Asher sat on the sofa, the worn fabric scratching against his pale cold skin.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, thoughts racing as he contemplated his current situation.
So much had changed in such a short time. Just a few days ago, he was alive; now, he was an undead, struggling to grasp what that meant.
Not showing a lot of emotion or acting like he cared was just his way of coping.
Beneath the surface, he was always thinking things through, even if he didn't let it show.
Would anyone even notice he was gone? Probably not.
Being a loner had always been his default mode, and his reputation as a bully meant he had more enemies than friends.
Most classmates would probably shrug if they heard he had vanished entirely. Some might even celebrate.
While lost in thought, he shifted his attention to another important question.
What was he now, and what should he do next?
And was he still the same Asher?
There was no way he could be revived without adverse effect on his mind, and even he could feel it—a nagging sense that he was missing something.
But what was it ?
"Mom" he uttered, the name escaping his lips out of habit.
Instantly, images of her flooded his mind: her warm smile, the way her laughter filled the room, and the comforting embrace that had always made him feel safe when he was young.
Those memories were like sunlight breaking through clouds, but they quickly darkened as the reality of her condition crashed over him.
He could imagine her lying in that sterile hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines.
Without him paying the bills, she would face neglect—forced to leave the hospital. That was a death sentence he couldn't bear to imagine it.
And that was not all.
'What would she feel if she discovered that I had died before her?'
The image of her heart breaking over his death was unbearable. She had lost her real son before, and now he, too, would add to that torment.
'I can't let her go through that again,' he clenched his fists in frustration.
He would rather suffer than let his mom endure any more pain. She had been the one to care for him when his own parents had abandoned him.
'I need to find a way,'
But before he could dive deeper into his thoughts, a loud clap echoed through the apartment, pulling him back to reality.
He turned his head to find Lucy grinning widely and standing next to the landlord.
"That's what I wanted to see from you!" Lucy said, her voice full of excitement.
"So, are you now willing to do something more with your second chance?" She teased him, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to step up.
"Is there a way for me to completely go back to being human again?" he asked directly.
"A human ?" Her lips curled into a smile. "Not completely go back, but you could look more human—like me."
"How?"
"How? Don't you watch horror movies? By consuming and eating humans, of course!" she giggled, finding his question ridiculous.
"What did you expect after becoming an undead?"
Asher was a bit taken aback, but not because he was entirely against the idea.
Rather, he was struck by how difficult it would be to pull off.
This wasn't the old times, where he could go on a wild killing spree and disappear into the woods.
There are cameras everywhere, people carrying phones, and a whole bunch of other things that make being a man eating monster in the modern era a lot more complicated.
Of course, if he had any other choice, he would avoid such an act.
Only a complete psycho would find pleasure in it, and he was far from that.
Seeing his hesitation play across his face made Lucy want to tease him even more.
In addition, she couldn't resist the urge to poke fun of him. To destroy the wall that he had built, and slowly corrupt him.
"If you eat more humans, you'll evolve and become a higher type of undead. That means you'll get back more of your basic abilities—like, for example… talking."
"Talking? What do you mean? I can talk just fine. "
She giggled, clearly enjoying his bewilderment. "That's because of my ability. To humans, your words will sound like groans."
Asher was taken aback by this revelation.
It meant that even if he disguised himself, fully covered every inch of his skin, he still wouldn't be able to visit his mother.
"Don't worry, I'll help you regain your life back," Lucy said, appearing behind him out of nowhere and hugging him from behind.
The unexpected embrace stunned him, and he stiffened for a moment, caught off guard by her sudden closeness.
"Uh, thanks?" he managed to mumble, unsure of how to react.
But the one who was really agitated was Yuki.
If it weren't for her desire to keep her emotions in check because of Asher, she would have lashed out, sending the flirty demon flying across the room.
After all, in this apartment, she was the absolute ruler, and no one should be getting too familiar with her beloved, Asher.
Lucy, fully aware of the tension building between her and Yuki, tightened her hug, pulling him closer as if to claim him as her own.
She glanced up at Yuki, a playful smile dancing on her lips. 'Jealous?'
The specter's glare intensified, her fists clenching at her sides, while the items around the room began to vibrate, responding to her built up frustration.
Sensing the tension, Lucy finally let go of Asher and sat down beside him.
"Alright, time for a meeting!" Lucy said, her tone turning more casual. "First off, I want to introduce you to her. She's also one of my servants—her name is Yuki."
Her face lit up, excitement replacing her earlier anger.
"Hello!" Yuki said, bowing her head to introduce herself.
But she bowed so low that her forehead almost touched the floor. Her body also twisted in a weird way.
It was either she was an acrobat with a flexible body or a monster like him.
But considering he had turned into an undead, he was leaning toward the latter.
He watched her as she straightened up, her unusual movements making him more warry of her.
"Likewise," he forced a response, not knowing what to say.