Sandrias peered into Ari's mind, ying everything bare.

  After a few minutes, the colour of her eyes returned to a striking violet.

  Sandrias gnced at him with a gentle expression.

  “Very well, I will grant your request.”

  ‘Did you really have to dig that deep?’

  Ari sighed.

  “Thank-”

  Whoosh!

  “W-what is this?”

  Ari tried to express his gratitude, but Sandrias had other ideas.

  She zily flicked her wrist, creating a gust of wind that pushed him backwards.

  “Wait, Sandrias, what are you doing?”

  The wind did not relent. Mercilessly, it continued pushing him towards the edge of the cliff.

  ‘Fuck!’

  Determined to regain a portion of the dignity he lost due to his sudden panic, he did the only thing he could think of to save face.

  He shoved a double middle finger in her face as he went over the edge.

  Her smiling face shrank rapidly as he plummeted towards the ke.

  Spsh!

  A rge volume of air escaped his lungs as he impacted the water.

  Ari struggled in vain. As though paralysed by some supernatural force, his body refused to move.

  He sank into the ke without resistance.

  With an all-consuming fear gripping his mind, he failed to register the biting cold sensation immediately.

  He sank deeper.

  ‘Damn, it’s so cold.’

  ‘Wait! How can I?. What’s going on?’

  As though she read his mind, Sandrias spoke.

  “This is the Lake of Rebirth. It has special properties that allow it to interact with a Modifier’s body.”

  At some point during his submersion, she descended from the cliff.

  She walked on the ke’s surface gracefully before coming to a halt directly above him.

  ‘Her voice sounds so clear.’

  Ari knew that logic no longer existed, at least as he had understood it before. Yet he found himself trying to process the events unfolding before him with an Earthly mentality.

  Despite being frozen at the bottom of the ke, he breathed normally.

  His hearing and vision, which should have been distorted due to his submersion, appeared unobstructed.

  A vile with a golden substance manifested in Sandrias’ hand.

  She poured out its contents in a strange pattern while chanting words that he did not recognise.

  The golden liquid entered the ke, flowing towards him as though it had a will of its own.

  A powerful force opened his mouth, allowing the liquid to enter his body.

  Ari barely had any time to process her actions before.

  “AAAAAAAAAAH!”

  Searing pain coiled around his entire being like a vice-grip.

  Without warning or a shout of “Hey, brace yourself!”

  His body burst into fmes.

  The scorching violet fmes incinerated every muscle, bone, and cell in his body.

  Somehow, he remained conscious throughout the process, albeit barely.

  His mind froze, unable to process any thoughts or emotions.

  At some point, he forgot how to scream and simply existed on the edge of death, in an unrelenting cycle of horrific pain and a feeling of emptiness.

  He caught glimpses of Sandrias’s face as she watched from the ke’s surface.

  She had a gentle expression that filled him with a sense of comfort, and his consciousness finally faded.

  “~Hmm~hmmm~hmmmm~”

  A soothing melody tickled Ari’s ears as he regained consciousness.

  A gentle breeze caressed his skin, providing a refreshing stimution he never knew he craved.

  ‘Is it over?’

  The temptation to open his eyes grew, but he resisted for one reason.

  ‘This...feels so good.’

  An inexplicably soft, warm and supple sensation cushioned the back of his head, leaving him with a very difficult decision to make.

  Should he stay like this and enjoy the luxurious p pillow? Or open his eyes to the magnificent view that awaited him?

  He held back the grin that threatened to escape.

  Naturally, he had questions. But he decided to enjoy the pleasant sensation for a bit longer. He just suffered unimaginable torture, so he deserved some respite.

  An intoxicating scent entered his nose, causing his heart to flutter like a maiden in love.

  ‘How can something smell like love, sex, and home at the same time?’

  It was then that he felt a presence close to his face.

  “How much longer are you going to pretend to be asleep?”

  ‘She noticed?’

  He opened one eye.

  “You’re rather close.”

  “Does that bother you?” Sandrias asked with a raised brow.

  “The st time you were this close, I flew over the edge of a cliff.”

  She grinned.

  He closed his eye, then repositioned his head on her thighs.

  “And was roasted alive.”

  Just remembering it gave him chills.

  He crossed his arms.

  Sandrias giggled. “Are you pouting?”

  She pced her hand on his arm and squeezed gently.

  That simple action caused his entire body to twitch as though it had been hit with an electrical current.

  ‘Damn... How are her hands so warm?’

  “Forgive me for not warning you.”

  She began caressing his arm.

  ‘Why does it feel so good? This contrast, it's just too much.’

  When Ari first arrived, he couldn’t feel or smell anything. And now, it felt as though the sensory input he cked before was in overload.

  Things changed too quickly, and he felt overwhelmed.

  Complete and utter dread filled his heart.

  ‘Will I become like an anime girl in love?’

  The thought of turning into a bright red tomato every time she touched him or said something cute.

  Despair.

  “But, if I did, would you have changed your mind?”

  Her question snapped him out of his spiral.

  He opened his eyes reflexively.

  What sane person would willingly go through that torture?

  Would he have changed his mind to prevent momentary excruciating pain?

  Ari stared at her intently, specifically, his reflection in her violet eyes.

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  Even if she told him what to expect, he’d have no point of reference to sway his decision.

  Most likely, he would have continued with the mindset of: “It can’t be that bad, right? It’s a small price to pay to become a Transcender.”

  And now that he’s been through it and experienced that searing pain, he wouldn’t want to go through it again.

  He wasn't a masochist with a cremation fetish.

  With that said, he believed the price paid paled in comparison to the reward obtained for persevering.

  She nodded at his response, then smiled.

  “Then, let me congratute you on a successful synchronisation.”

  “Thanks.”

  ‘Wait, is she?’

  He didn’t notice before with only one eye open, but now that he had a clearer view of Sandrias’ face, she no longer appeared two-dimensional.

  ‘Is it because I synchronised to this dimension that she looks real to me now?’

  It was a welcomed surprise.

  Ari found 2D Sandrias breathtaking, but seeing her in the “Brought to Life” version... Perfection!

  “Should I get up now?”

  “Do you want to?”

  “No?”

  Sandrias giggled.

  “But, I should probably take a look at my new form.”

  “True, but there is no need to rush,” she said, pcing her hand on his cheek.

  Her face approached his.

  THUMP-THUMP!

  THUMP-THUMP!

  ‘What is?’

  Unnatural heat rushed to his face before enveloping his entire body.

  A combination of sweet and highly erotic thoughts flooded his mind.

  He gulped.

  ‘What the hell is happening to my body? It feels like I’m going through puberty all over again. That scent is driving me crazy.’

  Sandrias giggled. “Your resistance is adorable.”

  Suddenly, the intoxicating scent abated.

  The scent’s effects lingered; however, it was not as overpowering as before.

  The heat in his face subsided, allowing him to think more clearly.

  ‘What the hell?’

  “What did you do?”

  She smiled mischievously. “Just a little charm.”

  His eyes widened.

  “Charm?”

  “Since when?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, clearly enjoying his reactions.

  “When did you cast charm magic on me?”

  “I think that you are misunderstanding something,” she said. “My charm is innate. There is no need to cast a spell.”

  ‘That expins what’s been happening to me.’

  A wave of relief washed over him.

  For a moment, he thought that became his new reality, to live in this world constantly feeling like an awkward and overly horny teenager.

  “I simply released some of my restraints.”

  ‘What a terrifying ability. To passively release charm like that, and with such control. Scary, very scary.’

  ‘Wait, she’s not holding a grudge from earlier, right?’

  ‘Is she getting back at me?’

  Thinking back, he recalled her ck of personal space, and the amount of physical contact they had before his synchronisation.

  Fortunately, her scent could not enter his nose at the time, or at least, affect him the same way.

  ‘Did it hurt her pride or something?’

  ‘So petty!’