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Stepping into the common room after my declaration was downright anticlimactic, regardless of the fact that it had been three months since I'd seen the room lit by the Dark Hour.á Some things really do stay with you forever, I suppose.
"Welcome."
Ah, now that was nostalgia inducing.
"You're late. I've been waiting a long time."
Standing behind the check-in counter was a ten year old wearing what seemed to be blue and white striped pajamas.á This was Pharos, the human avatar of the Thirteenth Shadow and the Appriser of Nyx. This was Death itself.
...Who also happened to be an adorable child who looked like he could be my precocious younger brother.
He was looking at me expectantly, and I realized he was holding out a piece of paper.á I took it from him, and he smiled.á "Please, sign here.á There's no need to be scared; it only binds you to accepting fullá responsibility for your actions."
Ah, of course.á The contract.á I took it from him and glanced over it.á "I chooseth this fate of my own free will," it said.á Everything seemed in order, so I lifted the pen Pharos handed me and prepared to sign my name, only to pause as a thought came to mind.
"Say... just what am I agreeing to, anyway?"á I put down the pen, and looked Pharos straight in the eye.á "It's not taking responsibility for my actions that I have problems with.á I have problems with choosing a fate for myself.á I don't believe that fate is set in stone."á Because if I did, I wouldn't have traveled back in time to change my future.á Unless it was fated for me to live out that future, then travel back andùgah!á Bad thoughts!á "I refuse to 'choose' my fate, because pre-selecting one entails shutting out the alternatives; which might be good or bad, but I'll never know if I decide my fate here and now!"
Pharos lost his customary smile and began tapping his fingers against the counter.á Was he nervous?á "That isn't the way it works.á Every time you make a decision, you have no choice but to accept the result.á This contract is the same. Whether you sign it or not, you still need to accept that your actions will have consequences."á He pushed pen and paper towards me.á "Sign the contract.á You have nothing to lose, and much to gain."
Wasn't that the truth?á It wasn't like I planned to not sign it, anyway.á Too much was at stake, and I doubt I'd be invited into the Velvet Room without my name on that paper.á So without further ado I signed my name at the bottom of the page, taking care to write each character as clearly as possible.á When I was done, Pharos lifted the paper, and smiled his creepiest smile.
"And so it begins... again."á Holding it up so I could see, he made to make it disappear.
"Wait."á He froze and glared at me, no doubt wondering why I'd interrupted. "Where's my copy?á I thought that both parties to a contract received a copy, so that neither contractor had any excuse to renege."
Pharos stared.á One of his eyebrows twitched.á He lifted the contract to eye level, flipped it around to show that there was only the single page there and twisted his hand at an impossible angle. Suddenly there were two identical copies of the contract in his hand.á He handed one to me, then stepped back into the shadows and disappearing without another word.
Death was not amused.
I smiled. I couldn't remember ever getting the best of my imaginary friend. As I moved towards the stairs a wave of tiredness crashed over me. Going to school the day before, dealing with soul sickness brought on by sealing Nyx, going back in time, and walking through the Dark Hour in a body totally unused to the exertion had left me completely spent.
As I made my way up the stairs, I once again went over my plans in my head. Stop the Shadows. Stop Strega. Keep Nyx from being summoned OR have a better seal waiting for her. Keep Shinjiro from dying...
àWhy do I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something?
My train of thought was brutally interrupted by a high pitched scream and the butt of the pistol smashing into my head. As I dropped to my knees clutching my head, I remembered that, indeed, Yukari Takeba had been ready to attack me the first time I entered the dorm. Before the savage girl could take another piece of my skull, I heard shouts from upstairs.
Ow.
