I woke up and looked around, realizing I was in an unfamiliar place. It was a house with furniture that looked very fancy. I glanced at the clock to my right—it was 9:00 a.m. on September 4th, 2030. I got out of bed, trying to remember how I ended up in this situation. I took a look through the only window in the house and saw a large flower garden. If Astaro saw this, she'd be overjoyed. Besides the flowers, there was also a small pond. I was looking at a truly beautiful landscape.
—"I see you're awake," said a voice that pulled me out of my thoughts. "Sorry if I startled you. You had been unconscious for a long time and I started to get worried." She touched my forehead after saying that.
I had seen her before—of course! It's Wulls! But her hair was white now, and her eyes were a light blue. Her attitude was also very different from Wulls's. She had a compassionate look and a very calming smile.
—"I suppose you're confused by what's happened," she said, handing me a cup of hot chocolate. "Well, I think it's time we negotiate the duration of the contract," she declared, looking into my eyes.
—"Wait! Are you Wulls?" I exclaimed, startled by her statement.
—"Yes, I am Wulls… but at the same time, I'm not," she said mysteriously. "Aparito nato, yatero kairus meta, hold pus. Bordey? Do you remember those words?" she asked indifferently.
—"Those words… they're the ones written on the figurine," I thought.
—"Exactly, those are the words written on the figurine—the one you're in right now," she exclaimed, looking around.
—"What you're trying to tell me is that I'm inside the figurine," I declared, sure of myself. "You said before that the figurine was your home, so I guess that wasn't a lie."
If I remember correctly, she mentioned earlier that we would settle the duration of the contract, which means I won the deal! Now I can gain her services. All that's left is to negotiate the terms. I wondered—what would the maximum duration be? We looked at each other for a moment, until the ice finally broke.
—"Back to the topic of the contract—I suggest one year," she said as she brought the contract into her hands. "The contract is signed with a phrase," she added.
—"Wait a second," I interrupted. "I want to make you mine for life. Is that… possible?"
At my words, she went silent. She lowered her head for a few seconds, then looked up with a smile similar to the black-haired Wulls's.
—"Seems like you're quite selfish," she said, still smiling.
—"Well, it's a big advantage. Besides, I'm your first master and I just want to have you for my exclusive use," I clarified.
—"Yes, it's possible. But first, you have to take me," she stepped closer as she said that, "as your official familiar," she added before stepping back. "But we'll talk about that later."
—"By the way, I just realized a moment ago—you read my thoughts. How did you do that?" I asked.
—"Well, you're in my home—a space created especially for me. It's normal for me to have total control over everything," she answered.
—"I see. So, can you hear me?" I thought.
—"Exactly," she replied. "Alright, let's proceed." She handed me a sheet of paper with a written text. "To finalize the contract, you'll need to say what's written on the paper. Understand?"
I looked closely at the writing—it was in my language, which made it much easier than when I read the inscription on the figurine. I looked at Wulls. She nodded, encouraging me to begin.
—"I, Asterio, accept the terms and rules to request the services of a contracted pet, from today until September 4th, 2031. Wulls will be the name you will carry from now on, so from this moment, the contract is sealed," I finished.
—"Trito nou, caitom leiton moon, Wulls fuy Asterio verhy strut evrey," she added.
I didn't know what she said, but I assumed it was her part of the ritual. On the contract appeared two seals—one with the letter "W" which I assume stands for Wulls, and the other with an "A" for my name. The contract disappeared from my hands as I took another sip of my chocolate.
—"With this, you have just baptized me with the name Wulls," came a voice from behind me.
—"Wait—you're Wulls!" I said, shocked to see the real Wulls.
Now that I remembered, she had said she was Wulls—but also not. What's going on? The white-haired girl stood next to Wulls, and both smiled in different ways.
—"We are both Wulls, but she is not entirely Wulls," said the black-haired Wulls, pointing to the white-haired girl.
—"I'm the younger twin sister," she clarified, smiling.
—"With the difference that we share the same soul," added Wulls.
—"You… share the same soul? Is that even possible?" I thought.
—"Yes, it is possible. But that benefits you a lot, Master Asterio," she said, reminding me she could hear my thoughts. She stepped close—face-to-face. "You'll have physical strength," she said, pointing to Wulls, "and knowledge," she said, pointing to herself.
—"If you thought we were little girls, you were very mistaken," added Wulls.
—"We're both 20 years old," they exclaimed at the same time.
Hard to believe—they looked like two 12-year-olds. But with everything that's happened so far, nothing should surprise me anymore. I looked again at the calendar—why did it say 2030? We were supposed to be in 2025. Did she set it like that on purpose?
—"Your calendar," I said as I stood from the table. "It's wrong. We're in 2025, not 2030."
They looked at each other seriously for a few seconds before finally responding.
—"You've been unconscious for five years, Master Asterio," said Wulls's sister.
—"Looks like you pushed yourself too hard with that last blow," added Wulls. "You drained your life energy, which caused you to fall into a coma," she concluded.
Suddenly another question filled my mind: the person here right now—is it really me, or just my spirit? If it's just my spirit, where's my physical body? And what happened to Astaro and Sofia? Worry flooded me—I had to return to the real world.
—"I see, so that's what happened," I said, lowering my head. "I'll go back home."
—"You mean our home," Wulls added.
—"If that's what you want, just blink ten times in a row," said Wulls's sister.
—"Now that I think about it… it would be hard for both of you to have the same name," I thought.
—"Do you want to give me my own name?" she exclaimed, surprised.
—"Well, it's only natural. You're her younger sister—you should have your own name. Do you have any suggestions?" I asked.
In the room, I heard soft sobs. I looked at Wulls, but she pointed at her little sister. She was covering her eyes, tears flowing from them. Wulls patted her back, trying to comfort her.
—"I can't help it. It makes me so happy to finally have a name of my own," she said through her tears.
—"Really? It makes you that happy to receive a name?" I thought to her.
She looked at me with tearful eyes, and after a few seconds, she smiled—still crying. Wulls simply observed us, her face serious. The younger sister stepped closer and stood right in front of me.
—"Any name is fine, as long as you're the one who gives it to me, Master Asterio," she said cheerfully.
—"Hey! We've only known each other for an hour and we're already playing favorites!" Wulls complained. "Why didn't you let me choose my name?" she kept complaining.
—"Because I'm cuter than you," her sister replied teasingly.
As they argued, I thought of a name that would suit her. I had once read a book with a very peculiar name—Wulstana, which meant "Stone Wolf." I know she's made of silver, but it seemed like a fitting name. On one side we have Wulls, a girl with a strong personality, and Tana, who is the complete opposite of her sister.
—"Your name will be…" They both stopped arguing and looked at me. "Tana," I finished.
A mocking laugh echoed through the room. Wulls was apparently laughing at the name I had just given her sister, while Tana stared at me, as if analyzing something.
—"Well, now I can't complain. Both names are terrible," Wulls laughed.
She was right—I was bad at choosing names. I had even named the donkey that carries us around "Marta." Who names a donkey Marta? It was just the first name that popped into my head.
—"It's perfect!" Tana exclaimed happily.
—"You really like it?" I thought to her.
She nodded as she picked up the glass of chocolate.
—"Well, we should get going. Have you forgotten that five years have passed since our battle?" Wulls said. "I wonder how much you've grown?"
It's true—five years had passed. I wondered if Astaro and Sofia were still looking for me. After all, the last day I was in the hut, I had an argument with Astaro because she ate my cheesecake without asking. I left angry, and well… things ended up like this. I looked at Tana, who was coming back with my glass.
—"Can I visit you again sometime?" I asked.
—"You're my master now. I'd love for you to visit from time to time. Though we'll stay in touch via telepathy—whenever you have a doubt, just call me in your thoughts and I'll gladly respond," she said, smiling.
—"Well then, just blink ten times in a row and that's it." I looked at Wulls. "I suppose you're coming with me."
Wulls nodded as I said goodbye to Tana. I had many doubts about what I would find when I returned—or if things would be the same. Either way, I suppose it's time to return home. I blinked ten times as fast as I could, and I started to feel dizzy, as if I were floating in the air.