Pet Contract is a ritual that binds a master and an animal, making the latter a familiar. This contract can only be formed if both parties share a certain bond.

The benefits of this contract are mostly felt by the familiar, as they receive a portion of their master's power. However, in return, they must pledge absolute loyalty. If they betray their master, they will die. Moreover, a familiar will perish shortly after their master’s death.

Conversely, this contract is highly risky for the master. While they gain an unwaveringly loyal familiar, they must sacrifice ten to a hundred years of their lifespan, depending on the familiar’s strength. Additionally, they may lose a portion of their power, as some of it will be absorbed by the familiar.

At least, that was what I understood when the ancient manuscript forcibly imprinted all this knowledge into my mind.

But that meant Fenrir would have to sacrifice at least ten years of her life if she wanted to contract me as her familiar. What would she gain from binding someone like me, who was neither particularly strong nor special? Why would she go through the trouble of losing her life force and power for a creature like me?

Fenrir suddenly narrowed her eyes. "For some reason, I feel like you understand this contract, my pet. Am I right?"

I turned my head away, not wanting to be interrogated further. Sweat dampened the feathers beneath my black plumage.

"Hm, you really are strange," Fenrir remarked. "But whatever. This beautiful and mighty girl will still form a contract with you."

I let out a faint, wry smile at her self-praise. I mean, seriously, look at how full of herself this girl is.

Fenrir lifted me and placed me on the mound of stone that served as her resting spot. "Stay still for a moment. I'm going to perform the ritual."

I obeyed her command, remaining motionless, sitting like a bird settling into its nest.

Fenrir bit her thumb until blood seeped out, using it to draw a circle around me. Once she finished, she glanced at the twigs I had arranged as a guide and carefully wrote my name.

Then, she crossed her arms, her lips pursed. "Hmm, what should I bestow upon you?" After a brief pause, her ears perked up. "Ah, right. I'll give you that. I can't use it anyway."

I tilted my head in confusion.

After making her decision, Fenrir touched the circle’s outline and closed her eyes, focusing intently.

Was she channeling magic into it?

Soon, the blood-drawn circle began to glow with ancient runes, rising around me like a cobra lifting its hood. The luminous script suddenly coiled tightly around my entire body.

“Caw… caw…”

"There’s no need to be afraid. It won’t hurt, little bird. It's alright."

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True to her words, although I initially flinched and cried out in shock, I soon realized that the glowing runes neither hurt nor constricted me. On the contrary, they felt warm and comforting.

It was like being incubated by my mother when I was just a fragile egg, weak and helpless. The runes slowly seeped into my body, making me unbearably drowsy.

This is too comfortable. I can't resist. I just need to sleep for a bit.

Slowly, my eyelids drooped. The world around me blurred. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision, swallowing everything until only the void remained.

[Fenrir’s POV]

I gazed at the small figure, my familiar, lying limp in the midst of the ongoing ritual. My heart pounded rapidly. His breathing was heavy, the glowing runes gradually sinking into his obsidian feathers.

I bit my lower lip, the faint taste of iron spreading across my tongue. Anxieties I couldn't suppress swelled within me. But I couldn’t stop the ritual now. If I tried to force it, he might not survive.

"Grr. Damn it. How could I forget?"

I gnawed at my fingers, frustration burning inside me with nowhere to escape. I could do nothing but wait in silence, as though dangling by a thin thread.

"Hold on, my pet. Please..." My voice was weak, nearly swallowed by the winter wind sweeping across the valley.

Even though I had assured Yata that everything would be fine, something I had added as a small extra had turned this ordinary ritual into something dangerous for a mere animal like him.

That small extra was a rune, an endowment or perhaps a curse, bestowed by Yggdrasil upon chosen individuals. A power as inexplicable as magic yet on an entirely different level, stronger, more absurd, and far more effective.

Despite its immense strength, runes sometimes failed to resonate with their wielder, rendering them useless. That was the case with my rune, which was why I had given it to my familiar without hesitation.

And that was also why I had overlooked the risks of receiving a rune. If his body was too weak, he could die.

Runes weren’t something one could simply hand over. They were meant to be obtained through a perilous ritual or granted at birth to those chosen by Yggdrasil.

"He is worthy. I am certain. My instincts have never been wrong."

Minutes passed, and the luminous runes around him began to fade. The ritual was nearly complete. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for the outcome.

"Come on, you can do this. I believe in you."

Cold sweat trickled down my temple despite the frigid air around me. When the last traces of light vanished, I immediately rushed forward, reaching for his motionless body.

"He's... he's still breathing." My whisper almost sounded like a prayer. A broad smile spread across my lips, an overwhelming wave of relief washing over me. "Thank you."

I sat beside him. My hands instinctively stroked his soft feathers, unable to resist the urge when he was so close.

His pulse was weak, but he was alive. That was enough. In a few days, he would surely recover completely. Or if he was strong enough, perhaps in mere hours.

"You really are strong. You made it through," I murmured softly, my smile lingering despite the exhaustion seeping into my body.

Above us, gray clouds slowly rolled in, veiling the once bright sun. The wind carried a soothing coolness, as if nature itself rejoiced in his survival.

I yawned, unable to fight off the creeping drowsiness. "Hooaahm... I'm sleepy..."

Without a second thought, I lay down beside my familiar, pulling his small body into my embrace like a plush toy. The warmth of his delicate feathers filled me with a rare sense of tranquility.

"I care about you..." I whispered softly, words that only surfaced when we lay together beneath the golden hues of the evening sky.

The life I had now was lonely, isolated, sealed away in a place where no one could reach me.

If not for him, this solitude would have killed me faster than fate itself. Sleep, for a being like me, could last for weeks or months, undisturbed.

But the silence of slumber was often worse. There were no sweet dreams to accompany me, only emptiness, darkness, and an endless void.

Yet tonight was different. I felt as though my smile could last a little longer. Warmth seeped into my frozen heart.

Perhaps, just this once, I would dream of something beautiful.