Lucian did not hesitate, he tightened his hold over the knife and then—

Pierce

He stabbed his own thigh.

"Khhkkhh!!"

He groaned in pain, blood spilled instantly, Sarah clenched her teeth, to think someone could inflict such pain on themselves without having the need to...

She looked at Lucian, he was in pain.

Of course he was.

His jaw tightened, his fingers pressed against the floor, but he remained seated and pulled the knife out.

Then, Butcher’s Mercy activated, a faint red light moved from the relic and entered his body, making sure his body didn’t shut down.

The False Death Seal fought his natural recovery.

Lucian then moved his demonic energy towards the wound, but the moment he did, the Widow’s Thread tightened.

He used too much energy.

"AAgghhh..."

Lucian screamed as he clenched his fists, he controlled his demonic energy, slowing his regeneration, the Widow’s Thread stopped.

Then, Lucian tried again.

His Healing was too slow, he needed to do better, so he moved more demonic energy, this time, much more carefully.

He tried and tried again.

Forcing his healing through the False Death Seal’s suppression, and not reaching the limit where Widow’s Thread would activate, all while Butcher’s Mercy made sure he didn’t die or lose consciousness.

Sarah watched it all in horror.

After about a half-hour-long intense fight against three artifacts, the wound finally closed, Lucian removed the artifacts and let out a huge sigh of relief.

Sarah sighed with him, thinking this was over.

But then—

"Too long."

Lucian spoke up.

"...what?"

Sarah’s expression changed.

"A stab like that should heal under 10 minutes."

"What...?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"I need to redo it."

Lucian spoke and Sarah...

She just... stared at him.

He was pale.

He was covered in sweat.

There was still blood on the floor.

His body was still trembling.

His breathing was not normal either.

And yet...

Yet he was still calmly preparing to repeat everything.

And Sarah... she had no words.

Sarah had seen many kinds of people in the supernatural world.

Cowards.

Monsters.

Hunters.

Victims.

Fanatics.

Survivors.

But Lucian Cross was something else.

A Freak.

A Smiling, Bleeding, Impossible Freak.

Lucian picked up the knife again, then he paused and looked at her.

"You can still leave, you know."

"No."

Sarah’s face hardened.

"Brave."

He smiled.

Sarah on the other hand, just lowered her head and—

"Someone has to watch, so you remember there is still a person in the room."

She spoke in a low, unsure voice and Lucian...

His smile weakened for a slight second.

"Thank you."

"Just stab yourself, will you?"

Sarah screamed in annoyance.

"How cruel."

Lucian pouted, but then, his expression turned serious and he—

Pierce

He stabbed himself again.

...

The nightmare continued for about three hours, Sarah watched it all and the more she watched the more of a freak Lucian became in her eyes.

After three hours, once he was finally done, once he finally removed the three artifacts from him, he lay on the floor again, panting heavily.

Sarah walked towards him with a bottle of water.

"Thank you."

He smiled.

Sarah didn’t say anything, she just watched him sit down and drink.

"So...?"

Lucian grinned when he looked at her.

"So what?"

"Had fun?"

"Fun...?"

Sarah wanted to slap him.

"You are a nightmare."

"I have been called worse."

Lucian chuckled, but Sarah shook her head.

"You do not understand. I have seen people use those things on prisoners, I have seen what they do to someone who does not want them used.

And you look at them like they were weights in a gym.

It was absurd.

You are not normal."

Lucian glanced at the artifacts, he then picked them up and started putting them back in the case, then, once he closed the case for the day, he turned back towards Sarah and—

"I drank Incubus Blood, Sarah.

I am obviously not normal."

"That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about how abnormal your so-called traini—"

Sarah tried to counter but then—

"If I had not trained like this, I would have died during my first mission."

Lucian spoke in a quiet voice and Sarah...

She momentarily turned silent.

Then—

"I... know what you are trying to say...

I understand that as well.

I just...

To think your teacher trains you like this... I just can’t—"

"Oh no no.

Don’t misunderstand.

My teacher doesn’t train me like this."

Lucian quickly shook his head.

"Her training’s far worse."

Sarah blinked at those words...

"Far worse...? Than this...?"

"Well...

You can’t exactly fit everything she uses inside a little case."

Lucian shrugged and Sarah...

She had no idea what to say.

"Your teacher terrifies me."

"Smart."

Lucian smiled.

"But..."

Sarah looked at the case, then she looked at him and...

"I understand a little more now."

"Understand what?"

Sarah looked at him.

"Why Miss Starling feels safe when you are around."

Lucian blinked at those words, then he smiled. Sarah on the other hand, started walking.

"Come on. If you collapse here, I am not carrying you."

"How cruel~"

"You are heavy."

"You have not even tried."

"I have instincts. They say no."

Lucian laughed softly as he followed her with a faint smile.

They left the training room together, Lucian still looked amused and Sarah still looked... disturbed.

Though with the time they spent together, something changed.

Sarah no longer saw him as a connected pretty boy or an annoying recruit she couldn’t rely on, now that she saw a piece of what was hiding behind his smile, now that she had seen the things he did to have the confidence he had...

Sarah began to... trust him more.

The two quickly returned to the protected floor, Sarah was still pale, she knew she wasn’t going to forget what she saw for a very very long time.

Lucian, on the other hand, looked annoyingly fine.

He was walking with a grin as if his mind had already forgotten everything that happened, carrying the black case as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Sarah looked at the case, then at him.

"You carry that thing like it is a lunchbox."

"It is important to eat well."

Lucian shrugged and looked at the case.

Sarah’s mouth twitched.

"You are a freak."

"I prefer unique."

Before Sarah could answer, a voice came from the side.

"Sarah Black."

Sarah froze.

Lucian’s smile widened before he even turned.

He had already heard him coming, he just didn’t say anything because he wanted to see the exact expression Sarah had on her face right now.

The two turned around and saw Alaric standing at the end of the hallway. The Commander looked at Sarah and—

"You left your assigned post without clearance."

Sarah froze.

She...

She completely forgot!