[Third Person's PoV]
"I guess you weren't expecting that to happen when you extracted my curse, huh?" Medusa mused aloud, her tone more curious than accusatory.
Lucian shook his head, instinctively taking a step back to give her space. "Yeah… I didn't even consider the possibility. It completely blindsided me."
Medusa took in the sight of her ruined shop, fragments of her past life scattered across the floor. Her eyes softened as she looked down at Lucian with an empathetic smile. "I'm sorry about your horse. I saw what happened… It looked awful."
"Huh? Oh, don't worry about it," Lucian replied quickly, waving off her concern with a small shake of his head. "He's alright."
"What?" Medusa blinked, confused. "But he was petrified, wasn't he? Then shattered during your fight with… whatever that was. The curse? I mean, you looked furious when it happened."
Lucian nodded with a short sigh. "Yeah, I was pissed. She went after Sébastien—that'll get anyone mad. But he's not exactly a living creature. He's sentient, sure, but he's more of a skill I possess than a traditional companion."
Medusa stared at him, unblinking. "A… skill?" she repeated, the concept clearly lost on her.
Lucian chuckled lightly. "Yeah, it's hard to explain. Think of him as an extension of me—one I can re-summon, though it does take a considerable amount of energy to reform him."
Still processing his explanation, Medusa eventually let the topic drop, sensing it wasn't worth digging deeper—not right now, anyway. Instead, she refocused on the present, noticing the expectant expression Lucian wore.
"So," he asked, eyes bright with curiosity, "how do you feel? When I released that curse, it looked like it had been weighing on you for centuries. Any changes?"
Medusa closed her eyes and took a deep, peaceful breath. "Yes… I feel liberated," she whispered, voice tinged with awe. "Truly liberated. It's like an immense burden has finally been lifted. My soul… it felt like it had been chained for millennia, dragging a ball of iron behind me wherever I went."
She reached for her glasses—ones she had grown accustomed to wearing for centuries—and slowly removed them. "In fact… I don't even need these anymore."
As the glasses left her face, something extraordinary began to happen.
Her entire form shimmered, and before Lucian's astonished eyes, she began to transform. Her appearance shifted—not grotesquely, but gracefully, almost like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. Compared to her cursed form, she now looked like something out of myth and dream. No longer the twisted figure of legend, she stood before him as the very embodiment of beauty—so divine, so radiant, that even the God of the Seven Seas would turn his head in admiration.
Golden scales bloomed along her arms and legs, shimmering with an ethereal light. They faded into black near her hands and feet, reaching all the way to her elbows and knees. Her nails transformed into delicate, elaborate golden claws. From her lower back, a long serpentine tail unfurled and coiled around her feet, its scales gold above and black beneath, glinting in the light like jeweled armor.
Her original features evolved subtly—her face sharpened, her cheekbones more defined, her eyes larger, glowing with intelligent fire. She grew taller, her posture elegant and commanding. Her breasts swelled slightly in size, as did her overall figure, every curve enhanced, her proportions divinely balanced. Her once-tattered clothes were replaced with a flowing white and gold dress—open at the front to reveal her toned midriff, while strands of radiant fabric drifted along the hem like mist.
And then, with a graceful movement, she leaned forward. From her back unfurled a stunning pair of golden wings, large and radiant, feathers fluttering with divine grace. Glimmers of gold rained around her, accentuating her beauty further, casting a glow that made her seem untouchable—heavenly.
Lucian's jaw dropped. Words stuck in his throat as he tried to process what he was seeing. He had met the goddess of beauty herself and yet, somehow, this—this moment, this form—rendered him more speechless than anything Aphrodite had ever done.
Medusa gently ran her hands down her body, feeling every contour with wonder. She hugged herself tightly, letting out a long, emotional sigh. The golden scales shimmered along her neck, two elegant fangs briefly visible in her slightly parted lips. Her eyes—now glowing with a luminous pink hue shaped like vertical slits—opened, alive with clarity and purpose.
"Nothing feels better than being in my old body," she whispered. "Absolutely nothing."
Lucian's face turned bright red, and he quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth, cheeks burning with embarrassment. He looked down, avoiding her eyes, even as he stole a few shy glances through his fingers.
Compared to her previous form, which was beautiful in its own right, this was… divine. There was no comparison.
"I… Wait a sec, please," he muttered, turning his face away bashfully. "I don't want to think anything inappropriate of you. Just give me a second…"
Medusa's lips curved into a warm, amused smile. She found his flustered reaction completely endearing.
'How cute~.'
With a slow, affectionate movement, her serpentine tail slid around him and gently pulled him into a soft embrace. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said sweetly. "That means more to me than you know. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Lucy."
Lucian, still wrapped in her embrace, swallowed nervously. "Is that…?" he began, still barely able to look at her without melting into a blush.
"Fufufu," she giggled, the sound melodic and light. "Yes, this is what a true Gorgon looks like—before the curse twisted us into monsters."
Lucian looked up, his expression softened by awe. "But… you were still beautiful, even before. How were you ever considered a monster?"
Medusa scoffed, her expression darkening just a little. "The standards of beauty are cruel—especially when dictated by gods. To mortals, I might've been considered beautiful, exotic even. But to the gods?" She exhaled, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. "To them, I was a hideous flaw in their perfect tapestry. So they made sure I wore that label for eternity."
"Gods are so weird, man," Lucian muttered with a long, tired sigh, his voice thick with disbelief and fatigue.
"Open your mouth," Medusa commanded out of nowhere, her tone suddenly sharp and serious.
Lucian stiffened, blinking in confusion. "Excuse me?" he asked cautiously, unsure of what she was planning.
"Do you trust me?" Medusa replied, arching an elegant eyebrow as her pink eyes glittered with playful confidence.
Lucian didn't even hesitate for a second he opened his mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed, his eyes wide as he made an exaggerated, "Aaaaaaaah!". The sound and Lucian's action made Medusa burst into laughter.
The sound that escaped her was far from monstrous. It was warm, bright, and endearing. She snorted softly and chuckled again, her fanged smile radiant. "You're such a dork," she said affectionately as she drew a sharp claw across her right palm.
Blood shimmered as it welled up from the cut. She held her hand above Lucian's open mouth, letting several drops fall inside. The moment the divine liquid touched his tongue, a comforting warmth spread through him. The remnants of his injuries started to knit together, his bruises faded, and the stone patches clinging to his body began to recede, crumbling away like old ash in the wind.
He swallowed and exhaled a soft breath, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. "Thanks," he murmured, voice full of sincere gratitude.
"It's the least I can do," she said warmly, flexing her hand before the wound rapidly healed. "After all... I am your godmother now."
Lucian smiled brightly, his cheeks still slightly flushed. "Speaking of godmother," he said with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "can you use magic?"
Medusa tilted her head, blinking at him with mild confusion. "How does me being your godmother have anything to do with whether I can use magic?"
"Well," Lucian said, pointing subtly with his lips toward her golden wings, "you've got those shiny wings. It made me think of the fairy godmother from those old children's stories."
Medusa blinked, even more confused. "Fairy godmother? No clue who that is."
"Ah, don't worry about it—it's just a silly mortal storybook thing," Lucian said, waving it off. "Anyway, about the magic…"
"Well…" Medusa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wouldn't call myself a sorceress, but I can use a bit of charmspeak. It's how I got people to open their eyes around me, even when they were trying to fight blind. A few well-placed words, and poof—statues."
She grinned proudly. "That little trick was actually something your mother taught me, back in the old days."
"Perfect!" Lucian exclaimed, his grin stretching wide, lighting up his entire face with joy.
Medusa blinked. "Perfect? And why exactly is that perfect?"
Lucian's grin turned almost bashful, his eyes sparkling with excitement and a bit of nervous energy. "So… my mother once told me that it might be important for me to start a Coven someday. And I've been thinking about it for a while, wondering who I should ask to be the very first member…"
He looked up at her with hopeful, shining eyes. "So I was wondering… would you like to be the first official member I recruit into the BlackHeart Covenant?"
Medusa looked surprised, her lips parting slightly. She hadn't expected that.
Lucian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, that's not the official name—still workshopping it," he added with a sheepish laugh.
"A coven, huh?" Medusa repeated quietly, almost to herself. She seemed to weigh the word in her mouth like a precious stone.
"Yeah," Lucian nodded eagerly. "I mean, now that you're free—no longer considered a monster—and, well… since your shop got destroyed and you don't really have anywhere to go… I thought maybe this could be a new beginning for you. A fresh start. A place to belong, you know?"
Medusa's expression softened as her glowing eyes settled on him, touched by his thoughtfulness. Her voice was gentle when she finally replied, "A coven… hmm. You know what? Sure. I would be honored to be part of your coven, Lucian."
"Yes!!" Lucian cheered, pumping his fist into the air in excitement like a kid who'd just won a prize.
Medusa laughed at his enthusiasm, her tail flicking playfully. She then heard him mumble under his breath with glee, "First member acquired…"
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