The air thickened, pressing into Megan's lungs. Megan took a step back instinctively, arms hugging herself. The hunter's body began to glow. So did the wolf's.
It started with their chests —golden veins of light snaking through muscle and bone, pulsing in perfect rhythm. Then their limbs, their faces, their hearts— they shone like stars fallen to earth. The light wasn't blinding, but sacred. It held a warmth that burned and healed at once.
Then, as if pulled by an unseen force, their bodies moved.
Slowly. Their arms and paws drifted toward each other. Their chests aligned. Their hearts pulsed in sync. Megan stared, frozen. The wolf's fur evaporated into glowing wisps, wrapping around the hunter like threads of silver mist. The hunter's bones cracked, reshaped, bulked— his form growing broader, taller, more powerful.
