I wake up with my left eye stretching again. Sam is eight now but I am still me. I remember him but he doesn't know me … yet.

  There is no mirror in my room but that's fine. I look at my notifications and see where my crush is at and I am already waiting for my stat threshold before I can progress. I don't turn on my mental eyes back on nor my dim arcanes. The room in my regeneration could allow for the dims but Grandma Bianca felt it better to give myself space while I adjust to my new foolishness, her words, I think it looks lovely. She wouldn't guess at my new ratio and instructed Marie not to say either, I think they worry about my mood if I heard.

  I get my work out clothes on and put my hair into a bun. I meet Marie outside at the gate.

  “A passable effort on the bun Sara, you will need to reset it after your sparring exercise.”

  I smile, “It is as you say, [Head Attendant] Marie.” She returns my smile.

  I don't think even Marie bun would survive a spar with Cecelia. We do our laps, provide our tithes and I take up my metal sword. No crunches, I only got to do them once before I went with my extreme body makeover. After four hundred swings next to Cecelia's thousand I go pick up my wooden sword. Cecelia is at the other end of the sparring ring with her wooden sword. She sees that my work out clothes are bunched at the waist again.

  “You've gone smaller, do you know what the ratio is now?”

  “I'm afraid my [Lady] forbids me knowing it, I am to go to Miss Briknae to be re-measured after this Miss.”

  She looks annoyed at my use of decorum.

  “Sara, we are in the ring, the only status here is one of skill.”

  I give her a wry smile, “Then should I be calling you sensei then mother.”

  She quirks her eyebrow. “Its like a combat teacher, just with deference."

  She barks a laugh at that, “Cecelia will do fine.”

  I grin, “Not until I land a hit on you, sensei.”

  My sudden charge is easily deflected, she is as merciless as ever. I do not gain the right to use her name today. When she thinks I've had enough I am at Intermediate nine for blunt resist. I ask her to continue, I reached competent three that day.

  -----

  “Lass your constant shrinking is proving to be good business and all but your immediate needs are rather annoying.”

  Miss Briknae measures me and then speaks.

  “Very impressive that your mana is holding out at this ratio of ….”

  Marie covers my ears. Briknae is tilting her head. Marie removes her hands.

  “The [Lady] felt it prudent that Sara not hear where her ratio was.”

  Briknae nods, “Of course, shall I modify a work dress first so she can wear it out?”

  They continue talking as I get a notification pop up.

  You have gained [Resist Crush] Intermediate 1

  Intermediate - ah so close Sara, she who has a ratio of 1.88

  Con raised to 30

  Oh now my system is trolling me now, mocking me for not having the perfect pour. The beautiful waist 2.0. I could just—

  I'm on the floor gasping, my false ribs were almost touching before and they are crashing into each other now. The corset pulls a great deal of mana out of me, My waist cinches further. Marie is by me, pushing mana into me. It's still gross. There is a warmth in my chest that grows, then subsides. Briknae is by me looking through a glass eye piece at my sternum.

  “Well stupid girl, you gone and done it now, your lower ribs have fused together. I think you've lost your lowest set.”

  I groan at that. The initial mana expenditure must have been for the fusing and removal. Enchanted corsets are scary. “Am I going to run out mana” It comes out as a squeak.

  Marie is studying me, she shakes her head. “No but I say it is hardly refilling at all.”

  Marie is looking at Briknae with a murderous glare, she must think I heard the ratio from Briknae. I intervened. “Marie, it's not her fault I didn't hear the number when you covered my ears. My system notification for Intermediate one Crush mocked me with the ratio.” Marie relents.

  Briknae is measuring, muttering curses. She walks away, to get back to her work.

  “So what's the ratio”

  “[Junior Attendant] Sara! You do not—”

  I interrupt her, “If I don't know, my system will just mock me at the Advanced tier in two days. My apologies for my impertinence, [Head Attendant] Marie.”

  Briknae spoke first, “You're exactly two point zero now.”

  I close my eyes, the perfect pour. I know at least I am not Sam.

  -----

  Briknae did quick work and I am already in my new slimmer work dress. I will need to pick up the rest when I head to Belna in the afternoon. I enter behind Marie into the dining room, my grandmother sees me, notices my further exaggeration and speaks before I can greet her.

  “Who told you your ratio?” She is pinching the bridge of her nose.

  “Good morning my [Lady].”

  “Sara, our [Lady] has asked you a question.”

  “My very soul mocked me for my imperfection, my [Lady], I had to have it but it cost me much.”

  “Sara, I believe I instructed you to be concise and to the point in answering.”

  Pretty sure it was to be curt, but right, on duty, “My apologies, [Head Attendant]. My [Lady], my system notification has become rather aggressively personal with me and mocked me with my previous ratio.”

  Cecelia asks a question, “You spoke of cost?”

  I can not control my face, I give her a bittersweet smile, “Miss Briknae told me I fused my lower ribs together and may have lost my lower set.”

  She got out of her chair faster than I could see, her hand at my side, her eyes glowing green, she was not looking at me but my ribs. The shape of her mana eyes are flatten ovals. She backs away from me.

  “She was wrong, both sets of your floating ribs are missing, your false ribs have pulled in and are fused together, it makes it look like your sternum is longer. I don't think it would be wise to ever be without your corset for long periods of time.” Her prognosis is damning.

  “I promised you grandchildren Cecelia, I am not going back on my word.”

  I did not entice the same humor as before, Cecelia looks at me with sad eyes, grandma chokes though. I rub her back to help my [Lady]. When she finds her breath she speaks.

  “I'll not hear of talks of Sara having children until she is done with school. Sara, I take it you know your current ratio. I hate to have to place a geas on you to prevent this knowledge”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Geas? Marie already knows that I know so no trying to hide it. Best to sell how satisfied I am

  “I am proud to say my ratio is a perfect two.”

  “There is no lie in what she says mother.”

  My grandmother's eyes are white hourglasses again, I'm not sure when she started.

  “Your magic regeneration has become abysmal again.”

  I wince, “It is as you say my [Lady], I feel that I am close to another level and will co—”

  “Sara Maxwell, you are not to level again until I release you from this geas”

  I had no defense, I don't think I could have negated it even if I was full mana. The command sinks into my soul. It doesn't make me disassociate like the usual compels but there is no room to rebel. I don't like that she did this but I understand why. She was there the last time I leveled, it took twenty minutes for me to stop trashing. When I had stilled, she was afraid I was dead.

  “I am at your mercy, my [Lady].”

  She looks annoyed and winded, “Come here foolish child, I must give you mana so that you may continue to grow.”

  “Allow me mother, I'll bring her to half her arcane reserves and twice her current mental store. That should suffice till tonight.”

  Mother does as she said, the blob of mental hanging in me is bigger than before but it's not the usual lead balloon I would expect.

  You have gained [Resist Mental Attack] Intermediate 5

  Gain 8 exp

  That seemed delayed, “My [Lady], my system was slow to inform me of a skill gain from your attack.” Maybe that was too harsh.

  “Sara, the geas is a constant shackle on your soul, the more counter to the being the geas is the more the soul will struggle, to gain a skill now means you were either close to it, or you have a distinct desire to level at your core.”

  Is she calling me a level junkie? Before I can consider her words she continues.

  “Your soul is weak right now Sara, I can feel its struggle and I don't even need to do anything to reinforce my geas. I will not be removing this geas, you will be. Doing so will prove you are ready to grow.”

  With that said Marie enters with Cecelia and Bianca meals, I take up position behind our [Lady] as I think on her words.

  -----

  “So how many times did your resist level?”

  “To which skill do you refer to, my [Lady].”

  “You're supposed to be off duty right now Sara.”

  I finish pouring my cup, it's right where I want it. I sit opposite to my grandmother.

  “Not until the tea is poured, snack grandma?”

  I hold the plate of cookies towards her one handed after already taking one for myself. Proof that now I am off duty. She takes one begrudgingly. I smile.

  “The answer is the same either way, both crush and mental are intermediate nine.”

  [Resist Mental Attacks] has becomes [Resist Mental Attacks 2] Basic 1

  Resist Mental Attacks 2 - a greater ability to resist mental attack

  Basic - you can spend the remainder of your mana to block a mental attack

  Gain 3 exp

  O sure system, I could negate a spell at the cost of all my mana to see if I could survive the shock of opening my corset. I hope I never have to make that choice any time soon. Seems I won't be gaining mental fortitude until I reach apprentice tier. I didn't realize that resist skills evolve at advanced level, it even skipped a tier. I finish a cookie and reach for another, Grandma hand blocks my way.

  “Ah finally, I thought Marie had thoroughly scoured this bad habit of yours.”

  “I'm off duty.”

  “That does not mean you get to ignore basic etiquette Sara.”

  I hmph at that, she removes her hand and I start nibbling a new cookie, but I pay attention.

  “So what got you so distracted that you forgot you were having tea with me.”

  “Right after I reported my skill results, mental evolved to two and I was musing how dumping all my mana would be a very bad idea.”

  “Not as much as you would think.”

  I am confused by this, my cessation of nibbling a clear indication of my lack of understanding. ”But—”

  “Sara, you fused your ribs and lost two pairs of them. They aren't straining against the corset anymore and won't shift after the enchantment loses power. The only thing that would happen is possibly muscle soreness and your soft tissues shifting, something the human body can handle just fine.”

  “So possibly this is a good thing, but why is it taking more of my mana regen to maintain the enchantments.”

  Grandma is giving me a sad look again, “Your internal organs are being reconfigured, at this point your lungs will shrink to provide room for your other organs.”

  My eyes widen, should I release now, save my lungs. Grandma's hand touches mine again, I look up.

  “Don't do anything just yet and keep listening,” I nod, “as I said, your ribs are fused, your lungs can not expand past them, I can tell what you are thinking but you would perhaps gain back ten percent of your lung capacity.”

  “If magic could do this then magic can reverse it.”

  “It's true, magic could be used to reshape your body, healing magics tend to follow the soul impression of the body and so would not work. It would take powerful soul magic to even begin reversing it”

  “Why wouldn't healing magic work? I'm missing ribs.”

  “It's healing magic that removed them, your soul wanted this ratio, you wanted this ratio, the magic healed you in the only way to keep to your wishes.”

  Right its all mentally reinforcing isn't, to break it I have to fully convince myself that I prefer a different shape. But if that was possible I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. Grandma being patient.

  “So if I took off my corset I would have, what, seventy, eighty percent of my lung capacity.”

  “Fifty, and I must warn you, no one could make you an enchanted corset that you could wear that you could be satisfied with. Enchanted corsets are made to provide a constant pressure for you to level against, if the corset wasn't to your preference then you would still give way, and if we stopped it then there would be no more level ups.”

  “So my options are to accept what forty percent lung capacity or forgo a corset altogether.”

  “Is that really an option for you?”

  “No, no it's not. I'll keep the corset”

  She nods at this, “That's good, I would have had to fire you and confine you to your bed as your skeletal structure would make you too vulnerable to hurting yourself.”

  My eyes widen, I see her smiling. I'm not sure if she is messing with me or not.

  “As for lung capacity it is currently at forty but it is likely to drop to as low as thirty before settling at thirty-five. I would suggest gaining more [Strong Lungs] tiers. You'll never be able to fight toe to toe with a knight of your level, but you are going to mage college, not a knighthood.”

  “So how long do you think it will take?”

  “Probrably a month or two for your soft tissues to find their place and the another month for your muscle to lock them in place.”

  “That seems drastically shorter.”

  “You did drastically change yourself, you burnt through all your mana and half of Marie's doing it.”

  “I'm assuming my mana regen is locked until the muscle portion starts correct?”

  She nods.

  You have gained [Mental Magic Core] Basic 9

  Gain 2 exp

  Now my mom bubble of mental magic is gone. “Core grew, it ate what's left of my mental mana.”

  She motions me over. When I am close enough she places a hand on my chest and funnels the magic. She is watching with her purple hour glass eyes. The core is taking it in faster than before. Soon I am left with another large blob of mental mana. It still feels awkward before I can claim it as my own but it also feels familiar.

  “Why does your mana and mom mana feel more comfortable than others?”

  A beautiful smile blooms on her face, “Tell me child who's mana feels the least awkward.”

  She looking at the top of my head for some reason, “Um mom's, why are you scanning the top of my head”

  “Thats to be expected you are more attached to her, I'm just counting the blue roots coming in.”

  Wait what, blue roots, am I becoming a Maxwell in body? How does that work, doesn't my DNA mean anything. Grandma snaps her finger in front of my face a few times, when I focus on her, she sighs and continues.

  “Mana from another body carries intent when pushed into your body, within intent is a bit of soul, you readily accepting such will subtly change you. The more readily you accept the more pronounced the change. You already understand how strongly the soul shapes the body. What's wrong Sara?”

  Do I say it, would it be rejecting Cecelia to do so?

  “It's alright to ask questions that are honest, Sara.”

  I search her eyes, I find trust in them, so I say what I feel, “My father always told me my hair was a memory of my mother, um my birth mother, that looking at my hair reminded him of her.”

  She has a kind smile on her face, “The changes you accept from me and Cecelia will always be what you truly want, trust yourself, I don't know if you will be fully blue like us or a mix but I very much doubt that unruly curly hair of yours will change.”

  “Aw, but that is the most annoying part.”

  She boops my nose, “which is exactly why you’ll never lose it, you intrinsically understand it as being your hair.”

  “So is it just hair or um other things as well.” I should be subtle about this.

  “Since you're not fully grown it's possible to match more closely to either of our heights, your facial features and such may skew more towards us as well as you grow up though at ten some of these things are already set. You certainly already surpassed both our waist lines.”

  I blush at that, then try to hear the answer I was asking for subtly, “Anything else that can be affected?”

  Grandma takes a sip of tea, “Like what?”

  She's going to make me say it, “Marie still made me do both of your laundry after our tea party.”

  “Only because you insisted on returning to duty after scaring years off my life.”

  “Sorry”, wait she smiling at me, she knows what I want ask, fuck it, “I cleaned mom void top, I know how stack she is.”

  “What curious way to refer to one's breasts, is that from your inherited memories?” I'm squinting at her now, “Fine, fine, since you're so obviously fixated on it, if you keep accepting her mana it's almost certain that you will be just as ‘stacked’ frankly by the time you are of age you will be more caricature than human.”

  That's just rude, follow up question.

  “You think it will be alright to keep being replenished in the morning by mom and um evenings.”

  She has a wry grin again, “If you tell her that it's because her mana the most comfortable she will be ecstatic and most willing, though I wouldn't tell her it's because you want to inherit her chest. She is rather sensitive of that mishap.”

  “Mishap?”

  “Much like you and your waist, your mother's foray into life magic was driven by her vanity. At a certain point she was simply seeing how much she can morph her chest to ridiculous proportions and being caught by a fellow classmate who used to be bigger than her caused her so much embarrassment that she started mentally reinforcing it. Which of course just created more embarrassment and didn't take long for it to become part of her soul.”

  “But they must be glorious.” Grandma raises an eyebrow to that, I clear my throat, “I suppose at my fitting she did cautioned me not to let my mind wander on how far I could go.”

  “Indeed.”