It was a quiet, perfectly ordinary day at the Shadow Garden headquarters—at least, it was supposed to be. That is, until a sudden, unexpected twist turned everything upside down.

Cid Kagenou—known to his loyal, albeit slightly confused, followers as "Shadow"—was now a slime. A black, squishy, gelatinous slime. There were no grandiose reasons for this transformation. No mysterious curses or world-altering spells. No, it was more like a cosmic prank. One minute, he was giving one of his usual rants about how the world was nothing but a stage for his shadowy dominance, and the next, he was a blob of goo, plopping harmlessly to the ground.

Cid, or rather, Shadow, was unfazed. "Well, this is a cool twist," he mused to himself, his voice echoing out of nowhere—after all, now that he was a slime, his vocal cords didn't work quite like before. "It's like a hidden background character coming into their own in an unexpected, utterly irrelevant way. Very fitting."

The members of Shadow Garden, on the other hand, were a little less impressed with their boss's new look.

Eta, the most eccentrically curious member, stared down at the little black slime with wide, gleaming eyes. "Aha! A new subject for experimentation!" she cackled, rubbing her hands together like an evil scientist. "Who knew my beloved Lord Shadow would turn into a squishy blob of infinite potential? I'll just need to test a few things... test your elasticity, test your durability, test your... gelatinousness?"

Eta was already conjuring up an array of bizarre contraptions—mostly involving syringes, glass tubes, and too many beakers.

"Absolutely not!" Alpha, the ever-cautious and dependable member of the group, stepped forward, crossing her arms with a stern expression. "That's our leader, Eta! Do you know how many hours it took to prepare that elaborate speech about world domination? And now you're gonna poke him with needles?" She bent down, gently scooping up the slime in her arms as though it were a precious kitten. "Don't worry, Lord Shadow, we will protect you from her mad experiments."

Cid, who was now nothing more than a black, slightly pulsating blob, was quite comfortable in Alpha's arms, despite the lack of limbs or any other features. "Indeed. I feel like I'm at the peak of my powers. Being a slime is the true form of greatness. My potential knows no bounds now."

Eta's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, really?" she asked. "You want me to—"

"No," Alpha interrupted quickly, glaring daggers at her. "Do not even think about it."

Meanwhile, Delta stood off to the side, her arms crossed and a melancholy look on her face. "It's just… I can't believe Boss Man turned into this," she muttered, her voice tinged with sadness. "A slime... It doesn't seem right. He's supposed to be the most fearsome and powerful being in all the world. How could he be a little... blob now?"

Zeta, who had been quiet up until now, turned to Deta with a fierce look on her face. "Hey! You better take that back, you stupid mutt!" she snapped. "How dare you call our Lord weak? He's a slime now, but it's only a temporary situation. And if anyone calls him weak again, I'll—"

"Mutt?" Delta shot back, not backing down. Her dark, brooding expression quickly melted into a snarl. "You call Delta a mutt? Delta will teach you a lesson, she-cat!"

"She-cat?!" Zeta growled, showing her cat-like teeth. "I'll rip your—"

"Enough!" Gamma, Beta, and Epsilon suddenly shouted in unison, stepping between the two feuding women with alarmed looks on their faces. The three of them had been quietly standing in the back, worriedly watching the situation unfold, but now they were doing their best to de-escalate the conflict. Gamma, with her calm demeanor, spoke first. "Please, let's not fight. We have a more important issue at hand—our leader is a slime, and we need to figure out how to turn him back to normal."

"Exactly," Beta chimed in. "I can't believe it. What if he's stuck like this forever? What if we can never get him back to being... well, him? He can't lead us if he's a squishy little blob!"

Epsilon's face was etched with deep concern. "What if he likes it this way? What if this is his true form? A slime... the ultimate shadow, a creature that can slither unnoticed and... ahem... absorb all his enemies?"

Cid, still a slime in Alpha's arms, let out an exaggerated sigh. "You see? It's already starting. The recognition. I told you all this was my true destiny. I am no longer bound by the limitations of flesh or form. As a slime, I can slip through any crack, absorb any foe, and infiltrate every crevice unnoticed. I'm essentially... invincible!"

Alpha looked down at the slime in her arms, unsure of whether to be impressed or concerned. "So... you're saying this is your new form? You like being a slime?"

"Absolutely! It's perfect! No more worrying about mundane things like being stabbed or running out of breath in a fight. I can just ooze around and... well, do slime stuff!" Cid said, his tiny voice filled with a faux air of grandeur. "The power of a shadow is no longer confined to shadows alone. I am the shadow that seeps into the cracks! I am... The Slime of Darkness!"

The entire room stared at the tiny black blob in Alpha's arms, and for a moment, everyone was silent.

Then, as though on cue, Eta rushed forward, looking even more giddy than before. "Oh, I must test the slime's reaction to fire! And poison! And electrical charges! Think of all the data I could get!"

"No!" Alpha snapped again, quickly pulling the slime closer to her chest.

"Boss Man is so weird." Delta scratched her head in confusion.

Zeta, still on edge, pointed at Delta, her face locked in a battle-ready glare. "And you, shut up! Our leader is amazing, no matter what form he takes!"

"What was that?!" Delta was ready to pounce at Zeta.

Cid, now taking full advantage of the attention, pulsed contentedly in Alpha's arms, as though soaking in the adoration. "Fear not, my Shadow Garden! I will guide you all from the shadows... and now from every little crack in the walls! Slime is the new evolutionary step! Bow to me, for I am The Slime of Shadows!"

There was a pause, a long moment of silence. Then, slowly, a quiet voice from Beta piped up.

"Can we just... get him back to his normal form?"

Cid paused for a moment, considering. "Well, I'm not against being a slime, but if it means I'll finally get to fight some real bad guys again, I suppose I could be persuaded to go back to my original form. If I must... but only if it's for a grand and epic purpose."

The room collectively sighed in relief. The slime lord had spoken. And for now, it seemed like he'd be willing to return to being Cid Kagenou... eventually. But only if he got to be the hero in an even cooler story.

"Okay, okay," Alpha muttered, her voice exasperated but affectionate. "Let's figure out how to change you back. But no more experiments, Eta. And Zeta... stop glaring at Deta."

"Yes, ma'am!" the group chorused, as they all began to gather around Cid, who was, for the first time, absolutely loving the attention.

"Excellent," Cid mused, stretching out in Alpha's arms with a sigh of contentment. "Let the true slimy adventure begin."