A story about a skinny young man, finding a magica
A story about a skinny young man, finding a magical artifact. After touching it he finds himself slowly transforming into a handsome young man.
Elias was a wisp of a thing, all elbows and knees, a permanent resident of the shadows cast by the bustling marketplace of Porthaven. He scavenged for scraps, his existence as unremarkable as the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams. One particularly bleak afternoon, rummaging through a forgotten corner of the antique market, his fingers brushed against something cool and smooth buried beneath a pile of tarnished silverware.
It was a small, obsidian amulet, shaped like a coiled serpent, its eyes two tiny chips of amethyst that seemed to pulse with an inner light. He picked it up, its weight surprisingly substantial for its size. As his fingers traced the intricate carvings, a faint warmth spread through him, a sensation unlike any he’d ever experienced. It felt…pleasurable. A tingling, then a rush, like a dormant current finally finding its source.
He didn’t notice the change immediately. It was subtle, almost imperceptible at first. The constant gnawing hunger that had plagued him for years lessened. His perpetually hunched posture straightened, almost involuntarily. He looked down at his hands, noticing they were less pale, the skin smoother, the veins less prominent.
Over the next few weeks, the transformation continued, almost uncannily. His bones seemed to lengthen and broaden, filling out his once-gaunt frame. His skin, once pallid and perpetually shadowed by malnutrition, took on a healthy glow. His hair, previously a dull, mousy brown, thickened and deepened to a rich chestnut. His eyes, previously hidden behind a perpetual weariness, sharpened and gained a startling depth, their pale blue intensifying to a vibrant sapphire.
Elias, once overlooked and ignored, found himself the object of curious glances. Women, who had previously avoided him like a stray dog, now lingered near him, their eyes lingering on his newly sculpted jawline and the confident set of his shoulders. He discovered he was taller, stronger; his movements were more fluid, more graceful. The hunger pangs were gone, replaced by a newfound energy and zest for life.
He was handsome, undeniably so. The kind of handsome that turned heads and drew whispers. But the change wasn’t merely physical. A newfound self-assurance blossomed within him. He discovered a hidden talent for storytelling, his voice, once a hesitant squeak, now resonated with a captivating timbre. He found employment, his quick wit and newfound charm proving invaluable in his role as a storyteller in the marketplace, his tales captivating his audience.
Yet, a shadow lingered. The amulet, the source of his transformation, felt less like a blessing and more like a secret burden. He felt a strange dependence on it, a fear of what might happen if he ever lost it. He wondered if the true Elias was still there, buried beneath the handsome façade, a ghost in his own magnificent shell. He was no longer a wisp in the shadows, but a man reborn, forever changed by the touch of a serpent’s eye. And the question of who he truly was, beneath the magic, remained unanswered, a haunting melody playing softly in the background of his newly vibrant life.
