the water, taking out his wax earplugs. Submerging completely, he let himself float, daydreaming about the sea. He often wondered what it would be like to swim with his tail in the open ocean, to feel the endless water surrounding him. He already loved swimming as a human, but with a tail? It would be a whole new experience. He smiled, imagining the power of a merman in the sea, the freedom it would bring. Perhaps he could use a transport charm to visit the coast when the weather turned nice. It wasn’t even that far—maybe if he learned how to fly, he could fly there one day. Would flying be as natural as swimming had been? He’d picked up swimming easily; maybe flying wouldn’t be so different. A loud crash echoed from somewhere nearby, snapping him out of his thoughts. He shot up from the water, his mind instantly alert. In his rush, he completely forgot about his tail. He almost managed to stay upright. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he came close to blacking out. He gasped, his heart pounding as he fell onto the wet floor, the cold tile pressing against his skin. He needed to change back to human form and quickly. He tried to focus, summoning the familiar pull of transformation. But something was wrong. The change came slower than usual, his body resisting every step. Pain flared across his limbs, and he fought to push through it, clenching his jaw as he willed himself to transform. The pain grew sharper, spreading like fire under his skin, making it hard to breathe. He gritted his teeth and tried to revert to his merman form, but it was no better. His body felt trapped, half-changed, muscles locking and bones contorting, leaving him helpless and caught between forms. Panic surged within him, and he tried once more, desperate to regain control and push through the agony. The pain only increased, becoming an overwhelming force that blotted out everything else. It surged, relentless, until he could no longer think, could barely even breathe. He tried to call for help, but the sound that escaped his lips was a strangled cry, raw and filled with terror. The world around him faded as his mind surrendered to the pain, everything else falling away until all that remained was a darkness that pulled him down, deeper and deeper, until he was lost. #fantasy #magic #dragons #hiddenlands