The two of us eventually returned to the Nightbane residence after the day ended.
The greenhouse project was finally finished, the paperwork had been signed, and for the first ti in several days I felt like I could actually relax.
That feeling lasted approximately three minutes.
We had only just entered one of the long hallways of the manor when Lillith suddenly stopped walking.
I took several more steps before realizing she wasn’t beside anymore.
Turning around, I found her standing completely still.
"Lillith?"
She tilted her head.
"Darling."
That imdiately put on edge.
Whenever she started conversations with that tone, sothing bad usually followed.
"Yes?"
She looked oddly thoughtful.
"Are plants and people really that different?"
I blinked.
Of all the questions I had expected, that wasn’t one of them.
"What?"
I thought about it for a mont before answering.
"Well, yes and no."
She looked interested, so I continued answering her question.
"Plants and humans are obviously very different, but both are made of cells and proteins at their core."
Lillith listened carefully.
"The cells are different and so perform different functions, but at the end of the day they’re still cells made up of their respective set of proteins."
For several seconds she remained silent.
Then she smiled, it was a very evil and concerning smile.
I imdiately pointed at her.
"No."
Her smile widened.
"No to what?"
"No to whatever you’re thinking."
"I’m not thinking anything."
"Lillith I can see your face."
"Darling it’s nothing bad I promise..."
I took a step backwards.
She took a step forward.
Sothing about the situation felt deeply wrong, I knew the situation was serious.
"Lillith."
"Darling."
Another step ca from which was followed by another step from her.
I was beginning to dislike where this was going.
Then she opened her arms out towards .
"How about you co here?"
"No."
"Co on."
"I absolutely refuse."
Her smile widened further.
I imdiately turned around and ran desperately.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten one very important fact.
Running away from Lillith was usually pointless.
I managed approximately three steps before she caught .
The next thing I knew we both crashed onto the carpet with her pinning down.
"Lillith!"
"Stay still."
"No."
"I don’t want to ss this up."
That sentence made everything worse as I then imdiately started struggling more.
Unfortunately she was stronger than , considerably stronger.
The last thing I saw was purple mana gathering around her hands.
Then—
Everything went black.
A second later I opened my eyes, sothing felt wrong.
Very wrong.
I was lying underneath a large piece of fabric.
After several seconds of struggling I finally managed to push it off myself.
Then I froze.
Lillith was kneeling in front of looking down at .
Smiling.
But that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was her size.
She was enormous.
Absolutely enormous.
For a mont I genuinely wondered if she had sohow grown several tis larger.
Then I looked around.
The furniture, hallway and everything else also looked gigantic.
Slowly, painfully, the realization dawned on .
I had shrunk.
I imdiately looked down at myself.
My hands were smaller.
Much smaller and noticeably chubbier.
Then another realization hit .
My gaze imdiately dropped toward my left leg.
Looking closer, I discovered my prosthetic was still there.
Just...
Tiny.
The entire thing had shrunk alongside .
The tal joints.
The leather straps.
Even the smaller chanisms.
Everything had beco a miniature version of itself.
Lillith then spoke.
"I spent a bit of extra effort on that you know."
She then imdiately clutched both sides of her face.
"Your so insanely cute."
"Look at you."
"Oh no."
The smile on her face sohow beca even more twisted.
Before I could say anything else, she scooped off the floor.
I imdiately began resisting.
"Lillith!"
She ignored completely.
Instead she happily cradled in her arms.
"Perfect."
"What did you do?"
Lillith looked extrely pleased with herself.
"I made you younger."
I stared.
"How much younger?"
She tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Hmm."
Then she smiled.
"Your about two or three years old right now."
"What?"
She nodded proudly.
"You’re little now."
"Lillith."
"Yes?"
"Turn back."
"No."
I stared.
She stared back.
"No?"
I pointed at myself.
"I’m a practically a baby."
"Yes exactly."
"Turn back."
"I don’t feel like it."
I was beginning to understand why Adrian had developed anger issues against this won.
Lillith hugged tighter.
"You never let have little Leons."
"So I made Leon little instead."
A while later she brought to her room.
Then things sohow beca more humiliating.
Because she imdiately started searching through old storage boxes.
"What are you doing?"
"Finding clothes."
"For ?"
"Obviously."
Several minutes later she returned carrying an assortnt of old childhood clothing.
I imdiately knew this wasn’t going to end well.
It didn’t.
By the ti she was finished, I had sohow ended up wearing one of her old shirts that was covered in frills complete with a purple bow on my head which she absolutely refused to let remove.
"Lillith."
"It’s adorable."
"Very adorable."
She ignored entirely.
A short while later she carried downstairs.
A passing maid noticed us.
The poor woman looked completely bewildered astonished that Lillith for so reason had a unidentified child with her.
Her eyes moved from .
To Lillith.
Then back to .
I could practically hear her questioning reality before Lillith imdiately gave her a stern glare causing the maid to instantly straighten.
"Bring food for a child to the dining room."
The maid nodded so fast I was worried for her neck before quickly disappearing.
Once she was gone, Lillith looked back at .
"Sorry if she scared you."
I stared.
"You are the scary one."
Lillith pretended not to hear that.
Soon we arrived in the dining room and things beca even more humiliating.
Because instead of letting sit normally, Lillith spent several minutes treating like I was actually a toddler.
Raising into the air.
Spinning around.
Holding up and smiling.
I protested constantly but she ignored every single complaint.
Eventually the food arrived and a bowl of porridge sat on the table.
Lillith imdiately grabbed a spoon and then she looked at .
"Say ahh."
I refused to open my mouth as the spoon bounced harmlessly off my tightly shut mouth.
Lillith sighed dramatically.
"You need to eat."
"I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself."
"You need to eat lots in order to grow big and strong."
I opened my mouth to argue and tell her the absurdity of her statent.
The instant I did—
The spoon was shoved inside.
I sat there in stunned silence.
Lillith looked incredibly proud of herself.
"Good job."
"This is worse than when you made invisible."
"Thank you."
"That wasn’t a complint."
She ignored that too.
When she offered another spoonful I imdiately shut my mouth again.
The spoon bounced off.
Lillith smiled.
"You’re being difficult."
I refused to answer.
Lillith seed to find this incredibly amusing as she then squished my cheeks together forcing to open my mouth before shoving the sooon in.
Then suddenly the dining room door opened as the maid from earlier appeared.
"Lady Nightbane."
Lillith looked over.
"The guest has arrived."
"Miss Clara has arrived with her belongings."
Lillith brightened imdiately.
"Oh."
She stood up.
Then placed carefully onto the floor.
I imdiately beca suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Lillith crouched down.
Wagged a finger at .
"Stay here."
I stared.
"Lillith wait."
"Be patient."
"Lillith."
"I know you’ll miss but I’ll be right back."
Then she left.
The door closed.
Silence followed.
I waited exactly three seconds.
Then sprinted toward the door.
Freedom awaited.
Unfortunately the handle was now far above my head.
I jumped.
Missed.
Jumped again.
Missed again.
And for the first ti in my life—
I found myself trapped by a door handle.
I imdiately looked back toward the door.
Then toward the chair.
Then back toward the door.
I had exactly two choices.
Either sit here and wait for Lillith to return.
Or escape.
The first option wasn’t actually an option.
I marched over to the nearest chair and grabbed one of its legs with both hands.
Then I pulled but nothing happend.
I frowned and then pulled harder.
The chair finally moved, but only about half an inch.
This wasn’t going well.
After several minutes of struggling, sweating, and dragging the thing across the floor inch by inch, I finally accepted reality.
There was absolutely no way I was getting the chair to the door before Lillith returned.
And even if I sohow did—
I still wasn’t convinced I’d be able to climb onto it without falling off.
I needed another plan.
Then an idea appeared.
I imdiately ran over to the door and started banging both fists against it.
"Help!"
Bang.
"Anybody!"
Bang.
"Open the door!"
Unfortunately my current voice sounded considerably less intimidating than usual.
A couple minutes passed.
Then I heard footsteps.
Just one person.
My heart imdiately leapt.
The footsteps grew closer.
Closer.
Then stopped outside.
The handle turned.
The door opened.
A servant cautiously peeked inside.
The problem was that he was looking at normal eye level, not at floor level.
aning he completely missed .
For several seconds he stood there confused.
"Lady Nightbane?"
I stayed quiet beneath him.
He then stepped further into the room.
Perfect.
I imdiately sprinted forward.
Slipping between his legs before he even realized what was happening.
"Wait—"
The servant spun around.
I was already gone.
Freedom.
Glorious freedom.
I rushed down the hallway as fast as my tiny legs could carry .
Unfortunately, tiny legs weren’t very fast.
Still it was enough.
After turning a corner, I then risked a glance behind as I ducked, peeking around the corner.
Lillith.
And Clara who held a pair of suitcases, one in each hand.
The two of them were walking down the hallway together while casually chatting.
My eyes widened.
Clara.
She was my best chance.
She might be able to undo whatever Lillith had done to .
The problem was that Clara was currently with Lillith.
I needed to separate them sohow.
As I watched, the two of them entered the dining room.
I imdiately felt relieved.
Then a couple seconds later the door slamd open.
The sound echoed through the manor.
I jumped.
Lillith erged from the room who looked very angry.
"LEON!"
The shout echoed throughout the hallway.
Several servants froze on the spot.
Lillith looked left and right before she shouted again.
"LEON WHERE ARE YOU?"
I imdiately turned around and ran.
Behind I could already hear her commands the servants to move.
The search had started.
And she was making the entire manor was participate.
For what felt like the next hour, but was probably only twenty minutes, I hid throughout the mansion.
Behind furniture.
Inside empty rooms.
Under tables.
Once behind a large decorative vase.
That last one nearly ended in disaster when a maid almost picked it up.
Eventually I settled beneath a cabinet positioned along one of the quieter hallways.
It was dark.
Hidden.
Perfect.
I sat there catching my breath.
Servants occasionally walked past.
So of them were calling my na.
Which felt even more humiliating.
"Young Master Leon?"
"Master Leon?"
"Please co out."
One maid was carrying biscuits and my new childlike instincts almost made reveal myself.
Then I rembered Lillith was probably behind all of this and remained hidden.
Eventually I heard footsteps approaching.
Two people.
I carefully peeked out.
Lillith and Clara.
This was my chance.
I just needed Clara to notice .
Unfortunately fate hated .
Because right as the two walked past—
Lillith stopped and my heart stopped with her.
The hallway beca silent.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She turned her head.
Then looked directly at the cabinet.
No.
No no no.
Her footsteps approached.
I imdiately began trying to retreat further into the darkness.
But there wasn’t any more room.
A second later one of her knees touched the floor.
Then her face appeared.
She stared directly at .
For one second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Then her expression transford.
A slow smile spread across her face.
A very cruel and pleased smile.
She leaned closer.
Then whispered.
"Found you."
My soul left my body.
I imdiately tried to crawl backward, but Lilliths hand shot forward.
A second later I was dragged out from beneath the cabinet.
"No!"
I struggled desperately as she lifted into the air.
"Lillith!"
"You ran away."
"I had a good reason!"
"You worried ."
She actually sounded offended.
anwhile Clara was staring.
Just staring.
Her eyes moved between and Lillith several tis.
Then back to .
Then back to Lillith.
Finally she pointed.
"...Who is that?"
Lillith blinked.
Then looked at .
Then back at Clara.
"Oh."
She smiled.
"It’s Leon."
Clara stared.
"What?"
"It’s Leon."
"What do you an it’s Leon?"
"It’s Leon."
"That is a child."
Lillith nodded.
"Yes."
"A small child."
"Yes."
"A very small child."
"Yes."
Clara slowly turned toward .
I waved but it sohow made everything seem worse.
Clara looked horrified.
"Lillith."
"Yes?"
"What happened?"
Lillith looked incredibly proud of herself.
Then proceeded to explain the entire thing.
Starting with after she learned the plant growth spell.
Then deciding to test whether it worked on people.
Then turning into a toddler and dressing up.
Then feeding and losing .
The more she explained, the more Clara’s expression deteriorated.
By the end she looked like sobody reconsidering every major life decision she’d ever made, which she probably was.
Lillith finally finished.
Then smiled.
"Pretty clever, right?"
Clara remained silent.
For several seconds she simply stared at the struggling toddler currently trapped in Lillith’s arms.
Then she slowly looked around the enormous manor.
The luxurious hallways.
The beautiful decorations.
The expensive paintings.
The comfortable life she’d been offered.
Then she looked back at Lillith.
And genuinely began regretting her decision to move in.
Clara slowly looked around the hallway as we continued walking through the manor.
Then she nervously raised a hand.
"Um... would it be possible for to get a room near the kitchen?"
Lillith looked over at her.
"Near the kitchen?"
Clara nodded.
"I enjoy cooking."
Lillith thought for a mont before shrugging.
"I’m sure we can find one."
A few minutes later, Lillith stopped in front of one of the guest rooms and pushed the door open.
"Here."
Clara stepped inside and then froze in shock.
Her bags nearly slipped from her hands.
The room was enormous.
While it was noticeably smaller than Lillith’s room, it was still larger than most hos Clara had ever seen.
A large bed occupied one side of the room while bookshelves, sofas, wardrobes and decorative furnishings filled the rest.
Sunlight stread through several large windows overlooking the gardens.
Lillith rubbed the back of her neck.
"Sorry it’s a little cramped."
Clara slowly turned toward her.
"Cramped!?"
Lillith nodded.
"Yeah."
Clara pointed around the room.
"Lillith, this room is bigger than the entire upstairs floor of the inn I used to stay in."
Lillith blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
Lillith looked genuinely surprised.
Then she casually pointed toward one corner.
"The bathroom is over there."
Clara followed her finger.
A mont later she saw the private bathroom connected directly to the room.
The bags slipped from her hands.
Small tears imdiately appeared in her eyes.
"No way..."
Lillith tilted her head.
"What?"
Clara pointed.
"You an that’s all mine?"
"Yes."
Clara looked ready to cry.
"In my old inn I had to share one with six other people."
Lillith stared in horror.
"Why?"
"Because that’s normal!"
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Then Clara grabbed one of Lillith’s hands.
"I will do anything you ask for the rest of my life."
Lillith imdiately looked uncomfortable.
anwhile I was still trapped in her arms.
"Lillith."
She ignored .
"Lillith."
Still she ignored .
"Lillith."
She finally looked down.
"What?"
"Turn back."
Lillith smiled.
Then reached down and pinched my tiny nose.
"No."
I glared at her.
She looked completely unbothered.
"You’re way too cute."
I started to consider my options but unfortunately I didn’t have any.
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