Mathew crouched on the bathroom floor, **panting**, his enormous, leonine body still shuddering from the latest surge of **power**. The goop—his own **mutagenic essence**—pulsed around him, alive, eager, reaching toward him once more, ready to **push him even further**.
He could feel it, **building**, **multiplying**, **aching** to be absorbed, to fuel **more growth**, to create **something even greater**—
**BANG BANG BANG.**
A sharp knock at the door.
Mathew’s ears **twitched**, his massive frame going **rigid**.
“Mat? You in there?”
Jordan.
His friend’s voice was muffled through the door, but it **cut through the haze** of his transformation like a blade.
The goop **hesitated**, rippling, almost… waiting.
Mathew’s golden eyes darted to the clock. **Shit.** He had completely lost track of time. How long had he been in here?
“Dude, are you okay?” Jordan’s voice was closer now, just outside the bathroom. “You’ve been acting weird all day. And now you’re not answering your phone?”
Mathew **froze**, his heart hammering. He couldn’t let Jordan see him like this—not yet. Not until he **understood** what was happening.
He took a slow breath, trying to focus, trying to **reel it in**. His body **burned** with lingering energy, every muscle still throbbing with **raw, animalistic power**. His cock—still **aching**, still **hard**—throbbed insistently, his balls **churning**, his whole body demanding **more, more, MORE**—
**BANG.** The door handle **rattled**.
“Mat, if you don’t say something, I’m coming in.”
**Shit.**
Mathew had seconds to decide.
The goop around him **pulsed**, eager, **alive**, waiting for him to embrace it once more.
But Jordan was right outside.
And if he opened that door, Mathew knew—**nothing would ever be the same again.**