(Planet Vorthas, Twelfth Elder's Training Facility)
Two full days had passed since the Shapeshift training began.
Two days of searing pain, sleepless nights, and relentless trial-and-error under the hum of copper coils and the hiss of vacuum seals.
But despite it all, Leo made progress.
His body, long accustomed to stress and micro-adjustments, had begun responding to the training in subtle but tangible ways.
He had learned how to isolate the brachialis without letting his mana bleed into his tricep, how to increase water retention in his forearm fibers without distorting proportion, and how to restructure the visual symmetry of a bicep without breaking circulation flow.
And now, standing before the Twelfth Elder once again, Leo held his right arm at a perfect angle, its shape a near-flawless replica of the first image on the data slate.
