NOVPUB
Chapter 95: The Power Of Fear
She chuckled. "Among other things. But more importantly, it’s a conduit for a transformation — a gift, if you will — that only witches of royal blood can bestow."
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "Transformation? Like turning me into a toad or something?"
"Not quite," she said, suppressing a giggle. "It’s a bit more... dramatic."
"Define ’dramatic’."
She leaned in slightly, her eyes locking onto his. "Soul energy exists everywhere right?"
He nodded as she raised her hand and it flared around her palms, her soul energy was a vibrant pink and it wrapped around it like flames
"When your body is on the brink of death, it generates a unique kind of soul energy. This energy acts as a trigger, activating the mark and initiating the transformation."
Zayn frowned. "So, I have to nearly die to unlock this surprise feature? Sounds... safe."
She shrugged. "Desperate times, desperate measures. It’s designed as a last resort."
He rubbed his temples, processing the information. "And what exactly do I transform into? Please don’t say a pumpkin."
The Witch Princess’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. "You’ll have to find out when the time comes. But rest assured, it’s something formidable."
"Great," Zayn muttered. "A life-threatening mystery gift. Just what I always wanted."
She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Think of it as an ace up your sleeve."
"More like a joker," he quipped.
The room fell into a contemplative silence.
"So," he began, breaking the silence, "is there a way to... I don’t know, test this transformation without, you know, dying?"
The Witch Princess tilted her head, considering. "There are methods to simulate the conditions, but they’re risky and not recommended."
"Of course they are," Zayn sighed. "Nothing about this is ever easy."
She stood, smoothing out her dress. "Power rarely comes without a price, Zayn."
Zayn nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
She moved toward the door but paused, glancing back at him. "Just remember, the mark is there to protect you. Trust it when the time comes."
He offered a half-hearted salute. "Aye, aye, Captain."
The Witch Princess rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Goodnight, Zayn."
"Night," he replied, watching as she slipped out the window.
...
"System, is there a way to experiment with this?" Zayn asked, crossing his legs on the floor of his room.
A chime echoed softly in his ears, followed by the familiar blue window that popped up in front of him.
[System Notification]
[A safer method of inducing the fear-based soul energy has been found.]
[Initiating method...]
[Please remain calm during the procedure. Or... don’t. Fear is kinda the point.]
Zayn let out a slow sigh and sat up straighter.
He closed his eyes, doing as the system instructed.
He drew in a deep breath, holding it until his lungs began to protest, then exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
The process started simply enough. Images formed in his mind.
At first, they were silly things: Bran belly-flopping onto a bed full of coins, Celestia trying to flirt with him using noble etiquette, the nice half-elf smiling at him.
He shook those thoughts away.
Then came darker things. More serious things.
The monsters they’d fought, the town nearly destroyed, his friends bleeding and battered.
His heartbeat quickened.
Then, the image of himself — helpless, powerless, watching people die — it stuck with him, clawing into his chest.
That deep-rooted fear of failing when it mattered most. That... worked.
A strange warmth spread from his stomach outward, like someone had poured molten fire into his core.
A strange hue surrounded him, glowing faintly.
It was pink soul energy.
It shimmered unnaturally, almost... soft, but buzzing with power. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
It was fear, but not paralyzing — it was fuel.
He looked down at the witch mark on his neck, reaching up and placing two fingers on it.
It was slightly warm to the touch, almost pulsing. Carefully, he tried to channel the pink soul energy into it.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, everything did.
He screamed — not because of pain, but because it felt like something split open from within him.
His muscles locked, his back arched, and suddenly his head felt heavier.
He stumbled to the mirror in his room, knocking over a chair in the process, and froze at what he saw.
Two short, curved horns now protruded from either side of his forehead.
Not comically large or monstrous — elegant, obsidian black with subtle glowing etchings crawling along their sides like veins of fire.
"...I look like I headlined a metal concert," he muttered, blinking at his reflection.
He turned his head side to side, examining the horns.
They felt real — solid, heavy, a little warm. His eyes had also slightly changed.
The irises glowed faintly pink, and his skin had a soft shimmer, like it had absorbed the soul energy and refused to let go.
There was a knock at the door.
"Zayn? Are you okay?" It was Elisse. "I heard something... uh, break."
He looked at the broken chair, then at himself. "Uh," he began, panicked. "No! Wait — Yes. But also... no?"
"I’m coming in."
Panic surged.
He couldn’t let her see him like this.
Desperately, he willed the horns to retract.
To his astonishment, they obeyed, sinking back beneath his skin.
The abrupt change left him dizzy, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the previously broken chair and landing flat on his back just as Elisse pushed the door open.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him sprawled on the floor. "Zayn! What happened?"
Before he could protest, she was kneeling beside him, her ample bosom pressing unintentionally against his face as she checked for injuries.
"Mmfph," Zayn mumbled, his voice muffled.
Realizing the compromising position, Elisse quickly pulled back, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry! Are you hurt?"
He coughed, trying to regain his composure. "No, no. I’m fine. Just... didn’t see the chair. Tripped over it."
She sighed, shaking her head. "You need to be more careful."
With surprising strength, she helped him to his feet and guided him to the bed.
As she adjusted the pillows behind him, she teased, "I’d offer to stay and keep an eye on you, but you need rest... alone."
Zayn’s eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
She chuckled softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
