The task of seleg a wagon didn’t take long. The warehouse held a variety in different sizes and designs, but practicality was the deg factor. They settled on a sturdy oh a weathered opy, rge enough to shield supplies and passengers from the elements while aodating Vivienne’s harness. The heavy wooden frame looked rugged, with iron-rimmed wheels built to endure rough terrain.

  Ohe sele was made, Vivienne was hitched to the wagon for an experimental test drive. The moment she began pulling, it became apparent just how effortless the task was for her. The wagon rolled forward smoothly, its weight negligible against her immerength. She walked a few ps around the warehouse yard, her cws clig softly against the cobblestoail wagging in satisfa.

  Rava crossed her arms, watg with a raised brow. “Well?”

  Vivieurned her head slightly, the harness snug but fortable against her fur. “A breeze,” she said, her voice carrying a pyful edge. “Even packed, I doubt it’ll be much of a challenge. Holy, I expected more of a workout.”

  “Good,” Rava replied dryly. “The st thing I need is you pining halfway through the trip.”

  After firming the cart would meet their needs, they unhitched Vivienne and finished anizing the rest of the equipment. The borers helped adjust the harness straps and secure the opy, all while stealing wary g the enormous wolf.

  Then, with their work plete, Vivienne decided it was time to shift back. She moved to a less crowded er of the yard, and with a fluid motion, her hulking lupine form melted away. Her fur receded into smooth skin, a stature densed into her humanoid shape. The transformation was seamless, leavianding there in her dress, the colr oted to her wolf’s neow a ador arouhroat.

  The borers froze, their chatter dying instantly. Several of them exged bewildered looks, the color draining from their faces. One of the burlier men dropped the rope he’d been coiling, staring at Vivienne like she’d just sprouted another head.

  “What... what in the hells?” otered under his breath.

  Vivienne offered them her most dazzling smile, her bck eyes glinting mischievously. “Surprised?” she purred, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeves as if nothing unusual had happened.

  The uneasy sileretched until Rava stepped ione dry and unimpressed. “You’ll get used to it. Or you won’t. Either way, let’s move.” She gestured for Vivieo follow, leaving the borers to process what they’d just witnessed.

  Rava informed Viviehat the cart would be brought to the hall by the following m, sparing them the trouble of moving it themselves. With that settled, the two headed back to the hall, the day’s tasks pleted. The rest of the evening ent in a mild flurry of activity as they searched for Kivvy, who had predictably wandered off somewhere. After log her—half-asleep on the roof of the stable, much to their exasperation—they shared a simple dinner aired early for the night.

  Or at least, most of them did.

  Vivienne found herself restless. Long after the hall had quieted, its resideher sleeping or busy with their own muted routines, she slipped out into the cool night. The streets of Serkoth were quieter than usual, though flickering nterns still illuminated pockets of activity. The distant sounds of carts rumbling and occasional ughter drifted through the air, but Vivienne ig all.

  She was searg for solitude, for an opportunity to reflect. And, more importantly, to experiment.

  In the shadows of ay alley, she allowed her body to shift. Her form rippled and ed as she recalled one of the first shapes she had ever taken—long before her ret transformations, long before she had truly e to uand her abilities.

  The Sunwake Lynx.

  The transformation was seamless, a, as her body settled, she realized that something about this form had ged drastically. Her fur, which had once gleamed in golden hues like the break of dawn, was now as bck as ink, save for intricate golden patterns that traced along her frame like a web of starlight. She gnced down, flexing a paw, watg the sleek, dark fur ripple with movement.

  Her eyes—once bright amber—had shifted as well. Now, they were shadowy pools flecked with gold, like tiny eclipses burning within the darkness.

  Vivienne padded forward, the movement as smooth and soundless as flowing water. Her cws barely kissed the ground, and every step felt like she oised on the edge of a leap, the kind of agility that begged to be tested. This form was different. Faster. Lighter. As if it had shed unnecessary weight and refiself into something sharper, deadlier.

  Her senses sharpened in tahe fai sounds and sts pullitention with an almost overwhelming crity. She could smell the distant smoke of a baker’s ovehe rustle of paper from a shopkeeper log up for the night. Even the air tasted different, rich with the faiallig of moonlight and shadows.

  “What have you bee?” she murmured to herself, her voice a low purr that resonated oddly with her new form.

  A flicker of motion caught her eye—a moth flitting through the dim light of a ntern far dowreet. Before she could sciously process it, she was moving. Her body coiled and sprang forward in one fluid motion, a blur of bd gold streaking through the alley. She nded silently, her paws striking the ground with precision. The moth, oblivious, fluttered away.

  Vivieilted her head, a slow smile tugging at the ers of her feline mouth. She crouched low, testing the tension in her muscles, before springing again, leaping onto the rooftop above. The world opened up before her, the sprawling city bathed in a mix of moonlight and shadows.

  Vivien gracefully onto a nearby rooftop, her movements fluid and silent as she prowled across the city’s elevated expahe wind rushed past her ears, carrying with it the faint, mingling sts of wood smoke, cooking spices, and the distant salt of some preserved fish. The city was a maze of interected rooftops and narrow alleys, and Vivienne explored it with the predatory ease of her lynx form. Her dark fur melted into the shadows, the golden patterns shimmering faintly uhe moonlight as she moved.

  Hours passed as she roamed, her heightened senses abs every detail of the night. But as she reached the edge of a marketpce, she froze. A sharp cry of arm pierced the quiet, shattering the rhythm of her exploration. Her ears twitched, swiveling toward the source of the sound.

  Without hesitation, she bounded forward, her powerful legs carrying her swiftly across the rooftops. Each leap was effortless, eading whisper-silent. The cry had e from a dimly lit side street, and as she approached, Vivienne crouched low, peering down at the se below.

  Peering down from the edge of a rooftop, she spotted the source of the disturban a narrow alley below. Three lekiood in a semicircle, their stances aggressive and predatory. ered against the far wall were two figures: a younger lekine man standing protectively in front of a human man who was slumped against the stone, his breathing bored. The human’s tunic was torn and bloodied, and one of his hands clutched his side as if trying to stem the flow of an unseen wound.

  “You should’ve stayed out of Serkoth, human,” one of the aggressrowled, their voice dripping with disdain. “We don’t want your kind here.”

  The human didn’t reply, his eyes half-lidded and gssy, but he leaned slightly against the lekine in front of him. The younger lekiraightened his back, his posture defiae the odds.

  “Humans are wele here, just like anyone else,” he said, his voice firm despite the tremor Vivieected in his hands. “This city isn’t just yours. He belongs here as much as I do.”

  The tallest of the aggressors sneered, stepping closer. His scarred face twisted in mockery. “What, is he your little pet? Or did you just take pity on the wretch? Either way, he doesn’t belong. We take care of our own here, not theirs.”

  The younger lekine’s shoulders stiffened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “He’s under my prote,” he said, his voice low and filled with resolve. “If you want him, you’ll have to get through me first.”

  The scarred one chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with malice. “That be arranged.”

  Vivien her fur bristle, the golden markings along her coat fring faintly as the tension in the air grew. The younger lekine’s stahe way he shielded the human, and the way his tail flicked protectively behind him spoke volumes. This wasn’t just a matter of duty—this ersonal.

  Without hesitation, Vivien from the rooftop, nding with a soft thud directly behind the aggressors. The force of her ndi a faint tremor through the cobblestones, a lynx form cast an imposing shadow over the alley.

  The attackers froze, their bravado draining as they turo face her. She stood tall, her sleek bck fur and intricate gold patterns glowing faintly in the dim light. Her dark eyes, flecked with gold, locked onto them with a predatory iy.

  Her voice was low and smooth, carrying a dangerous edge as she broke the silence. “You don’t seem to uand. Only the Serkoth family decides who is wele and who is not.” Her gaze swept over the aggressors, her cws flexing slightly. “If equality frightens you so much, perhaps you should leave.”

  “Aether beast” said one of the aggressors under his breath, and the others froze. Vivienne could feel the fear emanating off each of them and she drew the faint wisps into her body.

  The tallest lekine shough there was a flicker of uainty in his eyes. "It’s just a beast. It bleeds like anything else." He gripped the hilt of his sword, stepping forward to rally his rades. “We kill it, same as we’ve done before.”

  Vivienne chuckled, the sound low and rich, vibrating through the air like a predatrowl. Her fur shimmered faintly, the gold patterns along her sleek bck body catg what little light there was. She stepped forward, her movements fluid and unnervingly deliberate. “Oh, sweet thing,” she purred, her voice dripping with mockery, “you think you’ve faced something like me before? How precious.”

  The shorter lekianding at the edge of the group, took an involuntary step back. “It’s talking,” he whispered, terror g his voice. “Aether beasts don’t talk.”

  Vivienne’s grin widened, baring sharp teeth that gleamed like polished ivory. “Oh, darling, I’m full of surprises. But you won’t have time to learn them all.”

  The tallest lekine didn’t wait; with a shout meant to embolden his rades, he lunged forward, his bde slig through the air. The others hesitated for a moment before following his lead, ons drawn.

  Vivienne moved with an eerie, predatrace. She sidestepped the leader’s attack effortlessly, her cws fshing out in a quick, brutal arc. Blood sprayed as his arm was torn open from elbow to wrist, his sword cttering to the ground. He screamed, staggering back, clutg his mangled limb.

  The others faltered, their resolve crumbling as Vivienne advanced. She struck again, her paw shing out to send one of the lekines crashing into the alley wall. The impaocked the breath from his lungs, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

  The third tried to run, his ce evaporating in the face of her overwhelming presence, but Vivienne was faster. She leapt forward, her powerful body c the distan an instant. Her jaws closed around his ankle, and with a sharp yank, she dragged him back, tossing him to the ground like a discarded toy.

  She stood over him, her golden-flecked eyes glowing with predatory delight. "Going somewhere?" she asked, her tone almost pyful, as she pressed a paw against his chest, pinning him firmly in pce.

  The scarred leader staggered to his feet, his injured arm hanging uselessly at his side. “This isn’t... this isn’t possible,” he muttered, his voice shaking. “You’re... you’re not natural.”

  Vivieilted her head, her grin widening. “Natural?” she echoed, as if tasting the word. “Oh no, darling. I’m so much worse than that.”

  The human and lekine couple stood frozen, watg the se unfold with wide eyes. The younger lekiill shielding his partner instinctively, whispered, “What is she?”

  Vivieurned her head toward them briefly, her sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. “Someone you’ll thank ter.”

  Her attention snapped back to the aggressors. The air was thick with the st of fear now, rid intoxig. Vivienne could feel the aether-den wisps c through her, invigorating her as if she were feeding oerror itself.

  The leader’s defiance finally broke. “We surrender!” he shouted, his voice desperate. “Just let us go!”

  Vivienne’s grin turned razor-sharp, her tone dripping with dark amusement. “Oh, you misuand. Surrender was only an option before you attacked me. But not anymore.”

  She moved with lethal precision, her form a blur of bd gold. Her cws raked through the air, meeting flesh and armor alike, while her fangs tore into the aggressors with merciless efficy. The tallest lekine barely managed a gasp before her cws opened his throat, and his body crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap. The sed barely had time to raise his bde before Vivienne's paw batted it aside with ease, the force sending him sprawling before her teeth found his neck.

  The st aggressor, trembling untrolbly, tried to scramble away. He crawled on hands and knees, muttering desperate prayers under his breath. Vivienne pounced on him in a single, graceful leap, pinning him to the cobblestones. His screams were short-lived as she silenced him with a crushing bite.

  The alley fell silent, save for the faint drip of blood pooling around the discarded remains. The metallig hung heavy in the air, mingling with the lingering st of fear that g to the walls.

  Vivieurned her dark, glimmering gaze toward the couple. Her golden-flecked eyes locked onto theirs, and they froze, trembling where they stood. “You should leave,” she said, her tone calm yet carrying a chilling undercurrent.

  They hesitated, too terrified to move.

  “Now,” she purred, her voice like velvet ced with malice, her fur shimmering ominously uhe dim light.

  The younger lekine, his protective instincts overridden by sheer terror, clutched his human partner and stumbled away, dragging the man with him. They didn’t look back as they disappeared into the shadows, their hurried footsteps eg faintly in the distance.

  Vivieurned her attention to the remains of her prey, lig the blood from her muzzle with slow, deliberate satisfa. Being in the middle of the city, she couldn’t afford to leave any evidence behind. The authorities would have far too many questions, and she wasn’t in the mood for an interrogation.

  Her body shimmered, and in an instant, she shifted into her formless base state. Once a small, unassuming shape, it had grown into a massive, amorphous shadow, pulsating with dark energy. It loomed over the alley, a t bck mass adorned with faint, golden ripples like veins of molten light. The remnants of her victims—their bodies, saturated with aether and terror—y waiting.

  With an almost nguid motion, Vivienne’s formless shape spread outward, engulfing the bodies entirely. They dissolved into her mass, their essence drawn into her like wine absorbed by a spohe taste was exquisite: rich with the fvor of fear, adrenaline, and the lingering echo of their futile resistance.

  Her body pulsed as she fed, her edges rippling with delight. The fear-ced aether from the aggressors flooded her senses, invigorating her like a feast after a long hunger. Piece by piece, they disappeared, leaving only scraps of their clothing, tarnished jewelry, and ons scattered on the bloodstained cobblestones.

  Whe trace of their forms had been ed, Vivieracted, shrinking bato herself. Her mass coalesced, ref into the sleek, elegant shape of the eclipse lynx. The golden patterns along her fur shimmered faintly, like embers in the night, and her golden-flecked eyes glowed with renewed vitality.

  She surveyed the alley one final time, ensuring no evidence of the massacre remained, save for the scattered, lifeless tris. Satisfied, she turned and padded silently into the night, her form blending seamlessly into the shadows. The city y before her, quiet and unaware of the predator that roamed its streets.

  SupernovaSymphony