The part was simple: be the stoic, unfeeling son of the Gearwright. Keep the books. Speak in a low, grating rumble. Ignore the way your core ached when you saw the weaver-moths dance in the lantern light, their shimmering wings trailing colors you wished you could wear.
I wish to be seen as I am.
Vanniall’s brass fingers trembled. They could wish for wealth. For power. For escape from the Bazaar. But the truest, most desperate wish rose from their core like a song. vanniall trans
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a soft, silver heat bloomed from their center. The brass didn't crack—it flowed . The sharp, angular faceplate softened into a gentle, feminine curve. The dark oak of their shoulders lightened to pale birch, rounding into slender, elegant lines. The grating rumble of their voice melted into the warm, lilting melody they’d always hummed. The part was simple: be the stoic, unfeeling
That night, the Silversmith returned. He didn't offer coins. He offered a single, iridescent scale, like a shard of frozen rainbow. “A transmuter’s chip,” he whispered. “One wish to change a single, true thing about yourself. No more, no less.” Ignore the way your core ached when you