Dorian Amore… Dorian… Amore… Dorian…
I kept repeating my name, trying to anchor myself—because for some reason, I was starting to lose sight of who I was.
Opening the book had caused me to feel lost. The moment I touched it, my mind went blank.
The book vanished from my hand, bursting into a bright red light that turned into smoke—no, not smoke, some red ominous mist, it seemed alive, almost sentient.
I held my breath, tried to turn away, but it didn't matter. The mist seeped into me through my pores, my mouth, even my eyes. Every part of me was absorbing it, devouring it. I couldn't cough, couldn't scream.
That was when I started to lose consciousness.
So, I kept repeating my name, over and over again.
Like a lifeline.
But it was no use, thoughts that weren't mine began to flood in—they were strange, powerful, invasive, and primal.
They weren't new memories; they were more like cravings.
Desires.
Visions of every girl I'd ever loved, wanted, admired… even those I'd only glanced at once, thinking they were pretty. The intruder, the thing inside me, looked through all of them—and caused my body to smirked.
It was like an alter ego. A hidden version of myself I didn't recognize… or maybe one that had always been buried deep inside.
Or so it wanted me to believe.
But then it began to fade.
I clawed my way back, rising through a haze of corrupted dreams and twisted urges.
It felt like waking from a nightmare I couldn't remember—but one I knew had changed me.
I gasped for air, standing up fast. My hands trembled. They looked normal—at first. But then I looked again.
They were too perfect.
My nails had grown out, sharpened at the tip and longer by half a centimeter. I didn't remember that happening.
Panicking, I ran my fingers through my hair as I felt it now brushing my shoulders.
No. No, no, no—!
I ran my fingers through my hair—it was poking at my shoulders.
It grew out again. Damn it!
I just had it cut for university. Clean, short, stylized—perfect for my big debut.
From what I could see it was now it was a mess. Long, raven black with streaks of red. And not the dull kind either—this black was deep, silky, almost glowing. Rich in a way my hair had never been.
I used to have black hair, yeah. But not like this.
Then my fingers brushed something else—hard, smooth.
Horns.
Two damn horns. Right at the sides of my head.
What am I, a goat?
I touched the edge—slightly curved, ending in a sharp tip. Panic started to set in, but it was too late for calm. I looked down and realized my shirt was ripped open at the chest, clinging way too tightly across my torso.
I grew!
My muscles were more defined, my frame bulkier—like someone had turned the gym up to max while I was unconscious.
And just as I was beginning to feel the slightest bit proud of that—I felt them!
Wings. Small, bat-like, unfolding from my back just below my shoulder blades. The sensation made my skin crawl.
"What the fuc—"
Then came the itch. Lower.
No. No way!
I reached behind me, and sure enough—a damn tail, slender, long and with spade on its tip.
Am I an animal or something now?!
I was forgetting one thing.
One small thing.
Well… not so small anymore.
My pants felt like they were about to split at the seams. My son, as in the southern heir, wasn't so little after this transformation. I actually had to loosen my belt just to give him some breathing room.
"Okay, okay… so we've got some upgrades going on here," I muttered, adjusting myself with a wince. "But how the hell do I make all this extra stuff disappear? I don't want to get hunted down by some shady cult.
That kind of crap always happens in movies."
I stood and began pacing.
The room felt smaller now, I even had to crouch to not bang my head on the low triangular ceiling.
My gaze fell back on the bookshelf—the same one the cursed book came from. Maybe it could help reverse this… mess.
But the moment I reached toward it, something appeared.
A transparent bubble, like thick magical glass, formed around the entire case.
I tapped it.
Then punched—lightly. Or so I thought.
My arm flung backward from the recoil, jolting painfully at the shoulder.
"Damn… I am too strong now."
Shaking off the sting, I stepped back.
Clearly, whatever power had activated was now sealed—or didn't want to play anymore.
That book had done its job and vanished, leaving me stuck like this.
Alright. Think. What do they do in movies?
Meditation, find that inner peace crap. Right?
I dropped down into a lotus position… or at least tried to. My legs were thicker now, more muscular. I had to force them to fold properly. Something that never used to be an issue.
"Ugh. Great."
I closed my eyes.
[Alright… whoever the hell you are—I know you're in there. I felt your thoughts. This whole… change? That was you. So come out and tell me what the hell you did to me!]
Silence.
Then—
A long sigh echoed inside my head.
[Fine. I guess you caught on faster than I expected. Honestly? I had my gold on you running to the nearest church, begging for holy water and a priest. Not that it'd help, by the way.]
[But alright, you got me.]
The voice took on a playful tone, smooth and too damn cheerful for the situation.
[I'm Yamir Cupid—your friendly guide to all this. An alter ego, sure, but mostly here to keep you from dying of a heart attack. Originally, I was a separate entity, yeah. But now? I'm just chilling in your head, eager to see what you'll do with all the power I so generously gave you.]
I clutched my head, groaning as a blurred image tried to form—one that resembled the literal embodiment of love.
[So… what exactly are you? The book said "Incubus" but—what do you mean you were separate? You're not about to possess me or anything, right?]
A light chuckle rang through my skull, so sweet it made me want to puke, that and its damn raspy voice.
[No, no,] Yamir said, as if amused I even asked.
[Think of me like… another version of you. Just one with better fashion sense and fewer moral brakes. I'm not here to control you, I've just given you a very small portion of my power. What do you do with it?
That's up to you.]
A pause. Then—
[Well, mostly. There is one little detail.]
Of course there is.
[If you ever start losing it—you know, go feral, mad with lust, or starved, well, that is when I step in. Full override. Just a failsafe, nothing personal.]
Another pause.
[Also, I'll need a little payment for having… fixed your body.]
I stayed silent, hoping it did not have to do with my soul.
[Nothing big!] he assured, too quickly.
[I've... taxed fifty percent of the first… er… twenty 'meals,' let's call them. That should be enough to cover the startup cost of your awakening. You get the rest. Fair deal, right?]