Aysha felt fear like never before. She was frozen to the spot, staring at Craytia who had her head tilted to the side and her arms crossed over her chest. Had she truly been that obvious the entire time.

Craytia sighed. "Like, I said, I'm not exactly surprised. I saw the man you talked to at the party. That noble is not one who you want to be in cohorts with. He has destroyed multiple people for his own sake and nobody else's."

Aysha looked down, her fists clenched. Craytia had no right to talk about another person killing for his own sake. She had done the same thing even more so.

Aysha replied to Craytia with a soft but boldly affirmed voice. "You've killed people for your own sake as well, so what difference is there between you and him?"

Aysha looked up to meet Craytia's eyes, a silent anger in her brown eyes. Craytia, to Aysha's surprise, laughed. As in, she doubled over and laughed, wiping tears away from her eyes. Aysha didn't know how to react and simply blinked, baffled. When Craytia was done laughing, she swung an arm around Aysha's shoulders. Aysha didn't push her away, still confused.

"Wow, you are the only person who has ever confronted me on that. All the others I sponsored sucked up to me and agreed with my every decision and thought. It was rather annoying, yet here you are openly defying me. You truly are an interesting one Aysha, and I can tell I'll be enjoying your company," Craytia explained.

Aysha nodded in response to Craytia's words. She knew that Craytia had killed her previous sponsorees. Anyone who she felt hadn't reached her expectations had been swiftly killed with no mercy. Aysha felt a feeling of pride blooming throughout her chest knowing that she had reached Craytia's expectations.

Craytia led her out of the basement and into the dining room. There was another door that Aysha assumed led to the kitchen.

"Wanna eat something?"

Aysha's stomach rumbled at the thought of food.

"Yes," Aysha said.

"Come on, then." Craytia opened the door that led to the kitchen as Aysha followed behind her.

The kitchen was just as extravagant as every other part of the house. The lights were bright and illuminated every single part of the kitchen. Various types of pans hung from a special rack. A closet within the kitchen held different types of spices and ingredients.

"What are we making?" Aysha asked. Personally, she wanted to try making a vanilla cake. While it sounded plain, she hadn't had it in such a long time. She specifically wanted to make the vanilla cake that her mother used to make for her. Vanilla cake with sliced strawberries on it and honey in each layer. Simply thinking about it made Aysha close her eyes and her mouth water in bliss.

Craytia snapped her fingers in Aysha's face. "Hey, what do you want to make?"

Aysha blinked snapping out of her trance. "Hm? Oh, I thought you'd be deciding."

Craytia shrugged and raised a brow at her. "Do you want me to choose what to make?"

Aysha's gaze found its way to the floor again. She bit her lip, her eyebrows scrunched together, her deep in thought.

"Can we...can we make vanilla cake with strawberries and honey in each layer?" She asked with a flicker of hope passing across her face.

Craytia smiled at her. "Sure."

Craytia entered the closet and brought all the necessary ingredients. Flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and everything else needed. Craytia looked to Aysha expectantly. "Aren't you going to start?"

Aysha blinked and slowly shook her head. "I don't know how to make it."

Craytia got aprons for the both of them, a sly smile on her face. "Are you ready?"

Aysha tilted her head to the side in slight confusion. Ready? What would she need to be ready for? Craytia tied the apron around Aysha's waist and did the same thing for herself.

"Ready to have some fun, of course. Our world is already as bleak as it is Aysha. There's no point in contributing to it."

Aysha let out a small snort as Craytia led her in measuring the ingredients and mixing certain ones. "You have contradicted yourself on more than one occasion. You say things of this nature, but you forget that you are also contributing to the bleakness of our world. I...I want to change things. I don't want things to be this way."

Aysha had a sad, weak smile on her face as she continued with the ingredients. Her shoulders had drooped and her movements had become slower and almost, meaningful in a way. Her eyes were glassy as though she could cry just from remembering her mother's kind, and loving eyes. The way her ivory skin would seem to glow when hit by the sunlight. Her kinky afro had always been such an interesting thing to a younger Aysha. Just the feeling of the soft curls in her hands...she missed her mother dearly.