Chapter 3

My alarm screamed in my ears, the sound of harsh screams and instruments consuming my world. I am a huge fan of heavy metal, and nothing quite gets you up and out of bed than a huge breakdown and gutteral screams in the background.

I groaned as I reached for my phone and shut off my alarm. With how tired I was last night, the fact that I woke up at all was a miracle in and of itself. I pushed myself out of bed and blinked my bleary eyes.

"Huh." I said, noting that my vision was actually very clear.

I've always had perfect eyesight persay, but something about how I perceived my apartment seemed even greater than before. A side effect of unlocking my magic perhaps? 

That raised even more questions.

"Did I always have magic? What made it manifest in the first place? My anger at Randall the other day was greater than I ever felt towards anyone before, so that could have been it. Could also be the fact that the asshole threw magic at me, and my body acted accordingly."

I just shrugged and made my way to the bathroom. Either way, this was starting off really awesome. As a kid, I'd always dreamed of something like this happening to me, and once reality set in, those dreams were broken and shattered into pieces, but now? I couldn't help but smile with giddy excitement.

I made my way to my bathroom and took a nice long piss. After I put little Sid away, I went to the sink, put my phone on the counter, and grabbed my toothbrush, intending to brush my teeth. That's when I looked into the mirror and I immediately dropped my toothbrush and jumped back in shock.

"WHAT?" I yelled, pushing my face further towards the mirror.

My face looked much the same, but my skin was clearer and more vibrant. However, my shoulder length hair was now longer, going past my nipples. More than that, however, my long brown hair was now a pearlescent white. It looked pristine, and healthier than any head of hair I'd ever seen.

My normal brown eyes had also changed, now a radiant blue, and I could see motes of electricity crackling in each iris.

"What the hell happened?" I asked no one in particular.

Was this the reason I was so tired last night? I went through some kind of transformation? How would I explain this to people at work? To my parents?

I had to admit that it didn't bother me though. I didn't look half bad like this, but again, I wouldn't be able to easily explain this away. I ran my hand through my hair and marveled at how soft it was. My thoughts were interrupted as my phone vibrated. I looked to see thaf Elizabeth had sent me a text.

Elizabeth: "I'm just making sure that you are still coming over after work."

I thought about how I would respond, when a thought occurred to me, and I smacked my forehead. 

"Of course." I said, realization dawning on me.

Elizabeth was an elf, but I didn't know that until last night. She hid her true appearance somehow, probably with magic, and hopefully, she'll be able to help me in a similar way. I opened her name in my contacts and hit call. The phone only rang twice before she picked up.

"Sid?" She asked, and she sounded surprised that I called her.

"Hey, Elizabeth, good morning. Sorry to call you like this, but I need your help. I woke up today and something... weird has happened to me." I told her.

Elizabeth giggled and it made my heart skip a beat. That was quite possibly the cutest thing I'd ever heard.

"Good morning to you too. Don't be sorry, Sid. If I can help, I will. What happened that is weird?" She asked me.

Bless this kind woman's heart.

I briefly explained my situation to her, and she listened intently, and when I was done, there was silence.

"Elizabeth?" I asked,and that seemed to bring her back to the conversation.

"I... think I need to see this for myself. I'll have to if I'm going to help you anyways. I should be able to. What's your address?" She asked me.

My brain stopped working for a second there. In all of my panic and musings, my mind must have glossed over the fact that she might have to come to my apartment in order to help me. The only woman to ever come in here was my mom. Thankfully, her obsession with cleanliness carried over to me, so at least Elizabeth wouldn't have to see a messy place.

I gave her my address, and we exchanged a few more pleasantries before she ended the call, telling me that she'd be over in roughly 15 minutes. We didn't have to go to work for a little over an hour, so that gave us plenty of time to do, well, whatever she needed to do.

"Gives me enough time to take a shower." I told myself, stripping off my clothes, which were actually a pain to get off.

"Why the fuck are my clothes so tight?" I asked myself, but once I got them off, I froze as I took in my form in the mirror.

I've always been naturally strong and muscular, with no rhyme or reason for it. Whereas before I was built well and toned beyond what I should have been, now I was quite literally rippling with muscle. I flexed my arms and they buldged with dense muscle, and my veins stuck out like cables.

My six pack abs were gone, now replaced with more muscles than I thought I even had. I walked over to my scale and stepped up on it. Before this, I was always around a solid 195 lbs, but now my scale read that I was 278 pounds, and it looked like all of that was pure muscle. 

I sighed as I stepped off the scale and ran my hand over my face. I wasn't going to lie and say I hated it, because I really didn't, but this was yet another part of the changes my body had gone through that would be hard to explain to the normal people in my life.

"Stay optimistic. Maybe Elizabeth can help with that too. If not, then hopefully people don't notice." I told myself, although I had less faith about that last part.

I took a quick shower, and after drying myself off, I walked to my bedroom. I opened my closet and scanned for clothes that would fit me. Thankfully, I had been given clothes as a gift at various points in my life, and some of them I didn't wear because they were either too large or too small. I meant to give the clothes away, or donate them, but for once, I was grateful for my laziness.

"Well, it'll have to do until I can go clothes shopping." I said, grimacing as I looked at myself in my full body mirror in my room.

I found some colorful boxers to wear, along with a grey pair of sweatpants. The shirt, however, was the one I was sure would get me some odd looks. It depicted a cat with a gatling gun riding on the back of a griffin, with Michael Bay levels of explosions happening in the background.

"I'm pretty sure this was from Aunt Missy. Mom's sister is great, but she could never remember my size or even how old I was." I recalled, chuckling at a fond memory.

I was glad my job didn't have a dress code, because my current outfit of a homeless hipster was not very impressive or dignified, but I've never much cared for how I dress. As long as I'm not going out in public naked, I'm good.

I walked out into my living room and sat down on the couch, content to just sit and wait for Elizabeth to get here. The couch groaned in protest as I sat down, and I let out a nervous chuckle. I checked my phone, seeing that it was now 7:18 A.M. 

"Elizabeth should be here any min..." I thought to myself, when a knock sounded at my door.

My nerves suddenly caught up to me at that moment, and I wiped my hands on my pants, which started to sweat a little bit. I'm not very good with socializing to begin with, so throw a pretty girl into the mix, and one I'm interested in, and you get my dumbass.

"Calm down. She's just here to help." I told myself, steeling my nerves.

I stood, and walked towards the door. I breathed in as I checked the peephole, making sure it was Elizabeth. It was, in her human appearance, so I opened the door. She looked at me and was confused for a second, opening her phone as if to check something.

"I'm sorry. I'm here to see a friend, but I think I have the wrong apartment." She said, looking puzzled.

I let out a nervous chuckle. I don't look that different, do I?

"Good morning, Elizabeth. I wasn't kidding when I told you it was weird." I told her, catching her before she left.

She stared at me intently before her eyes widened, and scanned over my entire body multiple times.

"SID??" She gasped, and I motioned her inside.

She must have realized she was being a little too loud, and she hurried inside and I closed the door behind her. If I wasn't nervous before, what happened next damn near caused me to fall over.

Her hands felt along my face, then my arms, feeling the dense muscle packed underneath. 

My mind shut down and I could feel my cheeks burning as she continued to poke and prod me. She must have realized what she was doing, as her face turned an equal shade of red before she back off of me.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Sid. It's just... look at you! You look so different." She hurriedly said, and it took me a few more seconds before my brain continued functioning.

"Oh, uh, no worries. It threw me for a loop as well. Do I look weird?" I asked, dreading the answer to that question more than I thought I would.

"No, you look great!" She quickly replied, then she flushed red again as soon as the words left her mouth.

"I'm really glad I'm not the only one who sucks at this." I thought to myself.

"Thank you... I, uh, don't really know what to make of this to be honest. I just woke up and poof. Now I look like an anime protagonist." I said, unsure of how else to describe the situation.

That made Elizabeth laugh and the snort she made was quite possibly the most adorable thing I'd ever heard. That made her cheeks flush even more, and that just made her all the more cute. She did her best to move the conversation along like nothing had happened.

"My father is very skilled at using his magic, and namely, he is the best enchanter in the city. He's the best I know. Maybe that's just my bias as his daughter. Anyways, I asked him if he was able to make you something that could help, and he whipped something up really quick last night." Elizabeth explained, and I looked at her curiously.

Enchantments? Magic? Elves? All of this stuff that was only found in the fantasy stories I love and games that I like play is now my reality, and even better, I myself am a magical being, and from the sounds of it, I'm pretty unique in thar regard as well. My simple and boring life is basically over, and I can't say I'm too upset about it.

"Look." Elizabeth said, drawing me away from my thoughts and back to her.

She held up her arm, and pointed her wrist towards me. She tapped the pink bracelet she was wearing, and I could swear I saw it glowing. No, it was definitely glowing. Suddenly, a light enveloped Elizabeth, but it was over just as soon as it began. Elizabeth, who appeared in her human form when she arrived, was now suddenly in her true Elven visage, and once again, she took my breath away.

"Wow." I said, still stunned by her perfect beauty.

She began to flush furiously from my unblinking stare, and I suddenly felt heat on my own cheeks.

"Uh, I mean, wow that's cool! You hide your appearance with that?" I asked her, and I just hoped it sounded convincing. Damn she's so hot.

"Oh, yes! Some people can cast their own glamors and illusions on themselves, and some cannot. There are some that can willingly hide all of their defining characteristics because that's just how their bodies work. I could use magic on myself, but the mana needed for that is just wasteful, and this is just easier. My father made this for me, as he has done for the rest of my family. He also made this." 

She finished her explanation by holding out an ornate box, silver trim donning the opening of the box. Anticipation built inside of me as I reached out to take it, and as I grasped it, she grimaced.

"My father is... not very creative. I'm sorry in advance." She said to me, and I gave her a confused look.

However, once I opened the box, I immediately understood and I couldn't help but bark a laugh. She took it well, and even giggled along with me. It was simple, and it would do the trick, but Jesus Christ, she was right on the money there.

It was a necklace, and the jewelry in question? It was just a lightning bolt.

"Honestly, it could be worse. It's kinda cool, if a bit on the nose." I said, taking out the necklace.

"Here, let me help you." Elizabeth offered, and I had no reason to say no.

Her soft hands caressed my neck and pulled my hair out of the way, and once again, I got nervous at her touch. My legs were a little shakey, but I stood fast, not wanting to show the depths of my nerves from her touch. She looped the necklace around my neck, and with a clasp and a confirmation from Elizabeth, it was tightly secured.

"Cool. So.... now what?" I asked her.

I had no idea what the hell to do to get it to work. She laughed before explaining.

"You remember the feeling of using your mana? Try to push that into the necklace, and then visualize the desired outcome that you want from the enchantment. The necklace should do the rest." She said, and then gave me a demonstration.

Mana swirled around her wrist that the band was on, and with a flash of light, Elizabeth was instantly in her human appearance once more. As she did so, I studied what she did, and took note of what I saw. 

The mana coalesced around her wrist band, and I woulf see faint magic symbols on the item itself. I glanced at my new amazing lighting bolt necklace, and could also see very small symbols etched into mine as well. Runes or some sort, if my nerd senses were to be believed. 

It was also quite bright in my vision, which only added more proof to its magical nature. I focused, and tried to apply the feeling of using my mana to power the necklace. This resulted in a few wild sparks, but in only mere minutes, I believe I understood what I had to do.

Suddenly, my entire vision was inundated in bright light, yet it wasn't blinding. It was over before it even began, and I felt no different than I had previously. Granted, that was to be expected. Afterall, it was merely an illusion, and not an ability akin to shapeshifting.

Elizabeth's rosey cheeks instantly told me that something was amiss, and I looked at her in confusion. I looked down, and I understood the situation, my cheeks an equal shade of red. At least I could confirm that it worked, and my huge body once again looked as it did before my transformation. However...

"I... uh... also have to visualize clothes, huh?" I asked.

She nodded slowly, and I couldn't help but notice where her eyes were going. Thankfully, I was not lacking in the size department, but still, this was not how I wanted this to go.

"Good job." I thought to myself, wondering if I could electricute myself to death.