《The Change》


 The Change: Chapter 1

    Evan rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. He hadn¡¯t slept well ever since he set foot on the plane nine hours ago. He looked over the seat in front of him to see a monitor showing the plane¡¯s flight path from Seattle to Shanghai International, but for Evan, Shanghai was not his destination for he was to spend his two weeks of holiday.


    Aboard the plane, the monitor in front of the centre row of seats showed the plane he was now on flying over northern Japan, with at least another three hours left in the air. Evan shifted himself back into a comfy position with his courtesy blanket and leaned his head on the side of the plane; the cramps in his leg prevented him from feeling anything below his thighs. He sighed at the pleasant thought of disembarking and stretching his legs.


    After some more hours, when Evan disembarked onto the busy and crowded concourse and he was finally able to stretch his legs. The much-needed exercise needed to stimulate the blood flowed back into his legs after brushing off the feeling of pins and needles that assaulted his legs from the plane. His body told him it was relieved from the cramped confines of the aeroplane with a series of soft cracks and wet pops in his joints as he stretched.


    He followed a series of signs that led him to the next gate for him to catch his plane that would soon take him further inland. The new terminal was full of passengers, taking up almost all the chairs in the entire flight lounge and forcing him to either stand or rest on his bag. Evan decided to stand, giving him the time to stretch his body, for he knew that he had another three hour flight inland. Catching him off-guard, the Chinese flight attendants spoke in Mandarin, shortly after, the same attendant spoke in English announcing that the plane was ready to be boarded. The second flight to P¨¢n l¨ªn took more out of him than he¡¯d realise, even for a shorter flight than his previous one had sapped the remaining energy out of him.


    He wearily disembarked from the plane and exited the terminal only to be greeted by the dry, warm night air as he left the air-conditioned confines of the terminal. Greeting him outside was the line-up of taxis waiting for a customer to use their service, followed by a group of passengers leaving via friends or family picking them up. He caught the nearest taxi to him and within a matter of minutes he found himself just outside the lobby of his hotel, and then finally to his room.


    Evan sighed with relief and chucked his bag into a corner of the room and face planted himself onto the bed. The clock on the wall said10 PM; he was exhausted and hungry, the food from the plane left much to be desired. Thankfully there was a menu from a nearby restaurant which happened to have an English translation side by side, with the dishes for international guests. He placed his order, wolfed it down in a frenzy of hunger and jet lag and without bothering changing out of his clothes, he laid down in bed, his exhausted body quickly pulling him to sleep.


    Morning brought a new day - or perhaps it the same day from his original timezone?. The outside air was dry and the morning walk had already made him sweat. Evan, still in yesterday¡¯s clothes ventured freely around the foreign town. He walked around town with a grin and he took photos of seemingly innocuous things that were foreign to him, until a glimpse of a huge Buddhist temple in the distance. The weathered building itself was a vibrant red with a yellow roof that had its edges pointed upwards as if the roof was folding in on itself. The temple towered over him, at least five stories high; its base was surrounded on all sides by a moat-like barrier, with a gate house in the centre of the forward facing wall. Its large wooden doors were open, with tourists and locals alike visiting and leaving the gatehouse leading inside ¡°What luck¡± Evan thought to himself, for it to be open on such a wonderful day.


    Upon climbing the stairs, Evan found himself inside the main chambers, with silk white jade pillars lined up to direct visitors to a stone statue of Buddha on the far wall lit; incense candles surrounded the space. Evan felt a sense of calm and clarity as he carefully chose his steps in the temple approaching the serene environment.


    Halfway through the temple, remembering a sign outside of the temple that announced photography was not permitted, he scanned the room taking in every little detail inside his memory. He climbed up several flights of wooden stairs that spiralled upwards in the centre of the tower to what appeared to be a room of artifacts.


    Each piece was carefully held by custom designed mounts, some were even in glass boxes from ancient swords to vases.Then at the end of the room, all by itself, was a lone jade statue that captured Evan''s attention.


    A dragon.


    Evan gently approached the statue,mesmerized by the detail on it. The jade was a deep emerald green, with white silky lines evenly distributed throughout the statue, like veins of silk were coursing through it. The wings were spread out majestically and the creature''s barrelled chest almost touched the ground below its long craning neck. The creature had a fearsome look with its horns. From the claws on the end of its toes on front and back legs to each individual scale and even the small spikes going from the back of its head to the end of its long serpentine tail that was about as long as the creature¡¯s main body itself.


    Below the statue was a small panel written entirely in Mandarin; no English alphabet for him to look up. The delicate detail throughout the statue¡¯s body attracted him like a magnet. Perhaps it could¡¯ve been the lighting but the statues Jade seemed to have a glow about it, But Evan was adamant it had something to do with the lighting above the case.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    As he kept contemplating the magnificent dragon, something tapped his shoulder; he jumped from the scare, until he looked behind him and saw it had been a monk. The man was completely bald and was a foot and a half smaller than Evan was, wearing orange garbs like everyone would imagine an Asian monk. A gentle, calming presence surrounded his being somehow.


    ¡®I see you are quite drawn by the Dragon of Shanxi,¡¯ he softly said. ¡®It¡¯s my favourite statue in this temple. Would you be interested in its story?¡¯


    Evan raised one eyebrow in interest. ¡®I would love to hear it.¡¯


    The old monk chuckled softly to himself. ¡®The story tells of a young man who grew up in a farming village along the Yellow river. He was a poor man who had never grown a successful crop by himself, and as such was seen as a failure by the others. So he went to the river, where a shrine was placed, and prayed for his luck to change, when he heard a voice that told him to go to the nearest mountain shrine and try again. So did the young man: he climbed the nearest mountain shrine and he once again asked for his luck to change, when a spirit was summoned from the sky and entered his body. Soon after, he blossomed into the dragon you see here on this statue,¡¯ The monk gestured.


    ¡®The villagers accepted him as their guardian but the man did not accept himself, which caused a great deal of conflict within himself; eventually, this cost him his mind, his soul and also his friends and family. The monks drew the dragon spirit out of him and trapped it here in this very statue, which it has laid here for centuries undisturbed.¡¯


    Evan had a small grin on his face. ¡®So the statue holds a dragon spirit? As in, it turns people into dragons?¡¯


    ¡®That is how the myth goes. Some say the monks drew the spirit out to make him human again, others believe that after he died his spirit tried to go to another person. What I am certain of is that this statue is one of our finer artifacts from China.¡¯


    Evan barely registered the Monk¡¯s absence as he leaned closer toward the sculpture, his breath fogging up the glass case, obscuring his view of the magnificent dragon. Then suddenly, his arm collided with the podium, holding up the statue and knocking it over; the glass case shattered completely, spilling the glass and jade in a wave of crystalline shards. The impact site on the floor left a dent in the polished wooden floor, as the green mist of shattered minerals settled into a pile of broken pieces. The glow the statue once emitted was no longer present as if the life force of the statue was gone.


    ¡®Oh shit! Shit shit shit!¡¯


    He brought his hands to his head while his heart raced and his hands started to jitter as the monk proceeded to get back to him.


    ¡®I-I-I am so sorry! I¡¯ll c-clean this up right now!¡¯


    But the Monk laughed heartily to himself.


    ¡®Do not worry, it is only a copy, we keep many spares in the storeroom. I will fetch my lay person to quickly grab the spare soon. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the temple and remember: Be humble and always accept who you are¡¯ The monk placed his open hands together and gave a deep bow of respect to Evan, who returned the gesture in relief.


    Evan tossed his carry-on bag across his house in Seattle, landing on the couch with a fwump! He dragged his travel bag past the front door and let go of the handle, letting the bag drift for a moment before stopping in the middle of the living room, while he tossed his front door keys onto the kitchen bench. His own body was tired and sore from the jet lag once more: Evan approached a couch that was placed horizontally to the couch that he had tossed his carry-on duffel bag, and much like the bag, Evan approached the sofa and fell face first into the soft cushions. And like his travel bag he too landed with a similar sound.


    It took two more days in his home to adjust to the time zone and reel back from the soreness of being on a cramped plane in Economy class. It was on that afternoon that everything began.


    He was checking his email to see when he needed to show up for work; his roster had announced he was to arrive at 8 AM the next morning, a time that was just perfect for him. The solidarity of being alone in his home was so enjoyable, it was saddening that tomorrow would be the end of it all. During the evening, he wandered into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. Recently he had felt ravenous for some reason. Did he miss the food he used to eat, or was he simply not eating enough for himself? His stomach growled loudly and no matter what he ate, he still felt hungry.


    A cramping pain seizing up inside his body, as though he was suffering from gastro, started in his left kidney and shot itself to his liver, Alane he convulsed on the ground, crying in agony and praying it would end...and as quickly as it came, it simply disappeared. He got off the floor feeling relieved, figuring must¡¯ve eaten too much, albeit he had gobbled up monstrous quantities of food that evening.


    Everything was ready for his first day back at work; Evan was in the bathroom to vacate his bowels one last time before brushing his teeth. He approached the sink to begin brushing his teeth before bed but as he looked up at his reflection in the mirror, he screamed.


    In the mirror, there was himself, but one detail stood out. His eyes had turned yellow where before was white, the pupils were no more a circle but flattened


    Did I contract Jaundice somehow while I was away? He thought frantically. His eyes didn¡¯t seem to hurt, but they did itch a little when they were open. He frantically brushed his teeth hoping to avoid making eye contact with his reflection and made a mental note in his head to see his doctor in the hopes of getting all his problems fixed.


    Before finally, he crept to his bed, with mild worries about how his co-workers would respond at the sight of those eyes.

 Chapter 2

    Morning came and Evan lazily rolled out of his bed sheets, with absolutely no desire to work. He had no desire to bring attention and have his colleagues stare at them, until he remembered about his own sunglasses. Before leaving his home, he then picked them up; people in the office would still make comments, but still better than being noticed for suddenly having eyes of a reptile, he told himself. had no intention to bring attention to his eyes and have his colleagues staring at them.


    With no surprise, just as he sat down at his cubicle and began booting up his computer, the comments started.


    ¡®Hey Evan! Umm, what¡¯s with the sunglasses inside? Did you have a bit much to drink during the holiday?¡¯


    Evan looked over at his colleague Rowan, a rough looking man with a bit of stubble leaned over his cubicle wall. He just nodded politely.


    ¡°Well, hem, yes actually. Still have to recover fully¡­¡±and agreed with him, eventually he removed his sunglasses and Rowan was taken back by the sight that he saw. Rowan took notice of the odd symptoms Evan displayed, but Rowan tried not to stare too much at it. He commented on the severity of the issue but Evan played it down.


    Evan politely asked Rowan to keep quiet about it, to which he said ¡®Sure thing¡¯ and Evan resumed his work. Throughout the day he did catch a glimpse of another colleague staring at his eyes. Many passersby¡¯s tried discreetly catching a glimpse at his eyes


    One-thirty in the afternoon and Evan¡¯s official lunch break was arriving. Staring at his computer for hours had made Evan¡¯s sight blurry with onset dizziness. But that could have been because he was merely dehydrated and hadn¡¯t drunk enough water.


    Discreetly, he rushed to the bathroom to use the sink, cupping his hands full of cold water, dousing his face, until he stared at his reflection in the mirror as his focus began shifting back. But there was something in his face. He leaned in closer to the mirror, pressing his belly firmly against the marble benchtop.


    The whites of his eyes were no longer a stained yellow as before. Now, they were a firm shade of yellow.


    Still, the only thing that had remained constant was his pupil¡¯s. He leaned closer to the mirror, in a state of almost silent panic, close enough that his breath fogged up the mirror...and there, he saw it


    Part of his brown iris had small streaks of red in them.


    It was pretty clear, at this point. He had contracted some kind of infection from China.


    Now fully in panic mode, he rushed out of the bathroom and straight into his cubicle without looking up from the ground, quickly reaching for his sunglasses to cover his eyes.His breathing started calming down, but his hands kept shaking uncontrollably: he took deep breaths to calm his nerves until they got back to normality.


    For the rest of the day, his eyes itched with a ferocity he had never experienced before. His sight was blurry no matter how many times he would wash them; even as he finally got out of the office, ignoring his colleagues¡¯ questions about his nervous behavior, the discomfort only became more and more unbearable. I need to hide my eyes without wearing glasses Evan thought to himself as he entered his home and strolled through his living room, where he leaned on the kitchen bench for support, his fuzzy eyesight giving him headaches which made it difficult to stand upright.


    He tenderly made his way to the bathroom mirror to further observe his changes once again his iris had become more red; his whites were now a firm shade of golden yellow. ¡°Oh my god, what kind of sickness is this, I never heard such-¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.Black. His sight suddenly disappeared.


    Cold sweat of terror invaded every part of his skin. He reached for his eyes and tried opening them further to capture any bit of light, but nothing came of it. As he was engulfed in darkness, the itching exploded...


    He had to try to get to his phone and call for help; his hands touched the walls as he moved forward slowly; his knee met something he wasn¡¯t even able to recognize, sending pain throughout his body while he cursed as he fumbled in the dark...


    ...until all of a sudden, shapes started to form and light worked its way through his eyes. His eyesight was returning to him. Slowly his peripherals widened and Evan saw the familiar surroundings of his bathroom.


    But something was very wrong with it.


    Everything around his house looked more colourful, as though he had better contrast in his eyes.Shades of green-grey danced off his once dark grey couch under the light. Even his own hands had a soft peach glow coming off them.


    ¡°Wha-what¡¯s going on with my eyes now?!¡±


    He turned around to face the mirror one more time; and this time, he shouted in horror.


    His eyes had doubled down on the yellow-red tinge and his pupils were nothing more than a thin slit that only expanded making it wider than the side of a coin. His dark hair had glows of hazelnut underneath the light and his skin held a firm shade of light red. Evan¡¯s heart began racing and his breathing became more laboured at what he was seeing, The new enhanced vision began hurting his head,especially from the overwhelming strain from the bathroom light.


    He had to find his phone, right here and right now. But who was he to call? Who could he talk to about his mutation? And how was he to explain this at work?


    As he fumbled trying to get it, the screen lit up with new colours he didn¡¯t recognise on the background. Instead of the white dominant screen it was now shared with glares of green and red making it almost difficult to see the screen in finer detail which only worsened his headache: Evan set his phone on the table and he sat down as his head spun. He just sat there contemplating this new world he could see. The colours were so vivid and alien to him it was almost fascinating.


    Evan didn¡¯t even bother eating: he just rested on his bed, waiting for sleep to claim him and pray this all goes away in the morning. His hands trembled uncontrollably and his breathing was ragged. Only his little breathing exercise, at the end of the evening, brought him to rest once more.


    The next morning, Evan called in sick. He was too nauseous and dizzy trying to adjust to his new eyesight and he chose to sit on his couch while sorting out his work on his laptop.


    Evan looked out his window and saw the familiar buildings in the distance. The world around him was a colorful one with undiscovered colours gleaming off of familiar steel and grey surfaces, the sky itself was lit with a soft violet glow emanating from the sun. Evan soon discovered it to be UV. He chuckled to himself as he could now see the UV part of the spectrum. And yet his head hurted him trying to process it all. The possibility he was mutating into something unknown was atrocious, but it was impossible to deny the evidence: something was going on.


    Lunch drew and Evan fixed himself something to eat out of whatever he had lying in the pantry at the time. By now his eyes had finally felt normal: the itching had gone. Still, it remained the fact that this was his new normal.


    At first Evan barely paid attention to it but his chest started itching like he had a rash, he struggled to refrain from it but he scratched at his chest for minutes on end until he felt relieved that it was gone. ¡°Hmm, weird. Please don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve got more symptoms¡± he said aloud to himself.


    Night drew on his suburb and his time to rest had come, Together with a new discovery: he could see in the dark. However, the astounding new ability was soon followed by a sudden bout of itching on his chest; however, an ointment to ease the discomfort thankfully worked quickly. The relief made it easier for Evan to go to bed and rest once more.

 Chapter 3

    A new day dawned and Evan woke up well rested; after all that had happened, it almost felt like a miracle. However, it lasted little. As he rolled onto his side, his chest exploded into a fit of itchy skin. He sat upright against the wall and scratched ferociously, hoping to cease the irritation; his skin got instantly smoother, yet its density felt...firmer, . His belly was strangely firm at the touch, a firmness that upon further examination extended to his neck and the rest of the frontside.


    Evan struggled to get out of bed in his upright position, but once he got on his feet he found it less difficult to move about. He examined himself in the mirror; his pectoral region was barren, as he no longer had nipples.


    ¡°The fuck is this?!¡±


    His fingers brushed against his smooth skin. His body was changing and he didn¡¯t know what he was changing to, nor did he know to stop it, but one thing Evan did know: he couldn¡¯t let anyone see himself like this.


    That day, focusing on his job proved to be too much of a challenge. His mind was elsewhere all the time, to whatever was happening to his body: from his abdominal cramps to his reptilian eyes and now his chest. Thoughts swirled around his head of him being forever closed off from society as a mutant that would disgust regular onlookers. Thoughts of never being able to see his family and his own unrecognisable visage being but a twisted husk of what it once was. He began to hyperventilate as the panic from his thoughts sent him on a downward spiral, just in the middle of his workday...


    CRACK! A wet pop sounded off in his chest and his heart rate skyrocketed. Clutching his chest as he fell to his knees, terrorized by that horrible sound, CRACK! Another sharp crack sent pain up and down his spine as he yelped in pain. CRACK! A third one sounded off in his chest. Evan struggled to breathe as he felt his ribs being forced outwards, out of their sockets; his heart pounded in his growing chest, as he convulsed onto the ground as each forceful push inside his body sent waves of pain throughout his body; with both hands he desperately pushed against his sternum in the vain attempts to force his ribs back into their normal position. He heard voices around him, but could not make sense out of them; he just writhed on the ground, while his chest pushed outward forcing itself against his hands - and CRACK! Evan to yell in pain until he had no more air left in his lungs.


    He lied flat on the ground, breathless, helpless and speechless. His heart was like it was going to explode out of his chest. His chest swelled and pressed outwards while his ribs grew and expanded, becoming twice as large as before together with his lungs. Each breath he drew felt enormous as they worked to inhale as much as it could. Only then did he notice the pain had ceased.


    Evan hadn¡¯t noticed the tears. His brief respite would give him time to look over his enlarged chest: he couldn¡¯t see past it like he used to, although his ribs were still pronounced underneath his skin.


    Evan couldn¡¯t handle it anymore and broke down into tears. He was becoming more of a freak by the second and as he cried he heard his own voice go down in pitch making his voice deeper in tone.


    He didn¡¯t even get the time to scream out his struggle that from the core of his being something else began to build up. He could have tried to cease his crying and brace himself for what was coming - but how could one ever be truly ready for it? The scream of crying became quickly a scream of suffering as the sensation of an explosion went off inside his chest, pressing itself against his ribs and forcing them outward as his chest grew in size. The first volley of this attack pressed on his lungs, forcing all the air trapped inside him to get out; he was breathless once more as he experienced the horrific pain he was forced to endure.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Unnatural sounds originating from his chest reverbated off the walls as they popped out of place and cracked into their new ones. The push in his chest forced him into unnatural proportions. The groans and yelps of pain descended another pitch, while his vertebrae pop once or twice as he struggled for air.


    With futility he clutched at his sternum while his heart burned and thumped in his chest with a ferocity he hadn¡¯t experienced. With tears in his eyes, Evan for the first time in his life begged for death.Please, he thought, take me and free me from this, I¡¯d rather not feel anything at all and this, all alone...


    Without warning the pain stopped.


    For a very short moment, Evan thought his prayer had been listented. However, he quickly came back to reality once he reconnected with the world around him. He was lying on the ground, drawing huge breaths for his enlarged lungs and reeling from the pain.


    He convulsed as he broke down into a bigger fit of tears. His newly deep voice felt so wrong to his ears, and only increased his despair further.


    He rolled onto his back and saw his barrelled chest. At the same time, the itching returned but after what he went through it didn¡¯t feel as bad as before. His belly had rhombus-like plates forming; the itch itself intensified as Evan stared at himself and saw his smooth skin and his navel disappearing replaced instead with plates hardening on his chest and belly. Nothing of his front side resembled what it used to be.


    And then, everything began once more.


    The immense pressure in his chest forced itself up into his neck. The pops reverberated echoed in his mind while his head moved further away from his chest. It slowly inched itself further away while his once flat chest bulged outwards beyond its natural shape. His neck grew in length yet his head, which felt ready to explode, remained untouched. The itching took a hold of his neck as it had with his abdomen, the front of his neck firmed up into smaller plates of keratin. The skin around it started to constrict as if he was being choked by an invisible hand, forcing him to claw at his neck as if to somehow stop the feeling of being strangled to death until it stopped all of a sudden, leaving Evan taking ragged, shaky breaths.


    Getting up on his trembling hands and knees, Evan, tried once more to get up. His heavy chest made it more difficult to stand upright. He wobbled side to side like a pendulum trying to maintain his upright posture, with no success. His enlarged organs added to his dilemma of being able to stand perfectly.


    He leaned on the kitchen bench for support as he made his way to the bathroom, reaching his mirror. He knew he had to do it. But what was going on had left his mind incapable of preparing himself.


    There, he found the mirror.


    His chest had expanded to look too large for the rest of his body. His front plates had firmed up, upon touch they felt as though he was bullet proof. His belly plates had a vibrant yellow colour made more vivid by his enhanced eyes, going from underneath his chin down to his flattened out stomach. The skin surrounding the plates had even begun showing signs of discoloration.


    He pried his fingers underneath the plates, trying to pry them off and barely lifting the plates before he felt as though he was peeling his skin off, hurting. How ironic that after everything he went through, this would still hurt him. He stopped immediately.


    Leaning on the ball of his heels helped him maintain his balance immensely. With shaky steps he practiced walking around normally. His eyes became watery as he worried at what ¡°Normal¡± meant for him now. Throughout the day Evan tried to return to his duties but he discovered each task he performed he had to relearn because of his new condition. Soon, night fell on his home and Evan stared restless at his twisted form in the mirror, his overlapping plates and his discoloured skin. His vertebrae poked underneath his skin, as if his spine wanted to poke out of his back.


    And there, his mind fell into dizziness. He held his head as if to stop it, sitting on his couch while his head grew heavy. And slowing his breathing to slow his intake of air. His growing body had drained more energy out of him than he thought at first. His whole spine ached in each joint. His eyelids grew as heavy as his head and before he knew it his body pulled his mind to a deep slumber.


    As Evan fell to his slumber little did he realise that his body had begun growing a brand new appendage.

 Chapter 4

    It was still night-time when Evan woke up. His whole house was dark, except for the unusually bright moon light peering through the window. He got on his hands and knees and looked down his body: it had returned to normal.


    Evan shouted with glee: the nightmare was over. With a heavy sigh of relief, he made his way to the living room light switch to get himself ready for bed, when the room lit up into existence. Leaning on the kitchen bench was a strange man.Thieves! Evan thought in fright while throwing himself against the wall, but the intruder barely paid him any mind, nor made any attempts to look threatening. He was dressed in very casual clothes but his face - he looked so similar to Evan. In fact, it was exactly him.


    ¡®W-Who are you?!¡¯


    ¡®Hm, well¡­ You, I guess.¡¯


    ¡®But how? Why? What¡¯s going on?!¡¯


    ¡®I am you...but not exactly you, the one in charge. My presence here is merely intended to offer help.¡¯


    Evan¡¯s mind contorted into a mix of frustration and confusion. ¡®What the fuck does that even mean!?¡¯


    ¡®As I just said, I am kind of like a helper to you. I would say my name is Evan but that¡¯s not really helpful now is it, no. You can call me The Voice.¡¯


    ¡®The Voice?¡¯


    His doppelganger nodded as he stopped leaning on the kitchen bench and sat down on the couch, resting both his feet on the coffee table with his right leg crossed over the left. ¡®Yes, because I am the voice of reason. That¡¯s where we both are right now, inside your head while you are sleeping off that large chest you grew.¡¯


    ¡®Wh-wait, are you saying that this is just a dream? My body did not recover at all? Am I turning into a monster?¡¯


    The Voice sat up straight at that last word. He got up on his own feet and approached Evan.


    ¡®Oh no no no no. You are not becoming a monster, no. You are becoming something wonderful. Soon you will embrace what happens next, and your life will be changed forever¡¯


    Evan looked down in defeat. Until he suddenly realised something.


    ¡®Wait a second: How do you know this? How do you know what is happening and what¡¯s going to happen? Unless¡­y-you aren¡¯t really me. You are possessing my body so you can take over, is that it?!¡¯


    The Voice took two steps back as Evan raised his voice in anger, as though he was intimidated but when he opened his mouth, his voice still kept the same chillness.


    ¡®What? No, you have it all wrong. I am not here to possess you, Evan. I only want to help you. That¡¯s why I call myself The Voice as in the voice of reason. The little voice in your head that gives you advice when you need it, or gently nagging you that you forgot something. That is my purpose. I don¡¯t want to take over your body; I mean, I can if I need to, but there hasn¡¯t been a need for it. Anyway back to your question: I do know what is happening to your body and I do know what is to come. Evan, listen to me carefully now: what happens next, just relax and you won¡¯t feel as much pain as you experienced today. I promise you, it will be beneficial: do not resist it.¡¯


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®Well what if I do not want these changes to happen? What if I want to retain my body and get on with my life instead of changing into some kind of beast? Bet you didn¡¯t think about it!¡¯ Evan spat.


    Sadness was all that could be found in The Voice¡¯s eyes, almost as if he had been insulted. Nevertheless, he placed a gentle hand upon Evan¡¯s shoulder. ¡®My time here is coming to an end. Please embrace this. There is no reason for you to be in so much pain. When you wake up please don¡¯t fight this-¡®


    Evan woke up on his couch in the living room. All his joints were trembling at the slightest movement.


    He didn¡¯t want to get up. If he did, the change to his body would resume. But something had to be done. Much like his dream, the whole house was dark, except for the bright moonlight coming in from the window. Evan slowly grabbed the top of the couch and tried pulling himself up, utilising all his strength to bring his heavy chest off it. He approached the light switch and stared towards the kitchen, expecting to see The Voice, but there was no one.


    A deep sigh of relief left Evan, but there were still so many questions inside of him. Had he really communicated with his conscience or his inner self? Was The Voice really his mental helper or something more malignant to do with his body¡¯s transformation? Because that was what it was, despite how awful it was to admit: he was transforming.


    He only made two steps to the kitchen before finding himself on his trembling hands and knees. This time, the very foundation of his body began to hurt. His coccyx separated and reversed itself inside him, like a red hot metal poker stabbing him at the base of his spine. The sharp pain pressed itself on each nerve in his back, forcing tears out of his eyes. Bit by bit, a small nub budded its way out of his back.


    He bent over, resting his head on the ground after his arms collapsed, begging for it to stop as the nub grew longer. New muscles started to pop into existence, making themselves known along his new appendage as it grew outwards.


    He clenched his teeth in an effort to dull the pain. The distinct coppery tang of blood occupied his mouth, but amongst the new appendage growing from his rear Evan paid it no attention.


    His new tail grew a few inches and began to move, swinging left and right wildly as he convulsed from his torture. Then finally, it ended.


    Evan got immediately back up to his knees and turned back to look. The tail was easier to control than he initially thought: he focused on it with ease as it moved following his brain¡¯s commands.. It was awful to admit it, but it was quite amusing.


    There was still the taste of blood in his mouth. Evan ran to the bathroom and washed it out. The pristine white porcelain sink was covered in dark red as Evan began to realise what was going on. He ran his tongue throughout his mouth to locate the source, but as he saw in the mirror, another change appeared. This time, more than half his teeth were loose. The blood coated his mouth and even ran down his chin giving him the beastly look of an animal that just killed its prey.


    A tsunami of thoughts came to Evans¡¯s mind as his hands shook ferociously and his body went cold once more. The thought of becoming a monster that may have to hunt its food...The Voice may have said it was beneficial as much as he wanted, but Evan could not see it. The face in the mirror was what others are going to see him as...a beast.


    Shakily he reached for one loose tooth in his lower jaw, trying to steady his hand but it didn¡¯t help when it came loose as if it were to fall out on its own any second.


    He backed away from the mirror and into a corner of the bathroom, desperately trying to escape what was going on. His tail bumped the wall sending new sensations up his spine as it swung wildly, occasionally hitting the walls of either end of the corner. It had already grown over a foot long and was surprisingly agile for its size as it began to thicken itself before growing outwards any further.


    He started to hyperventilate once more and tears started to flow from his eyes. The tail tip was growing outwards and more teeth were coming loose. He leaned over the sink and spat them out in a spatter of blood coating the sink. His tail growing caused more pain, so much that he reached backwards and tried to grab and hold it steady amongst its fit of movements. To his shock, his hand grabbed his tail as it was a new sensation that he couldn¡¯t process yet.Its growth remained unhindered whilst Evan tried to control it. It was a bit like wiggling his toes. His tail tip grew firmer into a spade-like shape and hardened, making it like a spear on the end of his tail.


    Evan gulped in fear. That tail could be used to kill.


    Finally, it stopped growing after reaching a length as long as Evan was tall. His balance shifted back to normal, aiding him with his heavy chest. His legs were wobbly from the added weight, but the burning pain had lingered in his tail.


    His jawline felt like tiny daggers, working their way through his gums. Fangs and canines were growing out of his mouth, severely impeding his ability to speak.. His body refused to relieve him of the suffering and his tail snaked its way around his leg whilst he continued to explore this new appendage-wait, No! He couldn¡¯t enjoy this! Was that all it took for him to lower his guard? He wouldn¡¯t surrender his thoughts and his mind to this. His heart raced and he looked himself over as his teeth started growing. Eventually his larger, thicker canines even grew outside his mouth giving him a grotesque appearance, he grunted through the pain. Listening to his voice deepening once more. The base of his tail thickened adding weight to counterbalance.


    At least this time the pain had been less ntense compared to when his chest became swollen. Still, the sadness and the shame at having to actually like this were enough to torture him. Was his mind going to be next? Was he going to fall victim to this change and be a monster thinking in the most simplistic thought patterns?


    Resting on the kitchen bench alone with his thoughts, Evan turned to the possibility of facing a future of living feral. His attention was diverted by a new pain in his fingertips and toes. There, something underneath moving around them. He felt another sharp pain coming from his nails and Evan¡¯s eyes went wide as he knew what was happening.

 Chapter 5

    Evan held his hands close to his face. His fingertips were building with a sharp pain growing ever more intense until his finger nails came off. One by one they were forced off his fingers by something under his skin wanting to come out. Something was growing inside of him, his skin being pushed to its limits with a trickle of blood coming out of his tips, until something small and black emerged, then it grew and grew, forcing its way out of his fingers and curving downward and forming into a sharpened claw.


    Evan stared at his hands, shaken by the wicked talons that grew out of him: the bones in his finger stretched and hardened inside him, his whole hand seized up in a fit of reshaped bones and claws growing out of his flesh. They looked sharp and as dangerous, just like Evan¡¯s tail tip. Nerves started forming connections in the claws, making them a part of him. But Evan, stupefied, looked down at his hands as they changed before his very eyes. Pressure built up in the base of his thumbs, while an invisible force pulled them further away from the rest of his finger. Evan yelped in pain as his thumbs were taken from their normal resting spot and travelled further down his hand. It had doubled the distance between it and his index finger, while the pain shot up his arm and made him curl.


    Both Evan¡¯s hands went numb before sensing another build-up of pressure in his palms. The numbness shielded him from pain, but the pressure made him aware of what was going on; the fingers grew longer and thicker. His thumbs almost stayed the same as they remained in position while his fingers grew. His hands grew heavy under new weight and his new claws made it difficult to hold onto anything without leaving scratch marks.


    Evan panted in hysteria. Soon his toes began to undergo a similar transformation while his toenails were forced out as tougher, firmer claws grew out of his digits. The pain forced him off his feet and onto the ground with his legs raised. Evan lied on his back whilst his tail swept the floor and his hands shook. His toes grew in all dimensions while the wicked talons sharpened. His feet snapped and twisted itself, growing longer and the flesh under his toes firmed up.


    Evan looked at himself. His body rested on the ground like an animal. Quickly, he desperately got back to his feet and his new structure made him feel like he was walking on stilts. His barrelled chest made him wobble from a shift in his centre of gravity while his tail kept swaying to keep Evan upright, but his new stance prevented him from keeping a human posture: he almost fell over and only his clawed hands - or should he start to call them paws? - kept him onto the wall, his talons digging into the gyprock and holding him steady.


    More and more did he looked less human. His body resembled nothing what it was only last week and it would resemble even less a week from now. He could have released tears once again, but other than the now usual distress nothing else came. His mind was surrendering to the prospect of becoming a beast; that terrified him even more than the last transformation.


    Suddenly, a calming presence crept into his mind.


    Breath, it said. Evan complied; his worries slowly began to wash away. Sleep It then said. Whatever was making him obey, there was no reason not to do it.


    Could that have been The Voice¡­?


    It didn¡¯t matter for now. He rested his sore bestial body on the sheets, curling into a foetal position and hugging his pillow for support and comfort. In response his tail curled itself until its tip nearly met Evan¡¯s face. In the dark, all Evan could sense was his new limb curling up to where his face was. The claws on his feet had caught on the fabric of his sheets, dragging them whenever they moved.


    Sadness was all his mind felt on that bed. Sadness and loneliness.


    What he was going to do. What would his future be? Evan had to find some way of undoing all that was done to him. As he weighed his options and thought to himself, Evan had finally gone to rest...


    The sunlight barely touched the ground. The tall pine trees around had a canopy thick enough to prevent the sun from being seen. Out of instinct, Evan wandered around the forest, taking in the scents, the sounds of the rustling between the trees and the birds singing to each other, the scent of the clean air, mildew and moss. He looked at himself: his human body returned. He smiled out of content, before realizing he would soon wake up. Better just walking through nature and enjoy that peace as long as it lasts.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Resting upon one such pine was someone identical to him. The Voice. Evan immediately approached his doppelganger, whose face turned to his direction at the crunching of leaf litter. His eyes opened and his mouth turned into a big smile.


    ¡®Hello again, my friend.¡¯


    ¡®Voice, where are we?¡¯


    ¡®In your head, of course. Well, in your bed, if that¡¯s what you meant.¡¯


    ¡®Smartass,¡¯ Evan muttered under his breath, ¡®no, I mean, what¡¯s this place?¡¯


    ¡®Somewhere safe. Somewhere where you can be free and happy.¡¯


    ¡®I was free and happy last week! These past few days I have been anything but happy and free! I have been through a torturous experience that I think hasn¡¯t stopped yet and I¡¯m trapped in my house! Sooner or later my colleagues or my neighbours are going to find out something is wrong and I¡¯ll end up on a surgery table or maybe in a zoo cage!¡¯


    ¡®That''s why I brought you here,¡¯ The Voice said with his arms extended, ¡®Evan, I brought you here because this is important for you. Go that way,¡¯ he said, pointing to a particular direction in front of him.


    Evan turned around to where The Voice was pointing. ¡®What¡¯s so important over there?¡¯


    ¡®Go that way, and you will find safety.¡¯ And with that, he vanished out of existence.


    Evan looked to where The Voice had directed him: nothing but more pine trees ahead of him. What was so special about it? Nevertheless, he was desperate enough to make his way to it.The more he walked towards the location the more compelled he felt to go there. It was like if something inside his mind incited him to go towards it. Was The Voice messing with his head or something? He wouldn¡¯t certainly get such an urge to go somewhere without knowing where he was going...was he so sure he could trust The Voice? He may have been something inside of himself but...


    Eventually, the forest clearing ended. Beyond was sunlight and grassy hills.


    In that moment, Evan broke into a burst of energy and found himself running on that untouched valley of nature. Surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, green grass all around and a sapphire blue lake in the distance, Evan kept running without any thought, guided by something like an instinctive need.


    Suddenly, A hand touched his shoulder. Evan abruptly stopped that mad, happy run and turned to see whom it belonged to.


    ¡®Beautiful, isn¡¯t it? All this beauty untouched by humans,¡¯ The Voice said.


    ¡®It¡­¡¯ no pride could hold it. Wherever he turned his head, he saw only beauty and perfection. ¡®Yes, you are right. This is absolutely beautiful.¡® He closed his eyes to concentrate on his mind and sighed. ¡®But why send me here, I doubt it was for sightseeing.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re absolutely right, dear Evan. I want you to find this place when you wake up. Leave your home and find this place. It¡¯s here that you will be able to understand why you went through everything that you did and how to understand yourself.¡¯


    Evan felt a wave of indignation raising from his stomach. ¡®How am I supposed to find this place?! There isn¡¯t any landmarks! And I most certainly cannot go outside looking the way I do!¡¯


    ¡®You will be able to find this place inside of you. Listen to your heart and follow its guidance, it¡¯ll tell you where to go.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, why don¡¯t you get more vague, eh?¡¯ He shouted sarcastic. ¡®I thought I was meant to listen to you, remember?¡¯


    Once again, The Voice didn¡¯t seem to be moved by his harsh words. ¡®Sometimes you need to listen to your heart more than me. The heart of any sentient being is more than an efficient pump: it¡¯s your compass. Listen to it and let it guide you down the right path.¡¯


    ¡®So if I listen to what¡¯s on the inside then I could find answers and help me deal with what¡¯s going on?¡¯


    ¡®Absolutely,¡¯ Voice beamed with happiness.


    ¡®Then I can figure out what¡¯s going on and then I can resume my life?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. I cannot tell you more, I¡¯m afraid. Besides, our time here is now over. Listen to your heart, and you will find the answer of-¡¯


    Evan shot up from his bed with heavy breaths. He looked over his body, hoping to see human hands, everything coming back to normal¡­ but when in front of his eyes appeared his claws, together with holes in the sheets digging into the mattress itself, he felt into a mix of despair and resignation. He would never get back to before¡­


    ...then the valley from the dream came back to his mind, and a sense of serenity and content pleased his mind.


    He had to find it, no matter what. No doctor would ever be able to cure him. No human would help him without shouting from the horror and indicating him as a danger. He had no other path but the one showed to him by The Voice.


    Evan opened his front door for the first time in days. He looked outside and the cold damp air hit his body. Everything in his neighbourhood felt different. He could see clearly in the dark and his smell could pick up the flowers from his neighbour¡¯s yard to the smell of a nearby cat.


    Without a second thought Evan took a tentative step outside his home and he ran out into the night.

 Chapter 6

    Three more days passed, during which Evan had been running and walking for days in a seemingly aimless direction, until he was completely surrounded by wilderness, with no possibility of rescue. His transformation has only bothered him once since he abandoned his home, resulting in his entire body being covered in swamp green scales. Their dull colour barely reflected the sunlight and his hair had long fallen off.


    He relentlessly held on to the desperate hope he could still be fixed and all would be forgotten. Under his clawed feet, the crunching of long dead leaf litter from the surrounding towering pine trees. Inside of him, he could feel himself approaching his destination. Almost there. It would whisper to him, telling him to push on just a little further.


    Evan felt relief. Only yesterday he had succumbed to animalistic instincts when he went down all four limbs and hunted a rabbit with his bare teeth. His hunger forced him to do things he would never consider. The copper tang of blood still lingered on his tongue while his belly gave him relief from nourishment. It was only halfway through his meal when Evan realised what had happened and he dropped the remains, wiped the blood off his hands and mouth and ran in the opposite direction, shocked from the horror of his actions.


    His legs ached from the non-stop march towards an unknown place. Without hesitation, he lied down on an exposed rock with its surface radiating heat from the only exposed sunlight from the tree canopy. The sun¡¯s warmth brought calm and relief to his body.


    In that position, he would be mistaken for some kind of Iguana or large lizard of sorts while in this resting position, Evan realized he chuckled at the thought.


    A bit after, his long trek resumed, toward the valley surrounded by nothing more than pine trees and occasional shrubbery. Then out of nowhere, his waist felt sore. From inside, a sharp pain in his spine forced him to hunch over; his heavy chest brought him down to earth, making him place his arms out in front of him.


    He was about to walk on all fours like an animal.


    His breathing escalated and his hands trembled in fear. Quickly, he quickly straightened out his back and pressed on forward, doing his best in dealing with the pain in his back until it became numb.


    His head spun and his throat was parched. He hadn¡¯t had anything to drink ever since he caught that small rabbit and its moist flesh sated his hunger and thirst. He remembered how warm it tasted when he sank his teeth into its soft flesh and how tasty it was, how powerful he felt when he hunted it and how much superior he felt when he killed it-


    ¡®NO!¡¯ He shouted, slapping himself out of his trance. It was wrong, he couldn¡¯t enjoy it! No matter how good it felt.


    His ears burnt, but Evan brushed the sensation aside. Soon, pins and needles danced along his cartilage. His hand, brushing his ear, finding small spikes protruding from the soft cartilage. The spines grew longer and firmer, pointing to the back of his head. His ears burnt as the soft cartilage transformed into a soft leather webbing between the spines.


    Then his ears rang until it was all he heard. But it lasted only some seconds of terror: the ringing in his ears settled down and his hearing returned to him, sharper than ever. Evan heard everything in clarity like he never had before. He was hearing the sounds of birds flapping their tiny wings from a distance away. He heard things like the subtle movements of a woodland critter nearby.


    Reaching up to touch one ear, he felt surprised by the delicateness of the soft membrane between the spines. Strangely, stroking them gave him a small sliver of pleasantness.


    Evan felt a strong urge to turn left: something (The Voice?) was suggesting to him it was the right direction. Evan smiled as he walked, his mind daydreaming of the things he was going to do once he got back to normal.


    But ashe kept on going, his back ached and burned. At first, Evan assumed it was from being exposed to sunlight for so long and his sun basking session. But he soon remembered what came after feeling this.


    ¡®Oh god, not now, please!¡¯


    Sharp pain erupted from his shoulder blades, interrupting Evan¡¯s pleasant daydream and making him grind his teeth and his eyes shut. Something prodded its way from his shoulder blades and worked their way down his back and up towards his skin. Eventually it began to push its way out and Evan yelped in pain as it broke through his flesh. The pain forced him to all four limbs and his back arched up in pain as blood trickled down his scales and onto the ground. His breath became ragged; he tried to brace himself, but it was of no use when nerves began forming in his new limbs. He somehow knew what they were; yet he couldn¡¯t see them.


    With each pained breath and grunt he made, the two limbs inched their way out and soon, tiny delicate digits formed at the end of his limbs. The fingers grew while a leathery membrane, similar to his ears, stretched itself taut between each finger. The sensation burned throughout his muscles. Within his mind, new impulses and new sensations came from them as they grew; absurdly, despite all the suffering, deep in his mind a small thought of flying through the air gave him a sense of happiness. A small part of him was happy, telling him: Your wings are born.


    Evan quickly snapped himself out of the euphoric thought. Will there be a point where he will no longer want to be human again? Pain filled his head as the wings grew. He turned his head around to look back on them and saw the delicate fingers flexing for the first time. The thought of flying would be freeing, but it was not what he wanted.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    His new arms had already grown to over a metre in length and his fingers were already longer than that. The pain had been numbed down to a degree that Evan was able to tolerate. He attempted to get back up on his feet; however, his new limbs weighed heavy on him, sending him to the ground. He desperately dragged himself upwards using his new claws, then pushed off; but when he was high enough, a cramp break in his waist and hips. He hunched forward hoping it would go away until his hips were realigning to a quadruped stance.


    ¡®No no no no! Gotta get up, can¡¯t walk like an animal!¡¯


    He relied on the tree once more for support dragging his upper body away from the ground when POP! Wet and dull it sounded off from within his body. In an instant Evan¡¯s spine straightened and his body adjusted itself.


    Falling to the ground on his hands Evan felt dizzy and nauseous. His eyes became watery and his mind ran wild.


    ¡®I just want to be normal! Is that too much to ask? What did I do to deserve this? What? What? Whaaaaaaaaat?¡¯


    Keep going.


    Suddenly, as if his worries were washed away by the tides of his thoughts, Evan remembered the light at the end of the tunnel. He closed his eyes and focused on his heart. He took his first tentative steps with his hands now forelegs and slowly began walking.


    ¡®I can do this, I haven¡¯t got far to go,¡¯ he repeated to himself over and over like a mantra.


    The forest was endless. Evan continued until night fell on the land once more. He found a rock surface that was elevated above ground, his new claws letting him climb incredibly easily. Once more, he slept in a curled position, until daytime arrived...


    and in front of his eyes was The Voice, looking down on him.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you looking wonderful?¡¯


    All he saw was an entity with his face and body taunting him. He got up on all fours and found he was human once more. But inside of him was nothing but anger and frustration.


    ¡®Why do you do this to me? Why do I wake up Human, why can¡¯t I be human when I am awake? And all I see is you reminding me of what I am losing!¡¯


    ¡®Hm, you know what? You may be actually right, Evan.¡¯


    In an instant The Voice stood back from Evan and changed. His form kept growing in size and stature and in a matter of seconds, he had undergone the same change that had plagued Evan for the last six days. Evan stood back in shock while standing before him was a large dull green dragon, whose long neck had craned upward showing off its impressive display of horns and spines.


    Evan¡¯s mouth was agape at the sight.


    ¡®Is that much better for you?¡¯


    ¡®Wh-whuh-What are you?¡¯


    ¡®I am you, remember: I am the part of you that wants to help you out.¡¯


    ¡®Why do you look like this? You look more¡­ uhh...¡¯


    The Voice had lowered his head down to meet Evans ¡®Evan, I would never hurt you. But take a moment to look at me. This is what you have to look forward to, and isn¡¯t it wonderful? Having wings to carry you through the sky with unlimited freedom, powerful muscles and claws to feel superior-¡¯


    ¡®No.¡¯


    ¡®-soon you will be a part of the world around you, you get to be part of something bigger and contribute to the beauty of this world, like the majestic creature you are going to be-¡¯


    ¡®NO!¡¯ Evan spat.


    The Voice had cocked an eye ridge in confusion. He looked at Evan with concern. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    Evan mildly chuckled. ¡®What¡¯s wrong? WHAT¡¯S WRONG? I don¡¯t want to become a beast like you! You are taking this body to mock me, to tell me what I am becoming. Well¡­. Jjokes on you, when I get to that valley I am getting my old body back and I won¡¯t let you stop me!¡¯


    ¡®Your old body ba- Evan, wait. No, I didn¡¯t mean-¡®


    ¡®Shut up! I¡¯ve had it with you! You¡¯re trying to make me accept this so I can be ¡°one with nature¡± like some tree hugging hippie! I want to be human and that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen when I wake up!¡¯


    ¡®Evan, please listen to me; you got it all wrong. That¡¯s not why you are going to the valley, you won¡¯t be able to- ¡®


    His eyes shot open and Evan took in his surroundings. Night was still present but, in the distance, Evan could see the warm orange glow on the clouds above him. Daytime was soon approaching. His stomach growled from hunger and a powerful need to hunt crept into his mind. He violently shook his head, refusing to have such ideas inside of him..


    Hunt.


    Heavy droll escaped his mouth as he remembered his first kill.


    Feed.


    How moist and warm the rabbit¡¯s flesh was when he first bit into it...


    ¡®NO! I¡­ won¡¯t kill again.¡¯


    His ears twitched as he heard small footsteps lightly stepping on leaf litter. Instinctively, he started scanning the area for whatever was causing it. His eyes saw clearly in the dark forest: to his own amazement, there was a small squirrel foraging only what seemed to only be a hundred feet ahead of him.


    Hunt.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to, I can¡¯t do it!¡¯


    You strong dragon. Dragon need meat. You must hunt.


    ¡®I¡­I¡¯ll just find fruits and nuts to sustain myself!¡¯


    Dragon need no berries or nuts. Dragon need meat. Dragon carnivore. You Dragon, you must feed.


    ¡®I¡­ I must¡­feed, I am so hungry. I don¡¯t want to kill¡¯


    Dragon must hunt. Dragon hungry. Feed yourself!


    His part of the brain that still was human fought hard against the impulse to go hunt another creature with his own hands, fighting the best it could against the new, scary part of him that was simply egging him on to do what seemed to be natural: he was hungry so he needed to eat, but to eat, he has to hunt.


    Logic and rational thought became but a blurry concept in his mind. Evan grunted and clawed at his temple. He looked toward the small animal, his eyes focused and his mouth salivated.


    ¡®Just¡­ One little bite, just to stop hunger.¡¯


    Yes. Feed. Dragon must feed.


    ¡®Must¡­ feed- No! I won¡¯t do it!¡¯


    Evan fought once more. His breath became ragged. He looked toward the squirrel while saliva hung from his maw. His eyes never faltered from it and he took one step toward it.

 Chapter 7

    Striding through the vast expanse of nature, Evan dragged his claws through the ground, toward the dimming hope that he could return to normal again. He daydreamed and reminisced about his old form and the things he could do, he missed having fingers and opposable thumbs to grab and hold onto things.


    His throat was dry and coarse from little hydration, his muscles burned from exertion. His face still looked human while the rest of him was that of a beast once thought to be myth. He wasn¡¯t even sure if there was any hope at all. What guaranteed him he wouldn¡¯t be forced to live in these woods without a sense of purpose, aimlessly wandering around?


    Nearly home.His heart kept telling him he was getting closer but to Evan there was no end in sight.


    Suddenly, his eyes spotted a clearing up ahead and a huge weight was lifted off of Evan¡¯s back. He could see beyond the clearing and his heart was filled with joy at what he saw. Finally! I found the valley!  He broke into a full sprint to it with each loud crunch underneath him signalling the end of his long, arduous journey. He halted his sprint digging his claws into the soft earth beneath him.


    The valley was almost exactly as he saw it in his dreams: a beautiful, crystal clear lake, forests of towering pines and a lone mountain that wasn¡¯t capped off with snow. He looked down on the valley below him seeking for the answers, a broad smile widening on his face as he looked.


    Soon, pins and needles slowly pricked his face. Evan brought his forelimbs to his face out of fear. His mouth and cheek muscles cramped up with a determined fierceness. He couldn¡¯t move his mouth to speak: instead all that could be heard from his was low guttural growls. He groaned and struggled as the cramps seized his face and the very cartilage in his nose felt as thought it was being pulled off his face.


    NO! Please, not my face!.


    His jawline began forcing its way outward and in a desperate attempt, Evan brought his clawed hands to his face and pushed on his extending jawline in an attempt to stop it. He fought hard against the stretching and snapping of cartilage while his nose formed and fused with his upper jawline. Eventually, he ran out of strength to hold it back, but his jawline kept moving outward. His nose felt as though it was being painfully stretched, the sensitive flesh in his nostrils ached from the change. Evan¡¯s nose soon merged with his upper jaw and the nostrils became narrower all the while his lower jaw¡¯s hinge extended and shifted under his webbed ears. He could hear the wet pops and cracks near his ears as the jaws grew.


    Evan hadn¡¯t realised his mouth had been left agape and below him were droplets of blood coming from his gums. Sharp knives poked from his gums as new teeth grew in. His jaw shifted outward and became narrower while Evan¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.


    You¡¯re almost there Evan. Your process of beautification is almost over. Soon you will be happier than you have never been before..


    SHUT UP! I¡¯ll fix this, I¡¯ll find a way to make this go away!


    His enhanced eyesight scanned over the valley taking in as many details as he could. He started turning his gaze toward the mountain for anything when a sudden blur of motion occurred below his eyesight.


    Toward the lake, there were two creatures that looked exactly like him. Both had huge wings, both had a long slender tail with a barb on the end. The differences between them and Evan was their colour. They possessed a yellowish tint to their bellies and neck while the rest of their bodies matched Evan¡¯s own colour. But their bodies had a sleeker slender frame compared to him.


    The two dragons were lowering their long necks into the lake to drink. One drank for a few seconds before returning to the safety of the huge pine trees, while the other dragon slowly wandered off toward the river that fed the lake and lied down on the rocks alongside the river. It looked like it was sleeping. Evan had to find a way to get down there.


    Fly.


    ¡®Nnggghhh! NO, I can¡¯t, I don¡¯t know how!¡¯


    But curiosity prevailed, and it made him look to his newly made wings. A strong impulse to use them hit his mind, to glide from his lookout to the lake beneath him. Evan studied his wings as each finger twitched reflexively in anticipation. They wanted to be used, and the very core of Evan¡¯s being wanted to fly, to feel freedom beneath his wings.


    He shook his head in defiance. The human part of his brain resisted the idea. He was afraid of flying¡­ At least afraid of flying with his own wings. You¡¯ll fall if you try to fly, his brain told him.


    Evan¡¯s enlarged heart pounded in a mix of fear, excitement and anticipation. He barely noticed his fore claws had dug themselves in the earth out of fear from falling. Evan looked and scanned the region for a way down that didn¡¯t involve flying.


    He had been hopping down from rock surface to rock surface toward the lake, each leap down brought his spirits up. The progress of his journey was near its conclusion; he couldn¡¯t help but flash a toothy grin.


    Evan walked along the water¡¯s edge taking in the scenery. Focusing all his senses he reached out with his ears listening to the delicate trickle of water slowly streaming into the lake, the nearby birds chirped to their lovely serene songs and the careful crunch of leaf litter. His nose picked up incredible scents giving the air he breathed a sweet flavour, rich in information. He could smell the clean water in the lake, the musky scent of nearby bark, the two females that were nearby.


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    Wait¡­


    How do I know they are female? Evan raised an eye ridge in confusion. The two dragons didn¡¯t look much different than he did. He sniffed the air again, focusing on the scents. There was one in particular that opened up his nostrils: his olfactory senses detected it to be information regarding the two dragons. His mind told him they were female by the particular scent they emitted, they were roughly around his age judging by the potency of the scent.


    Suddenly, he stepped on a stick without realising it. The two females were caught off-guard: their heads snapped toward him and they both ran into the forest. Evan immediately chased after them.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ he would shout, but they responded with silence. He sprinted for what felt like ten minutes deeper and deeper into the forest. The two shy females he had been chasing hid themselves among a few other dragons gathering around a large rock that protruded from the ground. He stopped abruptly, speechless in front of the scenery that was in front of his eyes.


    Jesus, how many of these dragons are there?!


    A large male dragon with many sets of horns adorning his head stepped into view, his back turned to the group of dragons. He was easily twice the size of Evan and had enough bulk to grant him an intimidating physique. His scales were similarly coloured to Evan but had a darker shade of green. His wings were even larger and had small holes in the leathery membranes. Among the worn down and torn wings his entire body had many scuff marks and scars giving the dragon an even greater sense of intimidation from his previous conflicts.


    Evan slow down, please! That male dragon is the leader of this valley. Just stop and do exactly what I tell you, the male will protect his group and he won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.


    Evan complied and skidded to a halt only a few meters from the large male whose stern gaze could pierce through steel. His heart pounded in his chest and his claws shook from fear and intimidation. The large male took intentful steps towards Evan with each step seemingly slowing down time.


    The Voice spoke softly in Evan¡¯s head. Listen to me: slowly lower your head and hold it just above the ground.


    He complied and concealed his fear with his eyes never leaving the large dragon. A low growl came from deep within its barrelled chest. Evan tried to breathe steadily but the overwhelming fear from the demanding presence made it hard.


    Don¡¯t do anything just yet, Evan. He is still trying to assess you, one wrong move and he will kill you.


    The large male made a grunting sound that Evan somehow interpreted as: ¡°Get up!¡±.


    How do I know that? H-how do I know what he is saying...How can I understand him, my brain is changing and my thoughts are being twisted. I don¡¯t want to lose myself, I am scared I will be nothing more than a beast!


    Evan, please don¡¯t do this to yourself. Please don¡¯t think about this too deeply. I promise you this is good for you, just let this happen and you¡¯ll be much happier.


    Oh god, you¡¯re in my head! You are trying to change me. YOU ARE TAMPERING WITH MY SOUL, I DON¡¯T WANT TO CHANGE!


    No no Evan. I wouldn¡¯t dare change who you are, I am helping you gain a better life, I am helping you be free of the burdens of being human. Isn¡¯t that a much better existence than slaving away in an office where you weren¡¯t appreciated, where you were never seen or acknowledged?


    I-I¡­ I didn¡¯t mind it, I was okay with not being seen, I just wanted to do my job and be left alone. My colleagues would often ask me to join them for drinks or invite me to their party¡¯s. But I wanted to be left alone. I didn¡¯t want to be their friend.


    Evan gently raised his head and looked up to meet the dragon¡¯s firm gaze who then made more guttural sounds and grunts.


    ¡®You are unchanged¡¯ it said.


    Evan panicked. ¡®What do you mean I am ¡°unchanged¡±?!¡¯ He shouted. The large male whipped its head back towards him. It emitted a deep hiss and a growl baring his large dagger-like fangs to Evan who had flinched at the sight.


    Evan, don¡¯t say anything more to him! He thinks you are challenging him. He is the boss around here, he is the leader. We must do what he wants and follow his rules.


    What does he mean I am unchanged? I am not human anymore. How much more changing is there left? I don¡¯t want to change anymore, I want it to stop, I want to be human again. Just change me back already.


    Then his head began to hurt. The pain in his head grew more and more, spreading along the top of his skull.


    NO! No more changing, I want to be human again, I want to be human again! I-I-I can¡¯t think with this headache. You have been lying to me, that¡¯s what the pain is! You are trying to change me, you¡¯re changing my brain to make me into a mindless beast. I am done listening to you. Screw you! I want to be normal again! I want to be-


    CRACK!


    His head felt like it was stuck in a vice until eventually his skull had changed shape from the round shape of a human skull to the flatter more aerodynamic skull of a dragon. All Evan heard was the wet crack of his skull flattening itself and his brain adjusted its shape. The pain made him blackout and Evan fell to the ground where his form lied still.


    ------


    Evan woke to the sight of the ground being vertical. He tried to stand back up but the throbbing pain that pounded on his skull made it impossible. He tried to speak out loud but nothing came out.


    ¡®What happen?¡¯ He said. He had actually meant to say What has just happened?


    ¡®Voice, sorry. I mean no yell. Lost temper, made you angry, made you hurt me. Me-¡¯


    Evan¡¯s eyes grew wide with a sudden realisation.


    ¡®What wrong my speech!¡¯


    His heart began beating in horror, his speech was now simplified. ¡®My speak, simple. Don¡¯t want to be Dragon, want to be human!¡¯ He shouted.


    The large male looked down on him once more, it began to assess Evan once more and spoke with a much more understanding tone: ¡°You are changed, you are Dragon. Dragon welcome.¡¯


    Evan¡¯s breathing became shaky and ragged as it finally dawned on him.


    This is what I was trying to tell you Evan. I didn¡¯t send you here to go back. I sent you here to live among your own kind, to be free! Now you can live free.


    His breathing grew heavier and heavier, Evan could no longer return to the life he once knew. His home, his humanity, his job and his family were now gone, he could no longer return. A small tear welled up in his eye as he mourned the loss of his old life. All he could feel in that moment was fear and sadness.


    The large male walked off while Evan stood still. A single female approached Evan. She made small growls to grab his attention. He looked in her eyes and she turned around brushing the side of his body with her tail. The physical act brought a small sensation of comfort to him. The other dragons wandered off in different directions but the female near Evan stayed with him.


    She brought herself close to his face and lowered her head, she brushed the side of her body amongst his front. She emitted small growls that Evan didn¡¯t understand ¡®What you doing?¡¯ He would ask but the female would respond with the same set of growls.


    The female would tuck her wings in tightly and lower her head as she brushed her body up against his. Evan could sense she was interested in him but he was too stunned.


    Aww, look at her. I think she likes you.


    What is she doing?


    She is trying to get your attention because she wants to know if you accept her advances


    A-a-advances?.... Is she t-t-trying to court me?


    The female brushed her body again only this time she let her tail slide alongside brushing under his neck.


    Hehe, I think I will leave you two kids alone.


    H-hey wait! Voice! Don¡¯t go, what do I do!?


    The female made a short hissing sound which Evan understood. He knew what she said and now he could read her body language. His breathing escalated followed by an audible gulp.


    Oh boy...

 Epilogue

    3 Months later.


    Evan woke up in the middle of the night. He left his usual sleeping spot in the cave to go for a midnight walk. Ever since he was accepted into the tribe of dragons he struggled to adjust to his new life. No matter how much companionship they could provide him, he was still terribly alone.He had been stupid. His need of companionship had made him accept the advances of a female dragon called Night Star; however he didn¡¯t realise that dragons mated for life. Shortly after realizing it, he stopped showing her any kind of kindness or affection. For the longest time she had tried to sleep alongside her new partner every night, but after one month she stopped. She still repeatedly attempted to make him comfortable with his new life by bringing food to him and building their nest to become more comfortable but Evan would always push her away and do his best not to acknowledge her in any way. Little did he care that Night Star felt substandard and worthless: in fact, he didn¡¯t care about dragons at all. He would have no peace until he got back to how he used to be. Back to being human.


    Evan looked up at the moon high above in the sky, its pale light dimly litting the cave entrance; the crisp, clean air filled his lungs while his thoughts tried once more to reasonon how to return his humanity. Until then, there was nothing in the valley that could be useful, nor did the other dragons know anything on how to turn him back. All Evan remembered was that The Voice wanted him to come there before the change was complete But what for?


    He looked back toward the cave. His enhanced eyes saw through the darkness Night Star...and then realised what The Voice had wanted since the beginning. Curled up between the cave floor and the dragoness were ten oval shaped eggs.


    Evan frowned. He walked toward her, stared at his soon-to-be-hatchlings and weighed his options before cementing his decision.


    He awkwardly walked toward the eggs with his left foreleg holding a rock he had found on the ground, his face twisted into stern determination as he approached them and loomed over them. His anger welled up within him as he remembered how it happened: that day when Night Star took advantage of him in a moment of deep depression - deeper than usual - or her own selfish desire Evan merely watched as she forced the eggs out of her body and onto the cold earth. If he used to care little for her, now he did not care at all; despite her learning to accept his coldness, she would finally learn what he should have taught her long ago..


    He raised the rock above his head preparing to bring it down on the eggs.


    STOP!


    The Voice. He had expected him, for that had been his goal since the beginning. However, he wouldn¡¯t passively accept his teachings again. He would take back his humanity, starting from this.


    Go away, Voice. I am going to end your game!


    You can¡¯t do this Evan. These are your children! They are innocent!


    They are not my children, they are monsters that I created out of an accident! Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I understood that you brought me here so I would mate with an animal!!


    What are you saying, Evan? I didn¡¯t bring you here for that!. It was Night! Look, I know you are angry but Night knows what she did! She did it in the hopes you would finally accept your new, better reality!


    I AM DONE WITH CHANGING! I am tired of losing myself bit by bit! And now you want to change my very essence? My TRUE essence? What else is left still, haven¡¯t I transformed enough for you?


    Please¡­ Evan¡­ I am begging you, don¡¯t hurt your babies. Do you hear me? If you do it you will break Night Star¡¯s heart and she won¡¯t have any reason to live because you selfishly took it away from her!


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I don¡¯t care about her! I never did! She never leaves me alone and she wants me to give her attention. I JUST WANT TO BE HUMAN AGAIN! IS IT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT? YOU CLAIM TO BE MY GUIDE YET NEVER LISTENED TO MY REAL DESIRES!


    Evan, it¡¯s time you learned to accept it: your humanity is gone! But your essence, your soul is still there! You have a brand new start to life and a peaceful existence! Look at Night Star, she sleeps peacefully around your eggs, sharing her body heat and waiting for the day they emerge from their shells and they use their tiny lungs for the first time. She wants to experience the joy of being a mother and she wants to share that joy with you!


    Evan¡¯s face eased its tension and he lowered the rock. He looked at Night as her body rose and fell sequentially as she breathed softly.


    If you must take your anger out, The Voice continued, please do it to Night Star, but don¡¯t harm your children, they haven¡¯t done anything wrong to you! They just want to meet you and express their love for you. You have a rare opportunity to begin anew without the stresses brought on by human life, you are more powerful and you have a beautiful partner who gave us children who I don¡¯t doubt will be beautiful!


    Us¡­ You said ¡°us¡±. What do you mean? W-Weren¡¯t you me?


    Huh? Hehe, Evan I think you might be overthinking this.


    You showed up ever since this started and you led me here!


    Please calm down, Evan.


    Who are you? You are not me, you are something else, aren¡¯t you?


    ...ok then. It said meekly, You would discover it anyway, before or after. Do you remember your trip back in P¨¢n L¨ªn ? You broke a small statue of a dragon. Do you know the story of that Statue?


    The one about a young farmer who wanted his luck to change and he turned into a dragon?


    Right, and do you remember what happened to him?


    I remember something about monks trapping the spirit of the dragon in that statue- wait¡­ A-are y-you that spirit? Are you that thing that turned him into a dragon?


    Yes, Evan I am. I am a dragon spirit. My purpose is to bring clarity and serenity to troubled souls in need of a change of pace. I accomplish this by turning them into dragons. Magnificent, majestic creatures with a simpler existence are all some people need to live happily. When you had changed to a degree I realised your home would no longer be suitable for you to live, so I led you here to live among your kind and be one with the world around you.


    Y-you led me here and made me kill for food, made me become an animal almost costing me my mind and then led me to this place? All this just so I fuck and have your kids?!


    It¡¯s not like that, please calm down you are getting ahead of yourself.


    NO! I am done listening to you. Tonight I end this and I get what I¡¯ve lost: my humanity!


    Evan threw the rock above his head, once more ready to smash the eggs where they lay. His face contorted in anger as he was about to smash the eggs, while The Voice resumed his lament. For the first time, he wasn¡¯t calm and peaceful, but shaky and nervous.


    Please stop! Won¡¯t you stop and think about what you are doing?


    Evan didn¡¯t respond. He breathed in heavily and began to throw his arm down dooming the eggs.


    I WON¡¯T LET YOU!


    Evan¡¯s life flashed before his eyes, in a split second he saw every memory he had. A presence crept along the edges of his mind. Something that was there ever since he started conversing with The Voice, but now feeling as though it was advancing further into his mind.


    Suddenly Evans'' memory then distorted into blurred concepts. Things he used to remember became distant. Thoughts became a jumbled mess. Soon, the dragon forgot whatever name he used to have.


    New thoughts began to fill his head; thoughts of how to fly better, hunt more efficiently. His understanding of dragon customs and rules, teachings and discussions, flooded to him since he had gotten there, all of a sudden they became clear like water. He remembered his home and his mate, Night Star. He remembered a vague dwelling, something that he used to own and was totally unsuitable. But it didn¡¯t matter: he was in the right place now.


    His arms stopped mere inches away, the rock hovering precariously close to the eggs. He breathed in heavily and his claws shook nervously at what had almost transpired. Feelings of fear and confusion clouded his thoughts, but in an instant the fog lifted from his mind and he understood clarity. Tossing the rock away from the nest woke up Night Star. She looked to the male dragon with tired eyes and confusion.


    ¡®Why you awake, is something wrong?¡¯


    He smiled as he looked her in the eyes. A deep rumble came from his chest as he softly spoke to her.


    ¡® Everything fine.¡¯


    He leaned in and brushed his snout against her neck; she made a deep rumbling in response to his sudden affection.


    ¡®You different, why?¡¯


    ¡®I know now. I have everything I want right here.¡¯


    The dragon curled alongside Night Star, who expressed all her happiness at the sudden change of attitude. She wasn¡¯t aware of his inner struggle nor did she care. Night accepted it and her mate smiled, knowing he will be a great father and husband. He lied next to Night Star, content with his new family.