4. The custodian and the deal
«Why are you here?» another voice she didn't know. It seemed inhuman, even if she understood it, it had a particular accent.
In any case, he seemed bored.
«For ... a contract?» Name said, undecided.
I fell down here ... for that, right?
«Hm ...» the voice was strange, she could hear it in her head.
Name couldn't see anything, she didn't even know if she was awake or had her eyes open.
«No. You cannot form a contract.» the voice declared firmly.
«But ... I have to go on. I must!» Name tried to scream, even though it sounded unnatural, yet she was already used to the sound of her voice.
«I am a guardian, child. Do you doubt my judgment?»
Name was silent, she wouldn't know how to reply, she didn't even know what a guardian was, but she guessed that it was the one who formed the contracts.
What are these contracts then?
«I am the forger of all contracts, between the person and Deorum. Between their flesh and that of this land. An indissoluble bond.» the guardian continued, raising his voice, clearly offended by Name's words.
«What does the contract consist of?» Name asked, if what he said was true, he must know a lot more.
«A- a contract? Are- are you kidding me little girl?»
«No!» Name answered immediately.
«I've lost my memories, that's why I don't know.»
The guardian was silent, then snorted.
«It's true, the mirror confirms it.»
«The contract is everything. A person who enters the world of Deorum renounces his past, leaves everything behind, to remain in Deorum and give himself to the grace granted. Obviously, there are some unbreakable rules. If they were ignored, the consequence would be death itself.»
once again there were twists and turns that Name didn't understand, she wanted answers, not more questions.
«So?» Name asked.
A sigh from the guardian made her think she had talked too much.
«Read.» he said disheartened, almost embarrassed.
An old parchment appeared in front of Nome. So was she awake? Or was this a dream too?
She read what was written.
Therefore these laws will be accepted:
• The indissoluble bond with the world of Deorum and consequently the non-crossing of borders towards the outside world;
• The promise of non-procreation;
• The dedication of one's life in case you fail to come before the gods.
While you will receive in return:
• The extension of the life of the individual and the subsequent slowing of aging, such as the cancellation of diseases and other infirmities;
• The forgiveness of the gods of any sin committed.
• The promise of immortality and a wish guaranteed by the gods themselves should the individual succeed in reaching the center of the world of Deorum.
Name reread it a few times before processing everything. She more or less understood everything, it was a strangely very simple contract.
«You could have shown me this from the start.» Name said it without acidity.
«Yeah well ... It wouldn't be scenic.»
the guardian seemed to have calmed down.
«So if I accept everything in the contract, can I go ahead?»
«You didn't understand, little girl!» the guardian raised his voice again.
«There is something… about you… that prevents me from forming a contract. You're not normal. You're not like the others.»
Name found it obvious.
She remembered nothing, of course she was different from the others.
«But I have to-»
«Child. You can go on without a contract. It is impossible for me to bind you to it.»
Name was stunned, trying to process the information.
She couldn't form a contract.
Well, that's definitely not normal normal.
«So I'll be ... normal?»
She didn't mind the idea, the important thing was to recover her memory, herself. But would she have succeeded without a contract?
She didn't know, she still knew too little about that world.
«That's not even the case, child.» the guardian seemed to reply in a whisper, as if he didn't have to say certain things.
«I won't tell you more. But you are special. I can see well, your physical age does not correspond to the one you lived ... as if you were ...»
Name remained silent, waiting for the rest.
«...Her.»
Her?
«Who is she?»
She? The me of the past? Another person? A person who knew me?
«I won't say more.» repeated the guardian and the darkness around her began to crumble.
«Wait!» Name didn't have much time. The guardian wouldn't answer her what he had confessed to her. But she had to ask something, she had to have some answers. The guardian something.
«What do you know about me?!» she cried, the darkness was fading.
She was about to wake up.
«I won't say more.» were the last words of the guardian before waking up.
«-So you don't have to worry. The anomalies are always present.» it was an annoying voice, that of the pink lady.
She was talking far away from her, she got up, she was lying on a sofa, she could see her among rows of people meters away.
She still had the chills looking at her.
«Name! Are you all right?» Fera was immediately at his side.
Name nodded slightly.
«You were the first to pass the contract, but you stayed asleep. It must have been the shock.» Fera looked dejected.
«I'm fine. It's just… no nothing…» it wasn't the time to confide it to Fera now.
Besides, had she been the first to pass?
But if I couldn't form the contract ... I wouldn't even have to be there.
Name felt frightened, but above all heartbroken, and yet she had come a step closer to discovering something about herself.
My age. It's not what this body shows.
Am I little? Or bigger?
«She has been babbling for ten minutes that you were able to cross the barrier and have three leaves of fate ...»
Name heard the pink woman's words, but she didn't listen to them at all.
«But she says it's normal. In fact I was worried too but ... you're normal.» Fera smiled and turned to continue listening.
I'm not normal at all. I haven't made a contract. Should I say it?
«-But that said, my name is Mrs. Nelsea. I am a bilementary, water and psyche. I'm the second supervisor of the 22nd entrance while this is the third supervisor.»
Name was short, she could see, on tiptoe, a fairly young man with hazel hair approaching.
«I'm a bilementary. Air and wood. You can call me Mr. Dan. Welcome to all of you 48.»
48?
Have so many not passed the contract?
«Pfft» in the crowd, there was a male laugh.
A fiery red-haired boy was pointing his thick, large sword at the pink lady and Mr. Dan.
«Water? Air? Wood? The twenty-second entry is really messed up. I'm from the family closest to the king of the kingdom of fire and-»
Then it hit him like lightning: a thin needle that seemed made of water, pierced the boy near the shoulder, leaving a hole that began to spit blood.
Many went away and the boy fell to the ground.
The blow had been delivered by the smiling pink lady, of course.
«I will not accept discrimination in my entry. Are you proud of your flames, which burn with such brutal speed?»
Unanswered, the woman chuckled, holding a hand in front of her mouth.
«I'll tell you something. Water is often underestimated: water kills slowly and in a more refined way than simple flames. And it can be lethal, as you noticed.» her smile widened.
Name found it revolting.
«To generate so much water and suppress it in such a fine needle, capable of cutting meat ... Ah ... You'll never get to that level if you keep it up.»
The pink woman turned to her colleague.
«Do you want to add something, air and wood?»
Mr. Dan shook his head, raising both arms.
Name watched the red-haired boy be helped by a nearby girl, then lost sight of him.
«Oh! This lesson took too long. Well! Currently you have officially entered Deorum, but you have not yet entered the main circles, we are still at 0. This is because to pass you will need to pass through 4 exams: the winter, spring, summer and autumn exams. After all of them, you will have access to the first circle. The content of the exams will be explained to you later. Keep in mind that you will have to pass a test every time you want to advance in a circle, both minor and major.»
The woman turned to Mr. Dan and urged him to continue, he seemed to want to stay somewhere else.
«Yes… well what you said. Crossing the gray door on the right you will find an armory, the weapon is not essential, when you are sorted into the 4 basic positions, you will all receive a basic weapon. You will then be given the uniform and the Pass. You can then rest until six in the morning. Congratulations. That's all.» he smiled, exposing some wrinkles, then turned to go towards a pink door.
Name, in silence, couldn't wait for the pink lady to go, she was happy that she hadn't noticed her.
That happiness was shattered when, despite the distance, she stared at her straight in the eyes, smiling one last time before turning around.
«The girl with the three leaves of fate will want to follow me. Alone.»
Damn.
She saw me and even called me back.
Name wanted to sleep. She would have preferred to have another weird dream, talk to the guardian, see the image of Miki dying again, but she didn't want to go alone with that woman.
Fera shook her hand.
«Hey, she's just going to want to ask you questions, like why you don't remember anything. Or maybe she knows who you are.»
Not even Fera seemed to like it.
After all, she'd tried to kill her as soon as she woke up with no memory.
She would have liked to meet Fera before that woman.
Some heads had already turned to her, but most were heading enthusiastically towards the gray door.
She wanted to go with them all.
«I'll wait here.» Fera sat down on the sofa behind her, smiling.
«Thank you.» Name hoped that Fera understood that that thanks was not aimed at waiting for her, but at the fact that until now Fera had been the only one who was truly on her side.
-
She was engulfed in overwhelming nausea as soon as she entered.
The pink door led to a small gray concrete room with two armchairs.
On one, the pink lady looked at her, waiting for her to sit down.
Clearly at a disadvantage in all respects, Name sat in the other black chair.
She didn't want to look at her face, but the pink lady was still very beautiful, she had a feminine physique and her hair, pink, longer than hers, softer and more cared for.
Name probably had to take a shower.
I want to leave.
The woman stifled a laugh.
«You probably don't know. The kingdom of psyche requires its citizens to wear the colors of the kingdom, namely pink and its shades, to be recognized. In practice we are all the same, same eyes, hair ... a bore. You should keep your thoughts closed, I read minds.»
Ah ...
Name tried not to think about anything, she watched her hands intertwined for an endless period.
«Why am I here?» she asked, finally, finding some courage.
«Oh! Already! Everything that happened before, during and after your "special contract" you will have to keep to yourself. That's all.» the woman laughed again, how could she always be so happy?
«Why?» she asked again.
The pink lady stopped smiling.
«Because it's an order from your superior. You may not believe me, but I'm doing it for you. Nothing you can understand.»
Sh got up from her chair, holding out her hand.
«Do we have a deal?»
Her gaze was menacing, it was dark, cold: that woman was not on her side, that was sure.
But Name didn't know anything yet, she didn't think she was really doing it for her, but what other choice did she have? Being killed on the spot? She shivered at the very thought.
She reached out her hand as well, but felt a jolt in her body, which made her left arm pull away.
She swallowed.
«In exchange...»
Name didn't even know if the words she was saying were really hers, she was too tense and tired to understand it.
«I want information.»
The pink lady stared at her, Name finally managed to look her in the face: she had a little smile.
«All right then, you will ask me your doubts about the in the Summer Regime.»
They both shook hands.
«Oh, well! Now you can go out!»
Name didn't get it repeated twice and almost ran out the door.
Too many things in one day.
Too many things for someone who has no memory in one day.
Name now just wanted to lie on the ground and pass out.
«Name!» Fera ran towards her.
«Quick! They are taking the best weapons! We don't have time!»
Name, without the strength to reply, nodded, agreeing to be dragged towards the gray door.
Each step felt heavier to her.
«Fera? Can I sleep?» Name said.
«Huh?»
Immediately after, Name collapsed to the ground, drained of energy. She fell asleep immediately.