Chapter 15: Transformation
Little did Maydee know…
Joshua had heard everything.
Even in his unconscious state, her words reached him.
"One day, Joshua… I will make sure that everyone kneels before you."
Joshua felt a strange warmth bloom in his chest.
"Master has a lot of confidence in me, huh?"
But that thought quickly faded as something shifted inside him.
He felt like a specter, floating weightlessly in an endless abyss. No body, no sound—just existence.
Then, suddenly—
He felt it.
A heat. A tiny ember, flickering near his heart.
At first, it was comforting, like the warmth of a sunlit morning.
Then it grew hotter.
And hotter.
Until it became unbearable.
Like a blazing inferno, the heat twisted and churned inside him. It expanded, swirling like molten magma, coiling through his veins, searing his insides with pure agony.
The pain was exponential, growing with each heartbeat.
Joshua gasped. He tried to scream—but no sound came out.
His body twisted, his muscles locking as if chains of fire bound him from within.
He clawed at his own consciousness, trying to escape the inferno consuming him.
"PLEASE END!"
His mind begged for release.
"HAVEN'T I SUFFERED ENOUGH?!"
His vision blurred, swallowed by white-hot agony.
His nerves felt like they were snapping, his bones cracking under pressure.
Every fiber of his being was being unmade and reforged in an endless cycle of pain.
Then—
His heart stopped beating.
The pain vanished.
The searing heat disappeared.
A deep silence enveloped him.
For the first time in days, his mind was at peace.
"Is this death?"
He embraced the stillness, letting it wrap around him like a comforting blanket.
Then—
THUMP.
A faint pulse.
Joshua's mind barely registered it.
Then—
THUMP. THUMP.
A second. A third.
Pain.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
A violent quake surged from his chest.
His veins ignited with power, pulsing like overloaded circuits.
The stillness shattered, replaced by a violent, earth-shaking force.
His lungs screamed for air, but the pressure was suffocating—
Like drowning in molten steel.
Joshua's eyes snapped open.
He gasped, choking on the thick energy that filled his lungs, as if he were being dragged down into an ocean of molten gold.
His entire body glowed, the energy lines beneath his skin searing like runes of pure fire.
His eyes burned a deep crimson, pulsing with raw, uncontrolled power.
Joshua clenched his fists.
A primal, uncontrollable force swelled inside him, rising from his core like a volcanic eruption.
Then—
He roared.
The very walls trembled.
The ground shook violently, as if the entire house was about to collapse.
Shelves toppled, books and scrolls flew through the air, and a wave of raw energy exploded from his body, rattling the foundations of the building.
Maydee shot up from her seat, eyes widening as she felt the surge of power.
"Damn it!"
Without hesitation, she closed the gap in a blink, reaching Joshua before his power could tear the house apart.
With the grace of a seasoned warrior, she pressed two fingers against the back of his neck.
A sharp pulse of energy rippled through his body.
Joshua's eyes rolled back.
His body slumped, like a puppet with its strings severed.
The room fell silent.
The trembling walls stilled. The books settled into scattered piles on the floor. The air, once thick with volatile energy, now carried a hushed stillness.
Maydee let out a deep breath.
"Whew… Almost lost you there."
She knelt beside Joshua, brushing her fingers through his disheveled hair.
"But this is good."
A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
"It means you succeeded… and it was far more powerful than I ever could have imagined."
Maydee studied Joshua's unconscious face, her expression softening.
Gently, she placed a hand over his chest, feeling the steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat.
"Rest well, my dear disciple."
Her gaze darkened, memories of her own grueling training flashing before her eyes.
"The horrors you are about to face… will be far more terrifying than anything you have ever known."
A quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
"But you will survive. You have to."
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a gust of wind, carefully lifting Joshua's unconscious body.
She carried him toward her room, her mind racing with thoughts.
"I thought I was unique."
Her hands instinctively clenched.
She, who wielded fire, wind, and spirits, had always believed herself to be unmatched.
But now…
Now, standing before her was something far greater.
Something that defied all logic.
Something that, if left unchecked…
Could become a calamity.
Her eyes softened once more as she laid Joshua onto the bed.
"I just hope… you don't lose your mind like the other two."
She watched his sleeping form for a moment longer before standing.
Then, without another word, she extinguished the candles with a snap of her fingers and stepped out of the room, leaving Joshua to rest in the darkness.