The skull heart had floated in place, surrounded by a flickering blue aura. Looking engulfed in flame. The inkling stood still in front of it, staring the artefact 's mind raced as she looked into it's empty eye-sockets. Two sides of her fighting over what to do. Any sensible person would have never set out on this endeavour to begin with.
But she'd already fought and bled to get to this point.
The other half of her desperately wanted to take it. Give in to its manipulative allure. To take the skull heart and make her wish. Her wish to have as many fans as Shiver and Big Man.
But she was well aware of the consequences of using it.
Without thinking, Frye reached out towards it. Tentatively laying her fingers on its forehead. It was cold. Unnaturally so, like it was dipped in liquid nitrogen. She reflexively jerked her hand away, hissing as it left a lingering burn on her fingertips. She held her hand close to her chest, doubt flashing across her features. This couldn't possibly be worth it, could it? Her humanity all over a dumb Splatfest. Even at her most desperate, she couldn't justify it.
Frye began to take a step back before head-splitting pain took over. It was like a shard of ice suddenly got stabbed through her head. The inkling stumbled to her knees, gripping her head in agony. She forced herself to look up at the skull heart, her vision blurring with pained tears. It hadn't moved even a millimetre, but that magical aura glowed brighter. As if someone poured gasoline into the fire as it forced itself into her head like a parasite.
You aren't just going to waste all that effort, are you?
The skull heart's 'voice' rang in her head louder than a church bell. It was a thousand different voices all blended together into an inhuman slurry. The voices of its other victims.
"What the- Get out of my head!" Frye yelled, clawing at her tentacles as she forced herself upright.
All those innocent inklings and octolings you fought to get here. Do you just want that to be in vain?
Each word it uttered was punctuated with more stabbing pain through her head. She was getting lightheaded with pain.
Let us help you, Frye. You can have anything you desire. You'll never want for anything again. It will be pure bliss.
The pain abruptly left her head without a trace. Frye sighed with relief as the excruciating pain faded, blinking away her tears.
All you need to do is make your wish.
Frye stayed still, staring once again into its empty eye-sockets. There was no fight in her this time. The skull heart's honeyed words echoed in her pain-addled mind, finally convincing her.
Before she could doubt herself, she grabbed the skull heart. Holding it tight against her chest. The burning cold was almost soothing in a way. Frye choked back a sob, tears streaming down her face before she realised it was happening.
"I… I wish that… I wish that Splatsville loved me just as much as Shiver and Big Man!" She sobbed, practically yelling by the end. The flame around the skull heart grew brighter. Quickly engulfing the inkling then the entire room in its unholy light.
Frye tried to move away from the flames. To drop the skull heart as the realisation came over her. But it was much too late now. The deal had already been sealed. The physical changes started just as fast. She began to hyperventilate as her chest split open. Like a wild animal was tearing into her flesh. Her ink ran freely from the chasm in her chest. The ground became dyed an unsettlingly cheerful yellow.
Eventually, the skull heart forced itself into the hole it created. Her chest forced itself closed, aching as the intrusion kept it from healing properly. Tears poured down Frye's face as she clawed at it. Trying desperately to tear it out. The evil artefact was completely unimpeded though. It spawned ribs from its sides wrapping tight around her chest.
"No, no, no-" She wailed, watching in horror as her body was forcibly ripped apart and put back together. The next part of her to change was her hands. Her fingers doubled in length, moulded into lethally sharp claws.
Frye recoiled in disgust at the sight. Bile rose in her throat as the grotesque transformation continued.
Her tentacles started growing longer, the tips reaching down to her toes. They fell out of place soon after, unkempt and scrunched up. It looked like she combed them with a broken rake. Before she could even process it, a sharp pain erupted through her head. She screamed out, stumbling to her knees. Her fangs began to lengthen. Displacing her other teeth as they were agonisingly forced further.
Frye was a shaking, sobbing mess as her fangs finished growing. Her jaw was still in agony, trying to adjust. As she lay on her hands and knees, coughing up some ink she thought it was finally over.
But there was one last twist of the knife yet to go.
Without warning or buildup, her back tore itself open. Eliciting a shriek of pain from the former inkling. Almost ghostlike tentacles spawned from the garish wound, fighting for purchase. They tightly gripped her anywhere within reach. Tugging, pulling at her limbs and neck. Forcing themselves further free from her flesh.
Frye opened her mouth to scream out for help one last time, but nothing came out. The skull heart had finally taken control of her completely. Both body and mind.
The last thing she saw before her vision disappeared completely, was her ink darkening into a deep black.