The magic coursed through his body like liquid light, an electrifying thrill with every movement. Adrien had never felt so alive. He darted from one end of the tower to the other, leaping effortlessly onto the wooden beams that crisscrossed high above the floor, balancing on the balls of his feet like he had been born to do this. He was born to do this. The weight of the Miraculous around his finger, the way his claws flexed and retracted at will, the freedom—oh, the freedom. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t bound by suffocating expectations or gilded walls that kept him locked away.

He was fast, untouchable. He was himself, tail flicking behind him—wait, he had a tail now. His laughter echoed through the chamber as he swished it experimentally. This was awesome. Another breathless laugh escaped him as he flipped midair, twisting his body just for the sheer joy of it before landing in a perfect crouch on the stone floor. He was unstoppable.

And then—

BOOM.

The window exploded. Glass rained down in sparkling shards, the rush of wind snuffing out half the lanterns, plunging parts of the room into deep shadow. Adrien’s body tensed, instincts flaring to life before he even had time to process. And then—

Something slammed into him. "W-WOAH! Hey!"