Bloodline

Asher leapt from his position, landing on top of a nearby metal container.

He stood facing Lucy and Nikolai's group with a blank expression, showing no sign that he could see any of them.

Lucy stepped forward, worry flickering in her eyes. "Can you hear me?"

Her voice was soft, careful not to startle him. She knew this wasn't the same person she had once known.

A change had taken root in him, one she couldn't fully understand, and it gnawed at her. 

"Can you hear me?" she asked again, hoping for even the slightest reaction from him. 

No response. He remained perfectly still, almost statue-like.

"What happened to your friend? Don't tell me he's gone berserk?" Nikolai chuckled, his excitement barely contained.

The sight of two demons in front of him lit a thrill in his eyes.

He wanted to capture them, to experiment on them—but he knew that it was impossible. Not with Lucy around.