Charlie
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Hailey-(Before)

Charlie had always been a curious soul, his nose often buried in obscure books about enchantments and forgotten languages. That night, hunched over a worn leather-bound grimoire he found online from a sketchy-looking site, he muttered a spell he thought would unlock the ability to see how others perceived themselves.

The candle flickered oddly when he finished the chant, but he shrugged it off.

The next day, he met up with his best friend, Hailey — bright, sarcastic, a bit of a tomboy, and completely unaware of what Charlie had dabbled in the night before. As they greeted each other, Charlie gave her a warm hug.

And then, something strange happened.

With a sudden pop! of colorful smoke — shades of lavender, mint green, and electric blue swirling like a bubblegum storm — Hailey's body began to shift in his arms.

Her jeans seemed to cinch at the thighs before stretching outward, her figure softening and rounding out, especially around the belly and hips. Her sweatshirt morphed into a frumpy, oversized cardigan layered over a shirt emblazoned with a retro anime character. Her glasses, which had always been thin and stylish, thickened into big round lenses, fogging slightly from her now warmer breath. Her voice gained a slightly nasally, cheerful lilt, and a soft squeak from her backside broke the silence — something she didn’t even seem to register.

Her backpack, once covered in hiking pins, now clinked with D20 dice and enamel pins from various fandoms. A thick fantasy novel poked out the side.

Her face was still Hailey’s, but softer, dorkier, with bangs that looked freshly cut with kitchen scissors. Her skin was fairer, a little flushed. Her eyes shone behind the glasses with a kind of obsessive sparkle, like she was always a second away from launching into a monologue about her latest theory on an obscure game mechanic.

To Charlie’s horror, when the smoke cleared, she looked up at him like nothing had changed.

"What?" she said with a casual shrug. "You’re looking at me weird, Char."

He blinked. The Hailey he knew — lean, athletic, snarky — was gone. But this Hailey? She believed she had always been like this. And in a way… some people did see her that way when she was around him.

And that’s when the realization hit: his spell had worked — just not in the way he wanted.

It didn’t just let him see how people were perceived.

It made it real.

Hailey-(After Charlie touch her)

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Gaby-(Before the Transformation)

Hailey stood skeptically with her arms crossed, still looking up at Charlie with her bright, oversized glasses. “Okay,” she said slowly, “so you're telling me I was… different yesterday? That I didn’t look like this? That some spell turned me into me?”

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes. I mean — not into you you, but into… how people see you. It’s like… a projection that becomes permanent.”

Hailey raised a brow. “You realize how insane that sounds, right?”

“I can prove it,” Charlie said, voice firm. “Is your roommate home?”

Hailey shrugged. “Yeah, Gabby’s in her room.”

“Good,” he said, already moving toward the hallway. “Just follow my lead.”

Charlie knocked on Gabby’s door. A second later, it opened to reveal Gabby — dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, wearing sweats and a graphic tee. She looked half-distracted, earbuds still dangling from her ears.

“Charlie?” she asked, eyebrow raised. “What’s up?”

“Hey, sorry, weird question, but can you help me move that stupid plant in the hallway? It’s all tangled in the extension cord and— I think it’s leaking or something?”

Gabby blinked. “What? You couldn’t— ugh, fine.”

She stepped out and moved to brush past Charlie, placing a hand lightly on his arm as she did.

And that’s when it happened.

A whoosh of vibrant color — more intense than before. Blazing pink, gold, and bright violet danced around her like aurora smoke. Her body seemed to shimmer as if made of heatwaves.

Her form shifted.

Her posture changed first — upright, confident, hips tilted with an unconscious allure. Her baggy clothes seemed to cinch and reshape midair, fabric shimmering into a tight, fashionable crop top and high-waisted jeans that perfectly hugged her figure.

Her face, already attractive, refined into a sculpted beauty — higher cheekbones, fuller lips, flawless skin, lashes long and curled. Her hair cascaded in perfect beach waves, catching the hallway light. Her body filled out into a bombshell hourglass: full chest, narrow waist, curved hips. She looked like she’d stepped out of a modeling shoot.

Gabby blinked lazily, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with practiced grace.

Charlie took a stunned step back. She was the spitting image of Isabella — Gabby’s older sister. The one her family doted on. The one their friends couldn’t stop comparing her to.

“Thanks for getting me,” Gabby said, her voice now smoother, sultry almost. “I was going to move that plant anyway, it’s totally throwing off the hallway vibe.”

To her, nothing had changed.

To Charlie and Hailey, everything had.

Hailey stared, wide-eyed, then turned to Charlie. “Okay… maybe I believe you now.”

Gaby-(After the Transformation)

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Back in Hailey’s room, Charlie sat on the edge of her cluttered beanbag chair while Hailey paced, still in awe.

“That was insane,” she said, hands flying in the air. “Gabby—Gabby literally turned into her hotter sister. Like full-on runway mode. That wasn’t even a little subtle!”

Charlie leaned forward, rubbing his hands together nervously. “Yeah, and the weirdest part? She had no idea. She thinks she’s always looked like that.”

Hailey turned, grinning now. “Charlie. Dude. You have a superpower!”

He gave her a skeptical look. “It’s a curse, not a power.”

“Whatever! That’s how like every superhero story starts. Mutations, accidents, curses—they all lead to something awesome. You could totally be like… the next Doctor Strange. Or Rogue, but… the reverse.”

Charlie cracked a smile. “More like ‘Oops-Man.’ Accidentally transforming people since last Tuesday.”

Hailey spun around, eyes gleaming behind her thick glasses. “No no no. We need a name. Something cool. Something mysterious. Like... Perceptra. Or wait! Mirrorman?”

“Mirrorman? Sounds like I should haunt bathrooms,” Charlie laughed.

“Okay fine, too horror-movie. What about… Reflekt? With a ‘k’. You know, edgy and European.”

Charlie tilted his head, considering it. “Not terrible.”

“And your costume!” Hailey said, practically bouncing now. “You need gloves. So you don’t go around transforming people by accident. Dark ones. Maybe enchanted? And like a sleek coat. Ooh, and glowing runes somewhere.”

Charlie smirked. “Now you’re just dressing me like a fantasy video game character.”

“And you’re not into that?” she teased.

He paused, then shrugged. “Fair enough.”

The two sat in silence for a moment, the gravity of the situation beginning to settle beneath the excitement.

“You really think I could use this… for good?” he asked softly.

Hailey looked at him, serious now. “Charlie, you’ve got a gift—yeah, a cursed one—but still a gift. It’s up to you what you do with it. But whatever it is… I got your back.”

Charlie looked down at his hands, then slowly smiled.

“Okay then,” he said. “Let’s figure out who Reflekt really is.”

End of Chapter 1