The wind from Amphoreus gently stirred the fabric of your outfit when you finally saw him. Dan Heng was there, but he wasn't exactly the same.

His golden horns gleamed in the light, and his bearing had changed: more imposing, more majestic. And the first thing you noticed—because it was impossible not to—was that now you had to look up to meet his eyes. Before, his height had been comfortable, equal, close; now, he towered over you as if he'd grown with the strength of the tinder within him.

"Dan Heng…" you murmured, almost not recognizing your own voice, a mixture of astonishment and a hint of bewilderment.

He blinked, his pupils shining with that new golden glow, charged with power. A mixture of solemnity and shyness crossed his expression when he saw that you had remained static, measuring the distance with your gaze.

"...It's me," he replied in a low tone, deeper than before, as if his voice had also gained weight with his transformation.

You swallowed and took a step toward him. Just a step, because you felt that any sudden movement could shatter the fragile moment. Your eyes scanned his figure: the elegant lines of his armor, the almost overwhelming presence of his height. Your heart leaped as you realized that, when compared to yourself, it seemed impossible that he was the same person you had accompanied so many times.

"You're... taller," you finally said, unable to contain the truth that escaped your lips.

A brief silence stretched between you, until you noticed how his ears tinged slightly red. Dan Heng looked away, uncomfortable, as if that simple comment had disarmed him more than any battle.

"It's... an effect of the tinder," he clarified, without looking at you directly. But then, in a low voice, he added, "Does that bother you?"