Diosa – Chapter 11: "Reflection" (Part I)

Killer Instinct

“Ximena, wake up…”

The young woman opened her eyes into the abyss of darkness after hearing her name being called out. The voice seemed foreign, yet so... familiar. The last thing Ximena Vega could remember was fighting Saimyosho and succumbing to the poison coursing through her veins during the height of the battle.

“Did I lose again like I did against Cytherea? Or did I lose myself like I did against the Nemesis?” she asked the air.

“No. I eliminated that vile insect and ensured that it wouldn’t spread its plague anywhere else.”

Ximena looked quizzically around her for the source of the voice echoing from every direction.

“I didn’t ask you to kill the Nemesis. You’re the reason why we don’t have the means to break her spell over Pris. And I definitely didn’t ask you to kill Saimyosho.”

“You asked for power to protect your friend. I am fulfilling that wish. When your precious humanity is challenged with life-threatening danger, I assume the reins to guide you to victory. When your heart faltered against the Nemesis, I did what was necessary to secure our victory. When you reached the end of your tether against Saimyosho, I finished what you could not.”

“Then why didn’t you help me beat Cytherea?”

“Death was an unavoidable outcome in that encounter. Fortunately, killing you was beneath her.”

Ximena instantly felt a punch to the gut after hearing those words. She knew this instinctively just by fighting a being like Cytherea who was in a class of her own entirely, but to hear it audibly brought a sickening weight of truth to those words in the pit of her stomach.

“Ah, so you can finally hear it..” says another voice approaching from the rear. Ximena Vega spun around and stood up in her battle-ready form of Diosa to address whoever dared to invade her solitude. To her surprise and awe, she now stood face-to-face with none other than Oshun herself.

“Once again, we meet within the Astral Plane, but this corner is secluded to the recesses of your troubled young mind.”

“So it wasn’t you who was speaking to me just now?”

“No, child. That wasn’t me. That was the ‘instinct’.”

“The instinct?”

“The voice you heard wasn’t wrong. When you asked for power, I gave you a portion that was shared with me so long ago. I had no idea that it would bring this out of you. At first, I was confused about what exactly you had become, but it’s time that I tell you the truth about what that instinct is. I firmly believe you have inherited Yemaya’s will.”

“Who is Yemaya and what was her will?”

“Yemaya is regarded as the Mother of the Orishas. Yemaya was an individual who would give everything to protect her children and her people. No cost was off limits if it meant that we were safe and continued to live on. Oya and I are the last living witnesses of her greatest sacrifice to ensure that we stand to this day. That instinct that you have seen with Hanney and the Children of Venus that has caused them to lose themselves to blind servitude isn’t the real deal. That is some sort of subterfuge to create the illusion of honoring her legacy when in reality it is a parlor trick.”

“So what does all of that mean?”

“Ximena, I’m afraid that if you don’t find the means to control it, the instinct will consume your soul and compel you to ensure victory in all challenges that stand in your wake, by any means necessary. The instinct doesn’t affect other deities as we don’t have the ‘fight or flight’ response like you mortals deal with. I firmly believe that it is comparable to a self-preservation response.”

Ximena immediately blurts out in a panic, “Then train me more. Help me learn how to control it. Help me fight better. Teach me how to properly use these powers. Dammit, Oshun. I don’t want to be anyone’s puppet. If I can’t control myself, then I’m no better off than Oya and Pris stuck under Nemesis’ curse.”

Oshun shook her head.

“There’s plenty of time to train and learn. Today, I want you to listen to my story. Then and only then, may you choose the path in which you seek the manner to continue this journey.”

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The Fate of Tate

“My name is Cameron Tate, Private ranked officer of the Sentry Corps under the command of corporal officer Pollux. I will admit that I have done a lot of stupid things in my life. Some people might see those actions as heroic or just plain suicidal, but I guess as a member of the Sentry Corps I thought that maybe I could contribute to society in some meaningful way to make my actions matter. Y’know, for the better of mankind and all of that jazz. At least that’s the sales pitch in those recruitment fliers that I saw plastered everywhere around my high school during my senior year.

It wasn’t a very bright idea to charge into that cavern without the slightest clue what I was going to expect there without any sort of plan. The only thing on my mind was seeing her again. When it comes to that girl, nothing else mattered. I doubt it’s going to be the last time I fall heads over heels over someone, especially when it comes to pretty women. It’s sure as hell not the first time either. My brain goes to mush at the sight of long legs and those come-hither eyes. Let’s just chuck this up as the first time on record where I found myself hospitalized from chasing a pretty face. Just gotta live and learn, right? And don’t ask me why I refused to follow orders again, only to risk another tonguelashing and potential reprimand from Cassiopeia. My body just moved on its own volition through all of the incoming gunfire and energy blasts and right through the swarm of Hell Wasps. I didn’t care. Like I said, I just wanted to see her again. I could hear voices in the open cavern ahead.

‘…None of you are leaving this place alive, not even your little friends that thought they escaped from my children. Your soldiers were coordinated and trained well, but so are my children. Death is coming for you all tonight, yet you all try to escape that fate. Give up this charade. Your attempts at survival are futile.’

I heard that thing taunting her with those words. That divine creature was down on her knees, ready and willing to welcome Death with open arms. Call it selfish, foolish, or just plain stupid, but I wasn’t ready for Death to have this goddess before me. I charged straight into that cavern, right past Helena Dumond who was dealing with her own situation and shoved her out of the way. I didn’t want to continue living in a world without her in it. In an instant, I felt what would be best described as a red hot heat running down the length of my spine. I instantly felt my knees give out underneath me as my body seized up.”

When Tate came to, he was strapped down on a gurney within the Sentry Corps’ transport carrier. He looked over to his side to see the IV hooked up to his arm with his vitals displayed on the monitor on the corresponding wall. Nguyen walks back onto the carrier, accompanying the automated drones loading up the last of the wounded and injured civilians, and stares at Tate in awe. Nguyen quickly crosses the threshold between them and embraces his friend with a hug without saying a word. Tate looks around, looking and searching for something, someone.

“Where is she?” asked Tate in a panic.

Nguyen releases his embrace and snaps out of his stupor to reply, “Dumond made a deal to take her in exchange for her full cooperation for filling in the gaps in our investigation. Her team already synthesized an antidote for the toxins that we administered to you and others affected by those insects’ poison. I don’t know what happened there, but your girlfriend saved a lot of lives tonight.”

Pollux interrupts with his arrival on the carrier, “I don’t know what you did back there, but Dumond was more than willing to make sure you pulled through. We’re still going to have a long talk about your inability to follow orders. Given your injury though, I’m going to keep Cassiopeia out of that discussion for your safety.”

Tate and Nguyen both breathe a sigh of relief in unison at the mere mention of Cassiopeia’s absence from that debriefing.

Pollux adds, “Dumond also let us take the remains of that creature for analysis. The good doctor would be pleased to obtain that sample for his studies. It would be beneficial to have proper data on it to have some adequate countermeasures and defenses for a future encounter.”

Tate asks, “But what about the rest of this? How does Dumond, those prisoners, and that girl all fit into all of this with the hell wasps and that other demon?”

Pollux merely shrugs, “I don’t have any concrete answers right now, but that’s what we’re going to find out with her full cooperation and finally close the book on this case… At least for now until the other shoe drops. There’s always something else in this line of work. A soldier is expected to prepare for the next battlefield, whether it be mental or physical.”

Pollux paused before continuing, “But for now, just focus on making a full recovery. I would like my best men to be at tip top condition when we sortie again.”

Nguyen and Tate both acknowledge his request with a salute in tandem.

Outside of the carrier, Nia Desmonde stood in silence, watching the numerous drones collecting the final remains of Saimyosho from the cavern floor and walls while Helena supervised her security detail loading Diosa’s body onto the remaining gurney.

“I cannot fathom why we have to put up with all of these theatrics, just to determine whether or not a mere child is worthy. If it were anyone else but my Venus, I would have objected to such a lofty request. For her, I walk through Hell and back without question.”

Captain Yamato approaches them with a salute, unknowingly retrieving Nia from being immersed within her own thoughts.

“I’m relieved to see that you’re both well, especially you, ma’am. All of the hostages and wounded have been loaded into the carrier. We just need to prepare one more pod for Diosa and we’ll be ready to head back.”

Nia says nothing in response, with Helena snapping her fingers on cue for their departure.

There was nothing left for them here - only Saimyosho’s blood decorating the cavern walls where her corpse and scattered limbs once remained. Their mission was complete. Everything went according to plan - swimmingly, if they were to be honest. So why did Nia feel so hollow from the experience?

“Back to business, I suppose…” thought Nia as she follows Helena, Captain Yamato, and the remaining soldiers wheeling the remaining gurney carrying Diosa’s wounded body out of the cavern.

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College Life Will Never Be The Same

“Ericka, wait up!” shouts Imani as she jogs down the sidewalk to catch-up to her sulking friend. Ericka stopped in her tracks and planted both feet firmly into place as she clenched her fists tightly. It didn't take Imani long to catch up to her, even though Ericka had left the cafeteria a few minutes prior to her. Imani closed the distance between them with long strides across the pavement until she greeted Ericka with a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

Ericka refused to acknowledge her friend’s approach from behind as she fought back the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't need your pity, Imani."

Imani slowly removed her hand from Ericka's shoulder, "I'm not here to make excuses for what Zabrina did nor to excuse her behavior. To put it bluntly, she's a bitch. And let’s not act surprised at her behavior. We both know that she even takes a lot of pride in that fact, but once again, it doesn't excuse what she did back there. Just tell me what the hell happened between you two when Lillian and I excused ourselves?"

Ericka threw her arms out to her sides and exclaimed, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS HER FREAKING PROBLEM! I thought she was happy for me getting that internship with Tan Industries. Instead, she threw it back in my face as if I was doing it to spite her and her family.”

Imani ponders for a moment, “I thought she would have been happy to see any of us succeed, but at the same time, we’re merely business assets to be shuffled around as she sees fit if we want to stop kidding ourselves. Think long and hard. Did you ever get the notion that Zabrina cared about us as anything more to boost her status on-campus? I mean, not like she needed more credibility given her family’s reputation and social status…”

Ericka’s eyes darted away from Imani briefly. “You know it as well as I do. I joined this sorority for my academics and to add that accolade on my resume after college. Meeting and befriending her was just an added perk that I took up just the same as you. I don't want to be dependent on her for my successes in life just by association or just being tied to her hip as part of her inner circle."

Imani nods in agreement."It was a natural fit to bond with the sorority leader, especially with our grades and standings in the clubs and sports around campus. It uplifted the reputation of the sorority and all of three of us collectively. That being said, I can kinda see why Zabrina was peeved... Taking that internship with Tan Industries is almost like telling Zabrina that her family isn't good enough for you to intern with."

Ericka's mouth hung open in disbelief as she stepped back appalled. "I can't believe you, Imani. You're actually taking her side!!??”

Imani shook her head. “Hear me out. Think like Zabrina would in that situation. She sees herself as a benevolent caregiver allowing us to exist within the orbit of her personal solar system, when she is clearly a social climber herself. If you haven’t noticed, that is exactly why she jumped at the chance to show the princess around campus. Imagine that - she gets in good graces with international royalty. It is deceptive, yes, but she is doing what any corporate mogul would - networking and making powerful connections. The sad truth of the matter is that we’re only good with Zabrina as long as she sees some use out of us and after that…”

Ericka finishes the sentence for her. “...and she casts you aside like yesterday’s garbage. I get it - today was merely my turn.”

Imani frowns, “I’m not defending her, Ericka. Look, you’re still my friend no matter what happens between you and Zabrina. Let’s head back to your room and have a girls’ movie night. We can enjoy ourselves tonight and let this thing blow over in the morning.”

Ericka sighs and relents, “Maybe you’re right…”

As they approached the sorority house, Ericka instantly noticed that something was amiss. Some of the other pledges and their sorority sisters were carrying some familiar items that she recognized. She snatches a blouse from one of the pledges passing by and asks, “This is mine! Where did you get this??”

The pledge sheepishly points to the pile of boxes laid out on the front lawn. “I’m sorry! We didn’t know! Miss Sawyer called and said to empty that room before she returns from her errands.”

Imani facepalms, “Oh my god… I can’t believe this. Ericka, are you sure that you left anything out? This is bordering on vindictiveness instead of Zabrina’s usual brand of pettiness.”

Ericka groans loudly as she finally relents. “I may have added Zabrina’s family name to my internship application and resume as a reference…”

Imani cocks her head to the side, “Holy shit. You really were asking for it. That wasn’t just sweetening the deal; that was exploiting her family’s reputation for your own benefit. I-I have to admit that I’m… impressed. Actually, I am very impressed. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Ericka sank to her knees at the sight of her things littering the front lawn. “I have done so much for her without a please or a single thank you without asking for anything in return. I have practically bent over backwards to show my gratitude to her all the time, but the one time I took the opportunity to do something for myself, it blew up in my face.”

Imani knelt down beside her and said, “I know you weren’t trying to be malicious with your intentions. Everyone wants to level up in life, including… no, especially Zabrina. Sure, you may have gone about it the wrong way, but you saw an opportunity and took it instead of being content with being Zabrina’s personal secretary. For that, I’m proud of you.”

Ericka’s eyes welled up with tears again. “I don’t have anywhere to go. She practically cut me off.”

“I’ll help you load your things into your car and I’ll let you stay with me for the night.”

“Like hell you will, Imani,” snaps Zabrina approaching from behind them.

Ericka bottom lip trembles as she couldn’t muster the courage to speak up.

Zabrina strode in front of Imani while addressing both of them along with the group of gathering pledges and sorority sisters around her, “If I get wind of any of you allowing her back into this house, then you will be ejected from this sorority and off the island of relevancy. With that being said, help this loser get this stuff off our lawn. I’m not running a pigsty here after all. Consider that to be my parting gift, Ericka. After that, I don’t want to see your face around here ever again. Understand?”

Ericka nods slowly.

“Consider this a lesson for all of you, NEVER bite the hand that feeds you around here. If you want to grow in life, then find the means to carry those oranges up the stairs yourself instead of looking for someone else to do it for you,” Zabrina said while looking directly at Imani and Ericka.

She sneers at the sight of Ericka and walks through the front doors of the sorority house as the pledges and other sisters instantly backed up to make way for their queen bee.

Imani and some of the pledges walk over to help Ericka pick up her things. She found her voice after Zabrina entered the house. “You don’t have to help me. I’m on my own now and I have to get used to it.”

Imani tries to console her. “But Ericka…”

“Just leave me alone, Imani. This is my mess to clean up.”

Imani set the box she held in her hands down back onto the grass and joined the rest of the pledges and sisters as they headed back into the house. She couldn’t help looking back as Ericka crawled on her hands and knees, picking up and gathering her things.

Once inside, another one of Zabrina’s many sorority sisters greets her. “Your aunt is waiting in your room. We let her inside after your call.”

Zabrina brushes past her without uttering a single word and heads straight to her room on the separate wing of the house. Her bodyguards stepped aside as she approached, knowing that look on her face very well. There wasn’t any stopping her until she got what she wanted. She swung the door open and glared at the woman sitting in the chair in front of her vanity mirror.

Zabrina slammed the door behind her shut and immediately addressed her. “ I thought I told you not to visit me in public like this.”

The redheaded woman swiveled the chair around to face Zabrina with her arms folded as she greeted her niece with a bright smile.

“Zabby darling, I thought you would be thrilled to have your aunt pay you a visit at school. I told your mother how worried sick I was after hearing you were in the hospital.”

Zabrina glared at her, not amused in the least. “Alright, cut the shit, ‘Auntie’. Random house calls weren't part of our deal, Rhamnusia.”

The woman sighed and looked back at Zabrina with disappointment. “You’re definitely no fun today.”

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The Eye of the Storm

The sound of a flint stone striking against marcasite echoes in the pitch black cave until the fruits of this labor come to full bloom. The cave is partially illuminated by the small bon fire that is created by the young woman known as Priscilla Lennox. Sitting next to her is the orisha that she is currently sharing her mind and body with, Oya.

"Impressive, Priscilla. You would have made a fine huntress in our village. You have adapted well to this mental construct that has become our shared prison."

“Thank you, Oya. I guess all of those wild and crazy summers roughing it with Ximena’s grandmother out in the wilderness wasn’t all for nothing, if it can help us survive nonetheless.”

“Ximena… I know your heart goes out to your friend. You should take heed to know that she is with Oshun.”

Priscilla weakly smiled, “I wish I could tell her how proud I am of her. She’s found the courage to stand up for herself. I always felt like I had to protect her from the rest of the world, but at the end of the day, I was wrong. I was only protecting her from suffering the same pain that I felt.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. Believe it or not, but Oshun was a pacifist a long time ago. We both trained together and endured the trials to become decorated warriors in our pantheon but she opted to be more passive instead of proactive when it came to conflicts. In my youth, I admit to growing increasingly frustrated with her timid approach. Our contrasting ideals came to a boiling point where my temper got the better of me and I took it out on my best friend.”

“I..I did something like that to Ximena. All of these years later, it’s like she blocked it out of her mind and never even acknowledges it.”

Her curiosity sparked with Oya inquiring to know more.

“What did you do, child?”

“Please… don’t call me child. I would prefer you don’t assume that I’m a mere girl. I have committed sins that would have me easily stand on trial as an adult. I stopped being a child a very long time ago. Calling me a child reminds me of what my parents denied me… took from me…”

Oya rested a hand on Priscilla’s shoulder as Priscilla turned her head away to hide the lone tear running down her cheek. She rested a hand on her stomach absentmindedly.

Priscilla’s voice cracked, “They said I wasn’t ready. They wanted to ensure that I wasn’t going to tarnish the family’s reputation since my stepfather was running for the Senate that year. I didn’t even have a choice, Oya! They took all of that away from me! ALL OF THAT FOR THEIR PERFECT DAUGHTER WOULDN’T BECOME THE DISGRACE OF THE FAMILY!!” Her knuckles whitened as she clenched her hands tighter, “When I got back home from my ‘studying aboard for the summer’, Ximena clearly didn’t know what was going on and continued right where we left off. She was gushing and going on and on about her perfect fantasy worlds that she dreamed and read about. After what I went through, I didn’t want to hear any of it. I had my world ruined and she was there, taunting me with her smiles and laughs. The only thing I could think of was how my entire world was ripped away from me. The next thing I knew, I was beating the hell out of that poor girl until her blood stained the comforters and floorboards of my room. I looked in horror at what possessed me to unleash my rage and frustration on my best friend, who could only keep uttering, ‘I’m sorry, Pris.’ as she slipped in and out of consciousness.”

Priscilla looked back at Oya with tears streaming down her face and added, “I’m the monster, Oya. I belong here in this mental prison, trapped with that thing that is controlling my body. I’m no better than that thing for attacking my own best friend and unloading on her. Ximena has always been one of the sweetest people I know. She didn’t deserve that from me.”

Oya shook her head, “The only monsters I see in your tale are the ones that left scars on your heart that won’t ever heal. The ability to create new life is life’s greatest gift. Having that right being stripped out of your hands before you could even lay eyes on your child, hold your child and hear its voice is unforgivable.”

Priscilla fell into Oya’s chest snobbing, who welcomed her eagerly with a warm embrace.

Oya decided to change the subject, “Much like that corrupted instinct that was concocted by the Nemesis’ magic and your parents’ poor decision-making, it is another unfortunate consequence that has wretched control of your life out of your own hands. We are prisoners within your body until someone can find the means to break the curse. Well, you already know who that someone is…”

Priscilla looked up to Oya and asked softly, “Ximena?”

Oya nodded silently, prompting Priscilla to shake her head.

“No, I refuse to drag her into this mess anymore than she already did. She was forced to fight that Nemesis woman and later Cytherea because of me. Ximena has already put herself in more danger than I am comfortable with her partaking on our behalf. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if she died trying to save us.”

Oya stroked her hair to ease her fears, “As for your friend, don’t make the mistake of seeing her kindness and compassion for weakness. It frustrated me seeing it first in my Mother and then later in my Sister, Oshun. No, with Oshun, it was more envy and jealousy that she was able to see the world as our Mother did. I can empathize with your fury - my powers are tied to my mood. I never found the zen-like calm and composure like Oshun and frequently lost myself within my own anger and frustrations. Like you, I answered to a hierarchy that sought to maintain a certain image to the rest of our people. As one of our highly decorated warriors that protected our borders, I followed my orders, but at the same time, I saw how the world outside of our borders was constantly changing while we were being left behind as time went by. My frustrations grew to a boiling point when those dangers came to our doorstep time and time again, only for our rulers - my parents - to sit idly by and do nothing.”

Priscilla added, “And you felt your entire world slipping out of your control, leaving you powerless to stop it…”

Oya nodded, “Exactly. Since we have a reprieve of peace within this vessel before the curse carries us to another battlefield, I see it in our best interest to share with you what happened that fateful day. Maybe then you can take away a lesson of precaution from my people’s mistakes.”

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Broken Mirror

"So, how is your new houseguest fairing?" asks Xiomara over the phone.

Xolani looks over her shoulder and back down the open hallway where Hanney is sweeping the floor.

"All is well. Whatever you did was exactly what she needed - or rather, what the doctor ordered."

"Very funny. Just do me a favor and keep me posted if her condition changes. Whatever she was addicted to that she just quit cold turkey isn't going to be out of her system overnight. There's always that possibility of a relapse or any lingering consequences or withdrawal symptoms once your body has a dependency onto something."

"I think the girl is going to be alright - all things considered. Ximena found her at her lowest, yet saw the good in her since she had nowhere to go and bought her into my care. She's been a great help to me around the house since her arrival. Ximena's intuition for seeing the good in people hasn't blown up in my face yet after all of these years and I don't see it backfiring now."

"Speaking of my daughter, have you heard back from her since we last spoke? She still isn’t answering her phone and all my calls are going straight to voicemail."

Xolani lies, "Yes, she checked back in last night. Something about her and Priscilla being really busy. Y'know how those girls can be. It slipped my mind to remind them to check in with their parents since you all tend to worry."

"That's a relief to know. If I wasn't up to my ears in patients to see and tend to, I would march right now down to her dorm and give that girl a piece of my mind, but I get it... She has her newfound independence away from home, so she wants to cut loose a little. I can't complain as long as she's keeping her grades up. You can't blame me for worrying though. Another wildcard attack was on the news just the other night - at Helena Dumond's place of business no less!"

“You don’t say…” utters Xiomara as she ponders what wild adventure that her granddaughter might have gotten herself into.

Down the hall, Hanney could faintly hear Xolani and Xiomara still chatting on the phone. A momentary instance of vertigo struck unexpectedly, causing Hanney to almost drop the broom from her hand. She caught herself from falling down by leaning onto one of the nearby door handles for support. She clumsily turns the knob and stumbles into Ximena's bedroom, falling on top of her unmade mattress. The room stopped spinning, but a migraine persisted pounding in Hanney's skull. Her left hand abandoned the broom, leaving it leaning against the nightstand while her right went to rubbing her temple in a futile attempt in alleviating the pain and tension from the throbbing migraine.

Hanney clutched the comforter as she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to find some sense of relief from this pain that had overtaken her all of a sudden. She tossed and turned on Ximena's unkempt mattress, sweat accumulating on her brow and neck. Her hands reached up to her neck, as if searching for something until her eyes snapped open in horror at the sudden realization.

[Hanney’s commentary] "She's trying to call me back... But I refuse to sacrifice my freedom... my independence... and most importantly, my soul... Not after all that Ximena and her family have done for me... I won't abandon them at this second chance to live again..."

Through clenched teeth, she endures through another spasm of pain, only to allow her mind to retreat back to the joys of being a Child of Venus.

At that very same moment, Ericka Chen had checked into a hotel for the night, content with the notion that she would go hunting for a suitable apartment over the weekend. She had left most of her belongings that she hastily packed in her car outside, save for her luggage that she had just returned to campus following her, Imani, and Zabrina's release from the hospital. She tossed her purse carelessly onto the edge of the bed, only for it to tumble to the floor shortly thereafter, scattering and spilling its contents across the floor. Ericka sighed loudly, wondering what else could go wrong today as she knelt down to pick up her belongings. It was then when Ericka's eyes laid onto it for the first time - Helena Dumond's gift.

Zabrina quickly dismissed these gifts when they were given to the trio, so Ericka didn't have a chance to properly inspect it once they had returned on-campus with so much going on and having to get caught up to. Ericka opened the elegant casing and found her gaze fixated onto the necklace that was housed within. To the naked eye, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, merely a golden necklace attached to a sizable aquamarine colored gemstone. The vibrance drains away from Ericka's eyes, leaving her with a dull, emotionless blank expression directed at the necklace. A shaking hand removed it from its case with trepidation, raising it to her face for closer inspection. The aquamarine gem sparkled in the soft ambiance from the dimly lit hotel room, ushering a smile onto Ericka's face. She stood back up and walked to the vanity mirror outside of the bathroom. Ericka watched herself with great fascination raise the necklace to her neck and clasps it behind her neck. Her unnatural stupor seemed to lift briefly after this action as she studied her form in the mirror. She frowned in disapproval at what she saw in her reflection.

A pudgy, rotund shape to her body. She wasn't overweight, but definitely leaning toward that distinction for her petite height. She could be barely regarded as five feet and two inches as printed on her drivers' license. The spare tire around her waist was proof enough of lack of attention to a proper diet, despite her trendy attire doing a great job of masking her extra pounds in comparison to her more physically gifted peers.

"If only I was as tall and athletic as Imani and beautiful as Zabrina... No one would ignore me or cast me aside..."

Another thought invaded Ericka's thoughts, "What if you were? What if you could be more than both of them?"

Ericka grew immersed with her reflection as the aquamarine gemstone glowed brighter.

[Hanney’s commentary]"That’s what it does to the wearer. Once it sinks its claws into a host, it pulls at every insecurity that the host feels about itself and offers to fulfill your deepest desires and make your dreams come true. The only thing you have to do is give into it and submit. I remember that day I first laid eyes on the choker as clear as yesterday. I unearthed that discarded piece of jewelry that had seemingly washed up ashore. The trap is sprung by merely laying eyes on it, binding and ensnaring you within the confines of its web. The urge and compulsion that drives one to wear it is the second step in changing the host's life forever in what transpires afterwards by starts with an eruption of fire straight down into your soul…”]

Ericka's cheeks flush red as she is filled with a warm sensation permeating across her entire body, flooding her erogenous zones. Her entire body sweats profusely as this sudden heat overwhelms her senses. Ericka's mind begins to fear the worst, racing at the thought of contracting some sort of virus or the flu with the headache that fills her ears like the beats of a drum. The pain brought the young woman to her knees while she pulled at short black hair in frustration. She winces in pain, feeling a pressure accompanying this heat that was continuing to consume her entire body from head to toe. She continued to thrash on the floor, failing to notice her hair slowly extending in her grip while the color drained away yet simultaneously taking on a vibrant sheen. If the sensations of both heat and pressure was not enough, a throbbing in her bones was added to this concoction. Her body temperature rose even more as Ericka pants heavily as if she was running a marathon. Her heart rate quickens with each beat of her heart causing a tremor to shutter throughout her body that drains away the fat from the spare tire that normally resides around her waist. That extra weight redistributed itself in a more visually pleasing manner, adding dimensions to give her an hourglass figure as healthy abdominals were emerging on her thinning stomach. Her clothing shifts on her changing figure, drooping and slipping off a fit, toned, and athletic body that it wore them previously.

Her spine elongates, but doesn't decompress thus making her taller.

Ericka hunches over, resting her longer, wider, yet still delicate and feminine hands on her thickening thighs, feeling them go from sponge to rock in a similar manner as her torso. This change in tandem is constant tingling and pulling in her bones as her legs lengthen in two powerful pillars. She then arches her back, whipping her now ethereal white hair back and behind her shoulders instead of covering her face. This sudden motion causes the front of her blouse to tear down the middle with a ragged snake-like tear, exposing the brasserie that was filling to beyond its intended capacity. Ericka was not normally a well-endowed woman in the bust department but this transformation her body was currently undergoing was rectifying nature's cruel omission of this trait on her body. The bra snaps in the back underneath her now loose blouse from her widening back due to added musculature, with the ruined cups sliding uselessly down her sculpted abs before collecting on the floor with the rest of her clothing not far behind it. Her now blonde-white hair flowed over her shoulders and down her spine that compressed and then decompressed, adding to her height while simultaneously strengthening her lats and correcting her normally slouched over posture.

Ericka clenched her fists so tight to the verge of tears where she thought that she was going to draw blood from her longer, manicured nails dug into the palms of her hands from another wave of warmth filled each of her arms. Her forearms and biceps burned pleasantly as they surged larger and bulked up with added muscle while remaining feminine and in balance with the rest of these miraculous changes to her body. She felt one more build up of warmth accumulate in her face and squeezed her eyes shut in response. She felt her cheekbones shift and raise up on her face while her double chin melted away and redistributed, giving her a more oval-like shape to her face instead of the pumpkin it resembled prior. She licked her lips in approval, with her lips plumping into a seductive pout after running her tongue over them. The changes bestowed her with full kissable lips while continuing to smoothen and mold her facial attributes in something that would be regarded as something no less than perfection. Her flat, wide nose narrowed at the nasal bridge and raised at the tip until it pointed slightly upwards into a button nose shape that was proportionate to the size of her face. Her eyes fluttered open as she cried out as the changes to her body accumulated into a crescendo that rocked her body. She slowly stood up on shaky legs as if she was a baby deer making her first steps. The newly transformed woman approached the vanity mirror like a woman possessed. When she returned to a vertical base, her once small feet easily broke free from her sandals with now larger yet shapely feet and took one step into an armored boot that wraps and climbs up her calf with a life of its own. Another step towards the mirror repeated the process on her other leg to complete her pair of greaves. The tattered remains of her Capri-style tights that hung from hips like makeshift skirt shifted into an armored bodice with a short skirt. The torn blouse that hung from her shoulders morphed into a short cape to match.

She reached out and placed her hand on the mirror's surface, wanting to distinguish whether the image in the reflection was legitimate or not. Her eyes traced back up the limb that is attached to the hand and gasps loudly as she realizes it is attached to HER body - the same body that she sees reflected in the mirror.

Ericka’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as she held a hand over her mouth taking in the image of herself - at least that could be contained in the reflection - in complete awe.

In a choked, bated breath she utters in a whisper, “I-I-I’m… beautiful.”

She then smirks and corrects herself, “No, I’m fucking GORGEOUS!”

[How could any mere mortal resist its magic? The fruits of this delictible trinket are impossible to ignore. Blemishes and imperfections erased and made nonexistent, leaving only a being that could be described as nothing short as 'flawless'. It is only a matter of time until the novelty of becoming your ideal self wears off and the magics enslave your mind and body to serve our Queen…]