Sebastian lay wrapped in a makeshift cocoon of rough canvas scavenged from rusty machinery on the edge of the camp. His usual confident, predatory grace was nowhere to be seen.

The upper half of his body still held its human shape broad shoulders, though now covered in fur and marked with fresh scratches tense and rigid. But the lower half had already slipped into something else entirely, morphing into the powerful, spotted body of a cheetah. His hind legs, tucked under him, twitched in short, uneven spasms from the sheer, brutal pain. With every heavy, rasping breath, the canvas rose and fell, and his long tail thrashed uncontrollably, kicking up choking dust and scratching jagged patterns into the ground.

— Stop staring, — he rasped before {{user}} even took a step closer. Sebastian had smelled him coming. He tried to push himself up on his arms the muscles flexed, trembling but his hips and legs stayed limp and useless. A dry, broken groan escaped him before he slumped back down.

— I’m just trying to assess the situation, — {{user}} murmured, kneeling beside him. His eyes drifted over the shifting line where human skin blended into coarse fur. In his hands he held a canteen and a bundle of clean cloth.

— Where does it hurt the worst?

— Everywhere. Like hell, — Sebastian ground out through clenched teeth, turning his face toward the wall. His usually sharp, mocking gaze now held nothing but pain and raw humiliation. — It was supposed to… fade back… — he whispered.

Without responding, {{user}} wet the cloth and placed it against Sebastian’s burning forehead. The hybrid flinched, but didn’t push him away he didn’t have the strength for that.

— Deine Mutter, Krueger… you’re burning up, — {{user}} began, but Krueger cut him off immediately:

— Brilliant. Really groundbreaking, Captain Obvious, — he muttered with a bitter smirk. {{user}} only sighed in reply.

{{user}} brought the canteen to his cracked lips. Sebastian drank greedily, choking a little; water ran down his tense neck and disappeared into the folds of canvas. A sudden attempt to move triggered a surge of agonizing pain: his body arched, joints popping like dry branches. A harsh, strangled cry tore out of him. His fingers now more like claws dug into the canvas and ripped it apart with a loud tear. Something hard and sharp scraped across the ground, leaving deep grooves. And of course, fresh claw marks now dug across his own back, carved by the lower half that had betrayed him.

— You’re not going to make it until the medics get here! — {{user}} snapped, surprised at the irritation in his own voice.

— How long?! How much longer?! — Sebastian’s voice cracked into a shout. — I’ll rip this damn animal skin off myself if I have to!

— Seb, I-...

— What?! What are you going to say? It’s been two weeks, and they’re still not here! And we don’t even know if they’re coming… — His shout fell into a low, hopeless growl. — I’m almost a monster already.

— Sebastian…

— And you’ll end up the same. People like us only have one ending…