Two rings of electric blue light burst from his waist, spinning outward and covering his whole body. Unlike anything Kael had seen in the shows, his transformation caused streaks of silver to ripple through the rings, distorting the air like broken mirrors.
Everything around him seemed to have slowed down. The ticking clock almost looked frozen mid-swing. Even the flickering sunlight seemed to have come to a standstill.
His body glowed as the transformation overtook him — his hair darkened, and his eyes turned from gray to electric blue. His reflection in the nearby window no longer showed a fragile teenage boy, but something far more imposing. His form shifted into a sleek, jet-black suit traced with silver lines that pulsed faintly like circuits. A faintly glowing emblem appeared on his chest — a spiral clock engulfed in blue fire. A cloak hovered from his shoulders, attached to him and swaying unnaturally as though it existed outside of time itself. Around him, an aura flared like ghostly fire, rippling with silver energy, leaving the air trembling.
Kael barely had time to process all this before his hand phased through the desk instinctively, his body flickered invisible, and a wild bolt of blue-silver energy burst from his palm, nearly scorching the wall. Kael was shocked as the world around him seemed to slow down — dust froze, the ticking clock dragged, and he could sense footsteps nearing the door before they arrived.
Kael's eyes widened. He forced himself back to human form just as the door opened. The housekeeper stepped in cautiously, carrying a tray."Master Kael? I thought I heard something…"
Kael became nervous but managed a tired smile. "I just dropped something. Nothing to worry about."
The housekeeper nodded, placing the tray on the table before leaving quietly. Only when the door clicked shut did Kael exhale, staring at his still-glowing hands."So it's real," he whispered. "I can feel… ghostly power within myself."
Kael sat on the bed, trying to catch his breath. His body still tingled from the experience of transformation. He could feel his form slipping through solid objects, disappearing from sight, and floating a few inches above the ground. But beyond the strange new strength, there was something deeper—a warm, electric sensation coursing through him, the ghost flame itself. The blue-silver energy moved around his body like living fire, bursting with power he could almost control.
At the same time, the world around him felt different. Tiny things moved slower, dust hung in the air, and the ticking clock seemed to drag. He had sensed the footsteps of the housekeeper approaching before she even arrived. It was subtle but instinctive. Kael realized he could feel distortions in time itself. Excitement and fear churned together in his chest. This wasn't just strength or flight like in the superhero shows he had loved—it was something far stronger, something alive, and something he would have to learn to control.