Paparazzi

“Bro, what the hell is this party even about?”

Mike adjusted the cheap plastic mask Tyler had handed him at the entrance of the underground club. The invitation had been cryptic—just a shimmering, holographic card that read, "A night you'll never forget. Enter at your own risk."

The moment they stepped inside, the music hit like a physical wave. Deep, pulsing basslines, neon lights that flickered in hypnotic patterns, and people dressed in outfits that looked straight out of some futuristic fantasy. The energy was intoxicating, the air thick with an electric charge that made his skin tingle.

Tyler grinned. “Dude, just relax. They say if you drink what they give you here, you’ll have the time of your life.”

Before Mike could question it, a sleek woman in a skintight, glowing bodysuit slid up to them. Her silver-painted lips curled into a knowing smirk as she handed Mike a crystal-clear shot glass filled with something glowing.

"Drink, and let the night change you."

Mike hesitated for half a second before throwing it back. The liquid burned ice-cold, sending a shiver down his spine.

Then, the heat started.

A powerful pulse rippled through his body, his muscles tightening, shifting, stretching. His skin tingled, feeling softer, smoother. His hands trembled as his fingers grew slender, nails extending into glossy, flawless shapes. The room spun, colors bending around him, the music growing distant yet deeper, like it was pulsing through him.

His chest felt tight—too tight—before a sudden pressure swelled outward. His jaw clenched, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as his shirt shifted, fabric dissolving into glittering specks of light. His pecs softened, swelling into round, perky curves, the weight foreign yet intoxicating.

His waist tightened, ribs pulling inward, while his hips cracked, widening. The tingling spread down his thighs as muscle melted into smooth, shapely curves. His jeans fused together before shifting entirely—becoming a shimmering, high-waisted pair of shorts that clung to his every new contour.

He gasped, but even that sounded different. Higher. Husky. Feminine.

His reflection flickered in the neon lights around him—his once-short hair now cascading in voluminous, vibrant purple waves. He reached up, strands slipping between his fingers, a thrill running down his spine at the sensation.

His lips burned as they plumped, his eyes sharp and lined with a flawless, smoky hue. A pair of stylish, round sunglasses settled over them as if they had always been there.

The final snap came between his legs, making his breath hitch—his mind swimming as the last traces of his former self were erased.

Her former self.

She turned, heart pounding to the beat of the music, feeling the weight of her new, shimmering outfit—the way it hugged her every move, the way the long, glittering gloves made every motion feel more exquisite.

A voice whispered in her ear.

"Welcome, babe. You’re finally who you were meant to be."

Her lips curled into a smirk.

The night was young. And so was she.