She reached into the inner lining of her suit and bit down on something small between her teeth.
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then her entire body jerked violently.
A sound like cracking ice spread across the battlefield.
CRRRRK—
Thin crystal veins surfaced beneath her skin. They crawled upward from her neck and spread down both arms like fractures tearing through frozen glass.
The change accelerated instantly.
Dark layered plates formed over muscle and bone, sealing across her body piece by piece.
The ground beneath her feet shattered as waves of pressure rolled from her body.
Her breathing deepened.
The rapier in her hand trembled once before becoming perfectly still.
Francis watched quietly.
No concern crossed his face.
If anything, he looked excited, like a chef watching his own food cook itself.
The crystallization continued spreading until nearly half her body had transformed.
