Transmutation

"Don't move too much." Eos walked carefully through the shattered glass on the alleyway floor, while carrying Christoff in her arms. 

"Then don't hold me like you're about to drop me!" Christoff tried to hit Eos but he completely missed. His vision had completely gone and it was all white.

"Then don't weigh 60 kg at 14 you mutt!" Eos groaned as she mustered up all her strength to carry him up the do stairs.

"Hey, do you think Drache likes you?" Christoff said randomly as Eos was going up the stairs.

"W-WHAT?!" Eos was caught off guard and dropped Christoff on the stairs. He rolled down and face-planted on the floor.

"That didn't hurt." Christoff's face was engraved on the stone floor.

"It's not my fault you make these weird assumptions." Eos went down the stairs and picked up Christoff. "Jesus Christ, lay off the potato chips would you?" 

Eos went back up the stairs again, still flustered.

xxxxx

Eos and Christoff walked out of the main city area, it was nearly pitch black as they walked around the outskirts. 

"Can you see where you're going?" Christoff asked Eos.

"That's ironic. Anyway, there's a light fog and it's pretty much pitch black, I can only make out what was in front of me."

"Make out with m-" Christoff got slapped by Eos out of nowhere. 

"Carrying you is good enough, you owe me one." Eos continued walking. She stepped over the occasional stick or branch, but she could barely even tell what was below her feet, especially with a low fog covering the ground.

Eos kept on walking, the both of them silent for the rest of the trip. 

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Christoff played with his thumbs. 

"No no, I have night vision, I know where I'm going." The both of them went completely quiet, realising that they were both completely lost. 

"I'm sure the tree house is somewhere here, I'll be able to give you a health potion…" Eos looked around, completed enveloped in darkness. "Soon…"

Christoff groaned audibly. "What will Boss Cheng think about this? He'll think we ditched him." Christoff paused for a second and then proceeded to groan even loudly. "I EVEN GAVE HIM THE MAP!" Christoff places his palm on his face, forgetting that he still has glass shards in his face he cuts himself.

"How did you even get the map?" Eos pulled the hand away from Christoff.

"I don't know, it just appeared inside the tree house." Christoff's face was neutral, but then it turned into fear.

"ARE YOU AUTISTIC?" Eos screamed at Christoff's face, catching him off guard. "IT COULD'VE BEEN A TRAP! HOW DOES THE BLUEPRINT OF A HOUSE END UP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN A TREE HOUSE?!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW, I JUST THOUGHT IT LOOKED OKAY." Christoff tried to stand up but he could feel a small droplet of water land on his hand.

"Oh for fuck sake, it's raining." Eos sighed heavily. Both of their clothes were drenched.

"Hey, your ability is [Alchemy] right? So just fucking warp us to the treehouse!" Christoff sat on the sticks and branches of the floor, also drenched.

"My [Warp] skill can only be used once a day, I'm out of warps." Eos checked through her skills.

"Then, what other skills do you have?" Christoff's eyes were starting to hurt, even more, the water and the blood did not mix well.

"I've got… Uhm… [Transmutation]. But it's pretty risky." Eos tried to create a transmutation circle in her hands, but only sparks came out.

"My vision is going worst, I can barely make out anything. Do it." Christoff outstretched his hands.

"You do realise my idea is limited by equivalent exchange right? I need an eye for an eye, in this case quite literally." Eos knelt down, inspecting his eyes. Their condition had gotten much worst, his eyes were bloodshot red and the small glass shards had dispersed and broken up.

"Trade my limb, I don't care." Christoff pleaded with Eos. "You can take my left hand. Is that equivalent enough?"

Eos looked at Christoff with great worry, she had never used her [Transmutation] skill at such lengths before. The most she had used it was turning a chicken bone into a dead squirrel. 

"I don't think I can-" Eos was grabbed by Christoff.

"YES, YOU CAN!" Christoff pulled Eos closer to him. "You've been practising alchemy for over 5 years, you started when you were 9! I trust you Eos, with my life." 

Both of them were stuck in the middle of a forest with only trees lining them on every side. The moon was directly above them, midnight had fallen onto them. With Christoff's condition ever worsening, she had to make a choice. Either rush to the tree house or try to do a transmutation. 

"Fuck it!" Eos ripped off a small part of her shirt, wrapping it around Christoff's forearm. "I promise you, I'll try my best." She placed her hand on his chest, creating a transmutation circle.

"Good luck," Christoff said with a gentle smile.

"[Transmutation]!" Eos screamed out as the transmutation circle she had created on Christoff's arm lit up in a bright display of lights.

The ground around the two of them started to shake violently as if nature itself had been disrespected. The moon which was directly above them turned a dark red. 

'Equivalent Exchange: Not Met' The screen flashed bright red.

"Wha-" Eos' hand started to age as if she was getting older. Her hand started to develop wrinkles, as well as warts and boils.

Christoff had completely lost consciousness. Whatever he had left of his vision was completely gone from the flash of light. 

The muscle and skin on Eos' hand started to morph weirdly as if gravitating towards Christoff's chest. 

'Transmutation: Complete.' 

Eos' entire body was pulled towards Christoff's, her hand being crushed and absorbed by his body. The transmutation circle which was on his chest was burning a bright red, searing the skin on his chest. 

"AGGH!" Eos screamed out in pain as her entire arm was enveloped by Christoff's body. Within seconds, her entire body had been consumed by Christoff.

A few seconds went by, and the water droplets which were pouring heavily a second ago stopped mid-air. It was as if time had stopped itself.

"Where am I?" Christoff's eyes began to regain their original color. The blood that dripped down his face reverted up into his eyes. He looked down at his chest, a large transmutation circle had been burnt into his skin and through his shirt. He looked at his hands, they were delicate to the touch. His face didn't hurt anymore. 

"I'll miss you." A voice spoke inside his head. He turned his head up, Eos was nowhere to be found.