Finding Kiara

Kieran sat rigidly in the chair, his back straight, his hands gripping the edges of his thighs with white-knuckled restraint. His entire body hummed with restless agitation, from the tickling weight of the false lashes that cast a perpetual shadow over his vision, to the unfamiliar tightness of the crop top hugging his torso. The leggings clung to his legs like a second skin, a constant reminder of the foreign identity he was being **** to inhabit. But the worst of it, by far, was the hair—long, heavy, ever-present. Every time he shifted, it would brush against his shoulders, slip forward over his collarbone, or tickle his arms. It was a phantom sensation he couldn’t escape, a reminder that no part of him belonged to him anymore.

And now, as if all of that wasn’t enough, he was being **** to speak like Kiara.

The voice trainer, a polished-looking woman in her mid-forties with sleek blonde hair and an expression of unwavering patience, tapped her pen against her notepad as she studied him. Her name was Maya, and despite the pleasant smile she wore, there was an exacting sharpness to her gaze that unsettled him.

"Again," she instructed, her voice measured and calm. "This time, focus on your intonation. Softer, slower, and remember—less **** from the throat, more resonance from the head."

Kieran gritted his teeth. He had already repeated the same sentence a dozen times, and every time, Maya would purse her lips, shake her head slightly, and tell him to do it again.

He inhaled sharply, forcing his shoulders to relax, then tried once more.

"I absolutely love that dress—it’s just so cute!"

The words felt wrong in his mouth, foreign and strained, like they didn’t belong to him. And worse, his voice still wasn’t right. It wasn’t high enough, wasn’t soft enough, wasn’t _Kiara _enough.

Maya sighed, tilting her head slightly. "You’re still speaking from your chest. Try to lighten the sound, lift it up here," she gestured toward her head. "It should feel less like you’re pushing air out, and more like it’s floating up naturally."

Kieran wanted to slam his head into the table.

It was frustrating beyond belief—no matter what he did, his voice refused to cooperate. He could hear it, could feel it. The depth, the roughness, the weight of his natural tone pulling him down every time he spoke. It was instinct, something ingrained in him for as long as he had existed, and now, all of a sudden, he was supposed to undo it? Just like that?

Celeste sat off to the side, perched on a chair with her legs crossed, watching the session with keen interest. Every time Kieran looked at her, she would flash him an encouraging smile—though he knew that if he pushed back, that smile would quickly turn into a disappointed frown, followed by a not-so-subtle reminder that their mother would hear about his lack of cooperation.

So he kept his mouth shut. Or rather, kept trying.

"Again," Maya said, her patience seemingly endless.

Kieran **** himself to inhale deeply, feeling the stretch of his ribcage beneath the crop top. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to imagine what Celeste’s voice sounded like, how her words carried an effortless lightness. He tried to mimic that, to reshape the sentence in his mouth.

"I absolutely love that dress—it’s just so cute!"

A pause.

Maya’s head tilted ever so slightly. "Better," she conceded. "Still a bit too forceful. Think breathy. Light. As if you’re exhaling through the words rather than pushing them out."

Kieran clenched his jaw so tightly he thought his teeth might crack.

This was impossible.

It wasn’t just the speaking—it was everything. The lashes that made his eyes feel perpetually weighed down, the lipstick that clung to his lips like an invisible brand, the hair that constantly reminded him that he wasn’t himself anymore. He wasn’t even sure who he was now.

And yet, through the frustration, through the growing heat of resentment simmering in his chest, he still nodded and did it again.

And again.

And again.

Each repetition chipped away at his patience, but he swallowed the urge to snap, to push back, to be Kieran. Because Celeste was there. Because Vivienne would hear about it. Because there was no way out.

By the end of the session, his throat ached from the **** adjustments, and his brain felt like it had been put through a blender. Maya finally set down her notepad, offering a small nod of approval.

"That’s enough for today," she announced, standing. "You’ve got potential, but it’s going to take a lot of work to break your natural speech patterns. I expect daily practice. Celeste, I’m sure you’ll help reinforce that?"

Celeste beamed. "Oh, absolutely."

Kieran felt his stomach sink.

Maya gathered her things, bidding them farewell before stepping out, leaving only Kieran and Celeste behind. He let out a heavy exhale, letting his head fall back against the chair.

"God, that was miserable," he muttered.

Celeste grinned, unfazed by his suffering. "You did great, sis!"

"Don’t call me that," he grumbled.

"Oh, but you are," she teased, standing up and stretching her arms. "And you’re getting better at sounding like it, too!"

He shot her a glare, but she only winked.

"Now that we’ve handled your voice for the day," she continued, her tone all too cheerful, "it’s time to move on to the next part of your training!"

Kieran stiffened, a flicker of unease crawling up his spine.

"Next part?" he repeated slowly.

Celeste’s grin widened.

"You’ll see."

Kieran swallowed hard.

Somehow, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what came next.

The door creaked open, and Kieran’s stomach dropped as Celeste stepped back into the room, a mischievous glint in her eye and a couple of shoe boxes in her hands. “Alright, Kiara! Time for your next lesson!”

Kieran raised an eyebrow, already dreading whatever was about to unfold. “What now?”

Celeste plopped the boxes onto the floor and opened them with a flourish. “Heels!” she exclaimed, pulling out a pair of sleek, black stilettos that glinted under the soft light of the room. She held them up proudly, showcasing the elegant curves and delicate straps. “These babies are going to be your new best friends.”

“More like my worst nightmare,” Kieran grumbled, crossing his arms. He stepped back slightly, trying to create distance between himself and the impending doom that was walking in heels. “This is like the start of every feminization story on CHYOA ever.”

Celeste shot him a warning look, her eyes narrowing. “You better keep that attitude in check, or I’ll call Mom again. And you know she’ll make your life hell.”

Kieran clenched his jaw, swallowing the retort that bubbled up. Instead, he stayed silent, knowing it was a losing battle.

“Good choice!” Celeste smirked, tossing him a pair of heels that looked slightly less intimidating than the first pair. “These are training heels, so they won’t be as high. Let’s start with these!”

He reluctantly slipped his feet into the shoes, the snug fit surprisingly comfortable. But the moment he stood up, he felt the shift in balance—the way his weight had to adjust to accommodate the elevated heels.

“Now, stand tall!” Celeste instructed, hands on her hips. “Shoulders back, head high. You want to project confidence!”

Kieran rolled his eyes but complied, forcing his shoulders back as he tried to find his center of gravity. “I feel like a flamingo,” he muttered under his breath.

“Flamingos are fabulous!” Celeste shot back. “Now, let’s practice walking.”

“Walking?” he echoed incredulously. “In these?”

“Exactly! Just follow my lead,” she said, taking a few steps away from him. “It’s all about the hips, Kiara. You need to learn to sway a little when you walk.”

Kieran took a deep breath, attempting to mimic her movements as he stepped forward. He felt the wobble in his ankles, the unfamiliar sensation of the heels forcing his feet into a delicate arch. With each step, he focused on maintaining his balance, trying to channel the effortless grace that Celeste exuded.

“Not bad, but you’re too stiff!” she called out, glancing back at him with a scrutinizing eye. “You need to loosen up. Add some flair! Remember, you’re a girl now.”

“Sure, let me just turn off my masculine instincts,” he grumbled, but again, he kept his mouth shut.

Celeste watched closely, her gaze sharp as he attempted to sway his hips, willing his body to follow her lead. “That’s it! Just like that!” she encouraged, though Kieran could sense the underlying tension in her voice.

“Now try it while saying something girly!” she added, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“What?”

“Say something cute! Just let it flow!”

“Um… I love… uh… pink?” he stammered, his voice slipping into a higher pitch that felt foreign to him.

Celeste’s face lit up. “Better! But you still sound a little deep. Remember to lighten it! Try again.”

Kieran cursed silently under his breath. He had to _talk _and walk at the same time? It was impossible! Each attempt felt like a complete disaster, his voice slipping back into its deeper tone as he struggled to maintain his balance.

“Focus, Kiara!” Celeste shouted, crossing her arms. “You can’t have a cute voice if you don’t sound like you mean it. Let’s hear it again!”

Kieran clenched his fists, fighting the urge to scream. “I hate this! This is stupid!”

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had crossed a line. Celeste’s expression darkened. “Don’t make me tell Mom. You’re not going to like the consequences.”

“Fine! I’ll do it!” he snapped, pushing back his frustration. “I’ll do it.”

“Good!” she said with a satisfied smile. “Now, just say it and remember to walk. Use your hips!”

He took a deep breath, forcing the irritation down as he focused on swaying his hips and speaking. “I love… um… wearing heels!”

“Much better!” Celeste grinned, taking a few steps closer. “Now let’s add a little more sass. Give me some attitude.”

“Attitude?” Kieran echoed, rolling his eyes. “Like what?”

“Like you’re walking into a party, and all eyes are on you! Give me a little bounce, and then a smile!”

With a resigned sigh, he tried to comply, adding a bit of a bounce to his step as he walked across the room, his lips curving into a **** smile. But every time he slipped up, his voice dipped back into a deeper register, and Celeste would scold him like a schoolteacher.

“Kiara, no! Try it again, but remember to keep it light!”

As he stumbled through the process, Kieran felt the heat rise in his cheeks. Every correction, every misstep became a source of tension, and despite his attempts to remain composed, the mounting frustration was becoming unbearable.

Celeste was relentless, watching his every move like a hawk. “You’re doing great! Just don’t forget to practice your cute poses as you walk!”

“Cute poses?!” he exclaimed, barely able to suppress a laugh of disbelief. “This is ridiculous!”

“So ridiculous!” she agreed cheerfully. “Now let’s see that confidence! Swing those hips!”

The session dragged on, his patience fraying as Celeste demanded he repeat the same actions over and over. Each slip of his voice felt like a personal failure, a reminder of how far he was from achieving the image he was being molded into.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Celeste clapped her hands together, clearly pleased. “Okay, that’s enough walking for today. You did well!”

“Yeah, if well means that I almost fell over ten times,” Kieran muttered, his body aching from the awkwardness of the session.

Celeste just grinned, clearly unfazed. “You’re going to get used to it. Trust me!”

“Used to it,” he echoed, exhaustion creeping into his voice. “Right.”

“Now, for the next part—makeup touch-ups!” Celeste announced, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Let’s get you looking even more fabulous before our next lesson!”

Kieran let out a soft groan, sinking back into the chair. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. But as Celeste bustled around, prepping her makeup tools, he reminded himself of one thing: there was no going back.

He had to see this through.

With each passing moment, he was inching closer to something that felt both terrifying and exhausting. As Celeste’s bright laughter filled the room, he couldn’t help but wonder what else lay ahead in this new life as Kiara.