Back in the room, the air hung thick with unspoken questions.
"So, what do you think?" White asked, settling into the chair as Aisha took a slow sip from her steaming cup of coffee.
"Hm… if I'm honest, you need to add more sugar," she replied, eyes flickering over the cup as she savoured the bitter warmth.
"That's not what I meant," White said sharply, slamming both hands on the table in frustration.
Aisha smirked, curling a finger near her lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Hmm… well, about that…"
White's gaze locked onto her, curiosity sharpening his features as he waited for her to continue.
"You look… cute when you cry, you know," she teased, her laughter light but edged with something darker.
White groaned, pressing one hand to his face, the other dropping limply to his lap. "That's not helping… geez."
Aisha leaned in, her tone dropping to something serious yet cryptic. "Actually, it seems the price you needed to pay has already been paid—by removing us from your memories."
The words hit him like a cold wave. "What do you mean by that?" White asked, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"Did you receive any message related to 'price recovered'?" she asked.
"Message?" White thought carefully. Wait—he had received something that morning. Could it be related?
"Yes, I think I received it today morning."
"I see," Aisha murmured, her expression troubled. "But there is one more thing bothering me."
"What?" White asked.
"Hmm… the price needs to be collected one way only. If I had to explain—my existence is something directly tied to nature, even if I'm not fully part of it. But Bell's disappearance… it doesn't make sense."
"I don't know, but now that I think hard, it seems she is losing her purpose."
"Can't you say it in a way I can understand?" White pressed.
"What I mean is… Bell exists because of your desire. She is tied to your wishes, your craving for something. But you've been wary, trying to solve your problems on your own for so long that Bell… she's being erased from this world."
She took another sip, her eyes darkening with worry. "The world is deleting her."
Panic clawed at his chest. "What do you mean, I need Bell? Because… because…"
He hesitated, the truth knotting in his throat. He needed her—whether for his wish or something deeper. But she had come into his life uninvited, turning everything upside down with the side effects of her own desires…
Suddenly, Bell appeared, wrapped in white pajamas, clutching a blanket tightly in her small hands.
"Pa… Pa…" she called softly, still half-asleep.
"Bell…" White whispered, disbelief washing over him as he tried to process everything that had happened today. He paused for a moment, heart pounding.
"Oh, you're awake, Bell! Good evening," Aisha greeted warmly. White rushed to Bell and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her tiny, warm body trembled slightly against him, her breath heavy and uneven.
"Papa…" she murmured, confusion lingering in her sleepy voice.
"Don't worry. Everything's alright now," White promised, relief flooding through him.
"If the world ever tries to take you away from me, I will use any means to save you."
Bell giggled softly and whispered, "I don't understand what you say, but thank you, Papa… for remembering me…"
Aisha let out a sharp whistle as White turned towards her, only to be met with her taunting smile.
"You… really are something else. Stealing back the price from nature by breaking the rules is something even I cannot do. That means you truly loved her more than your own life… Hehe." Aisha giggled teasingly
Embarrassment curled inside him. She was right—he wanted to save Bell, but he had no idea how. And now, two massive problems weighed heavily on him: Shu's situation and Bell's fragile existence. He was utterly lost.
"Tsk… tsk…But I understand why it is like that" Aisha clicked her tongue.
"But for now, your biggest weakness is that you want to save her from being erased, yet you don't even know what the first step is to make it happen."
She rose from her seat, approached them, and gently took Bell from his arms, lifting her up.
"That is what makes you special," Aisha said, her smile softening—not the wicked grin from before but a genuinely gentle one.
"I'll help you with Bell's problem. You focus on the issue with Shu."
"What… but how? If Bell exists because of my desire, then…" White tried to reason, only to be cut off by her firm voice.
"You're forgetting something. You're the reason she exists, but I… I created her. If I hadn't used your emotions, Bell wouldn't be here at all," she said with quiet certainty.
White didn't fully understand, but the weight of her words pressed down on him. He bowed his head, closing his eyes.
"Thank you… thank you for always supporting me. I will never forget what you've done for me."
Aisha's smile twisted into an evil grin. "Ah… now that you mention it, you wished me today, didn't you? And for that, you have to pay the price."
"Re… really?" White stammered, the dread of an unpaid debt settling in.
"Don't worry. Saving you was my desire. It won't cost you much. But when I return, you have to promise me something."
Her lips moved again, but it sounded like a whisper carried by a cold wind. White's eyes widened, the world halting around him as black mist swirled from her, leaving behind a chilling message:
"Keep what I asked for as the price in mind. I need some time, so I'm taking Bell with me. I'll meet you later. And… good luck with Shu."