"It happens in quick, but clear steps, and I think it might help you with treating Ryla and the Balors, Quylla."

"I believe you are on to something, Solus." Quylla stepped forward to examine her patient closely. "Glemos said that with her seven streaks, Friya is the closest thing to a stable evolved Balor he had ever found, and that he wanted to study her. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Assuming he was right, I can use Friya as a starting point for human evolution and your transformation to identify the necessary steps. Did you record the process already?"

"Of course." Solus said. "I have no idea if I will always shapeshift into an Indech like this or if the phenomenon will disappear once my human aspect is not completely atrophied anymore.

"I’ve already collected all the data I could with my best diagnostic spells." She couldn’t mention the Eyes and the Infirmary before Jirni and Orion, but Quylla understood the hidden meaning of Solus’ words.

"Excellent idea, but no matter how good your spells are, Solus, nothing beats studying a phenomenon with your own senses. Do you mind if I take a look at your life force during and after the transformation?" Quylla asked.

"No problem." Solus reverted into human form and waited for Quylla to activate her breathing technique, Guiding Light, before shapeshifting into an Indech again.

Solus’ life force went from a glowing galaxy shrouded in the tower core’s light to a colossus comprised of countless prismatic threads. It looked similar to Lith’s Indech life force, with the seven elemental spheres in her head and the six atrophied mana organs across her body.

The main difference between the two Indeches was the presence of the mystical metals that patched up the damaged prismatic threads in Solus’ life force and carried the elemental energy flowing from a mana organ to another.

The increase in the number of threads as Solus shapeshifted forced the tower to release more metal strands to keep her life force from falling apart, slowing down the transformation in the process.

It gave Quylla the time to notice that the vortices of the Indech wings also generated from Solus’ head and then moved to her back, where they established the connection between Solus’ eyes and wings.

"This is interesting." Quylla said after studying the transformation a few times and taking note of every major detail she could find. "Thanks, Solus. If only the Tyrant bloodline had any data on seven-streaked humans, this would give me a solid foundation."

"There was nothing about it in Glemos’ library?" Solus asked.

"Not a word." Morok shrugged. "Only Awakened develop the seven streaks, and those few who do are dangerous. Besides, before Lith’s appearance, the Tyrants believed they already had what they needed for their work.

"Everything Glemos and his predecessors did was for the sake of the Tyrant race. Helping the Balors was just a side effect. No offense, Ryla."

"None taken." She sighed.

"You look so cool, Auntie Solus." Garrik couldn’t see the anomalies in her Indech form, but to him the seven eyes and copper-red skin were a symbol of hope. "Can you do any special trick?"

"If you are referring to Swirling Wind or any bloodline ability, the answer is no." She groaned. "I just got this form, and I don’t know the first thing about manipulating the world energy with my wings."

"You are still special, Auntie." Garrik said with a beaming smile. "Being short suits you. You look so pretty!"

"What?" Solus managed to blush, bringing her face to a flame-red. "I’m not short!"

She would never argue with how the transformation in an Indech enhanced her curves and got rid of the excess body fat, but Solus didn’t like being reminded of her height, no matter the form she was in.

"Yes, you are." Aran sniggered. "Auntie Ryla is way taller than you, and so is Tista."

Female Indeches usually reached 2,3 meters (7’7") of height, while the males stood 2,5 meters (8’3") tall. With her two meters, Solus was a head shorter than Ryla and a head and shoulders shorter than Lith’s Indech form.

"I guess even after shapeshifting, proportions remain the same." Leria nodded, creating a hologram of Solus’ human form in front of Tista, and another of Tista’s Indech form in front of Solus.

"Whatever." Solus grunted in annoyance. "Now take a few steps back. I’m going to shapeshift into a Divine Beast, and I need space."

The children giggled and nudged Faluel. Solus could easily guess what the Hydra’s intentions were and didn’t like them one bit.

Her body quickly grew in size, and the red color drained from her skin until she became a majestic Dragon. Solus was covered in translucent white scales, each holding what looked like an elemental rune at its core.

She still had seven eyes whose pupils were made of pure crystals, but now long horns that resembled thick tree branches rested on the sides of her head. Solus had two sets of wings on her back, both membranous and covered by prismatic crystal feathers.

More crystals came out from her spine at the base of her long neck, running along her body until the bone-spiked tip of her tail. Crystal spikes decorated her knees and elbows, creating rainbows as they refracted sunlight.

Solus’ Dragon form reached 22 meters (72’) of height from head to toes. Her neck alone took one-fourth of her height, while the tail prolonged her body by over five meters (17’).

Her life force had rearranged itself again, with the stars of the same element combining into bigger ones and forming a constellation that resembled the Dragon.

Below the elemental flames produced by the newborn stars lay a matching elemental crystal. It channeled and focused the power of the Divine Beast’s life force, keeping the damaged stars from collapsing on themselves.

At the same time, the human and tower aspects formed a solid framework that connected the stars and kept the constellation stable.

On the outside, Salaark covered the crystal protuberances with holograms, giving them the semblance of ice formations.

Maybe it was the winter or the chilly air, but everyone felt as if they were looking up at a mountain peak covered in immaculate snow.

"Not bad, Solus." Faluel said after shapeshifting as well and studying her former disciple’s new form.

The Hydra was almost as tall as the Dragon, making the children giggle and irking Solus to no end.

"Fine, I get it!" She growled, releasing a short burst of violet flames from her fanged maw. "I’m a midget, no matter what form I take. Are you happy now?"

"Yes." The kids nodded in unison, and Origin Flames blazed across Solus’s body in annoyance. "Can you fly?"

"Of course, I can." She shrank to a tall-human size with a snarl. "But I never had wings before, so I’m clumsy at it. Since you’ve already had your fun picking on me, I’m done with my demonstration.

"Don’t even think about asking me for a ride. I had enough mockery for one day."

"Please, Auntie Solus!" Aran said. "We were just having fun."

"At my expense, young man." Solus grunted. "Do you see me laughing?"

"Please!" As the children pestered her and Solus made a run for it before their puppy eyes broke her will, Salaark moved almost everyone inside the tower with a cloaked Blink that only someone as powerful as a Guardian would notice.