"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, his confusion evident.
He struggled to comprehend her words.
Yet instead of providing an answer, the woman gently stroked Arthur's cheek once more.
"It's okay," she reassured him.
"Now is not the time for you to know," she said softly, shaking her head.
Upon hearing this, Arthur pursed his lips and let out a helpless sigh.
"She's right," he acknowledged.
"Perhaps there are still undisclosed secrets that I remain unaware of," he mused, his tone light.
"This is not something I can handle," he sighed, choosing not to pursue further questions.
Afterward, the woman slowly lowered her hand from his face to his lips, lightly caressing them before unexpectedly initiating a passionate kiss.
"Ummm!" Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, but he made no effort to resist and instead surrendered to the moment, relishing in the kiss.
"Ummm~" The woman's tongue gently entered his mouth, their tongues intertwining and swirling in a passionate dance.
The wetness and enticing fragrance of the woman momentarily overwhelmed Arthur, causing his mind to blur slightly.
"Fuahh~" Eventually, the woman broke the kiss, and a trail of saliva stretched between them as they parted.
"Did you enjoy that?" the woman's voice teased in Arthur's ears, causing him to feel a tinge of embarrassment.
"Cough! Yes, it was quite enjoyable," he replied, trying to maintain a casual tone while looking at the woman.
The two locked eyes, and a moment of silence passed between them until Arthur finally decided to break the awkwardness.
"So, is the sensation I feel inside my body what you intended to bestow upon me?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
Arthur's memory of their initial encounter lingered, where he was forcefully kissed by this woman who had handed him the fire core, disguising it as a space core.
And now, this woman was kissing him again, and he felt something enter his body that let him know that perhaps this woman's method of 'giving' should pass through kissing.
"However, is it truly necessary to kiss my mouth in order to give something?" he pondered, observing the woman's face, which radiated a gentle glow.
In some way, he couldn't shake off the lingering sense of being manipulated or taken advantage of by the woman seated in front of him.
Upon hearing Arthur's question, the woman let out a seductive giggle and responded, "Oh, indeed! I've already given you what I should have given earlier."
"And it tasted absolutely delightful, didn't it?" she teased.
"Yes, it felt incredible, and oddly enough, it's as if I've experienced this kiss before," Arthur confessed.
"However, what perplexes me is that my memory of it seems a bit blurry," he added, while gently holding his forehead.
The woman remained silent in response to Arthur's statement, choosing instead to draw nearer and embrace him.
"It's alright; perhaps it was just an illusion, and now it's time for us to go our separate ways," she said softly, her words accompanied by a gentle hug.
"Are we going to part ways soon?" Arthur asked, his voice filled with sadness.
In response to his question, the woman gently pinched his cheek.
"Indeed, time is slipping away, but that doesn't imply that we will never cross paths again," she reassured him.
"Perhaps in the future, our paths will intertwine once more," she added, her tone soothing.
"Really?" Arthur subconsciously asked.
"Of course~"
"The next time we meet, I hope that you will fulfill your mission and come to me."
Her tone was full of tenderness, but somehow Arthur felt that there was something in her tone that was like... hope?
After uttering those words, the woman proceeded, her tone light, saying, "By the way, there is something I must tell you."
"What is it?" Arthur inquired.
"There are a few things you should remember beforehand," she stated firmly.
Arthur nodded attentively, ready to listen.
"Firstly, the item I am giving you is something that you may find incredibly familiar from your previous world," she revealed.
"What is it?" Arthur asked, his curiosity piqued.
However, instead of providing an answer, the woman giggled mischievously and teasingly replied, "Oh, it's a secret, of course."
"You will certainly discover it when you wake up later," she added with a hint of anticipation.
The corner of Arthur's mouth twitched slightly, and he rolled his eyes in a slight frown, not taking her playful remark too seriously.
"And the second thing you should remember, my dear Arthur," she began, the atmosphere suddenly taking on a somber tone that made Arthur feel a sense of unease.
"That woman... she was the one who killed you," she uttered, her voice slightly trembling as she held her breath.
Upon hearing this revelation, Arthur's heart raced, and a name immediately flashed in his mind: "Charlotte!"
"Damn it!"
"Why are we suddenly discussing Charlotte?" Arthur's agitation grew intense.
Fear, trauma, and a myriad of other emotions flooded his body, causing great discomfort for Arthur.
Furthermore, it all served as a haunting reminder of the horrifying moment when he was stabbed with that fruit knife!
The blade possessed a keen edge, capable of puncturing through even the most resilient heart!
The excruciating pain persisted in his mind, refusing to dissipate.
"Is the woman you're mentioning Charlotte?" He asked, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and unease.
"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"
"Can you please explain?" he hurriedly inquired, unable to contain his mounting agitation.
Observing Arthur in such a state, the woman gently massaged his back, her touch soothing and comforting.
"My dear Arthur, can you try to calm down for a moment?" She spoke softly, her gentle voice instantly bringing him a sense of ease and allowing him to gradually regain his composure.
Arthur took a deep breath, feeling the tension dissipate as his gaze cleared.
"I apologize; it's just that the mere mention of her immediately unsettles me," he confessed with frankness and honesty.
The sensation of being stabbed remained vivid in his mind, and an overwhelming trauma was beginning to take root in his soul.
"Why is this woman bringing up Charlotte all of a sudden?" Arthur pondered with a hint of suspicion, lowering his head in contemplation.
Unexpectedly, an extraordinary thought and conjecture crossed his mind.
"No, that can't be!"
"Could it be...?" A conjecture that he had never entertained before, something seemingly impossible to exist within his mind.
Slowly and rigidly, Arthur raised his head to fix his gaze upon the woman, whose face radiated with light, her attention already focused on him.
"That woman was reborn, just like you, dear," the woman directly clarified.
Upon hearing these words, Arthur's mind was instantly jolted, as if a bomb had detonated right above his head.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed in disbelief, struggling to accept the information.
"You... you must be lying," Arthur pleaded, desperately hoping that it was all a fabrication.
Yet the woman shook her head, acknowledging the truth, and replied honestly, "She, too, was reborn. That is a fact."
"As for her whereabouts, I have no knowledge. My powers are limited," she responded with a tinge of sadness.
Confronted with the harsh reality, Arthur felt an overwhelming sense of unease, prompting him to take slow, deep breaths to regain his composure.
"What do you mean by 'your power is limited'?" Arthur inquired, seeking clarification.
"Perhaps you're already aware that every time I contact you, it's always from within this white room," she whispered softly.
Arthur nodded in understanding as the woman proceeded with her explanation.
"In truth, there is a reason why I cannot leave this place," she mentioned casually.
"And that reason is..." The woman paused briefly, locking eyes with Arthur, but then she swiftly shook her head.
"However, that is not important at the moment."
"What is crucial is for you to be aware and cautious of that woman due to her unknown position," she emphasized.
"Moreover, as this is our final encounter for now, I regret to inform you that I may no longer be able to protect you, my dear," she sighed, a touch of melancholy in her voice.
Upon hearing these words, Arthur lowered his head, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty.
Afterward, he lifted his head, meeting the woman's gaze, and reassured her, "It's alright."
"I must face all of this on my own," he soothed, trying to alleviate her concerns.
The woman nodded, acknowledging his resolve, and responded, "Very well, I trust you."
"By the way, it seems that the time has come," she whispered gently, observing Arthur's body gradually emanating a soft glow.
Observing this, Arthur felt an absence of sensation, for he had already experienced it once, though in a different manner.
However, as if a recollection resurfaced within him, Arthur swiftly inquired, "Oh, right!"
"Why did I experience such intense chest pain before losing consciousness?"
"Didn't you mention that once the core of my space awakened, the pain would never reappear?" he asked, perplexed, as his body gradually faded away within the white expanse.
Upon hearing this, the woman gasped in surprise and let out a playful giggle. "Oh, about that..."
"I apologize, my dear," she began.
"In order to bring you here, you had to faint initially, and it coincidentally happened when the intense pain of your intimate awakening caused you to lose consciousness."
"So, I left it as it was, allowing us to reunite now."
"Consider it a testament to my love for you," she said in an apologetic tone, although there was no hint of guilt in her words.
Upon hearing the woman's statement, Arthur froze and couldn't help but feel annoyed.
"You!" At the moment he wanted to say it, his body immediately disappeared from this white world.
As he departed, she gently toyed with his white hair, whispering softly, "Until we meet again, my dear Arthur~,"
"Or perhaps, more accurately, my dear Zayn~"
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