CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: PROMISE ME

Aiden froze when he suddenly heard a voice echo inside his mind.

"I know. I’m only trying to heal your injury. Do you think I want to lick your wound or get tied down with you?"

His eyes widened. That was not his imagination, right? He darted his head from side to side, searching for whoever had spoken. The forest was silent except for the rustling of leaves and the distant birdsong. His chest tightened as a wave of panic rose in him.

"What the hell..." he muttered, his voice trembling. Then louder, with a shaky breath, he shouted, "Whoever you are, come out now! This isn’t funny!"

The voice returned, calm yet faintly irritated. "What are you looking around for? I’m down here."

Aiden’s gaze dropped, and his stomach twisted. The only living creature in front of him was the rainbow-colored bird still perched nearby. Its multicolored feathers shimmered faintly under the magical light of the forest, and its eyes glowed with the same strange disdain he had noticed earlier.

"No," Aiden whispered to himself, shaking his head as if to clear it. "No, this can’t be real. A talking bird? I’m clearly hallucinating."

The voice cut through his denial once again, this time laced with sarcasm. "Do you perhaps enjoy talking to yourself? I think you do."

Aiden’s jaw dropped. He stared at the bird, and the bird stared back at him, tilting its head ever so slightly. He swore he saw that look of disdain in its beady little eyes again. His skin prickled.

"Are you..." he said slowly, almost reluctantly, "are you the one talking to me?"

The voice answered immediately, sharp and impatient. "Do you see anyone else here?"

Aiden nearly lost his balance where he sat. His heart raced in disbelief. "But... how? You’re not even opening your beak. How can you be talking to me?"

The bird fluffed its chest feathers as if annoyed that such an obvious question needed answering. The voice in his head carried a tone of superiority. "When I was healing your wound, I licked the injury. Your blood seeped into my mouth. I was concentrating on channeling healing energy, but because you decided to panic like a fool, I lost focus and accidentally swallowed some of your blood. That is why this happened. Now we’re connected. Like it or not, I’ve become your spirit animal, although I’m very reluctant about it."

Aiden blinked at the bird, his mouth half-open. His expression twisted into a mixture of shock, confusion, and something bordering on amusement.

"Wait, wait," he stammered. "What do you mean you became my spirit animal? Why does everything at this school keep getting stranger by the day? And why did no one tell me about spirit animals in the first place?"

The bird straightened its tiny frame, puffing out its chest proudly as though his question was a chance to show off. Its voice rang in his head again, proud and loud.

"Of course no one told you. Spirit animals have been extinct for a thousand years. We were once the companions and aids of witches, but no one has seen us in centuries. I am the only one that remains. I was birthed about two centuries ago."

Aiden’s eyes widened even further. "Are you telling me... you’re more than two hundred years old?"

The bird gave a tiny nod, and its mental voice carried the smugness of a king on a throne. "Exactly. So you should show some respect and stop throwing around insults."

Aiden groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Wow. Great. Just great. I’ve stumbled upon an ancestor bird. A literal antique."

He lowered his hand and stared at the creature. "So what do you mean when you say we’re connected?"

The bird hopped closer, its feathers gleaming as if to emphasize its importance. "You should count yourself lucky. The last witch I connected with lived two centuries ago. When my master died, I also died in a way. I fell into a deep slumber and only woke seventeen years ago. Since then, I’ve been hiding from the school authorities. I had no intention of bonding with anyone else."

It noticed then that Aiden was smiling, wide and a little unsettling.

The bird frowned—or as much as a bird could frown—and asked suspiciously, "Why are you smiling like that?"

Aiden leaned forward, his eyes glittering with mischief. "So what you’re saying is... I’m your master now. Don’t try to deny it. You just admitted that the last person you connected to was your master, which means if you connected with me, then I’m your master too."

The bird let out a mental sigh of exasperation. "Yes, but you don’t have what it takes to be my master."

Aiden chuckled softly, unconcerned. "Whether I have what it takes or not, the fact is you’re stuck with me. You can’t deny that." Then his smile faltered, his expression turning thoughtful. "But wait. You said spirit animals only connect with witches. I’m not a witch... or at least, my bloodline doesn’t work. I can’t use magic."

The bird’s feathers ruffled in irritation. "Yes, about that. I came to this side of the school because I felt something calling out to me. I traced that pull straight to you. But instead of finding a powerful witch, I found... you. And honestly, if I hadn’t experienced the connection myself, I’d never believe you were a witch. Your magic is so faint it’s almost nonexistent. So yes, you’re a witch, but a pathetic one. A truly miserable excuse for a witch. I can’t believe I got scammed into this."

Aiden snorted, folding his arms. "Well, it’s not like I asked for this either, you know."

He pushed himself up from the ground, only to realize with a jolt that the pain in his knee had vanished. He looked down in disbelief. The wound that had been bleeding moments ago was completely healed, the skin smooth as though nothing had ever happened.

"You... healed me," Aiden whispered, awe in his voice.

The bird’s mental voice snapped back immediately, dripping with disdain. "Is your brain wired backwards? How many times have I mentioned that I was healing you? Why are you so slow? You’re not only powerless, but also an idiot."

Any gratitude that had welled up inside Aiden shriveled in an instant. He narrowed his golden eyes and let out an angry snicker. "You know what? Forget it. I don’t want to be with you anymore. Maybe I’ll just go to the school authorities and ask if there’s a way to break this connection between a spirit animal and a witch."

At that, the bird suddenly fluttered its wings and landed firmly on his shoulder, glaring at him with rainbow eyes. Its mental voice was urgent now, stripped of arrogance. "You can’t tell the school about me. You must never let them know I exist. If they find out I’m a spirit animal, we’ll both be in danger."

Aiden frowned. "Why not? Why can’t they know?"

The bird’s gaze sharpened. "Because it’s dangerous. More dangerous than you can imagine. Spirit animals aren’t supposed to exist anymore, and there are reasons for that. If word gets out, we will both be hunted. You can tell people I’m your pet, but don’t ever breathe a word about me being your spirit animal. Not even to your closest friend. Promise me."

The sudden seriousness in its tone made Aiden pause. He studied the bird carefully, seeing no trace of its earlier mocking air. His chest tightened with unease. "Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?"

The voice in his head rang again, stern and unwavering. "Promise me."

Aiden sighed heavily, scratching his silver hair in frustration. "Fine, fine. I promise."

Only then did the bird relax slightly on his shoulder, its glowing eyes softening as if satisfied with his answer.