--Agreement--
Ordinary World
Ella pondered for a minute as her gaze roamed across the interior of her apartment and observed the walls, their paint shabby and marked. The ceiling appeared worn, as if it had been exposed to a series of harsh weather conditions over the years. But despite the lack of furnishings, with minimal belongings, there was an openness that made the apartment seem larger. Well, of course, now the space looked like it was just a personal playground, all because of a bizarre ring brought by a weak Haken who patiently awaited her response, leaned back against the soft, furry cushion that was the Michiko’s belly.
After drinking last two cans of San Biguel beer stored from her little refrigerator awhile ago, she finally opened her mouth. "Ahhhh, what a refreshing! Hey, how long is your time remaining?" she turned towards the Haken, then back to the air, looking up at the warnings that floating there.
"[An hour.]" The Haken's response seemed to weaken, though the time was running out faster than it claimed.
With each tick of the clock, the creature's fate became clear. If it died here and now, would its warnings vanish too? Would the weird aquatic ring in her apartment disappear, like it was never there? But then she felt worrisome. What if Haken's death sent out a cosmic 'help wanted' ad to its akin, who were exploring around in the deep, dark void of space? If they came knocking, she'd be fresh out of luck, left to face whatever nightmares they cooked up until she was nothing but a memory.
That's incredibly scary!
She shook her head and took a deep breath.
"Damn, out of all the places in the universe, why Earth? And why me, of all people? Seriously, what's with this cosmic spotlight on me?" Plopping down on the floor, legs crossed like she was about to meditate on how her life got so weird.
The Haken hesitated, its frail form seeming to struggle with the effort of speaking.
"[There are species of such noble qualities on every planet in the endless expanse of creation. Yet, they do not all arise at the very same moment in time. Some are still gestating, awaiting the moment of their conception, while others have not yet drawn breath within in their world.]"
"[And know this, that these beings of such great worth require not less than twenty years from the moment of their conception until they fully embody the qualities that make them truly exceptional. You're not far from the last planet I visited, and our meeting here is a mere coincidence.]"
Its words became apparent to Ella. And its entire purpose seemed to revolve around making deals with creatures on every planet it landed on. The catch? It had to wait for more than twenty years, waiting for prospective contractual - someone like her. She couldn't help but wonder just how old the Haken really was and how many contracts it had sealed before this.
Space traveler! It was still wrapping her head around it. The whole idea was mind-blowing, but she couldn't resist digging deeper. "So, how do you even manage to find someone to make a deal with if you’ve got to hop around every planet? You only popped into my apartment like, thirty minutes ago, right after leaving the last one."
Despite the Haken obvious ailment, it started laughing. Because of that, she couldn't fathom where it found the strength to laugh. Was it tickled by her question, or was this just how it dealt with the fact that it was knocking on death's door? It felt more like the latter. Like that final, rebellious laugh someone lets out when they've just accepted the death thing.
"[Mortal, you have many questions, indeed.]"
Wasn't that obvious? Ella raised an eyebrow. She had been asking them all along but apparently the Haken had only just caught on to it now. She gave a disapproving gaze at the creature before witnessing its villainous laughter subside, replaced by a gentle petting of Michiko's fur with its pointed nails.
"[There is a map for Hakens...]"
With a snap of its fingers, an image of the Universe popped out in the air. Planets dotted the screen like fireflies in the night, their glow lighting up the darkness of spaces. The spectacle was impressive as the Haken deftly navigated the screen showing the infinite vast expanse of the Universe.
"Is that what you call a map?"
"[By means of this map, we have found the one with whom we shall establish our contractual agreement.]"
Delicately navigated Haken's tiny fingers, the screen seemed to respond, zooming in to display a breathtaking sight. Before their eyes, a galaxy appeared-the Milky Way. Amongst the stars, a few planets shimmered with a soft blue hue...and red?
"[This is your dominion,]" the Haken announced.
"I already knew that, but thanks for pointing out."
The Haken chuckled softly before explaining the meaning of blue dots on screen. "[You have undoubtedly noticed the presence of these bluish marks that appear on the screen. They serve to identify the locations where we might find our prospective contractual partners. I must confess, I'm somewhat surprised by the relatively small number of potential contractuals that inhabit this dominion.]"
"Those marks? Not just blue, there's some red ones too." She untangled her legs and stood, curiosity pulling her closer to the screen. With awe, she sidled up to the transparent display, eyes narrowing as she took it all in. Through the screen, she could see the Haken on the other side, tracing its index finger along the glowing points like it was mapping out constellations. But those bluish marks weren’t just hanging out with the stars—there were a lot of red ones too, and they definitely weren’t there for decoration.
"[Those red marks you see,]" the Haken shot her a quick glance through the transparent screen, its eyes locking onto hers for a brief, almost conspiratorial second. "[they signify the ones who have saved my kind, and myself. They represent those who once held contracts with the Hakens.]"
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She wasn’t exactly sure what to think about those who had made contracts with the Haken before. Maybe they got what they were promised—or maybe they ended up as cosmic cautionary tales. But now, standing in front of this transparent OLED screen that looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, she felt like she was looking at a cosmic version of Google Maps. Only this map wasn’t just street-level; it was universe-level. It looked like the Haken had its own satellite network, casually keeping tabs on every corner of the cosmos. Honestly, if NASA knew about it, they'd be scrambling to collaborate with the Haken.
"[Look upon that lone bluish mark, which illuminates the globe you call home,] it pointed at Earth on the map. "[It was through this very map that I first came across an existence, and the potential for a contractual agreement between us was revealed]."
And in the middle of universe, a lone blue dot stood out that representing a remarkable individual. Despite the vastness of the space, one person had been singled out – a young woman named Ella.
***
Ella retracted the denial she drove in front of the Haken earlier. "Alright, so this is the conditions of the contract..." She examined the magical paper in her hand that causing a soft glow across her face.
______________
Contract Agreement
- The partners agree that they will act by this Agreement.
- The term of this Agreement shall commence upon the contractual entry into the gate and terminate when the contractor's Presence Bar is completed.
- The Contractual shall have no right to terminate this Agreement.
- The Contractor bound his life to a contractual partner who is performing the service. When the contract dies, the contractor shall die too.
- The contract paper shall not be copied and eliminated.
Compensation :
- One wish.
- A wish shall be fulfilled after the agreement ends.
______________
It was her first time entering into a contract, and the strange circumstances made it all the more unusual - striking a deal not with a human being, but with a creature seemed like straight out of myth. And as she scanned the contract agreement, one thing attracted her attention. She gestured towards the aquatic ring and asked.
"Hold up, that's a portal??"
[ Indeed.]
"Nooo Waaay!"
The legendary gateway to another world. She felt like the universe had yanked her out of reality and dropped her into a TV show. Fictional, that’s what her life had become. Just month ago, she hit rock bottom. Lost her job, flunked the entrance exam, got rejected by her crush, and to top it all off, watched her last paycheck vanish like Houdini's rabbit. And now, here she was, staring at a freaking portal. Her expression must have betrayed her awe and curiosity. The Haken noticed that, and with its knowing grin, seemed to sense her thoughts.
As the reality of the situation, she couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement at the possibility of traversing another world to those found only in fantasy tales. Therefore, her mind already wandering to the fantasy of fantasy fiction.
"Ehem, hey, what's on the other side?"
With a hint of whimsy, she imagined the gate leading to a world straight from the pages of her favorite novels. What if it were a place where her beloved characters resided? Would she have the chance to build a lovey-dovey relationship with them, to bind their destinies together?
But the response from the Haken was unexpected, suddenly breaking her train of thought and shattering any imaginative images she had been envisioning in her mind.
"[My home.]"
WHAT?! The fantastical worlds she had imagined moment ago, led to Haken's world, and that was low-key disappointed.
"...like, does that mean I'll get to meet your co-Hakens or something? Sounds cool, hihi..."
The Haken's response left her perplexed. "[No.]" And left her with more questions than answers.
Ever since the warning appeared, the word "Presence" had stayed in her mind. So, she asked about and found out that it was the essence of the issue. The Haken required one's presence to sustain itself. Then, as if to make things even weirder, a progress bar appeared in the air beside the creature that resembling a battery indicator with labeled levels.
"[This is my Presence Bar, which must be filled. And the level that poses the greatest threat to my existence, measured by the number of attempts made on my life, is marked in red.]"
Come to think of it, it was similar to the Android phone battery bar, the red level indicated that the battery was running critically low and needed to be recharged soon to avoid shutting down due to lack of power. Was this creature some kind of technological device? The Haken looked at Ella, but its eyes, each blink seemed like a struggle, as if battling against an invisible force pulling them shut.
"[Your presence alone has the power to fill this very bar,]" it explained with a strain voice. "[However, the process is not simply one of mere addition, but a delicate and complex balance that must be maintained. Only when your presence resides in my world can this bar be truly filled.]"
Her thoughts grew increasingly complex. At the same time, she doubted something. "You're seriously going to eat me until I'm gone, huh?" She began to feel sore, as she considered the possibility that if while she was in the creature's world, her body might gradually transform into particles and scatter into thin air, becoming an energy that could potentially fill the creature's presence bar. "You need my presence... and --"
But before she could complete her sentence, the Haken cut her word and spoke with its all might to clear the misunderstanding.
"[ Mortal, the contract has the essence at the end of it is to fulfill a wish. The contract is inviolable. How do you intend to make your wish and receive it if you no longer exist?]"
And as the conversation continued, the atmosphere grew tense, and the room overflowed with foreboding warnings. Suddenly, the Haken started to convulse and expel golden liquid, a viscous substance that seemed to flow out of it involuntarily.
"You're not okay," Ella hesitantly reached out and scooped up the struggling creature in her palm. It was alarming to see its breathing weaken and its skin slowly darkening.
"[Please, just a single drop of your blood on the contract parchment is all I need, then proceed through the gate.]"
The idea of binding herself to this creature, of stepping through that gate into who knows what, weighed heavily on her mind. She still unsure whether to sign the contract.
"How about you?"
"[I shall be fine as long as your presence resides within my realm.]"
A faint smile formed on Haken's withered face. She studied the creature closely. It was now becoming progressively worsen. Each breath coming slower, shallower. Then, the sight triggered memory, unbidden and painful—her friend, lying helpless, as she watched, unable to do anything. The image of their face, the finality of that moment. Her heart clenched, and she found her other hand quilling into a tight fist.
With a gentle touch, Ella lowered the Haken from her hand. She couldn’t watch another life fade in front of her, not again. The decision made in that right away. Without another word, she reached for the magical paper and allowed a small drop of her blood. As the blood made contact, the paper began to glow blindingly. After the agreement was officially confirmed, she approached the gate. But a sudden thought halted her steps.
"Can I bring Michiko?"
Her cat was nestling against the ailing Haken.
"[This being is not worthy.]"
"But he'll be left behind..."
Michiko then meowed at her as if to say that it was okay to be left by his owner. After all, this was something he had grown accustomed to when she everytime would return home late from her part-time job and school.
"[ Your pet shall be fine and well.]"
Seeing how focused Michiko was on the Haken, Ella felt a bit guilty. But she still trusted that her cat would be alright with the Haken. Hopefully, at least. She won't be gone too long anyway.
Since the world in the other side was still mysterious to her, there was one more thing she needed to know first before to take a step. "Hey, Haken, like, am I going to be alright in your world, right? I just wanna make sure I'm not gonna, um, get totally screwed or anything."
The Haken, though weakened, didn't meet her gaze. But still, its response was clear. "[Yes.]"
Taking a deep breath, Ella made her decision. "So, please take care of my cat." With those words, she stepped forward into the gate, resolute in her choice. As she moved forward, the Haken offered one final piece of advice. "[Don't...die there...]"