Just as he was getting used to returning from the Void, Dorian felt an instant wave of intense mental vertigo
There seemed to be no physical backlash from returning, but his mind was somewhere else for a few minutes, trying to adjust itself to his new body.
It was then that he noticed that the room was filled with a thick red fog that was slowly seeping into his skin. He didn't have much time to think about the fog; he was busy trying to get his mind in order.
"Dorian Amore… Dorian… Amore… Dorian…"
He kept repeating his name, a desperate, fading mantra, trying to anchor himself because he was starting to lose sight of who he was in all this mess.
The final remnant of the magic, an ominous red mist, was almost gone; it was seeping into him through his pores, his mouth, and even his eyes. Every part of his original self felt as though it was being absorbed and devoured. He couldn't cough, couldn't scream.
Thoughts that weren't his began to flood in.
They were strange, powerful, invasive, and aggressively primal. They weren't memories; they were pure cravings and violent desires. Possessive visions of every girl he'd ever wanted—even those he'd only glanced at once—flashed past his inner eye.
"Relax, kid; this is the last step of the contract: you and a part of me merging so you can be an incubus. The book, the catalyst, however, is gone forever."
Dorian felt how an intruder, a terrifying second presence, filtered through them all, causing his new body to pull into an involuntary smirk he didn't recognize.
It felt like an alter ego, a hidden, potent version of himself he didn't know was there… or perhaps one that the presence wanted him to believe had always been buried deep inside.
He fought, clawing his way back to regain control of his consciousness, rising through a haze of corrupted dreams and twisted urges. The presence began to recede, settling into a deep silence within his mind.
Dorian slowly sobered up, feeling lost and unanchored, like surfacing from a nightmare he couldn't fully remember, only knowing that he had been fundamentally changed.
He gasped for air, standing up fast. His hands trembled. They looked normal at first, but then he looked again.
They were too perfect…
His nails had grown out, sharpened at the tip, and were longer by half a centimeter. He recalled using them to kill the goblin earlier, so he wasn't that surprised.
He was panicking, though, as there were other parts that felt out of place. He ran his fingers through his hair as he felt it now brushing his shoulders.
No. No, no, no!
His hair grew out again. Damn it! He just had it cut to enter university; it wasn't cheap. It was previously clean, short, stylized, and perfect for his big debut. From what he could see, it was now a mess. Long, raven black with streaks of red. And not the dull kind either; this black was deep, silky, and almost glowing. Rich in a way his hair had never been. He used to have black hair, yeah.
But not like this.
Then his fingers brushed something else hard and smooth with a pointed tip.
Horns?
Two damn horns. Right at the sides of his head. What was he, a goat?
He touched the slightly curved edge. Panic started to set in, but it was too late for remaining calm.
He looked down and realized his shirt was ripped where his arms bulged. It was also slightly open at the chest area, clinging way too tightly across his torso.
He grew!
His muscles were more defined, his frame bulkier, like someone had turned the gym up to max while he was unconscious for a few seconds.
And just as he was beginning to feel the slightest bit proud of having muscles, he felt them!
Wings!
Small, bat-like, unfolding from his back just below his shoulder blades, they were what kept him in place before, but he didn't have enough time to actually see and analyze them. The sensation made his skin crawl, but he could somewhat get used to it.
"What the fu—!" he muttered, feeling not only how they felt but also how he could feel his hands touch them while grabbing on to them. He was more amused about having them than frightened in terror.
Then came the itch below.
No. No way!
He reached behind him near his butt, and sure enough, a damn tail, slender, long, and with a spade on its tip, was trying to get out, almost breaking through his pants.
Was he an animal or something now?!
He was forgetting one thing.
One small thing.
Well… not so small anymore.
His pants felt like they were about to rip. He had felt it before but now that he was inspecting each part of his body, his "southern heir" wasn't so little after this transformation. He actually had to loosen his belt just to give himself some breathing room.
"Okay, okay… So we've got some upgrades going on here," he muttered, adjusting himself 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."
He stood and began pacing.
The room felt smaller now; he even had to crouch to not bang his head on the low ceiling.
He turned his attention back to the intruder, Yamir or whatever his name was in his mind, and yet he didn't seem to want to speak. He then thought about the bookshelf and the shining books that were still within it.
But the moment he reached toward it, something appeared.
A transparent bubble, like thick magical glass, formed around the entire case.
He tapped it.
Then punched lightly. Or so he thought.
His arm flung backward from the recoil, jolting painfully at the shoulder.
"Damn… I am too strong now..."
Shaking off the sting, he stepped back.
Clearly, whatever power had been activated was now sealed or didn't want to play anymore.
That book had done its job and vanished, leaving him stuck like this.
"Alright. Think. What do they do in movies?"
Meditation, find that inner peace crap. Right?
He dropped down into a lotus position… or at least tried to. His legs were thicker now, more muscular. He had to force them to fold properly. Something that never used to be an issue.
"Ugh. Great."
He closed his eyes.
"Alright… Yamir or 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 you did to my body and how do I get back to being somewhat normal!"
Silence.
Then...
A long sigh echoed inside his head.
"Seems you recovered a little faster than I did. I had to slightly integrate myself with your mind and body. 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.
"Let me reintroduce myself; 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."
Dorian clutched his 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 his skull, so sweet it made him want to puke—that and its damn raspy voice.
"No, no," Yamir said, as if amused that Dorian 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."
There was a short 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."
Dorian stayed silent, hoping it did not have anything to do with his soul.
"Nothing big!" Yamir assured him, almost as if he had read his thought.
"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?"