[Paris, The Museum Louvre - Second Floor | Bottom Level]


    "This is the associate of Jaxon you mentioned?" she inquired, her voice sharp and clear.


    "Yes, ma''am," the guard replied, standing at attention. "He ims to be here on official business."


    The woman, who I assumed was the supervisor, motioned for me to sit.


    "State your purpose, "Mercenary Axel," she demanded, her tone brooking no argument.


    "I''m here to assess a potential security risk,"


    I replied calmly, meeting her gaze with unwavering confidence.


    "I have reason to believe that a specific area of the museum may be targeted."


    Her eyebrows arched in surprise. "Specific area?" she repeated, her voice sharp. "Which one?"


    "The Tower Shard," I replied, my voice a low murmur. "It houses a priceless artifact that could be a target for theft or vandalism."


    The supervisor leaned forward, her interest piqued. "I see," she said, her voice a calcted drawl.


    "And how did youe across this information, Mr. Axel?"


    Before I could answer, she adjusted her sses, her eyes scanning a screen that was obscured from my view.


    A flicker of concern crossed her face.


    "We have a suspicious individual on the second floor, nearing the Tower Shard," she muttered to herself, then spoke into her radio.


    "All units, be advised. We have a potential threat in the vicinity of the Tower Shard. Keep a close watch, but do not engage unless absolutely necessary."


    I watched the screen reflected in her sses, a figure in a dark hooded robe, bandages wrapped tightly around his right arm, moving erratically through the crowd.


    It must be the negative mana stone, It''s causing him to act this way.


    The supervisor turned back to me, her voice a low murmur.


    "Mr. Axel, I''m going to need you to wait here while we investigate this situation. It seems your concerns were not unfounded."


    I nodded agreeing, but there was no way I''d simply sit still.


    Then just as she was getting up from her seat a camera suddenly went static.


    That was when I knew something was going down.


    The supervisor, her face now a mask of grim determination, barked orders into her radio.


    "Dispatch, I need immediate backup in the Tower Shard room. Repeat, immediate backup!"


    She turned to the guard. "Come on, let''s move."


    They rushed out of the office, leaving me alone with the glowing monitors and the unfolding chaos.


    I watched as Jasper grew closer to the Tower Shard, breaking camera after camera.


    I couldn''t just sit there and watch as security guards unknowingly walked into a deathtrap.


    Jasper''s proximity to the negative mana stone was amplifying his instability, and anyone who approached him would be coteral damage.


    "These people can''t die," I muttered.


    I slipped out of the office, leaving the door slightly open and dashed towards the room.


    "Hey!" the supervisor''s voice called out, sharp and demanding. "Where are you going?!"


    "Evacuate everyone within the building," I instructed without breaking stride, my voice echoing with the authority of a seasoned mercenary. "And lock down the each room."


    Without waiting for a response I pushed forward.


    ***


    Jasper''s ragged breaths echoed in the Tower Shard''s hushed chamber, his eyes fixated on the shimmering artifact disyed within the reinforced ss case.


    His lips pulled back into a feral grin, revealing stained teeth.


    "Take... must... take..." he rasped, his voice raspy and guttural.


    A small hand tugged at his brown cloak, a timid voice piercing his manic haze.


    "Excuse me, sir... have you seen my mommy?"


    Jasper turned around, his eyes burning with a twisted rage.


    The little girl, lost and frightened, stared up at him, clutching a tattered teddy bear to her chest.


    "GET OUT!"


    Jasper roared, his voice a monstrous echo in the confined space.


    The child stumbled back, her eyes wide with terror, tears streaming down her face.


    "DIE!"


    With a sickening crackle, the bandages around Jasper''s right arm burst open, revealing a grotesque, mutated limb that had transformed into a jagged, purple de.


    The girl, paralyzed with fear, fell to her knees, her tiny body trembling.


    Jasper raised his mutated arm, preparing to strike.


    But just as the de began its descent, a blur of motion shed before his eyes.


    CLANG!!!


    The mutated de was met by the ckened steel, stopping its deadly trajectory.


    Following the sh, a shockwave of ck lightning erupted from the point of contact.


    Crackling along the length of his de and rushing towards Jasper.


    Tendrils of dark aura danced and writhed, damaging his mutated limb.


    Jasper stumbled back, his mutated arm spasming in pain.


    His eyes settled on the man who guarded the girl from certain death.


    "...!"


    A figure in all ck held a unique hybrid sword drawn.


    Its gold-ted hilt and cupped guard shined in the dim light, while the de, enveloped in a dark aura, seemed to swirl in the shadows around it.


    He adjusted his mask and as soon as he shook off Jasper''s blood, he looked up towards him with a menacing gaze.


    "Did you miss me?"


    He said, his voice a chilling whisper that looked up into the eyes of a demi-human.


    "Jasper."


    As the two stood still for a moment a sudden rush of heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.


    A group of security guards, alerted by themotion, burst into the Tower Shard room, their weapons drawn.


    But their advance came to a screeching halt as they beheld the monstrous figure that Jasper had be.


    His once human form was now a grotesque of its former self.


    Twisted horns sprouted from his head, his hair a stark white, and his body a horrifying patchwork of normal flesh and demonic corruption.


    One half was human, pale and scarred, while the other was a sickening blend of dark red and purple, pulsating with unnatural energy.


    "What in God''s name...?" one guard muttered, his voice trembling with fear.


    "I''ve never seen anything like it," another whispered, his hand shaking as he gripped his baton.


    Rel, sensing their hesitation, seized the opportunity.


    "Take the girl," hemanded his voice a sharp bark that cut through the stunned silence.


    "Now."


    The guards spurred into action by Rel''s authoritative tone, quickly surrounded the terrified child, forming a protective barrier around her.


    With a final, lingering look at the terrifying image unfolding before them, they ushered the girl away, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridors.


    __________


    Authors Notes:


    - All humans that consume the form for the demon drug have faster healing speeds than most heroes.


    - Due to Rel''s speed he could blitz down the corridor with ease, which was the reason why he outsped all security guards.