9 9. A Contract Was Made

Mao Yin struggled to open his eyes, as they were crusted over with dirt. His whole body felt sore and caked with blood and filth. For a few moments, he just laid there, reveling in the fact that he was still alive and breathing before standing up with much difficulty.

'Where am I?' He wondered.

The place seemed unfamiliar to him but the more he looked, the more he realized this was the village he had grown up in. Only now it looked as if a war had taken place.

The buildings were razed to the ground leaving only some piles of rubble and sundered beams. The sky and ground beyond were painted crimson as if the heavens had spilled wine onto the earth. Small piles of human tissue and meat were littered all about and the stink of human remains pervaded Mao Yin's sensitive nostrils.

When he walked, his tattered shoes made a squelching sound against the ground which was completely saturated with blood. Yet despite all the gore, he wasn't able to see a single intact body. It was as if everyone had turned into mere puddles with exception to the chunks of flesh here and there. The only sound he could hear was that of silence and flames crackling far into the distance.

"You've suffered greatly." A somewhat familiar and raspy voice suddenly stated.

"Who--?!" Mao Yin looked around alertly

"Right beside you, child."

A veiled black figure appeared beside him floating in a leisurely position akin to a wisp of shadow.

"It's only been a few hours since I last spoke with you and yet I find you in such a state. It truly breaks my heart that a child as sensible and kind as you would be treated in such a way."

The veiled figure spoke kind words yet his voice seemed to provoke a primal and instinctual feeling of unease in Mao Yin. He pushed the feeling down and gazed upon the figure suspiciously.

Mao Yin spoke respectfully "I don't seem to recall meeting with senior."

The figure raised a shadowy hand and tousled his hair affectionately. "Try to remember. Your dream and my promise to you."

Realization dawned on Mao Yin's face. "I thought that was just a normal dream!"

The figure let out a dry chuckle. "My child, there is no such a thing as a normal dream in this world. Everything holds meaning as insignificant as it may be."

"Everything?"

"Yes; however, this is a topic for another day. I had wanted see you to tell you of a few things foremost.

It is unfortunate for you but our little promise we had spoken of during our little chat previously is now considered void."

Mao Yin wilted slightly. "T-then that means you won't stay with me?"

"Not at all. In fact, since you were unconscious and in a dangerous situation, I was left with no choice but to make the contract without your consent. This means that I have forcibly taken up a little piece of your heart where I will stay from now on.

With this in mind, I had mentioned it previously, but in order for me to stay with you I have to eat as well. You understand?"

Mao Yin nodded like a hen pecking rice. "Are you hungry right now, senior?"

"No, child. Although I was weakened quite a bit earlier, I managed to eat quite well while you were knocked out. I have quite a bit of energy to spare at the moment. Don't you feel it?" The figure gently poked a finger into Mao Yin's slightly protruding stomach.

He looked down at his small belly, placing a small hand on it. "I feel… full!" Mao Yin smiled toothily, for once showing the expression of a child.

He hasn't felt such a sensation since his parents were alive. This feeling of fullness and contentment made his body aches disappear into nothingness and he let out a genuine little smile.

"Thank you, senior." If it wasn't for the blood and filth covering Mao Yin, he would have looked every part an obedient and lovable child.

The figure waved his hand dismissively and began to pluck the splinters that were engorged into little Mao Yin's back. "Refrain from being so formal. You may address me as you would a father or grandfather. From now on, you're under my care and I'm under yours. Our lives are intertwined so to better coexist, we must be sure to help one another out. However, I should mention that in order to preserve this form, a large amount of energy is required so you won't see my physical form too often. I will be with you but mostly to speak, so you must learn to properly defend yourself to avoid a repeat of today's events. Do you understand?"

Mao Yin nodded obediently. "But if grandpa can't come out, how will you eat?"

"Worry not my child, just like humans can eat a variety of foods, I can feed off of other things too. I won't starve. In any case, I can no longer keep this form for today and must go. You can still speak to me when you would like."

The shadow like form tapped Mao Yin's back and left one more thought before it began to disappear. "Make sure you wipe your mouth, by the way. You have food all over."

The figure completely disappeared and Mao Yin was once again left alone in that desolate land. It seemed like that last tap on his back contained some kind of power because Mao Yin no longer felt any pain and instead felt very refreshed.

Recalling the figure's last words, he wiped his mouth to see that flakes of dark red came off almost like dried blood.

How strange.

He quickly his curiosity behind him though as he realized how filthy he was. His love for cleanliness pervaded his thoughts and he quickly scampered off to clean up and find a change of clothes.