A lot of things has changed ever since then…..
After the supposed normal mission, the El search encountered Aisha six months after she had disappeared. Unfortunately, the brief reunion was an unpleasant one with her attacking everyone, even Add himself.
"Aisha…."
He couldn't believe what had happened. The way she looked at him, there was little to no emotion. She wasn't the same person she was before.
"Are you…..doing okay?" Elsword went to check on him
"Of course not"
"Yeah. I thought so"
Elsword knows it must be hard for Add so he want to at least comfort him at times like this.
"The way she looked at me. It's like it's not her at all"
"As much as I want to hate it, Aisha may have been fully consumed by her demon nature"
"Why…..why her…..?"
"We don't know if she's on the demons' side or not, but we'll definitely figure it out"
The Knight Emperor tapped his shoulder, looking at the Doom Bringer with fully determined eyes.
"We'll only know once we encounter her again"
"What if she's not the same person? I….I don't want to lose her"
"Let's just hope it's not too late for her. That the Aisha we knew is still there"
Even Elsword fears the Aisha they encountered the other day is no longer the same one they all knew.
"What if Aisha did really side with the demons?" Chung sat on his cannon
"It's like what happened with my brother Aren….." Ara lowered her head
"Tsk! Those bastards even took one of our comrades"
Much like the rest of the El search party, Rena is worried for what will happen next. There's a high possibility Aisha is siding with the demons, but there's a chance she's just on her own.
Meanwhile…..
Many shadow demons roam the Hall of water and in the center of it is Ran who sat comfortably on a dark throne. Amidst the quietness, he set his unenthusiastic glance at the direction of slow yet rhythmic footsteps. He recognized the figure so he isn't too surprised at who it is.
"It's just you…." He sighed
With little energy, Ran stood up and faced the Aether Sage who paid a visit which is uncommon in his opinion.
"You annihilated Shadow Master the other day. It makes me question your loyalty"
"I have my own motives. One of them is confronting the El search party myself"
"If you plan on killing them, then why didn't you?"
Ran referred to how Aisha just warned the El search party to not get in her way before leaving after a short moment.
"It makes me think….if you still retained feelings for your old comrades"
"I no longer feel anything. My old human self has completely disappeared"
Even though Aisha says that, Ran still has his doubts judging from her recent action. Still, Aisha is a powerful demon so he can't set that aside.
"If your minions fail to eliminate those people…..then I will have to do it myself. And this time….none of them would survive"
"Even that man?"
"Even him"
She told Ran how she really do plan on eliminating the El search party herself if the demons guarding each area fail to do so.
"Then you better take it in mind, you are Aisha Landar…..a demon, not a human"
"I know that very well" Aisha sighed
"I expect your motives doesn't go against our kind"
"You can assure that"
Aisha ended her short conversation with Ran and before she leaves, Ran almost forgot to tell her something.
"Those nuisances has just defeated the Coral Sea Serpents. They're currently heading to the Ancient Waterway"
"So?"
"So you have to make sure they don't pass there….and prove who side you're really on"
"Fine….."
She viewed it as an annoying task, but Ran is the commander of the demons invading Hamel so she has to go with it or it will be more troublesome for her.
Ancient Waterway…..
There are various creatures infesting the Ancient Waterway with Shadow demons being the most common ones. Even if she's not in the mood as of the moment, she doesn't want any headache and to deal with Ran is annoying for her so she just went with it.
"This such a pain to deal with….."
Using her magic, Aisha sensed the El search party paving their way through the Ancient Waterway.
"This is….."
Aisha looked at the necklace hung around her neck. It's the necklace Add gave her before her demon nature took over. Something inside her etched…..something that keeps reminding her. It reminded a memory that remained deep inside her.
"Here" Add hung a necklace around her neck
"A necklace?" Aisha inspected the pendant
"It's a necklace my mother gave to me. It's my only reminder of her"
"Then why did you gave it to me?"
"So you have a reminder of me. Also….it means you're very precious to me"
His grin and reason made her blush, feeling a little flustered at what he said.
"This way, even if I'm not with you…..you won't forget me"
"Thank you, Add. I'll treasure this…..forever"
When she smiled gratefully, Add placed his hands on her cheeks and returned a smile as well. It was one of the moments Aisha would never forget.
"Add….."
She shook her head, reminding herself it's not the same as before. Sensing the El search party drawing closer to where she is, she retreated to the Heart of the Ancient waterway and let Taranvash deal with her former group.
"Why….why are these feelings still here?"
Unable to realize it, Aisha bit her lip and wondered about the strangeness going on deep inside her soul.
"I can't let these feelings be in the way. Not until…..I accomplish my goal"
She clenched her chest, unable to handle to different ray of emotions stirring inside her.
Meanwhile….
With a final leap in the air, Raven dealt the final blow with an overheated Nasod arm and smashed a mad Taranvash down to the ground. The mad guardian stopped moving, signifying the El search party had won.
"Hmm?"
"Eve, what's wrong?" Rena noticed Eve gazing blankly somewhere
"Unknown immense energy detected. Most likely magic, but I can't distinguish what kind"
"Where?" Raven twisted his left arm
"500 meters north from our location"
"If it's evil, I'll tear it apart"
"We don't even know the source….." Rena sighed at Raven's….over enthusiasm
While the others are discussing about continuing, Add is the only one silent. The memory of how Aisha looked down on him coldly, keeps haunting him.
"Other than the unknown energy, there's a large physical being 400 meters north as well
Their ground shook, indicating the source is not far from where they are. To solve the problem with the waterway, the El search party decided to head for the heart of the waterway.
"They're coming here. Viktor, you deal with them"
"Gahahaha!"
The large, violence loving demon, bumped its own fists, excited for the group to reach the current area. Contrast to Viktor, Aisha has little to no motivation with facing her former comrades with her emotions conflicting her decision.
(Add…..)
She wanted to forget all she ever felt for Add, but the feelings don't want to just go away. She doesn't understand why no matter what she does, the feelings remains.
"Why…..won't…..it go away…..?!"
Confused and not sure what to do, Aisha pressed her temple with her hands, wanting to rid of the emotions that refused to disappear. As she deals with her conflict, the El search party arrives and they all stopped, looking at their former comrade.
"Aisha…."
Wanting to know what had happened to her for the past few months, Add stepped forward, but the demon Viktor jumped down, causing heavy impact.
"Woah! That's one big demon" Chung readied his cannon
"Tch! They just keep coming. At least I can smash this one" Raven doesn't really care what demon he fights
Viktor charged forward, but the El search party evaded the seemingly unstoppable force. A fight quickly begun with Aisha observing the scene. She turns away to leave and seeing this, Add won't just let things end without getting answers.
"Aisha!"
He powered his Dynamos and jumped over Viktor. The large demon attempted to stop Add, but Chung smashed its face with his cannon, followed by Ara doing a dive kick.
"Aisha!" He called her out once again
".….." She stopped and turned to look at him
Her conflicting feelings grew when she faced him closely. Something she hasn't done for a long time.
"We have to talk"
"There's nothing to talk about. Especially to you….Add"
"Don't you think I didn't notice. Aisha, I know you're hurt right now. You're hurt in the inside"
Aisha reacted, but she did not respond to him as both her mind and her heart are in a turmoil.
"You disappeared for months and reappear like this. Even if it's like you're not the same as before, I know it's still you"
".….." She reacted again, but silently
"You don't have to keep all that pain to yourself. I don't want to see you…..keeping all that suffering to yourself!"
"You…..just don't get it….." Aisha lowered her head
".….?"
Different emotions stirred inside her as her magic swelled up and becoming visible.
"It hurts so much because of you"
"Ai….sha…..?"
"It's because of how you made me feel for you, it hurts so much!"
She released a large amount of magic, increasing the pressure on the area, forcing both Viktor and the El search party to feel like being crushed and suffocated.
"These emotions inside. I just want it gone"
(Aisha…..)
"I just want to get rid of everything that made me human, but these feelings won't go away"
"That's because both your memories and feelings define you, the Aisha I know!"
".…..?!"
"Do you think I'm just going to do nothing while you're suffering. What kind of man am I if I let the woman I love suffer?"
His words struck her as if a part of herself found a way out of the darkness. Still, Aisha wants to restrain the feelings she had when she was human.
"You really are an idiot…."
She raised her hand and a magic circle appeared above them, covering the whole area. Before Aisha can use her magic, Add rushed to her and before she can react in time, he grabbed her…..and embraced her.
"My feelings for you….will never change. That's why, I just want the Aisha I know to come back….because it hurts me seeing you like that"
"Ed…..ward….."
"What I feel for you is true. So that's why….I don't want you to just get rid of them. I will always love you and you know that"
The conflict grew worse and this made her feel an array of different emotions. Unable to handle them, Aisha lost herself at that moment….
".….?!"
Raw power pierced right through Add's side. A mixed of burning and stinging feeling rushed to Add's body. His grip loosened and as he is downed to his knees, he saw blood quickly bleeding out from where magic blasted right through him.
"Add…..!" Elsword couldn't move
"If I kill you…..will all these feelings go away?"
Aisha prepare to smite him with powerful magic and gazing right to her eyes, Add didn't respond, realizing something.
".….."
As she is about to squeeze her hand, her other hand grabbed her wrist. Her mind is thrown into chaos with her old feelings struggling to remind her something.
"A….Add….." Her voice softened
"Aisha?" He heard the voice of the Aisha she knows
"I….I….."
Before she could continue to speak, she used magic again, but only enough to provide privacy between the two.
"What the….."
The wound does hurt, but he realized he isn't struck at a vital spot. It's like Aisha made it so he wouldn't die.
"Even after what I have become...you still remain inside my head. It's confusing to why I can't stop myself from thinking of you"
Aisha, who had gave in to the demonic blood cursed upon her, had changed emotionally after she had fled from Add and her friends. She "lost" the warm feelings she felt for Add...or at least that's what she wanted to believe.
"These emotions...these feelings...won't go away...as long as you exist"
"...?!" Add took a step back
Add had never feared any enemy who desired to kill him at all costs, but he reacted when Aisha expressed a slight desire to do the same thing to him.
"Yet I can't bring myself to kill you. I...don't understand at all"
"It's because you're feelings are still the same. I still love you - human or demon. I love you for who you are"
"..."
"Aisha, that's why I'll never give up on you...because these feelings are real!"
For a brief moment, Add's words got through her. Fearful and concerned over the lingering human emotions, Aisha released a large amount of magical energy that it broke the barrier and reached both sides, knocking everyone back.
"Ai...sha..." The Pysker stood back on his feet
Aisha, who rejected the human emotions overwhelming her, left the battlefields without a word.
Later…
In the Hall of Water, Ran glares at an expressionless Aisha, visibly upset the El search party defeated Viktor and solved the problem on the waterway.
"Why didn't you finish them off?"
"I don't know. Why didn't you finish them off?" It's like she wanted to anger him on purpose
He feels irritated at her uncaring attitude, but he remained calm as letting emotions drive him isn't likely of him.
"You used magic to cut yourself and that human off from outside interference. What exactly happened at the minutes you used that sealing spell?"
"Something between 'Don't get in my way' and 'I'm not who you think I am anymore'...sort of" She shrugged her shoulders
"That's awfully suspicious, you know"
Ran swung his blade, glaring at her with hostile and furious eyes. Aisha, on the other hand, couldn't care less at the way he looks at her.
"Just like how you killed that demon with a human sister some time ago"
"Oh...you must mean Samuel. A human who became a demon after after being used on an experiment. Sort of like me except I was used a catalyst rather than a test subject"
She clearly remembers how he killed the demon she referred as 'Samuel', but shows no remorse or whatsoever after murdering a former human just like her.
"Where does your loyalty lie exactly?"
She flash stepped in front of her and pointed his sword a few inches from her throat. Aisha took a deep breath, seeing his face as rather unsightly. She closed her eyes for a brief a moment and released magic far greater than his.
"Let me remind you, you don't get to order me around all the time. I am working with you, not for you"
"You….."
"That's why you don't have the right to question my loyalty. Because it only lies on myself"
The demons around feared the large amount of magic Aisha is releasing and backed away. Ran may not be intimidated as the other demons, but to a degree, he knows who he is facing at.
"I am Aisha Landar, the Aether Sage...and a demon"
"..."
"It's because of human selfishness and greed, I became like this. Well...it's because of them I lost the feelings that made me human"
Aisha loosened up a bit and toned down the magical energy she's emitting, and gently pressed her chest. She looked at Ran with little to no emotions.
"I don't really care whatever happens to the humans...or to the demons. As long as it doesn't concern me, I wouldn't bother myself to care"
She made it clear to him that she's not interested in anything and doesn't take sides, just to herself. She wanted to at least say she acts based on her interest and no one else's.
"Unlike you, I am who I am" Aisha sat in a corner and crossed her legs
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Aren Haan and you are two different consciousness. Unlike me who is a whole individual"
".….." Ran clenched his fists
"If anything, it's you whose loyalty should be questioned"
She turned around to leave with Ran obviously furious at her attitude and how she speaks something personal to him. Unknown to him, Aisha has her own goals and motives she wants to accomplish even if it means turning against the people she cares about.