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Grace couldn’t help but feel apprehensive as she walked toward Verdant Manor with Arina at her side. Was it truly the best idea to involve Phoebe? It didn’t matter; if Arina insisted, there wasn’t much she could do, especially when Arina seemed so determined.

After going inside and briefly searching, Grace and Arina stopped in their tracks upon hearing the sound of raspy moans penetrating through the bathroom door. It took a brief moment for them both to register that the sounds likely came from Ella.

“E-- Eeuuuugh…”

“It’s okay… We’re going to get you through this,” Phoebe’s hushed voice replied.

Grace froze, her heart rate rising as her blood ran cold. Did she want to see what was on the other side? She had just seen Kalea transform before her eyes, but the prospect of confronting Ella never failed to stir up dreadful memories and feelings she’d rather not have to compartmentalize.

Eun-ju was browsing the tabletop and board games nearby when she heard the noises and scrunched her nose. “Ugh.” She rolled her eyes and turned her heel to leave.

Arina suddenly touched Grace’s shoulder and offered a warm smile. “You’re always helping me, so let me take the lead sometimes,” she insisted.

Grace faintly blushed, momentarily gazing into Arina’s soft eyes before looking away. ‘She seems different somehow,’ she mused. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but she had a more confident air to her. “It’s not really a big deal--”

“Trust me,” Arina gently replied, cutting Grace off as she stepped forward and knocked on the door. “Hey! It’s Arina. Is everything okay in there?”

Grace felt simultaneously happy that Arina cared for her so deeply and ashamed of herself for still clamming up when it came to Ella. She thought she already confronted her fear, but it seemed she wouldn’t get off so easily. ‘Dammit.’  She had to get herself and Arina through Mollusk Match; Grace could only devote so much time to nursing her trauma.

“Oh-- hey,” Phoebe replied. “Ella isn’t having the best day. Is it just you here?”

“A--Ahri-- Ahwina?…” Ella slurred.

“Grace is with me as well-- Hey, Ella,” Arina soothingly added.

Grace couldn’t help but feel dissonant when viewing the current situation through the lens of an impartial observer. Previously, Arina seemed hesitant to form bonds with anyone other than her; she had to urge Arina to become friends with Ella and Phoebe. Now, she had insisted on excluding them while Arina refused to leave her new friends behind.

“Let me talk to Ella for a second,” Phoebe replied before speaking in a hushed tone.

‘What changed?’ Grace mused as she crossed her arms and bit her lip. The obvious answer was their living situation. Previously, they had been living with only their group of four, but now they were forced to endure a chaotic menagerie of convicts at the mercy of Yulia and the VVIP guests. While there were good ones like Arina, there were also wildcards like Kalea and Uma.

With the introduction of so many new unknowns, it was only natural for her to remain weary. She wondered what might be going through Arina’s head. Something changed. Could it be due to her transformation? During the first match, Lucius ranted about Rose turning into an herbivorous animal, hinting at the implications of said traits. Could Arina’s metamorphosis be changing her mind in some way?

She shook her head. ‘I’m overthinking things.’ There were plenty of reasons why someone could have a change of outlook.

Arina looked toward Grace. “Is there something on your mind?”

Grace weakly smiled. “Don’t worry. My head hurts a bit, and I’m slightly nauseous, but it’s nothing too awful.”

“If you’re sure,” she carefully replied.

The doorknob turned, and Phoebe poked her head out. “You can both come in. Thankfully, we haven’t been here long enough for anyone to have bothered us yet.”

Arina stepped in first, Grace following behind with mild trepidation.

Grace heard moans from the largest stall in the back and swallowed before glancing in that direction. From under the stall, she saw Ella’s brown-furred ankle. By now, her feet entirely resembled hooves; it was hard to believe anyone remotely human was on the other side. “Did something happen?” She cautiously asked.

Phoebe stood by the mirror with her back against the wall, with a sad expression. “It’s her left hand. I’m not sure what’s happening, but her transformation progressed a bit over the last few hours.”

Grace stopped dead. ‘What?’  How was that possible? They were actively competing in the second Mollusk Match game; weren’t they supposed to progress through their changes after losing each game?

“Hey, Ella,” Arina gently stated, walking toward the cracked stall door.

“It wohnt moosh…” Ella stammered in fear.

Concern appeared on Arina’s face as she opened the door further and stepped in. “Sweetheart… Are you in any pain? I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

Grace stood awkwardly, taking a deep breath as she clenched and unclenched her hands. ‘Calm down. I’m fine.’  She walked forward before she could psyche herself out of doing so.

“N-- Neuugh-- itsh… itchy…” Ella exclaimed.

When she finally peered into the stall, Arina stood to her immediate left, with Ella sitting on the toilet. Ella’s head looked more horse than human, with an elongated muzzle-like mouth, dark eyes, and mane-like hair. She wore only an ill-fitted hoodie that was partially unzipped and sweatpants that barely contained her massive, round ass. Her beach-ball tits strained against the hoodie, forming cleavage.

“Hey, Ella…” Grace finally offered. She steeled herself and looked toward Ella’s left hand. When she saw it, she had to stifle an audible gasp. Her pinky, ring, and middle fingers were curled into a partial fist, each of the three digits having become dark gray and calcified.

On top of that, those three digits looked partially fused and were contorting into a rounded edge. Her thumb and index fingers seemed mostly normal, with the base of her hand and wrist looking malformed and twisted. She didn’t need a biologist or Yulia to explain what was happening. How long would it be before Ella had to walk around on all-fours?

“I-- I dohnt w--wa--euuuuuughhh!” Ella moaned as her nipples suddenly spasmed and released creamy fluid into the fabric of her hoodie. Slight popping sounds could be heard amidst her guttural cries. “H-- Hoovsh…” She finally finished, stuttering each word.

Before anyone could react, a scream from outside caused them to jump.

“Mmmm---ooooh! N-- No!”

The bathroom door swung open, a shaking Lisa stumbling in. She panted and moaned, leaning against the wall as she looked at the group with a look of pure horror. “W-- Why are you here? I-- need privacy! I-- mmooooh!”

Grace was already out of the stall and looking at Lisa, wholly mortified. Lisa’s black cotton top was tearing at the seams; her breasts seemingly haven gotten a size or two larger. The horns atop her head were easily an inch longer than before. Just what the hell was happening?

“Holy shit-- are you okay?” Phoebe asked, hesitantly stepping forward.

Arina stepped out and immediately moved to Lisa’s side. “What can I do to help? Are you in any pain?”

Lisa groaned, clasping her breasts as her nipples spasmed. Her long, blond hair messily fell onto her face and shoulders, her body glistening with sweat. “I-- I don’t need… Your charity…” She spat between moans. A short, bovine tail poked from beneath her hoodie’s hem and frantically swished. “M-- Mooove out of my way,” she demanded, shambling forward as she pushed past Arina and entered an unoccupied stall.

Grace winced as the door slammed shut. She had decided that saying anything wouldn’t have helped. Most importantly, the nature of Mollusk Match, as she understood it, had seemingly changed. How could Ella and Lisa progress in their transformations while they were in the middle of a game? Even when considering the fact that Uma could have been lying, all the evidence she found pointed toward her being truthful.

“Can I get you some water?” Arina asked Lisa from outside the stall.

“N-- No!! Just l-- leave me alone!” She shrieked before her words trailed off into cries and whimpers.

Grace looked at Phoebe. “Would it be best if Arina and I left?”

Phoebe placed a hand on her forehead, brushing upon the glimmering green scales as she took a slow breath. “Yeah. I’ll keep an eye on Ella; thanks for stopping by.”

Arina approached Grace with a disheartened expression before looking toward Phoebe. “I understand. Let me know if I can ever help.”

As Grace and Arina left, they were left in a state of shock. The revelation of Lisa and Ella’s advancing changes cut through all other worries like a hot knife through butter. Grace immediately dumped all her mental resources into this newest challenge, pushing concerns about Arina’s behavior and everything else out of her head.

She turned toward Arina, who also looked over. Upon locking their eyes, she saw the same drained expression that likely showed on her own face. “Arina…” A realization suddenly hit her; she had forgotten why they had come over here. “I guess we didn’t have time to say anything before Lisa came in.’ She shifted her gaze to take in her surroundings. Eun-Ju was off in the corner toward the right, playing a tabletop game by herself. The activity could be heard from the gym and the theater rooms.

“It can’t be helped,” Arina quietly replied, turning toward the bathroom door as moaning and sounds of discomfort flooded the air.

Grace winced, resisting the urge to cover her ears. She desperately needed some space and fresh air. “Let’s go for a walk.”

A short while later, Grace led Arina back to the stables, where Grace quickly checked to ensure no one was around. They sat against the outer wall, facing Verdeant Manor in the distance.

Grace pulled a knee up and closed her eyes to stay calm. “We need to figure out a new plan… Regardless of when we tell Phoebe and Ella, we need to start working the farm as soon as possible,” she insisted.

Arina nodded, resting her head back to stare at the “clouds” overhead.”You’re right. We have to do something…”

Grace followed suit, resting her head back as she looked skyward. “Thinking back to how vaguely worded orientation was, I wouldn’t be surprised if the second game is scored in some way that lets them gradually punish those who don’t participate. Yulia and the VVIPs could also change the rules whenever they want, and we could do nothing about it.” The stark reality was that the contestants were all just play-things. She didn’t doubt that Lucius could waltz right into Verdant Manor and murder a contestant in broad daylight if he so chose.

Arina hesitated, wrapping her arms over her chest as she sat silently. Seconds later, she turned to her friend. “None of us have participated in the second game yet. So, why do you think we’d change so quickly?”

“I don’t know,” Grace sighed in response.

“Also, some of us seem to be changing more rapidly than others, despite the fact none of us have participated in the second game yet,” Arina added.

“That’s also true.” Grace scratched her head and tried to make sense of the chaos. “There’s also the chance I’m misunderstanding the game’s rules. There are too many possibilities for me to make an educated guess,” she grunted in frustration, twisting her hair around her finger. All she could do right now was ensure she tried her best to work on the farm with Arina and hope she avoided the same fate as Ella and Lisa.

Arina shifted uncomfortably and squeezed her wrist as she took in her dear friend’s words. “I see…”

“Is something wrong?” Grace asked, feeling a slight twinge of adrenaline.

Arina fidgeted before nodding her head. “Look at this…” She opened her mouth, pulling her lip up as she brushed a finger over one of her canines.

Grace immediately noticed how pronounced her canines were. They resembled fangs more than anything else.

Before she could respond, Arina slid a hand down her lower back and brushed her fingers against her tailbone. “There’s a nub here-- I can move it slightly. It’s going to be my tail, I’m guessing.”

Grace felt an immediate wave of panic but repressed the negative feelings, knowing they wouldn’t help the situation in any way. “Arina-- I’m so sorry. Are you feeling okay?” She scooched closer to Arina, placing a hand on her knee with a firm squeeze.

Arina offered a weak smile. “It’s fine. I’m not in any pain… But my teeth weren’t this sharp yesterday, and I definitely didn’t have a tail bump a few hours ago.”

An overwhelming maternal feeling washed over Grace. She felt an intrinsic need to help and protect Arina; seeing her in this state made her feel like a failure despite not doing anything wrong. “We will find a way to stop this. I promise we’ll get through this,” Grace offered.

Before Arina could respond, a voice suddenly called from the direction of Verdant Manor. “Yo! Ladies!”

Grace quickly faced the voice and saw Uma approaching. There was no telling what she’d want from them.

CHAPTER END

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