38:Messed Up Situation

"Lukas!" Saber woke up and looked at Lukas crouching down with a pale expression. Panic surged through him as he ran toward Lukas to see what had happened.

Saber's heart stopped the moment Lukas touched the dead specter and collapsed to the ground. Terror gripped him as he shouted and dashed forward, kneeling beside his fallen comrade.

What he saw froze him in place.

Lukas's veins bulged unnaturally across his body, dark and twisting beneath his skin like shadowy vines. They pulsed, expanding and contracting as if alive, each surge seeming to draw him deeper into agony. His hands clawed at the ground, fingers curling with such force they nearly broke under the strain.

"AHHHHH!"

Muffled screams and gasps erupted from Lukas as he writhed in pain, rolling on the ground.

Saber's gaze moved to Lukas's face, and a chill ran down his spine. Lukas's eyes had turned a deep, darkish hue with a purplish gleam glowing with terrifying intensity.