The next morning, sunlight filtered softly through the small window.
Aisha stood in front of her mother, wearing her maid outfit for the first time. The dress was simple but neat, fitting her small frame perfectly. The white apron, the dark fabric, and the ribbon at her collar made her look unexpectedly elegant… and unbearably cute.
She twirled once, a little shy. "Mommy… how do I look?"
Safiya smiled warmly, her eyes soft. "You look beautiful," she said. "And very lovely."
Aisha's cheeks flushed slightly.
Safiya adjusted the ribbon on her chest and spoke gently. "Honey, this is your first day going to work. Before we go to the castle… let's visit the temple."
"The temple?" Aisha asked.
Safiya nodded. "Yes. We should pray first."
Soon, mother and daughter walked through the village paths and arrived at the small village temple. It wasn't grand or luxurious—just a humble structure made mostly of wood. Time had worn it down, but it was well cared for, filled with quiet reverence.
At the entrance stood a wooden statue of the village god. Its shape was simple, carved by hand, yet it carried a strange sense of calm.
Aisha looked up at it curiously. "…This is God?"
Safiya smiled. "Yes. Come, let's pray."
They stepped inside. Safiya clasped her hands and bowed her head. Aisha copied her, clumsily pressing her palms together.
She closed her eyes.
Please… protect Mommy.
Please… let today go well.
At first, nothing happened.
Then
The air around her began to feel strange.
"Huh…?" Aisha murmured.
The world slowly started to change.
The wooden walls blurred. The sound of the village faded. Light spilled in from everywhere—soft, endless white.
"M-Mommy…?" she called.
No answer.
Her surroundings turned completely white, like she was floating in an endless space.
Then
A presence appeared before her.
Something stood there… waiting.
Aisha's breath caught in her throat as she took a small step forward.
"…Who are you?"
The white space trembled.
Then a calm, echoing voice rang out.
"I am a god. Have you already forgotten me?"
Aisha froze.
Her eyes widened, and the next second
"WHY AM I HERE?!" she shouted.
She clenched her tiny fists, her voice shaking with emotion. "Did I die again?! Is this some kind of joke?! My life was finally good! I was happy! I had a mommy, a home why would you do this to me?!"
The voice paused.
"…Before you misunderstand things," the god said slowly, "let me clarify. You are not dead."
Aisha blinked. "…I'm not?"
"Correct."
She looked around at the endless white space. "Then why am I here?"
The god sighed.
"You truly haven't changed," he said. "Before, you were the same. Now, even after rebirth, you're still the same. You never let anyone finish speaking—and you never believe me."
Aisha crossed her arms. "That's because you sound suspicious."
"…Anyway," the god continued, ignoring her, "you have changed since you were reborn. That's why I brought you here."
Aisha narrowed her eyes. "So why, exactly?"
There was an awkward silence.
"…Because I forgot to tell you something important."
Aisha's eye twitched.
"When you were reborn into that world," the god continued carefully, "I forgot to explain your main goal."
Aisha stared at the empty space for three full seconds.
Then
"…Are you kidding me?"
Her face went completely blank.
"What kind of god forgets something that important?" she said flatly. "You make a mistake, panic later, and drag me into a white void to fix it?"
She pointed accusingly into the air. "Nope. I'm one hundred percent sure now."
The god paused.
"You are NOT a real god."
"…Excuse me?"
"You're a fake god," Aisha declared proudly. "Probably some low-rank spirit pretending to be divine. Nice try, though."
The white space trembled again.
"…You're still very rude," the god muttered.
Aisha puffed out her chest. "And you're still bad at your job."
Silence.
Then, for the first time
The god laughed.
The god let out a long breath, still chuckling.
"You are funny, Aisha," he said. "It has been decades since I've laughed this much."
Aisha placed her hands on her hips.
"Happy to help. My talent is making suspicious beings uncomfortable."
The god cleared his throat.
"…But jokes aside," he continued, his voice growing heavier, "I called you here for something important."
Aisha immediately stiffened. "…Why does that sentence always sound bad?"
"You are connected to the fate of this world," the god said. "And one day, you may have to save it."
Aisha blinked once.
Twice.
Then
"…Save this world?"
She pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yes."
Aisha squinted. "…How?"
The god didn't answer immediately.
"And more importantly," Aisha added, narrowing her eyes,
"save it from who?"