As Malefit vanished into the shadows, Helios remained in his jaguar form, pag restlessly in the glowing cavern. The primal instincts of the beast cwed at his mind, pushing him tgression and the urge to dominate his surroundings. His breaths came in low growls, his fur bristling as his cws scraped against the stone floor. It was an alieion, and he fought to suppress it.

  ‘Focus’, he thought, g down on the animalistic impulses. ‘I’m not a beast. I’m human.’

  But the jaguar’s instincts were strong, primal, and deeply rooted in survival. Every noise in the caverened his senses, and every shift of light from the crystals triggered his o act, to pounce. Helios closed his eyes, f himself to trate. He tried to push past the instincts, searg for the essence of his true self. His human form, his mind, his emotions—these were who he truly was, not the beast he had bee.

  He recalled how he had embraced the jaguar’s esseo transform, picturing every detail of its strength and graow, he reversed the process, fog on the shape of his human body: his hands, his face, the familiar weight of his Keybde. The magic within him stirred as he directed his focus inward, willing his body to shift back to its inal form.

  The transformation was slow and excruciating. Paihrough him as his limbs reshaped, his muscles t and realigning. His cws retracted, repced by fingers, and his fur dissolved into his skin. Every shift felt like a battle against the beast’s instincts, which resisted every step of the way. Helios gritted his teeth, enduring the agony as his form melted bato its human shape.

  Finally, with a gasp, he colpsed to his knees, his human body trembling and drenched i. He panted heavily, his hands gripping the cool stone floor as he steadied himself. The jaguar’s instincts still li the edges of his mind, like faint whispers urging him to transfain. He pushed them aside, regaining trol over his thoughts.

  As he rose shakily to his feet, Helios reflected on the spell. This is the same magic Malefit uses to transform into her dragon form. He had seen her use it to battle Sora and his allies, the spell unleashing terrifying power in the process. It was a dangerous and taxing magic, but also incredibly useful. If mastered, it could provide him with a versatile edge in battle.

  But Helios alss limitations. While the transformation granted access to the instincts and abilities of the chosen form, it came with risks. The primal instincts could overwhelm the caster, and regaining one’s inal form ainful and delicate process. He would o traieo perfect it, especially if he po use it after leaving this world.

  His thoughts shifted to another potential avenue of transformation magic—the spells Donald Duck used to adapt them to certain worlds, like being a mer-creature in Atntica or supernatural beings in Halloween Town. That type of transformation seemed less taxing and didn’t e with the burden of any fn instincts. However, it cked immediate adaptability, meaning he would o practice ea thhly to make it effective in bat.

  I should search Merlin’s books for that version, Helios mused. It could be useful for infiltration or travel between different worlds. I’ll figure out the rest ter.

  As he stood deep in thought, a sharp sound broke through the quiet of the cavern. A loud crash reverberated through the air, followed by the distinct hum of energy. Someone—or something—was attag Malefit’s barrier.

  Helios’s head soward the dire of the sound, his body tensing. The glow of the crystals flickered as the echoes of the assault grew louder. The force of the attack made the ground tremble slightly, and cracks began to form in the shimmering barrier that cealed the cavern.

  I don’t have time to figure out who’s behind this, Helios thought, his instincts screaming for him to leave.

  Without hesitation, he summoned a dark corridor, stepping into its swirling void as the barrier behind him shattered. As the world around him dissolved into shadow, he heard the sound of the barrier breaking, followed by distant voices and heavy footsteps eg through the cavern.

  Helios reappeared in his room at Merlin’s cottage, the familiar surroundings a wele sight after the tense ordeal. He didn’t have time to rex, however, as a shadow slithered from beh his bed, coiling around his legs before merging with his body. The dark energy was cold and oppressive, but familiar—it was Kurai.

  The entity’s voice resonated in his mind, a low, amused tone carrying a hint of satisfa. “You must have enjoyed your lesson today, Helios. Quite the rare bit of knowledge you acquired—something most wouldn’t dare to learn.”

  Helios rubbed the back of his neck, still sore from the battle. “I didly ‘enjoy’ it,” he muttered, his voice edged with irritation. “But I’ll admit it was useful. I learned something valuable, even if Malefit was trying to kill me in the process.”

  Kurai chuckled, the sound curling around Helios’s thoughts like a dark tendril. “Oh, I wouldn’t say she wanted you dead, dear friend. She just needed a little… nudge. Call it my way of helping you out.”

  Helios stiffened, his brows furrowing. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing drastic”, Kurai said, feigning innoce. “Just a slight prod to her darker instincts, enough to make her teach you something she hadn’t po. After all, isn’t that why I’m here? To help you succeed?”

  Helios scowled but didn’t argue. Kurai’s meddling was infuriating, but he couldn’t deny that the transformation spell was a valuable tool to add to his arsenal. Still, he didn’t appreciate being attacked by it, even ily.

  “Don’t push me, Kurai,” Helios warned, his tone cold. “I don’t need your interferenless I ask for it. Uood?”

  Kurai made a sound that echoed in his mind, a sound that was equal parts amusement and malice. “Of course, dear friend. You have my word… for now.”

  Helios sighed, brushing off the entity’s cryptic response. He had more pressing s. Malefit’s lesson had pushed him to his limits, and the mysterious atta the barrier only added to his growing list of plications. He roup, and figure out who had e to the cavern and why.

  Turning to his desk, Helios picked up one of Merlin’s books on advanced magic, flipping through its pages as he searched for anythied to transformation spells.