"Those Whisps that helped you," Lisa said gently before she left, "they'll be registered in the Whisp Nexus as recognized companions. You can go there playing, pact making with them."She paused, then added with a smile, "Dr Mu has been appointed the new head of the whisp nexus in our conurbation after pushing for that change. She used her authority to protect you… and them."
Jimmy looked down at the ground for a moment. A strange feeling fluttered in his chest—part warmth, part ache.
He was happy.But he also felt… a little sad. That kind of sacrifice wasn't something he ever expected anyone to make for him.
Lisa noticed the flicker of emotion in his face and softened her tone. "She'll take care of them very well. You can trust that."
Jimmy nodded slowly.
.........
Before leaving, Nun Lisa turned to Jimmy one last time. "Alright," she said gently, brushing a speck of dust from his shoulder. "Play until the afternoon. I'll come back to take you to the whisp nexus for your registration."
Jimmy nodded, his face calm. But before she stepped away, she paused.
"How are you seeing now?" she asked, tilting her head.
Jimmy raised both hands slowly and signed with a faint smile, "I can sense."
Lisa blinked, then gave a soft, warm laugh. "Is that so? Then try this."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small, battered book—the cover faded, its pages slightly wrinkled from years of use. She opened it to a random page and held it out to him.
Jimmy frowned slightly, focusing.
For a few seconds, the page was just brightness and shapes. But then—slowly—the symbols began to resolve. Not like normal sight, but in pulses, like light filtered through memory. The outlines sharpened, the letters solidifying one by one.
He looked up at her with a surprised but delighted expression, then nodded and signed:
"I can read."
Lisa smiled deeply at that. "Good," she said. Then she gently tied a soft, grey ribbon around his eyes—simple, smooth, like a blindfold, but with no binding force. "Let this help you focus. Think of it as training."
She placed a small meal by his side—flat bread, salted berries, and a few dried pieces of fish—then turned to leave, her footsteps fading down the path with the cooing dove by her side.
Silence fell.
Jimmy waited… watched.
Nothing.
His breath steadied.
He scanned the space with his sense—no footsteps, no voices, no presences. Just the wind through the grass and the low hum of water behind the bushes. In his new sensory domain, he saw only about five meters in a sphere around him—a floating orb of awareness, glowing white lines in a sea of black.
It was enough.
He scooped up the food quietly and padded across the grass toward the pond, kneeling at its edge.
Taking a deep breath, he looked out over the rippling water and murmured, his voice soft but sure:
"A…aaaa… aaaa… aaaa… a… Come out now. No one's here."
The pond surface shimmered for a moment, still… then rippled again.
A glimmer of blue.A pulse of light.
And from the shadowed depths, she emerged.
The sleek, cyan-blue Whisp leapt from the pond like a gliding spirit, landing with a splash onto the bank—and straight into his lap with a playful hop.
She rubbed her head against his chest, purring a soft "liu… liu… liu…" as her horns glinted in the sun.
Jimmy smiled and cupped her face gently. "Let's make the contract now."
The Whisp froze for a heartbeat, then gave a small, proud nod.
Sliding off his lap, she stood upright, her gold eyes glowing with shared intent. Jimmy reached forward, steady and sure, and extended his hand.
She lifted a hoofed paw and placed it into his palm.
Their energies stirred—warmth flowing up from his arm, hers descending like mist into his chest. The symbols of the world—the unseen lines of magic and trust—began to draw themselves in the air between them, shaped by their shared will.
Their bond was not forced. It had been years in the making.
As their energies merged, the space between their hands lit with a pale golden shimmer. A low pulse beat through the earth and air.
And then, silence.
The light faded.
The contract was complete.
Jimmy opened his eyes, not with wonder—but with peace. A circle had closed. A journey begun long ago in secret had finally found its first true step.
He placed a hand to his heart, then to hers.
The Whisp nodded again and turned, gracefully bounding back toward the pond—but she didn't vanish this time. She simply sat there, beside him, watching the breeze run across the water.
Together.