A sudden, heavy banging jolted me awake in the dead of night. "Who could that possibly be at this hour?" I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

  I crept downstairs, the noise growing louder—more urgent, almost frantic. "I'm coming, I'm coming! No need to batter down my door like a blundering troll," I called out, my voice trembling between irritation and curiosity.

  As I reached the door and pulled it open, what stood before me was no ordinary visitor. Towering over me by a whole head, the creature was a bizarre patchwork of oddities. Its face was an unsettling mosaic of a dozen eyes—no ears, no mouth, just a watchful, unblinking gaze. The torso looked as if it had somehow escaped a nightmare from a forgotten, grim place. On its right side, it bore two arms; on the left, however, a twisting tentacle writhed where an arm should have been. Its legs were a grotesque mismatch—the left one thrice the size of the right, making every step a peculiar wobble.

  I blinked, wondering if this strange figure might be a customer after all...

  “Welcome to the House of Flesh,” I said, trying to sound confident though my heart was pounding like a drum. “I’m your host, Dim. What is it that you desire?” I hoped I wasn’t making a complete fool of myself.

  The creature stood perfectly still, its many eyes fixated on me—but then it struck me: it had no ears at all.

  “Hold still while I fix you up... though, now that I think about it, I don’t quite know why I said that—you’re deaf, aren’t you?” I murmured, reaching out cautiously. My fingers hovered carefully, avoiding those countless eyes like stepping stones in a strange pond.

  I began the treatment. Slowly, two of its eyes—those positioned where ears might have been—detached themselves with an almost reluctant grace and fell silently to the floor. In their place, I decided, would be pointy ears, like most of the others here had. Sharp, alert, and very much alive.

  “And it is d—” I was about to finish when suddenly, the creature clutched at its head, where the new ears now sprouted, a shudder running through its twisted form. After a tense moment, it slowly relaxed and looked back at me, as if awakening from a long, strange dream.

  “Can you hear me now?” I asked softly. The creature slowly turned its head toward me and nodded with surprising enthusiasm.

  “Would you like me to give you a mouth?” I ventured, watching closely. Again, it nodded, as if eager to try.

  Carefully, I placed my hands on its head once more, concentrating on shaping a mouth. One by one, three of its eyes loosened and slipped silently to the floor. In their place, a mouth began to form—small, but unmistakably there.

  “Can you talk now?” I asked, holding my breath.

  The creature moved its new mouth left and right, testing the strange new sensation. Then, in a voice hoarse but clear, it whispered, “…I think I can.”

  “Now, why exactly were you banging on my door in the middle of the night?” I asked, trying to keep my tone firm but curious.

  The creature’s many eyes blinked in apology. “I’m sorry, but I was terribly hungry, and this is the only place I can eat.”

  I frowned, puzzled. “Wait—how do you feed without a mouth?”

  It hesitated, then admitted, “I pour a satiety potion directly into my eye.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So, when you said this was the only place you could eat... does that mean you’ve been breaking in and stealing potions?”

  It nodded solemnly.

  “Every night?”

  “Every night,” it confirmed.

  Well, that certainly explained why this place was so cheap.

  “You seem able to talk perfectly normally. Were you always like this?” I asked, curiosity prickling at the edges of my mind.

  The creature’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. “You’re right—I wasn’t always like this. If you hadn’t guessed, I’m a dwarf.”

  “You could’ve fooled me,” I said with a wry smile. “But how did you become so... monstrous?”

  It shuddered slightly, as if recalling a distant nightmare. “I don’t know myself. The only thing I remember is going to bed, just an ordinary dwarf, and waking up outside... already a monster.”

  “Alright then... do you need any other modifications?” I asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face.

  “Modifications?” the creature echoed, tilting its head in puzzlement.

  “You know—like how I gave you ears and a mouth. Would you want me to turn you back into a dwarf again?”

  A flicker of surprise passed over its eyes. “You can do that? But no, I don’t need to be changed back. I quite like being a monster. The only problem was not having a mouth and ears—and you’ve fixed that.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “Okay then, how about making you symmetrical?”

  It blinked, clearly unsure. “What do you mean?”

  “Like removing your tentacle and giving you two arms, or the other way around. Or making your legs the same size—things like that.”

  The creature considered this for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I would like to be symmetrical. Please—give me two hands and even out my legs.”

  “Please, have a seat on this chair,” I said, motioning toward the wooden seat. The creature lowered itself carefully, eyes watching every movement.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I turned my attention to the tentacle. Just like the eyes before, it began to pop free, almost reluctant to leave its place. Then I focused on crafting arms—mirroring the ones already there on the right side—to grow a matching pair on the left. To my relief, the new arms emerged smoothly, each ending in a pair of hands that seemed almost human.

  Next came the legs. The smaller one looked fairly ordinary, but the larger resembled an elephant’s foot—too cumbersome and unwieldy. I decided it needed to be shrunk.

  Slowly, the leg unfolded like a grotesque, bloody flower, most of it literally falling apart in front of us.

  “Holy heck! What are you doing to my leg?” the creature cried, panic flashing in its many eyes.

  “Just calm down,” I soothed, trying to keep my voice steady. “There’s nothing to worry about. Look—see how the leg is forming nicely now?” I pointed to the limb, now reshaping itself with smooth skin, free from scars or blemishes, almost as if it were born anew.

  “Amazing—you made it look just like my right leg. Thank you,” the creature said, a rare note of gratitude in its voice.

  “You’re welcome,” I replied with a small smile.

  The customer stood up and turned slowly, inspecting himself from every angle. I really ought to remember to buy a mirror someday; watching him fumble was oddly fascinating.

  “Alright, now for the cost of it all,” I said, trying to sound businesslike.

  “Cost?” His many eyes widened.

  “Yes, the cost. You didn’t think all of this would be free, did you?”

  He began to squirm nervously. “About that... I don’t have any coin.”

  I sighed deeply, the weight of the evening settling on me. “Of course you don’t.”

  “You should go now—I still have to clean up this mess.”

  “Uuu, I can help with that,” he offered eagerly. To my dismay, he started picking bits of flesh off the floor and popped them into his mouth. “Tasty.”

  I gave up, shaking my head, and climbed the stairs. “I’m going to sleep—close on your way out.”

  Ignoring the soft, unsettling sound of slurping drifting up from downstairs, I collapsed onto my bed, thankful for the comfort of darkness.

  The next morning, I awoke late, the events of the night before having left me thoroughly exhausted. Slowly, I made my way downstairs—and to my surprise, the floor was spotless. It seemed the creature had truly helped clean up. Then it struck me—I hadn’t even asked his name. I really must stop forgetting such things.

  I opened the door and stepped outside, deciding to find something to eat. Perhaps a restaurant, I thought, hoping for something a little less... chaotic.

  After wandering through the bustling streets of the city, I finally spotted a charming little restaurant. Inside, I found a quiet table, and soon a waiter appeared, bowing slightly.

  “Welcome to the Arcane Table. How may I take your order?”

  I hesitated, then asked, “What would you recommend?”

  “The Crystalberry Pie is our most popular dish,” he replied with a polite smile.

  “Then I’ll have that, and some mead, please.”

  When the food arrived, its aroma was irresistible. I took a bite—and immediately understood why it was the favorite. The flavors were rich and comforting, like a warm hug on a cold day.

  After finishing my meal, I stepped back outside and wandered through the town, curious to see if I could find any points of interest worth exploring.

  As I wandered through the winding streets, I stumbled upon an ancient temple. Stepping inside, I was immediately struck by the walls—covered floor to ceiling in breathtaking artwork. The vivid scenes depicted some grand battle between two mysterious sides, though I couldn’t quite decipher the story. Still, it was a delight to lose myself in the swirling colors and fierce faces of warriors long gone.

  After leaving the temple, I continued my exploration of the city. I found a quiet library filled with dusty tomes, the bustling docks where ships creaked against the tide, and even an amphitheater, its stone seats worn smooth by countless spectators. Each place held its own magic, whispering secrets waiting to be discovered.

  I returned to my shop only to find the door wide open. I should have closed it properly—sometimes I wonder why I’m so trusting in this city, where shadows often seem to lurk just beyond the light.

  Stepping inside cautiously, I spotted someone huddled in the corner. “Hello?” I called softly.

  The figure jumped, startled. “H-hello,” they stammered. “Are you the one they call a god?”

  So, it was one of those types.

  “Yes,” I replied, steadying my voice. “What do you need from me?”

  “I want to be more,” they said, eyes wide with longing.

  “More? More what, exactly?”

  “I want to be noticed. I’m always overlooked—like I’m invisible to the world.”

  Now that I had a proper look at her, I noticed her beige skin, deep brown eyes, and the very small horns just barely curling from her forehead.

  “Alright,” I said, motioning for her to take a seat in the chair. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  I placed my hands gently on her head and began the transformation.

  First, I focused on her skin. Bright pink seemed the most impossible-to-miss color I could imagine, so I shifted her complexion to that vivid shade. Then, her eyes—no ordinary change would do. I transformed them into something extraordinary: two gleaming emeralds, as if she wore precious gems instead of eyes.

  Finally, I turned to her horns, enlarging them until they rivaled those of a mighty mountain sheep, twisting proudly from her head.

  Stepping back, I studied her from a distance. There was so much more I could do—but I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by “noticeable.” For now, this would have to be enough.

  “So, how do you feel?” I asked, watching her closely.

  She looked down at her arms and legs, eyes wide. “Wow...” Then her hands moved to her head, fingers tracing the new, massive horns. “They’re huge.”

  I wondered what she’d make of her eyes. I really must remember to buy a mirror.

  “Do you like what you see?”

  “I do,” she said, “but when I said I wanted to be noticeable, I meant taller.” She was still at least a head shorter than me.

  “Oh, I can fix that. Just wait a moment.” I placed my hands on her head again and focused on lengthening her frame. Slowly, she began to rise, her clothes growing tighter with each inch. At last, she stood level with me.

  “There you go. Better?”

  She took a tentative step, then almost stumbled, unused to her new height. “I love it. How much will that cost me?”

  “I don’t have a standard price,” I shrugged. “Give me whatever you think it’s worth.”

  She paused, thinking, then pulled a small pouch from her pocket. From it, she slid a single gold coin across the table.

  “I don’t know if this is overpaying or underpaying, but I want you to have it.”

  “Thank you,” I said warmly. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble going unnoticed anymore.”

  She smiled, a spark of confidence in her eyes. “Well, goodbye then.”

  “Goodbye,” I replied, watching her step out into the world, taller and more visible than ever before.

  I hoped for the best as I watched her leave, then glanced around the shop. To my surprise, there wasn’t a single mess left behind—a first, really. It was getting a bit late, but I figured I could squeeze in a quick trip to the market before the day was done.

  The market was its usual lively self, bustling with merchants calling out their wares. I found a shop selling mirrors and chose one that stretched from my height all the way to the floor. Perfect. It cost me a single gold coin. Easy come, easy go, I thought wryly.

  Back at my store, I found a spot on the wall for the new mirror and hung it up. I stared at my reflection for a long moment, wondering why I hadn’t thought to modify myself before. After all, I’d transformed so many others—it would be hypocritical not to try.

  I started with my eyes. They were dull brown, so I changed them to a vivid green and gave them a catlike quality, sharp and slitted. Satisfied, I removed my jacket and turned my attention to my torso. My chest was covered in a layer of hair, which I promptly eliminated. Then, on a whim, I removed my nipples—what use did I have for them anyway?

  Next, I focused on my arms. I added a second pair just below the first, their movements already synced with my thoughts. For my hands, I added an extra thumb to each—it felt oddly natural. Finally, I turned my skin a deep, rich blue, something that seemed striking but not overwhelming.

  I stepped back and examined myself in the mirror. That would do for today. Enough modifying for one evening.

  Feeling oddly exhilarated, I headed upstairs, climbed into bed, and let sleep take me.