The god's voice echoed calmly through the white space.
"Until now, you only know a small part of the world you were reborn into," he said.
"This planet has endured over a thousand years of war between humans and demons."
Aisha frowned. "Yeah, yeah. Humans vs demons. I read that in books."
"But that history is about to move again," the god continued.
"A new Demon King will be born soon. And he will be the strongest in history."
Aisha's eyes widened.
"…Wait. You're joking, right?"
She pointed at herself.
"You want me to fight him? I'm six years old! Six! I can barely reach the table, and you're talking about demons?! I'm not a hero!"
"I know," the god replied calmly.
"You cannot be a hero."
Aisha blinked. "Huh?"
"The true hero has already been born," the god said.
"He will rise in the imperial capital of the Karki Empire."
Aisha crossed her arms. "Then go bother him. Why are you telling me all this?"
"You are not meant to help the hero," the god said.
"…Then what do you want from me?" Aisha snapped. I'm not fighting demons. I'm not helping heroes. I just want to live quietly!
The god paused.
When you turn sixteen," he said slowly,
"the war between humans and demons will begin again. and you will be the one who sets it in motion.
Aisha froze.
"…What?"
"That's impossible," she said quickly.
"The war ended thirty years ago. Both sides agreed to stop fighting. Everyone knows that!"
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"So why do you want to start it again? What kind of god wants to destroy his own world?"
She pointed accusingly.
"You're seriously weird. I'm telling you now I don't want to become a villainess either."
The god chuckled softly.
"I know," he said.
"Right now, you don't want to."
Aisha felt a chill.
"But the future you will choose differently,"
the god continued.
"Why… how… and where you learn that truth—those answers belong to the future."
"…That's way too vague," Aisha muttered.
The white space began to tremble.
"Our meeting ends here," the god said.
"Goodbye, Aisha."
"Hey! Wait!" Aisha shouted.
"At least explain—!"
Before she could finish her sentence, the light swallowed her whole.
Aisha gasped.
Her eyes snapped open.
She was back in the village temple, standing before the wooden statue as if nothing had happened.
Her heart was pounding.
"…I swear," she muttered quietly,
"that god is absolutely suspicious."
Safiya looked at Aisha with gentle concern. "What's wrong, honey? I know this is your first time going to work at this age, but we don't have another choice. And remember, if you need anything, you can always call me, okay?"
Aisha nodded. "Okay, Mommy."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You know, Mommy… why do we worship this god and not some other one? There are so many regional gods, right?"
Safiya raised an eyebrow. "Well… this one is our protector, and the villagers have always honored him."
Safiya placed a hand on Aisha's shoulder, her voice calm and warm. "I know it's hard to understand, honey, but think about it. This god created humans, demons, and all kinds of creatures and he loves them all equally. That's why we must respect everyone, just like him."
Aisha gaze shifted to the wooden statue. She squinted. "…But he doesn't look like him at all. I'm one hundred percent sure he isn't our god. No real god would want to start a war. Nope. Not buying it. This has to be some low-level spirit pretending to be divine. Classic fake-god energy."
Safiya blinked, unsure whether to scold her or laugh. "Aisha… you really have a way of thinking outside the box, don't you?"
Aisha smirked. "Of course! Someone's got to keep the so-called gods in check."
To reach the castle from the village, there was only one road. On both sides stretched thick forests not dangerous in themselves, but if anyone wandered inside, they could easily get lost. The trees were filled with illusions, twisting paths and shapes that made it impossible to find your way back. No one knew who or whatcreated them. Some said monsters, some said humans, but the locals simply called it the Forest of Illusions.
"Remember, Aisha," Safiya said gently as they walked along the road, "never go into the forest. Understood?"
Aisha nodded seriously. "Yes, Mommy. I won't go there."
After a short walk, the castle finally appeared in the distance. Its sheer size made Aisha's small heart race. Towers reached toward the sky, walls glimmered in the morning light, and the massive gates loomed before them like a storybook palace.
Two guards stood at attention in front of the gates. Safiya stepped forward gracefully and greeted them.
"Good morning," she said warmly.
The guards nodded and returned the greeting.
One of them glanced at the small figure
beside Safiya. "Safiya… who is this child?"
"This is my daughter," Safiya replied with a soft smile.
The guard's eyes widened slightly, and he crouched a little to look at Aisha. "She's… so cute! And she's working here?"
"Yes," Safiya said.
"What's your name, little one?" the guard asked kindly.
"I'm Aisha," she answered, her voice small but proud.
"Aisha, are you really going to work today? Here, take this card just like your mother has. You'll need it to enter the castle, so don't lose it. And remember, never go alone. The road can be dangerous if you wander by yourself. Inside the castle, there are nobles, and if you misstep, they can do anything. So be careful and behave properly, just like your mother. I know you're a good girl, but I'm giving you this lesson so you understand how serious it is."
"Wait… you're really giving her a lesson? And this is her first day?" the other guard asked with a grin. "You're scaring her more than the castle itself!"
The guard chuckled and said, "I'm not trying to scare her. I only told her these things because she's my friend's daughter. I just want her to be careful, that's all."
Safiya smiled warmly. "Don't worry about her. She's quite talented she can handle this just fine."
The guards smiled warmly, stepping aside as Safiya and Aisha passed through the grand gates. Together, they entered the castle. Aisha's eyes widened even more inside, the halls were bigger and more splendid than anything she had ever imagined.