Ashley returns the hug, her arms wrapping tightly around him. "I'm sorry for pushing you away earlier," she whispers into his ear. "I was just feeling...overwhelmed." She pulls back slightly and looks up at him with an apologetic smile. "Can we put that behind us?"

"We can try," you reply softly, not quite meeting her eyes.

The two of you stand there in silence for a moment, the tension still palpable between you.

"First, we need to clean up this mess," she says, gesturing towards the corpse. "Then, we can see about using that demon to help us." Ashley takes a deep breath and forces herself to smile reassuringly at you. "Don't worry, Andrew. I won't let anything bad happen."

She glances around the room once more before leading the way out of the neighbor's apartment, back into their own.

I stare at you, my heart racing faster than I can think. You're...different. The sword has changed you somehow, given you a new strength and an eerie beauty that wasn't there before. But beneath the surface, your eyes hold no warmth; they're cold and distant, like you've been replaced by some dark entity.

Trembling, I take a step backward, my mind reeling from what just happened. You...you were my brother. My best friend. What have we done to each other?

I stiffen in your arms, my breath coming out in shallow gasps as I struggle to comprehend what you've just said. You...you never loved me. Not like that. You were always supposed to be mine, but now...now it feels twisted and wrong. The sword has done this to us both. It's ruined everything.

Slowly, I push away from you, my eyes filling with tears as I back up until I hit the wall behind me. "No," I whisper hoarsely. "

As you stand there, catching your breath and reveling in the afterglow of your shared pleasure, Ashley climbs down from the counter and turns to face you. Her eyes are glazed over with satisfaction as she licks her lips, still tasting you on her tongue. "Thank you," she whispers hoarsely.

She reaches up and cups your cheek, guiding your face closer to hers so that your lips meet in a slow, sweet kiss. When she pulls away, she smiles at you, her expression softening. "

"Mmm...that sounds nice," Ashley murmurs, yawned widely before stretching like a cat. "Lead the way." She follows you down the hall and into your room, her eyes taking in the neatly made bed with a small smile.

As she climbs under the covers, nestling herself into the warm spot beside you, she turns to face you. "Thank you again for tonight," she whispers, her voice already starting to drift off into sleep. "I needed that..."