Profane Transformation

"Waking up in unknown territory is akin to being reborn into a nightmarish world, with a fresh slate and endless possibilities, yet the fear of the unknown can be paralysing."

"How would I traverse this endless void without mana?" I replied, my voice trembling with an unshakeable dread.

"That weakness of human flesh and mind will be purged from your very soul. What I require of you is a form that can evolve, endure, and complete my task," the entity responded coldly, its intent shrouded in malevolence.

Before I could reply, my vision went dark, and I felt an itch running across my mind. What started as an itch turned into a searing, burning sensation. My vision was restored to a kaleidoscope of colours, and then the burning intensified, the black mist consuming my entire astral form, the pain was unbearable.

The watcher continued to observe as I writhed on the floor, screams of agony escaping my lips. A darkness slowly descended, the mist finally consuming me.

A tear appeared before the watcher's main eye, peering through, witnessing the horrifying transformation. "This will not be sufficient," the watcher mumbled in a chilling tone. Its humanoid form disintegrated into a mass of tendrils before entering the black mist and absorbing it, reforming into an egg.

Another tear materialized, and a small fox appeared, sleeping on a mound of sand. "This will suffice for now," the chorus of voices echoed ominously.

Tendrils surrounded the fox, stabbing into her. Her fur, once sand-coloured, turned black, and a third eye appeared on her forehead. Her body transformed into mist and fused with the seed, a ritual of transformation and corruption.

Years seemed to pass while the burning sensation withdrew. I felt hollow, unable to recall what I had lost. Memories shifted within my mind, pieces missing, replaced with something foreign—knowledge that surpassed anything I knew.

"Your mind cannot comprehend the knowledge given to you yet, but it will serve you well when you awaken," the watcher's voice echoed in my mind. "In time, your memories will return. What you are now is a being that will adapt, overcome, and is expected to complete my task without fail" those words continued to echo through my mumbled mind.

Time seemed to stretch for eons as memories reformed, with a vast sea of knowledge attempting to fuse with my memories. In this state my mind was in a cycle of death and rebirth, the whole experience dampened any emotions I once had.

My mind slowly processed the stored information within the deepest recesses. I knew what I had become—a creature that could consume, modify, build, and grow?

"We travel on the same journey again, my lord," another voice echoed in my mind. I froze, a sense of dread overcoming me. "Entian!"

I found myself back in the library, or what looked like it. I had designed every inch of it, and this was a horrific imitation. A swirl of black mist rose from the ground, and the memory of the pain I had endured haunted me.

"Do I look different, my lord, or do you prefer my old appearance?" the fox chuckled wickedly, the mist dissipating, revealing her old self.

"What happened to you? I severed our bond before I left," I stammered, inspecting her fur, still tainted by the lingering mist.

"I was given no choice. A contract was forced upon me. The watcher found your soul insufficient for the task, and I was brought here to act as an assistant—a task you unknowingly prepared me for," she replied with a dark edge to her voice.

The shelves contained new books, revealing a bleak future. "I have been reviewing the knowledge given to us. Although we will not have to cast any spells this time, our future will be a lot more complicated," her fur shifted back to its corrupted black.

"I advise you, my lord, to forget about anything to do with mana and spell matrixes and embrace what we have here," she hopped onto my desk, her eyes fixated on a new, sinister book.

"It seems the contract has affected you. You've matured rather fast for your age," I observed the rest of my collection, seeing the insidious changes. Anger, frustration, or any emotion I expected to feel was replaced with a disquieting calm.

"Change will come to you, my lord. Your rebirth has only just begun. I woke you up early so that my presence can be known, and the transition will continue," the room started to vibrate ominously.

"What's happening!?" The vast library disappeared into an endless, consuming black void. Three eyes stared back through the void as black mist enveloped me, and everything went dark.

The fusion of memories and knowledge had finally ended. The knowledge was vast, overwhelming. My current mind couldn't process it all, "It seems my growth determines the amount of knowledge I'm able to view."

Eons of absorbing knowledge ended one day when I felt restrained, this new feeling was uncomfortable, this feeling grew worse as time passed on in this state my only thought was to escape.

"I will not be contained," I whispered to myself, my voice resonating through the dark, formless void that surrounded me. Determination surged within, fuelled by the relentless desire to break free from this suffocating prison.

With newfound purpose, I focused on manipulating the surrounding energies, understanding the subtle intricacies of the unseen forces that bound me. Slowly, meticulously, I started unravelling the fabric of my entrapment.

Days turned into what felt like an eternity as I toiled, determined to break through. Each moment of effort brought me closer to my goal, a goal that now seemed tangible and within reach.

Finally, a breakthrough came. A surge of energy, a shattering of barriers. I seized this moment, using the newfound strength to push against the remaining restraints. With a surge of triumph, I shattered the final barriers that confined me.

A rush of liberation washed over me as I surged forward, breaking free from the suffocating darkness. I burst forth like a storm into a realm of murkiness and uncertainty.

I found myself within a murky river, feeling the currents swirl around me. My senses were overwhelmed as I grappled with the reality of having a body once more. It was a surreal experience, regaining corporeal form after what felt like an eternity in the void.

My instincts kicked in, guiding me to the surface. Muscles that had laid dormant for eons now surged with vitality and purpose. I swam upward, pushing through the water with an almost primal determination.

Breaking the surface was a moment of pure exhilaration. I emerged into a dimly lit swamp, the air heavy with the smell of damp earth and decay. The dim light played on the surface of the water, casting eerie shadows across the landscape.

With each step, I marvelled at the sensations—the soft squelch of muck underfoot, the rustling of unseen creatures in the underbrush. My senses were heightened, picking up on the faintest movements and sounds of the swamp.

"My senses are more advanced than I thought," I murmured, detecting the distinct scents of the swamp, every nuance of its putrid decay.

In the distance, a storm brewed, a dark omen over the landscape. The clouds were thick and heavy, promising a deluge that would transform the swamp into a watery grave.

"This place reminds me of the swamps of the Scarssor marsh. A horrendous place for any outsider," I reminisced, memories of past horrors flashing before my eyes.

The night sky above was a dazzling sight, a multitude of stars twinkling against the darkness. The planet's rings encircled the sky, casting an eerie light that danced across the swamp's surface.

In the distance, two destroyed moons hung like lifeless husks, remnants of an ancient cataclysm. Despite the night sky's beauty, this new realm was a hostile place, and I was the creature that had to face it all.