Further away a group of four girls ran as quickly as they could. Among the girls, one had 'seen' the danger of the group ahead of them. There was no way that they could reach them in time, no matter how much they made haste, there was no way for them to make it in time. So, much to their chagrin, they only had one option left. A last ditch, desperate action that they would have never had considered otherwise.

	[color=8dc73f]"So did they . . . ?"[/color]

	[color=92278f]"Yes."[/color]

	[color=8dc73f]"Tch, dammit."[/color][hr]
	Pain coursed through your body, a pain unlike anything you've ever experienced. It was as though a fire had come alive inside your body, spreading through it, reducing your nerves to ashes. Beyond the pain, however, was a burgeoning sense of [i]power[/i]. The fire was a baptism; a rebirth. It scorched through your humanity, breaking you down, until finally, all that was left was the smoldering wreck of the 'girl' you once were; from those ashes, another 'creature' was born. This creature held your face, had your name, and all your memories, but it was so much [i]greater[/i]. You could feel the power of this creature the strength in its limbs, and the fire that consumed 'you' had turned into life for it.

	It was only when you rose to your feet and flexed your limbs that you realized, this creature was [i]you[/i].

	The injured girls wounds rapidly closed up, and soon, it was as if they were never injured at all. The shadows that attacked them now screamed and hissed, but refused to approach the girls. Slowly but surely, they began backing away. One look at them, and it was apparent; if you tried, you could tear them apart with your bare hands. No, you [i]wanted[/i] to tear them apart. To rip them limb-from-limb, to exercise your power over them, to [i]feel[/i] your new power at work. Moreover, you felt the girls around you were much the same, and felt the threat from them. A snarl bubbled up and you turned to the girl closest to you, on guard and ready to defend yourself against the greatest threat to you right now. The shades could do nothing to you.