A deal with the devil.

'What are they doing?'

Asha looked at Priyanka with her typically empty gaze, pointing toward two figures running as if they had eaten spoiled food.

Seeing her confused expression, Priyanka patted her head gently, as though trying to reassure her.

Her actions didn't explain anything, but seeing her so calm, Asha assumed it wasn't something important.

She decided to turn a blind eye to it. This wasn't the first time she'd seen people acting strangely around her.

If she worried about every unusual action others took, she would go crazy.

Instead of focusing on the mysterious behavior of her two family members, Asha turned her attention to the food Priyanka was offering her, even in the dirt and chaos of the collapsed room.

When the food was finally gone, Priyanka wheeled herself into the living room and returned with a peculiar new book, crayons, and some toys.

It was a children's book filled with typical cartoon drawings meant for coloring. It seemed Priyanka was trying to compensate for the lack of entertainment with different activities.

Unfortunately, none of it could hold Asha's attention. She was already an adult, and playing with toys was simply boring.

Instead of coloring in pre-made images, she preferred to draw her own. However, seeing Priyanka's attentive and anxious gaze, she decided to open the book and color the shabby illustrations.

Only when Priyanka saw that she was entertained did she turn her focus to cleaning the dirty kitchen. Connie and Doug had made a mess, and Priyanka was the only one cleaning it up.

'The life of a mother must be very hard.'

Asha had only been living with the Maheswarans for two days, yet strange things were already happening.

Whatever had caused Connie and Doug to react so abruptly, make a mess, and then leave it behind was beyond her understanding.

While they went about their lives, Priyanka worked tirelessly in the background.

'I shouldn't worry her even more.'

Having someone cook for you, clean your clothes, and even bathe you wasn't just care—it was pure luxury.

Asha knew she should be managing her own needs. It was hard to imagine the exhaustion of doing the same for three people besides oneself.

Doug and Connie were lucky to have someone like Priyanka.

Once again, Asha elevated her respect for Priyanka in her mind.

Her attention returned to the piece of paper in her hands.

'This situation... isn't bad.'

What Asha needed most now was time. If she rejected the toys and art books Priyanka brought her, Priyanka might try to fill her time with even more distractions.

Priyanka was a very busy person. It was the weekend, but soon she'd be back to work. Even if Priyanka tried to stay close, it wouldn't last more than a week.

Asha was sure of it.

Priyanka was a hopeless workaholic. Work was the center of her life, and while she showed a lot of care toward Asha, it wouldn't change her nature.

It would frustrate Priyanka if she constantly caused trouble. She couldn't be her nanny 24 hours a day.

That was initially what Asha had wanted most: being completely alone to practice her skills and focus on her rehabilitation.

But there were two problems standing in the way of her goals.

First, Asha was currently unable to sleep alone. She didn't know what caused this fear, but she instinctively felt that if she tried, something very serious might happen.

Even without those instincts, it was clear that something bad would happen.

When she woke up, her disguise was gone, revealing her gem form. It was dangerous for any of the Maheswarans to discover her true identity.

If they met the Crystal Gems and realized she was a similar being, it would spell her end. Ideally, her identity wouldn't be revealed until after the canon events unfolded.

In the worst-case scenario, she might be discovered after Peridot joined the Crystal Gems.

Peridot was a character who began as a villain but was eventually redeemed by Steven and the group.

Even Lapis Lazuli, initially an enemy who stole the ocean, joined during this time.

By then, the Crystal Gems would have a history of accepting former enemies. At worst, Asha might be held captive rather than destroyed outright.

Regardless, the best course was to avoid any signs that would reveal her identity as a gem for now.

The more she relied on Priyanka and allowed herself to be spoiled, the less freedom she'd have to explore her powers.

Moreover, while Doug was kind now, there was no guarantee he'd remain so. If she insisted on sleeping with Priyanka, that kindness might turn into resentment.

Kindness was beautiful, but only in short bursts.

She didn't want to be the cause of this family's disruption.

'Living with people is so hard.'

There were so many things to worry about that even her alien brain struggled to manage them.

Before regaining her five senses, she needed to regain her independence.

The first step was to sleep alone.

This might seem a trivial matter, but it wasn't as simple as it sounded.

If she lost her senses as before, her disguise could be revealed. With a vigilant mother like Priyanka, that risk was almost a certainty.

Priyanka would never allow her to lock her door, and even now, while cleaning, her gaze frequently darted back to her.

The best solution was to find someone to replace Priyanka's presence.

This wouldn't resolve the problem entirely, but it could temporarily improve the situation.

But where could she find someone like that?

Asha stared at the pink teddy bear in despair.

She had once tried treating a plushie like Priyanka while sleeping, but it hadn't worked.

Using an object as a replacement wouldn't help.

Another solution was staying awake.

As a gem, Asha didn't need sleep.

It was the safest, most secure option, but she also wasn't sure about it.

Staying awake had its own risks.

Without something to occupy herself, she would succumb to fear and bad memories.

Consequently, due to the stimulation of her past traumas, she'd become mentally unstable and incapable of doing anything.

A human presence next to her seemed crucial to calm her worries, but the only figure available was Priyanka.

Asha stared at an empty spot on the floor, her thoughts drifting.

There was another option she had been purposefully ignoring.

Someone who resembled Priyanka, at least in appearance, and who was available.

Connie.

If she could ask her this favor...

'I must be crazy.'

Asha immediately dismissed the thought from her mind.

Thinking on her own hadn't led to any good solutions, so consulting someone wiser seemed like the best option.

She needed the wisdom humanity had cultivated over generations.

And Asha knew exactly where to look.

'I'll search for something on the internet.'

If the answer wasn't on the internet, where else could it be?

*

[There are conditions.]

That was Priyanka's response when Asha asked to extend her internet usage time.

To be honest, Asha was surprised Priyanka was even considering it.

When Asha had initially asked to use more of the internet, Priyanka's answer had been a firm "No." But when Asha explained honestly that she wanted to study, Priyanka made an exception.

[What?]

Priyanka paused at her own words, as if deeply considering what condition to impose.

Asha watched her stoically, waiting patiently.

She didn't have much to lose. A few extra minutes on the internet could significantly aid her rehabilitation.

[Get along with your sister.]

"...?"

Had she read that right?

It seemed Priyanka wanted her to build a better relationship with Connie.

Asha had planned to maintain only a superficial connection—cordial enough to exchange greetings but distant enough to avoid deeper involvement.

After all, they were family now, and avoiding each other entirely would create unnecessary tension.

But at the same time, getting too involved with such a crucial figure from the original timeline felt risky.

Her hands moved reluctantly toward the paper as she prepared to decline the offer.

However, Priyanka reacted faster.

[If you can, I'll increase your internet time by an hour.]

"?!"

An hour was a 50% increase over what she currently had.

Before, Priyanka wouldn't even allow one extra episode of Super Drill, no matter how much Asha pleaded.

This was a rare opportunity that might not come again.

'Should I accept?'

She was tempted.

'Get along' was vague. Priyanka wasn't asking them to be inseparable; she simply wanted them to have a good relationship.

If Asha exchanged a few words with Connie and spent a couple of minutes with her in front of Priyanka each day, wouldn't that be enough?

It wasn't like she needed to actually become close. She only needed to create the illusion.

That was a small sacrifice compared to what she stood to gain.

Rejecting such a good offer would be irrational.

Three hours of internet meant almost four episodes of Super Drill a day. Who would be foolish enough to turn that down?

Asha tried to convince herself of her logic, almost as if brainwashing herself.

Her trembling hands approached the piece of paper with reluctance.

[Ok.]

At her agreement, a rare smile spread across Priyanka's face.

While Asha was happy to see Priyanka smile, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just sold her soul to the devil.

*

Author note

I was reading a gender-bender novel very similar to mine to find more inspiration. But the author suddenly killed a very good character in seven chapters! Why did he do that?! I was so frustrated that I started to write o(￣┰￣*)ゞ.

I'll try to release a chapter a week every Tuesday for a while. This is the last week to finish my lessons.