5

“I can’t believe I agreed to this.” Alice looked at the weird contract in her hand, the paper enough looking so expensive that it could probably cover their bills for a month. The spirit said all she needed to do was smear one drop of her blood on the paper, and the contract would be sealed.

“Alice!” Lysa came running from somewhere and Alice hid the paper inside her bag, next to the unbelievable amount of money she got for her first “pay check”.

The snake spirit was more than generous when it came to human money, she offered a hilarously high amount, and Alice had to basically fight her to reduce it to something she could actually get behind. Alice didn’t even know where they got so much money from, and she didn’t really intend to ask as well.

“Did you find a job?” Lysa asked excitedly.

“Unfortunately.” Alice looked at her friend with dying eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was selling her soul to the devil.

“That bad huh?”

“Couldn’t be worse, actually.”

But it was enough money to buy her fathers medicine this month, pay the overdue bills so they could have hot running water again, buy groceries. If she worked a little bit more, she could even get her father to the doctor again.

The deal was too good to be true. Alice knew nothing in life was that simple.

“Here’s your uniform, my lady.” The little lantern holding girl handed Alice her uniform with both hands, her lantern weirdly hanging in the air next to her.

“Uniform? Also can you stop calling me your lady, it creeps me out.”

“Of course, my lady.” The little girl nodded. Alice looked at her with tears in her eyes, and a crooked smile. “All attendants in the palace wear uniforms. Yours is specially chosen by the great snake spirit.”

“Now that you mention it, where is everyone else?” Alice asked looking around the eerily empty palace. “What attendants?”

“Oh, well, please ask the snake spirit about it, my lady. She is waiting your presence.” And the little lantern girl waddled away.

Alice sighed, went to an empty bedroom and opened the wrapping of the uniform.

…

“What the hell is this?!” Her voice echoed through the palace.

She was so angry she could burst into flames. Sure, she wore short dresses or intricate clothing before for some odd jobs here and there, but nothing could compare to what she was wearing now.

She had a white dress that stuck to her body with embroidered red snake figures on it hugging her figure. The little lantern girl insisted on gathering her hair up and putting a red ribbon on it, a classic of the snake spirit, she said.

They gave her black boots with a little heel to go with the uniform, and Alice weirdly wondered how the snake spirit knew her size so well. She really didn’t want to think about it, so she walked out of the room with the lantern girl and walked into the hall she met the spirit before.

She saw a mirror on the way and couldn’t help but stop in front of it to stare at this stranger looking back. She had to admit, the dress and ribbon were beautiful and she looked quite nice, blonde hair framing her face. It was just so different from the regular shirt and pants she wore or the uniforms at fast food places that she felt quite peculiar.

She barged into the hall, barely containing her fury. “The great snake spirit.” She said calmly.

“Alice, welcome. You look wonderful.”

“You think?” She almost cursed out loud. “Thanks for choosing this amazing dress for me.” She said sarcastically.

“You are very welcome.” The snake spirit said, content with herself. Alice wanted to die right there.

“Whatever,” Alice sighed. “Let’s do the contract and get it over with.”

“We shall go over the details so you know what you are signing.” The spirit said, like Alice could forget the details to begin with. “You will be my human companion, aiding me in research and battle against an old spirit who went into hiding, and you’ll help me control my powers.”

“Why do you even need me to control your powers?” Alice asked, genuinely curious. “You seem to be powerful enough on your own.”

“Too powerful, in fact.” The snake spirit said, stoic as if she was just stating a fact. “Without a human companion to meditate it, my power is too rare and explosive. Let alone use it in battle, I barely stop myself from engulfing everything in ember flames.”

“My mistress commands the fire element.” The little girl said.

“So you need me to do what exactly?” Alice asked.

“You and me, we are making a contract.” The serpent spoke, her voice was ancient and beautiful. Elegant. “The contract states you as the mediator, as you’ve read. This will help your presence to be enough to mediate my powers. However if we bonded one day, you can command my powers yourself and summon me when you want.”

“And how does a human and spirit bond?” Alice lifted her eyebrows.

The serpent took on a lovely smile. “We need to share a kiss, of course.”

“Like hell I’d do that!” Alice grabbed both her shoulders as if protecting her body from some pervert.

“You never kissed someone?” The snake spirit asked, looking genuinely intrigued.

“Well, I,” Alice stumbled upon her words. Let alone kissing someone, she didn’t even hold someone’s hand romantically until now. She had been so busy and exhausted after her mother left that she didn’t have time to return anyone’s feelings, even when some boys at her school tried.

“A virgin then.” Snake spirit smiled, like she was saying the most normal thing.

“Can you please stop talking about my romantic life?” Alice furrowed her brows. “Let’s get this contract over with so we can start working on whatever this thing is.”

“Take the needle from my little attendant, then.” The snake spirit motioned towards the lantern girl. Alice, still frowning, took the needle and pulled out the contract.

“Just a drop of blood, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Here goes nothing.” Alice pinched herself with the needle and her finger started bleeding. She could see the signature of the red serpent, and her name next to it with an empty space underneath. She smeared her finger on the paper and everything glowed so brightly it hurt her eyes.

When she came to her senses, she was standing on the roof and the night air was blowing her hair away from her face. “What?” She looked at the view of the spirit world from high up, completely mesmerized.

“Do you see the house over there?” Something spoke next to her and she startled so hard she almost fell down the roof. The snake spirit was quick to grab her by the waist and she pulled her close. One of her hands rested on Alice’s head, lightly and gently caressing her hair. “Please do not fall to your immediate death. You humans are very fragile.” She said.

“That sounds weirdly racist.” Alice pulled herself away from her.

“I’m just stating facts. You are weak, but you keep going despite that.”

“That’s quite motivational.” Alice rolled her eyes. “What house, show me again.”

The serpent pointed at somewhere and they both looked at there. “A spirit called “Glamiea” lives there. She has intel about the old spirit I’m looking for. But she refuses to talk to me. Your first mission is to give her a visit and have conversation.”

“Why on earth would she talk to me?” Alice asked.

“Because you will be wearing this.” The serpent gave a little pin to Alice, it was beautiful and intricate, just like her dress.

“What’s this?”

“Only a human can use this ancient item. I turned it into a pin for you. When you wear this, a spirit has to answer your one question truthfully. So make sure you choose a good one.”

“Got it.” Alice said, nodding her head as she pinned the pin on her dress.

“Go then.” The serpent pointed at the road.

“Uh,” Alice looked around weirdly. “Can you get me off of this roof first?”

The manor doors opened before Alice could even knock.

Slowly.

Creeeeak.

“Oh that’s not ominous at all.” Alice muttered to herself.

The inside of the manor was dark compared to the serpent’s palace. Blue lanterns glowed faintly along the walls, casting eerie shadows across silk curtains and polished wooden floors. The air smelled overwhelmingly sweet, like flowers left out too long to rot.

Alice stepped inside cautiously.

The door slammed shut behind her.

She nearly screamed.

“Relax, little human.” A woman’s voice echoed softly through the room. “You entered willingly.”

“That somehow made me feel worse!” Alice shouted back immediately.

Soft laughter drifted through the manor.

It came from everywhere at once.

Alice slowly walked further inside, trying not to panic. Her boots clicked quietly against the floor. Every instinct told her she was being watched.

Then she noticed the mirrors.

Dozens of them lined the walls.

Big mirrors. Small mirrors. Cracked mirrors. Golden mirrors. Every single one reflected her figure from strange angles.

And in some of them-

The reflections moved half a second too late.

“Nope.” Alice whispered immediately. “I hate this place.”

“You are amusing.” The same voice purred. “The serpent chose well this time.”

This time.

Alice frowned slightly.

A figure finally appeared behind one of the silk curtains.

Then another.

And another.

Women stepped into the lantern light one after another, all identical. Long dark hair. Pale skin. Beautiful faces. Every single one smiling at Alice.

“…Absolutely not.”

They laughed together in perfect sync.

“Which one is real?” one asked sweetly.

“Maybe all of us.” Another giggled.

“Maybe none.”

Alice already had a headache. “Can one of you please just be normal for five minutes?”

The women circled her slowly like curious cats. Their robes brushed softly against the floor as they moved.

One stopped directly in front of Alice and tilted her head. “How interesting.”

Another touched the glowing mark on Alice’s wrist lightly. “She truly marked you.”

A third smiled wider. “And the bond is already deepening.”

Alice immediately hid her wrist behind her back. “Can spirits stop being weird about this for one day?”

The women only laughed again.

Then suddenly-

Every single illusion vanished at once.

Only one woman remained sitting lazily atop a large cushion near the center of the room.

Ah.

So that one was the real Glamiea.

She was beautiful in a haunting sort of way. Long black hair pooled around her body like ink, decorated with silver ornaments and flowers. Unlike the serpent spirit’s dangerous elegance, Glamiea felt soft. Seductive. The kind of spirit people probably approached willingly before realizing too late something was wrong.

Golden eyes studied Alice carefully.

“You smell like her.” Glamiea mused. “How nostalgic.”

Alice crossed her arms awkwardly. “Yeah well apparently I work for her now.”

“How tragic.”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

Glamiea smiled faintly at that. “So. The serpent finally seeks information after all these years.”

Alice remembered the pin immediately and straightened slightly. Right. Mission. Important mission.

She stepped closer carefully. “I need information about the spirit she’s looking for.”

Glamiea’s smile disappeared instantly.

The room became colder.

Even the mirrors stopped moving strangely.

“…That name should not be spoken lightly.”