“Happy birthday to you,” Sheryl sang to Asher who was seated on their couch. She had baked her a cake to celebrate. After putting down the cake on the table, she pulled out Arin’s staff from beside the bookshelves. “I remember your dad telling me to give this staff on your 7th birthday.” She handed the staff to Asher and her daughter accepted it with much glee. “I lost all hope when he died since I never thought you’d ever speak again. But here we are celebrating your birthday with smiles!”

“Thank you very much, mother!” Asher exclaimed. “I appreciate the gift very much and I will keep this in the memory of father.”

“I’m sure you will,” Sheryl smiled. After eating their meals, Asher approached her mother.

“Mother, did you remember when I was three?”

“What about it?”

“I think I know what Devil I want to have a contract with now. I just feel like it will give me more power to be able to protect us. I want to be your guardian no matter how tiny I am. Will it be alright?”

Sheryl was struck, not knowing whether to feel scared or proud. However, she smiled. “If that’s what you want, I’ll support you, just as I’ve always done. We can set it up immediately so by night time, we’d have made a deal with it. By the way, who did you choose?”

“The Devil of Security.”

The said Devil was luckily located in the same region they were staying in. However, they still had to travel to a bay to summon the Devil and make the contract. It was only an hour of walking away so they didn’t struggle much. That evening, they performed the ritual as it is said in the guide book. Sheryl looked concerned for her daughter but Asher gave her an affirming nod. It was twice as scary considering that only her daughter will be able to talk with the Devil as contractors are the only ones allowed to see their true forms. Asher took a deep breath and entered the contracting state.

Asher felt as if she’s floating in a void. She looked around and saw a creature with what looked like the head of a goat and a tiger combined into one. It had chains in a ‘X’ around its torso but it doesn’t seem to be anchored to anything. The creature looked at her with a chilling smile.

“Contractor. Tell me your wish,” it proclaimed.

“Are you the Devil of Security?”

“With these chains around my body, what else could I be, child? To answer your question, yes, I am.”

“Well, I want to be able to protect the ones I love. I lost my father when I was a child. I want to have the ability to protect but I don’t want to kill. When I felt someone else’s blood on my hands, I got scared. No, terrified.”

“But you have already killed a man, haven’t you, child? You are already tainted, I don’t see the reason for sacrificing years of your life to become a pacifist. Believe me, I think you’d rather kill than lose important memories.” The Devil of Security tried to persuade Asher against her decision. The child felt pressure from having been told the conditions.

“The books didn’t tell me that you’d be capable of rejecting the contract. You’re making it really hard for me…” Asher said, looking uncertain.

“I may be a Devil but I’m not a monster. I wouldn’t want the consequences of this contract befall any of your kind. Most importantly, not on a child. Our kind, we’re not antagonists in this world, though some of my kind tend to have a radical personality but I’m not that type,” the Devil floated around the void, circling Asher. “You see, child, I see overwhelming power within you. You are the type of person who can use a single memory to imprison an overwhelmingly evil being. Because we can’t intervene physically, we grant powers and contracts to those who wish to be the faces of justice. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a child. And what’s worse is that you’re righteous and courageous. You’d rather hold in all the emotions building up inside of you rather than release it. You feel that you have nothing to lose when in reality, you are only seeking a regular life. Who is responsible for this facade that you are trying to keep up, I wonder? Regardless, you are to be given insightful advice for this decision that you have to make. While it is still your choice in the end, I want you to hear me out. Ask yourself, ‘Do I really want this?’ and if you hesitate for a second, you don’t.”

What a pain, Asher thought before getting flashbacks of her father’s death. Remembering the bright red blood of the first man she had in her life made her want to squirm. Worse, she vividly remembered how she slaughtered the murderer of her father. Between the choice of killing to protect and protecting your precious memories, it was tough. She hesitated.

“Yes. I want it,” she finally said.

“Ask and you shall receive. However, I do warn you that you’re not gonna be able to imprison beings much more powerful than you with mere information. Knowledge counts as memory but they’re usually not that powerful because you have less attachment to them. Moreover, you have the option to forget that you had a contract to begin with, which may be your most powerful source of power. But should you do this, you still have the power but you won’t be able to use it,” the Devil gave one final warning before slicing its forearm, releasing a gush of blood. “Live a good life, child.”

Asher returned to her consciousness and dropped to her knees. Sheryl quickly caught her daughter. Wow, this is… the power of a Warden? Thoughts swarmed her mind, different channels inside her body being fed the Devil’s blood. So, this is how the transfer of power happens. The process lasted for about a minute and Asher’s mind and body finally calmed down.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Sheryl asked.

“I feel like I can finally protect you,” Asher smiled before crying.

Sheryl hugged her daughter. “I’m sure your father is proud of you and your decision. I sure am. Once you finish crying, we can walk back home. Let it all out, Asher. Let it all out.”

Three years have passed since Asher made a contract with a Devil. It was Asher’s 10th birthday. She and her mother, Sheryl just had a simple celebration in their hut. After they have eaten, Asher read some books again. She turned her attention to a book talking more about Meoons.

“Mother, are there any Meoons near us?” Asher asked.

“There is a Meoon village near here. Why’d you ask?” Sheryl replied and wiped some stain off her daughter’s lips.

“Well, I’d like to meet them. It says here in the book that they are pretty good in combat. Since I don’t have anyone to train with, I feel like I will not really improve.”

“Ah, I see but I’m not too sure if they will accept us. There’s been somewhat of a division between Meoons and Witches, especially ever since ‘the original sin’ was born. Your father and I talked about it often but we never heard any real disturbances made by it. Though, it’s clear that it’s the reason the two races aren’t as close as they once were,” Sheryl said. “But I don’t see anything wrong with trying. When do you want to go?”

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“Maybe, tomorrow? Thank you, mother!” Asher exclaimed and she hugged her mother.

Later that night, Asher practiced swinging her staff outside the hut. With the staff being a foot taller than her, she needed to constantly catch her balance. I wonder how my powers affect objects? Asher thought. Ever since she made the contract, she hasn’t used her power once. She claimed that it was only for energy purposes. What memory should I forget? Asher browsed inside her bank of thoughts and decided to only use relatively common information she read from a book. She shifted her focus to a tiny pebble. After singling out the thought, a signal went through her body. Her blood started to rush all over. It forced her to flinch and close her eyes. When she opened, she noticed her hand palm-facing the pebble. Or rather, where the pebble used to be, it was gone. Wow. Shortly after, she noticed a slight headache. That was just one tiny pebble, what will it take for a Witch or a Meoon to be imprisoned?

“Looks like you’re already into it, huh?” Sheryl slowly approached her. “You’re very serious about protecting me?”

“Of course!”

“Though it’s a bit embarrassing having your own daughter protect you, I can’t say I mind. After all, I’m also doing my best to protect you in my own way.”

“You’ve done more than enough for me, mother. This is the only way I could ever think of to repay all your sacrifices. Plus, father gave me this staff. It’d be a waste if I suddenly decided to not fight for our safety. I’m a Warden now, I should embody security and I want you to be the most secure you’ll ever feel.”

Sheryl smiled at her daughter. “Come here,” she followed up. She hugged Asher tightly. “I know I keep telling you this but I love you a lot. So much so that I don’t ever want to leave you. You mean so much to me and your father that no one else in this world may be able to understand. You are our precious daughter and I don’t ever want the two of us to be separated,” Asher felt something wet on her back. Sheryl was crying. “Happy Birthday, Asher, I hope we’re never separated.”

Before sleeping, Asher took her pen and opened her notebook as usual. She then wrote: “This was another worthwhile celebration! I can’t believe that I’m already ten years old. It’s odd how Witches develop so quickly. But I remember mother and father always emphasizing how Witches live a very short life. Even the Devil of Security mentioned that. Still though, it’s an interesting thought that a Devil you want to have a contract with can convince you out of it. I thought they were just handing the contracts left and right. Maybe, they’re responsible like that because they may get punished?

For whatever reason, I thought of trying out my imprisonment powers. It worked on a tiny pebble but I had to forget a memory. But it was hardly a memory, it was a tiny piece of information. It’s interesting what type of memory I used to give up is available but never remember any sort of context attached to it. I’m just rambling again, but I am truly grateful for everything that has happened so far. During this night, one event will forever stand out from the rest. No matter how many times it happens, I will forever cherish those moments. Mother held me tight before the celebration ended and told me how much she loved me. I love mother so much, I hope I’ll never forget her touch.”

Somebody knocked on their door. Sheryl awoke from her sleep. Asher was slightly startled. She was very careful as it was so late in the night. She first peeked at the door and saw two creatures. A tall girl with a relatively medium-heighted guy. “Who’s there?” Asher asked.

“Visitors,” they replied. Asher hesitated to open but she looked at her staff. If anything goes wrong, I could always use that and my powers. Asher opened the door and welcomed the visitors. The tall girl had a mystique that she couldn’t explain. She was tall with black hair and streaks of red. She had a cheerful expression on her face. She wore a very formal attire, almost none of her skin showed. And the guy felt underwhelming. He looked quite out of place with an awkward look on his face and being shorter than the other person didn’t help with his case.

Sheryl prepared a quick meal for the visitors. They took a seat at the table opposite Sheryl and Asher. “What made you visit our hut?” Sheryl asked.

“Me and my partner here just wanted to stop by for a bit. We’ve been walking from Crimsonglade Caverns. It’s quite tiring and we haven’t seen a Meoon village yet,” the lady said before taking a sip from Sheryl's soup. “This is delicious!”

Sheryl was taken aback by the compliment. Crimsonglade Caverns? Asher thought. Isn’t that quite far from here?

“We haven’t introduced ourselves,” Sheryl pointed out politely. “My name is Sheryl and this is my daughter, Asher. We’ve been living together in Etherclipse Bay for quite some time now.”

“Where’s your husband, then?” the lady asked. Sheryl and Asher looked down. “My bad, I shouldn’t have asked that without introducing myself first. How insensitive of me. I’m Solthor, I’m a Meoon from the Silvermyst Dominion. And this is my boyfriend, Killian.”

“About my husband, he’s somewhere in Celestia Raeon paying a visit to his parents,” Sheryl said. A deliberate lie? Asher thought.

“I see. Well, as for us, we heard that Etherclipse Bay is one of the most peaceful regions so we decided to come here. Both the Silvermyst Dominion and Crimsonglade Caverns are just filled with barbarics. Especially those caverns, too many caves in one place,” the lady - Solthor said. “Well, Killian, why don’t you say something, you’ve just been gobbling down that food ever since we came here. Show some manners.”

“S-Sorry,” Killian said. He looks like he’s shaking. “Hi, nice to meet you, lovely mother and daughter. Thank you very much for letting us stay in your humble abode. We would like to ask you if you’re interested in books.”

“Yes, my husband collected a lot of books when we were together. He said that it will help our daughter have a better life,” Sheryl replied.

Solthor took a rather long sip from the soup and said, “I see. Perhaps we could check out some of those books?”

Sheryl looked at Asher before turning her head back. “You’d have to ask my daughter for permission. She’s the one who owns those books.”

“It’s fine, mom,” Asher said and stood up. “I’ll go get some.” Asher came back with three books at hand. She piled it on top of the table. They were pretty big and heavy books. Solthor looked surprised while Killian lowered his head. I wonder what’s up with him? Asher thought to herself. “Here, these three are my favorites but I have a lot more.”

Solthor touched the books to inspect them. “Wow! This is wonderful. A book about Devil contracts, Witch culture, and about Meoons. I’ve never come across someone with this collection. These are rare!” Solthor exclaimed. Asher didn’t know what to feel since she always had them since she was a child. “Perhaps, you could show me the others?”

“Why, though?” Asher asked.

“You see, me and Killian over here are also book enthusiasts. We want to learn more about the world of Isoraeon through these books. There is a certain book that we are looking for. It’s the only one that exists in this world,” Solthor claimed. “We were hoping that you would have it.”

“Oh, I see-” Asher was cut off by Sheryl.

“All the books that we have were just copies from friends and family members. Giving away books is very risky so a lot of those who give away books have a copy of their own. Though, I’m not quite sure if I’ve heard of a book that only has one copy in this world. Do you mind telling us the title of the book?”

“I’m afraid not. The ones who told us about the book never said the title. They just said that when we come across it, we will know what it is. I’m not sure what she meant by that, to be totally honest,” Solthor said. Killian’s expressions were noticeably changing each time Solthor spoke. For as long as she was observing the man, Asher couldn’t figure out exactly why. She just knows that there is something wrong. “But if what you said was true, then we have no reason to stay here even further. We apologize for bothering you at such a late time in the evening. Thank you very much for your kindness.” Solthor and Killian stood up before bowing.

“You’re welcome. Me and my daughter wish you well in your journey,” Sheryl said before bowing back. When the two visitors headed out, Sheryl and Asher went back to sleep. Just in time to not hear the screams of a dying man just a distance away from their hut.