1 Where am I?
It all began when I was commuting to school as usual. While crossing the street, a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. As you might have guessed, I got hit by the truck. The next thing I knew, I was in a white space by myself.
("Where… am I?") [???]
While I was pondering where I was, a flash of light blew up in my face. The white space vanished and I saw a girl standing in front of me. Other than the trees in the background, and the field I was in, nothing stood out to me.
"I… did it? I did it!" [Girl]
("She's… excited?") [???]
The girl before me had black hair that dropped down below her shoulders. She seemed to be wearing something that looked like a uniform? The girl wore a blue blazer outlined with white and a skirt of matching color. Other than the distracting unmatching red ribbon tied around her neck, her onyx eyes seemed to draw me in.
"Teacher! I did it! Please check it for me!" [Girl]
She took her eyes off me, allowing me to gather my bearings. I realized I couldn't move, much less feel my limbs. When I tried to speak, nothing seemed to come out. While I tried to experiment with myself, a voice called over from behind.
"Have summoned your spirit, Fina?" [???]
A woman I assume is in her thirties came into view. The woman, unlike the girl who I am guessing is named Fina, wore different clothing. She had a red dress that stuck out like a sore thumb, and an open white coat on top of it. Along with that, she tied her brown hair tied back into a ponytail, and put on glasses that reflected in sunlight. After measuring her up, I was pretty confident she was an intellectual.
"A lesser spirit, I wonder what attribute it is." [Woman]
She inspected me with a hand on her chin, which made me pretty uncomfortable considering I was practically paralyzed.
"...Did I do good?" [Fina]
"Hm… I think you did well. You should form a contract with it and give it a name." [Woman]
Fina's eyes lit up with excitement, giving me a strange feeling of uneasiness.
"Ms. Ross, do I just follow the textbook?" [Fina]
Fina faced the woman next to her, so I finally understood through my thick skull that she was the teacher.
"Of course, just make sure to designate yourself as the master." [Ross]
The teacher opened her palm, and suddenly a book appeared in it. Flipping through the pages, she handed it to Fina after settling on a page of her choice.
"Here, cite these words. Remember to keep your magic flow stable or else the spirit will die." [Ross]
That was the moment I thought I was screwed. From the conversation before, I had already figured out that I was a so-called "Spirit". Breathing in deeply, Fina lifted one hand and held the book in another. She began to read aloud, filling my thoughts with her voice.
"By the grace of the spirit counselor, I request the power of the child before me." [Fina]
As she spoke, I felt a strange warmth inside my body. While I was enveloped with that feeling, lights circled around her palm and began to form some kind of drawing on her hand.
"May the mark of our bond be set in stone through the crest of sealing." [Fina]
The lights around her hand dwindled, leaving an image of a book on the back of her hand.
"As confirmation of our contract, I bestow upon you the name... Solace." [Fina]
Sparkles appeared in my field of view, but immediately dispersed without a trace.
("...What was that?") [Solace]
"You have been contracted to the human, |Fina Kane|." [???]
("Huh?") [Solace]
While I was still dumbfounded as to what happened, a female monotone voice resonated in my head.
"You have been named, |Solace| by |Fina Kane|" [???]
I was completely confused. I had no clue what was going on, and where that voice was coming from.
"Congratulations, you have successfully contracted a lesser spirit." [Ross]
The teacher pat Fina on the head, holding a kind smile on her face.
"Hehehe…!" [Fina]
Seeing that she was being praised, Fina seemed very pleased with herself.
"Now… Try calling it to you." [Ross]
She lifted her hand off Fina's head, who looked a bit dejected when it happened.
"Um… What page is it in?" [Fina]
Fina flipped through the textbook she was given, but was stopped by Ross momentarily.
"You don't need the book for this. Just try calling for it." [Ross]
Glancing at Ross nervously, Fina looked a bit unsure.
"Then… Uh… Solace, come." [Fina]
"The summoner, |Fina Kane| calls for you." [???]
I felt something pull me in. It looked like I was getting sucked into the book on the back of her hand, but my point of view suddenly changed. I was able to see from above Fina, it was like I was watching her from the third person.
"Did I do it?" [Fina]
"I think you did fine. Now try calling it out." [Ross]
"Does it work the same way as telling it to come?" [Fina]
"Try telling it to appear. Or just say it's name." [Ross]
"...If you say so." [Fina]
Raising the hand I guess I was sucked into, she called out my name.
"|Solace|." [Fina]
As soon as she said my name, my point of view returned to when I first arrived at this place.
"It worked!" [Fina]
"Good. That should be all for today. Now that you've successfully contracted a spirit, you don't have to attend remedial classes anymore." [Ross]
"Thank you very much for your guidance!" [Fina]
Lowering her head, she respectfully thanked Ross.
"I don't need it. This is a result of your hard work. Go back to the dorms and rest, tomorrow you're going to need it." [Ross]
Turning around, Ross walked away while waving at Fina.
"Phew…" [Fina]
Dropping to her knees, she breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing at me, she smiled.
"Ehehe… Solace, come here." [Fina]
She beckoned towards me with a hand, and I followed. It felt like I was floating, and I had no idea how. As I got closer, Fina seemed to become larger by the second.
("Woah... WOAH!!") [Solace]
Fina held out her hands, allowing me to float onto her palms. She was looming over me like a giant, making me feel a bit uncomfortable about our size difference.
("...Please don't hurt me.") [Solace]
Humming to herself while observing me, Fina lifted a finger to caress my head.
"Let's get along from now, Solace." [Fina]
