A heavy silence blanketed the room, broken only by the synchronized drumming of four heartbeats—Kael's, Ivy's, Mira's, and Nadine's. Kael stirred first, his fingertips brushing the cold wooden floor. Every splinter, every bumped grain felt unnervingly vivid, as though his senses had been sharpened to a blade's edge. His body moved with alien ease, pain and exhaustion erased. A crystalline clarity hummed in his veins. Alive, maybe more than alive. The dissonance between his soul and borrowed flesh had vanished, fused into something… whole.

He pushed himself upright, his limbs moving with unnatural ease. The exhaustion, the pain, even the dull ache that had been a constant companion since the day he arrived at the orphanage—gone. A wave of clarity washed over him. He felt alive. More than he ever had before. It was like the imperfections and differences that his soul and this body had before were no more and they were now linked more than ever.

A soft gasp drew his attention. Mira.

She sat up abruptly, her fingers digging into the mattress. Her usually composed expression twisted in confusion. "Something's… off," she murmured. "I feel… stronger, way stronger than I've ever felt"

Across from them, Nadine exhaled sharply, her gaze darting around the room. Her golden eyes having streaks of silver running through them, locked onto Kael's. "What the hell did we just do? Did it work?"

A weak cough interrupted their thoughts. Ivy.

Kael rushed to her side hurriedly but he found himself by her side in an instant. He was just that fast now. She no longer looked pale or sickly. Her ashen skin had regained its warmth, her breathing steady and strong. Yet, there was something else. Her irises, once a dull brown, now shimmered with streaks of silver, almost glowing in the dim light.

"Ivy?" Kael called softly, worried not to scare or discomfort her.

She blinked up at him, disoriented. "I… I feel weird. What happened, Kael?"

Nadine scoffed. "Weird doesn't even begin to cover it."

"The ceremony worked. We are something else, something more than human could ever be" said Kael

The door creaked open. The healer stumbled inside, her face ashen. She took one look at them and staggered back, pressing herself against the wall.

"What… what have you done?" she whispered in horror.

Kael frowned and answered. "We saved her."

"This isn't salvation!" The woman's shrill cry echoed. "You've made yourselves abominations!"

"Obviously. We are something more than human now. We are unique, not abominations and we don't need salvation " Nadine answered to the healer as she materialized behind the healer, a dagger's edge of a smile on her lips. "Funny. I feel divine." Her hand lashed out—a blur, a sickening crack. The healer crumpled.

Silence.

Mira stared at the body. "Was that necessary?"

"Efficient," Nadine shrugged, examining her hands. "No loose ends."

Footsteps echoed outside. Liora entered, her expression unreadable. But unlike the healer, there was no fear in her gaze—only curiosity but it also held something deeper than that.

"Ah," she mused, tilting her head as she observed them. "So this is what you guys were up to ."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "You're not scared of us?"

Liora offered a small, knowing smile. "No I'm not. Besides, let's just say I had my suspicions. I had an inkling you guys were about to do something really important if you were all this serious about it. But never did I think it would be something like this. Color me surprised."

Nadine jokingly said. "Well, congratulations for figuring it out, Liora." 

Liora chuckled. "Anyone could have deduced what I just deduced. I still don't have the whole context of what really happened and I'm sure I'm not yet privy to such information yet, but know I'll be waiting, Kael"

Silence. She had a point. And the guilt etched itself onto me the more.

Liora crossed her arms. "Now just for curiosity, what have you become? How do you feel?"

Kael considered the question. "Stronger. Sharper. It's like my body isn't my own, but at the same time… it is. I've become way better than I ever was"

Mira flexed her fingers. "My strength is unnatural yet comfortable to me. I can feel it."

Nadine took a slow breath. "I hear… things. The footsteps outside. Your heartbeats—Mira's is slower. Steadier. Kael's races when he lies."

Liora chuckled. "Useful."

Ivy remained quiet, her expression pensive. "I don't feel sick anymore. I feel like I had my lifespan elongated. Also, there is fact that our hair colour is starting to change into white gradually and so is our eyes turning silver "

"I guess that explains your big change in appearance, Kael. I was quite curious but worried about what could be going on with you, before" Mira interjected.

Liora's gaze lingered on Ivy for a moment longer before she nodded. "Then your transformation is complete? You are no longer human?"

The words settled heavily in the air.

Kael's fists clenched. They had all made this choice willingly, but hearing it spoken aloud made it all too real and it felt like it was his fault. 

"Yeah and we don't mind. Being human or not is not that big of a deal to pay to ensure Ivy would be alright. Besides, we have become closer and more like a family of some sort than before. We have this bond within us, our unique connection" Nadine stated.

Liora's smile faltered slightly. "A new lineage. The first of its kind. And a connection you say? Well that is quite a boon for you all."

The healer stiffened. "This is unnatural, you are all monsters that need to be vanquished"

Liora's amusement faded. "Unnatural?" She scoffed. "What's unnatural is how the Church of the Broken plays with lives like they own them."

Mira also added, "What's unnatural is letting my sister waste away under their accursed mark and die in front of me knowing that if I just had the courage, it would have had a better outcome." Her voice sharpened. "This is freedom. This is our family and this is who we would become from now on and we need not of anyone's validity or acceptance because we have each other and those who can't deal with it, go kill yourselves"

The healer wanted to argue and state their own stance on the matter but before she could, Nadine, in an instant moved to her position, grabbed her neck and twisted it, making her fall to her death, all in one smooth motion. "Well, I'm starting to get used to this power and I must say, this is fun, so stop feeling like you're at fault. You're not. You just brought Ivy back from certain death, you deserve all praise" 

Kael turned to his companions. "Are you all… okay with this?"

Mira let out a small laugh. "Too late to back out now, isn't it? Beides, I don't mind it at all. It didn't turn us into monsters."

Nadine rolled her shoulders. "This was a big change but if this is what it took to save Ivy, I can live with it. I'm also much stronger which means I would be able to protect you guys better."

Ivy hesitated, looking at her hands. "I… don't know. I'm just scared that because of me, you all made a decision that you may come to regret in the future."

Kael's expression softened. "Ivy, we won't regret this, don't worry. Remember, right, we're family and we should always be there for each other."

Tears welled in her eyes. "I just… I don't know what to say. Thank you....I'm so grateful to you all/"

Kael exhaled, steadying himself. "I want to see which other changes that we have had other than a new appearance makeover, but it is better to check these details yourself since it would be quite personal"

Liora chuckled. "Good opinion. I suggest you all rest for now. Your bodies are adjusting, and you'll need your strength. Whatever power you want in this world, usually has a price to pay in return, yours was not any different."

Kael exchanged glances with his companions. There was no turning back. Whatever they had become, they would face it together.

As they settled in, Kael felt the weight of his decision fully sink in. The path they had chosen was uncertain, dangerous, and irreversible.

But he had people to go through this with. He was not alone and he had support and help too.