Helios gritted his teeth as the jaguar—Malefit iransformed state—circled him with a predatrace. She was toying with him, her movements fluid and deliberate, her golden eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. Her magic alpable, weaving through the air and reinf her already formidable form. Every time he nded a strike, her shimmering barrier absorbed the blow, leaving him no closer to gaining the upper hand.

  “Fine,” Helios muttered, his voice low and steady. “If that’s how you want to py it, I’ll py along.”

  The jaguar lunged, its cws extended as it aimed for his throat. Helios mao twist away just in time, feeling the rush of air as the sharp cws barely missed him. He tered with a quick swing of his Keybde, aiming for her exposed fnk, but the bde ged harmlessly against the magical barrier shimmering around her.

  Malefit let out a guttural snarl, her body a blur as she darted to his side, swiping with her cws. Helios raised his Keybde to block, the impact jarring his arms as sparks flew from the csh. She pressed forward, her movements relentless, and Helios found himself on the defensive once more, bag away as she drove him toward the edge of the cavern.

  With a powerful leap, the jaguar pinned Helios to the ground, its massive paws pressing against his chest, its hot breath against his neck. His Keybde cttered to the floor, just out of reach, and he could feel the sharp points of her cws digging into his skieeth hovered dangerously close to his throat, and for a brief moment, Helios thought this might be the end.

  Summoning every ounce of willpower, Helios focused his energy and called his Keybde back to his hand. The on materialized just in time, its radiant form f the jaguar to leap back with a snarl. Helios rolled to his feet, toug his neck where her teeth had almost sunk in. His hand came away , but the close call only fueled him on.

  “She’s too fast,” Helios muttered to himself, his mind rag. “And that barrier… she’s not leaving any openings.”

  Malefit’s jaguar form prowled a few paces away, her tail swishing zily as she eyed him with predatory fide was clear she ying with him, wearing him down until he was too exhausted to fight back. If he didn’t e up with something soon, she might finish him off for real.

  As he dodged another pounce, an idea began to take shape in his mind. He had been experieng everything this jaguar form could do—the speed, the instincts, the sheer power. He had also uood the fuals of transformation magic, thanks to her earlier expnations. If he could successfully perform the spell himself and take on a simir form, he might stand a ce.

  Helios raised his hand and unleashed a powerful fire spell, creating a ring of fmes around himself. The intense heat forced Malefit to pause, her jaguar form pag just outside the fiery barrier. With precious seds to breathe, Helios closed his eyes and focused.

  He visualized the jaguar—the power in its muscles, the fluidity of its movements, the sharpness of its senses. He allowed the image to fill his mind pletely, his magic resonating with the essence of the creature. Then, he cast the transformation spell.

  A sharp, searing pain shot through his body as the magic began to take hold. Helios gritted his teeth, f himself to endure as his form shifted and ged. His muscles rippled and expanded, his senses sharpening to an almost overwhelming degree. His hands morphed into powerful paws, his vision narrowed to a predator’s crity, and his body became sleek and agile.

  Wheransformation was plete, Helios stood as a majestic jaguar, his fur shimmering with a utern of white and bck that seemed to absorb the faint glow of the cavern’s crystals. Threads of deep blue pulsed along his sleek form, adding an otherworldly quality to his appearance. His pierg, predatory blue eyes locked onto Malefit’s jaguar form as the fmes around him died down.

  Malefit snarled and lunged immediately, her cws fshing as she aimed for his fnk. Helios shifted smoothly to the side, his movements instinctive and precise, aaliated with a swipe of his own cws. His strike found its mark, sshing through the fur on her shoulder and drawing a faint line of green mist.

  The two jaguars cshed again, their powerful forms colliding with a resounding impact. Helios moved with newfound fidence, his instincts heightened by the transformation. He darted under Malefit’s swipe and lunged upward, aiming for her throat. She twisted away at the st sed, but his cws grazed her barrier, causing it to flicker slightly.

  The fight became a blur of motion as they exged blow after blow. Malefit’s speed and ing were formidable, but Helios’s adaptability gave him an edge. He used the terrain to his advantage, leaping onto the crystal formations and ung himself at her from above. His jaws snapped dangerously close to her neck, f her to backpedal.

  With a feral growl, Malefit retaliated, feinti before striking from the right. Her cws raked across his side, drawing blood and elig a sharp snarl of pain from Helios. He spun and tered with a powerful swipe that struck her barrier head-on, the force of the impact causing it to shimmer and crack.

  Helios didn’t relent. He pressed forward, his movements relentless as he forced her to retreat. When she lunged agaiicipated her move, shifting his weight and dodging with fluid precision. In a fsh, he sprang forward, his jaws closing around her neck.

  For a moment, Helios thought he had won. His teeth sank into her fur, the faint taste of magigling on his tongue. But before he could finish the fight, Malefit’s form dissolved into a swirling mass of bd green mist. The mist coiled and reformed into her human shape, her dark robes billowing around her as she hovered just out of his reach.

  “Well done,” Malefit said, her voice smooth and calm despite the ferocity of their battle. “You’ve proven yourself capable of mastering the transformation spell. I suppose I should end you.”

  Helios growled, the sound low and guttural, and luoward her, his jaguar form bristling with defiance. But Malefit raised a hand, and a shimmering barrier stopped him mid-attack, f him to skid to a halt.

  “Now, now,” she said with a mog smile. “The lesson isn’t over yet.”

  Helios growled again, pag in frustration as he circled her, his predatory instincts demanding aalefit ughed softly, the sound eg through the cavern.

  “The part of the lesson,” she said, her golden eyes gleaming, “is learning how to return to your inal form. After all, it wouldn’t do for you to remain a beast forever, would it? I am quite curious if you overpower the animal mind or if it will take over you. Which will it be I wonder?”

  Helios bared his teeth, his frustration mounting as she tio taunt him.

  “I’ll leave you to figure it out,” Malefit said, her tone dripping with amusement. “sider it a test of your uanding.” She turned, her robes sweeping dramatically as she began to walk away. “Good luck, Helios. I’m sure you’ll manage… eventually.”

  With a wave of her hand, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Helios alone in the cavern.