The suffocating stillness of the dark hall seemed to close in as Lori weakly hissed, her serpentine form curled in Asher's lap. Her once dark yet vibrant scales had dulled to an almost lifeless hue, and her dark purple eyes flickered faintly like the dying embers of a fire.
"Ssss, brat…" Lori's voice was barely above a whisper, each word a struggle as she stared up at him, "If not for this situation…I would have thought you were trying to fool me...to believe all this past life and reincarnation stuff people only see in old stories. Who would have thought…it is all real?" she mumbled, a faint trace of awe in her dimming eyes.
Asher blinked, caught off guard by her response, "Wait…that is the only thing you're shocked about? Nothing else?"
Lori shot him a weak, bored look and coughed, her long tail twitching feebly. "What else?...The fact that you were a human once?...Of course it's sssshocking…but how does it matter now?"