The wind had barely quieted when Isabella heard it—Bubu's voice.
Glitchy. Static. But real.
Her head snapped up, eyes wide, breath catching. "Bubu?" she called out, her voice cracking slightly.
A faint shimmer appeared before her, flickering like a dying candle until finally the familiar screen hovered into view, sparking erratically in the mist.
"System online," it said in its usual monotone—but Isabella was already stumbling to her feet, pressing her hands against her chest like she'd just been given air after drowning.
"Oh thank God!" she burst out, exhaling shakily. Her legs were trembling, her fan still clenched tightly in her hand. She tried to compose herself, tossing her damp hair over her shoulder with forced nonchalance. "You know what, Bubu, I wasn't even scared. Not at all."
Bubu's screen blinked once, unimpressed.
