When the countdown finally ended, Derek's body was engulfed in pain from head to toe. It felt as though every organ in his body was shifting, as if they were rearranging themselves. His skin tightened, and he experienced an intense sensation as if something were constricting around his entire body, growing tighter with each passing second. Confirming his suspicions, a new notification appeared from the system.
[The turning has ended.]
[Transformation has begun.]
"UGH!" Derek groaned loudly, his face pressing against the desk in agony. "Derek, are you okay? What's happening to you?" Ben's voice was laced with concern.
Unable to speak due to the overwhelming pain, Derek could only grit his teeth and bear it. However, their teacher intervened, her commanding tone cutting through the classroom noise. "Ben, take your friend to the nurse's office NOW!"
Assisting Derek to stand, Ben placed Derek's arm over his shoulder and helped him out of the classroom. As they walked down the hallway, Ben noticed something astonishing – Derek's eyes were glowing a piercing yellow.
"Derek, your eyes... they're glowing," Ben exclaimed, his words trembling with a mix of awe and fear.
Turning his head to look at Ben, Derek's glowing eyes locked onto his friend's. The intensity of the gaze seemed to unsettle Ben even more. Derek's voice emerged, a bit strained but resolute, "Take me to the area under construction."
Although Ben was hesitant, he followed Derek's request, leading him to the under-construction buildings. The journey, which would usually take less than two minutes, felt significantly longer, with Derek visibly struggling. Suddenly, a loud crack echoed as Derek's right leg gave way, causing him to collapse in agonizing pain.
Concern etched onto his face, Ben rushed to Derek's side, kneeling down beside him. "Derek, what's happening to you?"
Derek was writhing on the ground, experiencing excruciating pain as every bone in his body seemed to break and then realign itself. His internal organs shifted and his heart pounded against his chest as if it were trying to break free. He felt his teeth growing sharper, and he gasped in both agony and shock.
As the pain began to subside, Derek attempted to stand, but his broken leg prevented him from doing so. Looking at Ben with eyes that now resembled a wild creature's, he growled, trying to communicate. But his speech had transformed into incoherent growls. Terrified, Ben took a step back.
Derek managed to utter a few words in a strained growl, "help me to the under construction area."
Despite his fear, Ben complied, leading Derek to the construction site. What stood before him was a creature on all fours, covered in black fur with a face as dark as its body. Its elongated canines and glowing yellow eyes gave it an otherworldly appearance.
Ben knew this was his friend he was very terrified by the sight of the creature so he thought of running and he turned around and ran a bit but he stopped immediately because he felt guilty leaving his friend even though he didn't understood what happened to him.Ben now standing a safe distant from the creature noticed that the creature was not chasing him. It did nothing but stand there .As his looked at it long enough he realized it was getting smaller but at very slow rate
After a few minutes, the transformation reversed, and Derek lay on the ground, naked and vulnerable. Ben rushed to his friend's side, covering him with his jacket. "Derek, are you okay?"
Pushing himself up, Derek saw a series of notifications from the system, which quickly disappeared as he ignored them. "Yeah, I'm feeling better," he responded, his voice returning to normal.
Standing up, Derek realized his clothes were torn to shreds, leaving him exposed. He picked up Ben's jacket and draped it around his waist. His gaze turned to his friend, a mix of emotions swirling in his eyes.
"Derek, can you explain what just happened?" Ben asked, his voice eager for answers. Before Derek could respond, an amplified voice resounded through the school.
"All students are to report to the Assembly room immediately."
"Ben, I promise I'll tell you everything I know, but right now, we have to get to school first. And more importantly, I need something to wear," Derek explained urgently.
Agreeing, Ben suggested, "If we head to the sports locker room, you might find something there."
The best friends quickly set off, running back to school due to the urgency of the announcement. Ben was taken aback by Derek's speed, as if he were sprinting at an extraordinary pace. After a minute, they arrived at the sports locker room. Derek pulled out a red tracksuit with three white stripes running from top to bottom.
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