Benefits

"Alright, let's get down to business," Lucy announced, her playful eyes glinting as she observed her new servants with a mischievous smile.

She sat onto the worn down sofa, leaving them to sit on the cold, hard floor—an obvious reminder of the hierarchy between them.

Normally, Yuki would be fuming over this, but just sitting beside her crush had her floating on cloud nine. Her heart raced with excitement, making it hard to focus on anything else.

'Too easy to manipulate,' Lucy chuckled inwardly. 

This had been her plan all along: to get Yuki to follow her command by using her own obsession. 

Specters were rare; even powerful demons didn't usually have one as a follower, as these beings didn't care if they lived or died.

They were often aggressive , unpredictable, and crazy.

That's why she was surprised to find someone like Yuki, who retained most of her sanity after becoming one. 

Many lost themselves in the transition, but Yuki still seemed to cling to the remnants of her humanity.

Well, maybe "Sanity" was stretching it—she really only wanted one thing: Asher.

And that worked in Lucy's favor, since his life depended on her. 

In fact, she was more concerned about Asher, mostly because she couldn't read him all the time. 

His demeanor were baffling; one moment, he'd display human emotions, and the next, he'd slip back into a calm, almost detached state—like he had a switch in his head that he could flip at will.

The complexity of his character annoyed and fascinated her.

This wasn't something even the most bloodthirsty demons could pull off.

It wasn't just about being calm; it was so unnatural that she wondered if it was some kind of superpower on its own.

Others might think that being cool-headed all the time was basic, but in a high-level fight, those who could really maintain such a strong mental stability were the terrifying ones.

Even she, considered powerful, let her emotions slip during battle.

'I want to pry open his head and study it,' she thought, excitement rising as her sadistic tendencies surfaced. Fortunately, she managed to control herself, shaking off the urge to indulge in her darker fetish.

"First thing: we need to figure out how to make you evolve and get Yuki the souls she needs."

Asher frowned. The name Yuki was familiar, but he couldn't remember why.

In reality, he had forgotten about her after moving away as a child.

They had only met again by chance when he looked for cheaper apartments.

Lucy closed her eyes, waiting for them to ask about her grand plan, tapping her fingers impatiently against her thigh.

Ten seconds passed, then a minute, but none of them spoke.

This irritated her; all her servants were practically sociopaths.

Asher looked like he didn't care, while Yuki just stared at him with creepy smile, as if entranced.

Of course, he noticed this but brushed it off, thinking that being a ghost made her look that way. Most horror movies depict ghosts as creepy, after all.

"Fine, I'll explain everything since you two are too dumb to even ask," she sighed, rolling her eyes and pretending not to notice their complete lack of interest. 

"What do you think of this place?" 

No answer.

"Answer me, or I'll punish you two," she warned, crossing her arms and leaning forward slightly.

"It's alright," Asher was the first to reply. 

"Alright? This place is a dump!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

Asher looked around and didn't really think it was that bad.

He had lived in worse places, and his standards were pretty low. This apartment, with its cracked walls and peeling paint, was just another part of life for him.

As for Yuki, she was a specter and had already died. This place would have been more rundown and scary if she hadn't made an effort to at least make it livable for him, adding little touches here and there.

"Listen here, back in my old home, I lived in a grand castle so big that it would take you weeks to see everything inside," Lucy boasted, her voice dripping with pride.

"Then let's just move there," Asher quickly responded, surprising her.

But instead of irritation, a glint of sadness flickered in her eyes, and he noticed the shift in her demeanor. She must be hiding something deep if she was showing such emotion.

Before he could ask about it, she quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on it.

"This place could use a little renovation, don't you think?" She gestured at the cracked walls and stained floors .

"But Yuki's powers are stuck right now because she hasn't been... well, feeding. If she gets stronger, so does her control over this place."

She tapped the sofa, then turned her attention to him. "So, you get the bodies, she takes the souls, and I take the blood. All three of us will benefit."

Asher paused; her words reminded him that he was now a monster.

He might have already turned into one, but he still retained much of himself.

The idea of killing humans bothered him, and he wouldn't go out of his way to decline it, though he wouldn't be happy about it either.

At the end of the day, he needed to look more human as soon as possible, and if this was the only way, he would have to go through with it, no matter how unsettling or disgusting it was.

Noticing his long silence, Lucy turned her gaze on him,

"This is a good way for you to adapt. Remember, you're no longer human, and thinking like one will only bring you more pain."

"I don't really care that much," he said dismissively, trying to hide his real thoughts. 

Lucy could tell he was just putting on an act, so she ignored his words and continued, "Our first target is the people who killed you."

Asher flinched, his gaze dropping to the cracked floor as her words echoed in his head.

"Don't overthink it. Just cross the line and be done with it." she added.

The human part of him resisted the thought of taking another life. But those people were ruthless; they killed him without a hint of remorse. 

Why did they deserve to live while he had to die?

Sensing his dilemma, Lucy knelt down and leaned in closer.

"It's unfair, isn't it? The world's full of injustice. Those who do the worst things often live the best lives, while those who follow the rules get nothing and are taken advantage of. "

She gently grabbed his shoulder. "So why should you care? Be selfish, and just think about yourself,"