Until that moment, Solus had managed to make Lith take a break only for lunch. She had been pleasantly surprised to be able to keep her human form for so long even outside the tower, yet she was worried sick about Lith's mental condition.
The longer he remained alone, having only work and research as his companions, the closer he got to his old, single-minded self. She was the only tether he had with sanity, and since they had started to give each other more space due to her being more a woman than just a voice, the chain had got loose.
"I can go on a little longer." Lith replied. Despite the mild climate of the region, his hybrid body was steaming. The air in his proximity was heated to the point of distorting Solus's vision.
"No, you can't! You've not reverted to your human form even since you started practicing, not even for eating. Stop this immediately." Solus hugged him from behind, whimpering when her skin touched his scales.
