Alptraum learns of an interesting side-effect as he has been using the shadow more; it consumes and warps more of his own flesh as well! The process is painful and disgusting as the chitin cracks and sloths off. The smell from that is bad enough, but when the skin starts splitting and tearing along his forearm all the way to his elbow, well, that hurts!

It didn't stop there, either. Shadow-Maggots ooze out from his muscle, squirming about as things continue to shift … leaving him with a 'khatta-hand'? Yes, it is most certainly a khatta-hand. He calls in Kaira … who isn't worried at all! Figures.

After several experiments, Alptraum lets his hand return to normal. Only now normal is a rather nasty-looking metal-boned and flayed flesh appearance. Shadow-flesh now pools and ripples between a metallic-looking latticework of skeletal mimicry and functional pieces, such as the dagger-slot and the orb. In this state Alptraum can also see the strange shadow-mass that is firmly embedded in his forearm, a writhing mass of tendrils beneath the white orb. He can, unfortunately, also feel it move around a lot as full sensation has returned in force.

In the end, Alptraum eases up on shifting his arm, letting it revert to its natural state. The Eee then feeds once more and summons Kaira out to teach Snow how to fly with feathered wings. And to watch them jiggle, of course…