The transformation began slowly, almost imperceptibly, as if the universe itself was hesitant to witness what was about to unfold.
The Sun Empress stood at the center of the devastated crater, her connection with Elara pulsing with power that transcended normal magical theory. But as their combined energies reached critical mass, something fundamental shifted within her divine nature. The carefully maintained barriers that kept her godhood contained, safeguards she'd erected to walk among mortals without destroying them, began to dissolve.
I can feel it, she thought with a mixture of awe and trepidation. The full weight of what I truly am. Not just an Empress blessed by the sun, but something... more.
