There was nothing quite so terrible as knowing that the warlock could, quite literally, do nothing to help his clearly pained friend. He could see the panic mirrored within the man's bright blue orbs, he could see the way his body quivered as that unhuman shift took over what had once been an entirely mortal frame. He watched with a feeling of overwhelming guilt as that soft flesh began to grow fur, his entire bone structure shifting with a series of sickening sounding snaps and crunches as that tail slowly came into existence, followed by pointed ears and unassuming whiskers. It was hardly difficult to tell the man was a cat of some kind though Sterling had never expected an animal so....large. A glimpse of concern crossed his features as the man's shift completed, the boy's lips pressing together ever so slightly as he slowly withdrew his hand, entirely unsure of what to expect. He had little idea if the jungle cat that Henry had turned into would retain the man's personality or if it too would be as wild as appearances so made it seem.

The blue-eyed boy was entirely taken back by the growl that reverberated within the chest of the beast, the warlock lost his balance from his crouching position, falling backwards onto the floor only to frantically scoot himself away from the creature that was once his roommate. "Shit." He muttered, trying to push himself further backwards until his spine slammed into the wall of the living room with the feline still headed straight in his direction. He was about to be mauled wasn't he? Eaten for dinner because he was convenient. "Henry?" He hissed, as if the word itself might have some sort of effect upon this decidedly animalistic behavior. His chest was beginning to rise and fall with rapidness as the panic began to set in. He was trapped - there was no where to go and all the while his crystalline gaze stared at those sharp ivory canines that peeked through Henry's now peeled lips. He held his breath as the panther crouched down, his hands raising to protect his face from the onslaught of claws he was sure was coming.

And yet, they didn't. He could hear the click of the feline's claws on the floor and tentatively his hands dropped in just enough time to see the feline pivot and rush towards the balcony within the kitchen. His lips parted, "Henry!" He called out but the feline was already bounding over the railing. Sterling wasted no time in gathering his senses, pushing himself to his feet to dash after the feline. His hands immediately found the railing of the balcony as he leaned over it, his blue gaze searching for the form of the large cat. Finding him, thankfully, was hardly difficult and for a brief moment, his gaze met the feline's before he went bounding out into the darkness. A soft breath left the warlock's lips, his hand reaching up to run through his hair. He couldn't just leave Henry alone, not when the man had no idea what was occurring to him, he knew he had to go after his companion and yet...the sheer amount of darkness outside the comfort of his flat made him hesitate but for just a moment.

No - he wouldn't let Henry go through this alone, even despite the darkness that existed beyond his windows. His fire had to be useful for something, he just had to concentrate. He could do this. He turned from the balcony, grabbing his jacket on the way out as he quickly made his way down the stairs and towards the street. The boy hardly hesitated as he bounded after his companion, trying to focus only on what few glimpses he had of the cat's retreating form.