Jason froze, his expression shifting between disbelief and cautious hope as he stared at the white-haired woman. Her pale hair shimmered under the moonlight, and her golden eyes, though fierce, bore a striking resemblance to the softness he remembered in Mary's gaze. His heart ached as the memories of his wife flooded his mind.
"Mary?" he repeated, his voice softer, almost a whisper, as if afraid the name would break the fragile illusion.
The woman narrowed her golden eyes, her stance wary and guarded. She took a step back, her bare feet barely making a sound on the icy ground. A silver robe shimmered into existence, wrapping around her like liquid moonlight, and a blade of pure lunar light materialized in her hand, its glow sharp and intimidating.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steady and commanding, though laced with curiosity. "And how do you know that name?"
Jason raised his hands slowly, showing he meant no harm, though his mind raced with a mixture of confusion and longing. "I'm Jason," he said cautiously. "You… remind me of someone I lost. Someone very dear to me."
The woman's blade didn't waver, but her brows furrowed slightly as she studied him. Despite the stranger's overwhelming presence—his aura of power that seemed to rival the mountains themselves—there was no hostility in his tone, only sorrow and bewilderment.
"I don't know you," she said firmly. "And I am not this Mary you speak of. If you mean to harm me, you will regret it."
Jason took a step forward, his movements deliberate and unthreatening. "I don't mean any harm," he said. "You just… look so much like her. The resemblance is uncanny."
The woman tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes scrutinizing him. She didn't lower her weapon but seemed less inclined to strike. "You speak as if this Mary was important to you," she said after a pause.
"She was," Jason admitted, his voice tinged with a sadness he couldn't hide. "She was my wife. My world. She passed long ago, and seeing you… it's like seeing her again."
The woman's expression flickered, a hint of something softer breaking through her guarded demeanor. "I am no one's wife," she said, her voice quieter now, though her blade remained poised. "I've lived alone in these mountains, with no memory of anything beyond my transformation. Perhaps your Mary and I share a face, but I am not her."
Jason's heart sank, though he nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry," he said, lowering his gaze briefly. "I didn't mean to confuse or offend you."
The woman's grip on her blade eased slightly, though she didn't dismiss it. "You haven't offended me," she said, her tone neutral. "But you're an enigma yourself. I didn't sense your approach, and your presence… it's unlike anything I've encountered before."
Jason's eyes lingered on her, searching for any hint that she might be the Mary he once knew. Every feature, every movement, every flicker of emotion felt hauntingly familiar. Yet her golden eyes, sharp and guarded, told a different story. She didn't recognize him—not as Mary, not as anyone.
But she didn't deny the name.
When he'd spoken it, there had been a flicker of something—surprise, maybe even recognition—that crossed her face before she masked it with caution. That fleeting moment fueled a storm of thoughts in Jason's mind.
'Could it be?' he wondered. 'Could she have reincarnated, just as I have?'
The idea wasn't impossible. Jason had seen and experienced enough in his journeys to know that souls often carried echoes of their past lives. Perhaps hers had found its way back into the world, reborn into this new form. But if that were true, her memories—her essence—seemed buried, hidden beneath layers of her current self.
Jason clenched his fists at his sides, his emotions warring within him. 'If she really is Mary, if her soul still lingers within her… could I help her remember? Or would it even be fair to try?'
He couldn't shake the feeling that the universe had brought them together for a reason. The odds of encountering someone so eerily similar, so inexplicably tied to his past, felt too extraordinary to be mere coincidence.
The woman shifted under his gaze, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "You're staring," she said, her voice a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Jason snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head slightly. "Sorry," he said, his tone softer now. "It's just… you remind me so much of someone I've lost. It's hard to believe it's just a coincidence."
Her brows furrowed, and for a moment, she seemed to wrestle with her own thoughts. "The name you called me… Mary," she said slowly, her voice quieter now. "It felt… strange. How you knew the name I have given myself just now… "
Jason's breath caught, his heart pounding. "You just named yourself Mary?"
She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. " yes.. though' you interrupted that moment. So you may just confused me and I didn't name myself Mary. Ugh… who knows…"
Jason's chest tightened with both hope and pain. 'She's there,' he thought. 'Somewhere, she's still there.'
"I won't push you," Jason said after a moment, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "But if you ever feel like something's stirring—if anything comes back to you—please, tell me."
The woman tilted her head, studying him with renewed interest. She didn't understand why this stranger seemed so invested in her, yet something in his tone, in the way he spoke her name, made her feel... safe.
"I don't know who you think I am," she said, her voice softer now. "But I'll keep your words in mind. For now, we're just two strangers in the snow."
Jason nodded, though his heart whispered otherwise. "Maybe for now," he said. "But I think our paths were meant to cross."
Jason took a step closer, his expression calm but determined. "Listen," he began, his voice steady and measured, "I know this might sound… strange, but I'd like to offer you a pact. Not as a master to a servant, but as equals—partners. You could become my companion, my ally. Together, we could achieve so much more than we ever could alone."
The white-haired woman—*Mary,* Jason's heart insisted—crossed her arms, her golden eyes flashing with defiance. "You're asking me to be your *mount*? To carry you around like some beast of burden?" She scoffed, her tone dripping with indignation. "Do I look like I'd ever agree to such humiliation?"
Jason sighed, expecting her reaction. "It's not about humiliation or control," he explained. "It's about strength—mutual strength. You've just ascended to the Inner Sea Realm, and I can already tell you're powerful. But there are dangers in this world you haven't seen yet, threats that could overwhelm even someone like you."
Her gaze remained hard, but Jason noticed the slightest flicker of doubt in her eyes. "And you think you can protect me?" she asked, her tone skeptical.
"I don't just think it—I know it," Jason replied, his voice filled with conviction. "I've spent years taking on missions and bounties, facing creatures and challenges that most people wouldn't dream of. But I've also learned that no one survives this world alone. You don't have to trust me completely, not yet. But if we work together, you'll have security, power, and the means to grow even stronger."
Mary hesitated, her arms loosening slightly as her mind churned with conflicting thoughts. She had spent her life—her very existence—relying on no one but herself. Yet, this man spoke with an earnestness that was hard to ignore.
"What's in it for you?" she asked, her tone guarded.
Jason's expression softened. "For me, it's simple. I see potential in you—greatness. And… maybe it's selfish, but you do remind me of someone who meant everything to me. Being with you, helping you grow stronger—it feels right."
The sincerity in his words caught her off guard, and for the first time, her posture relaxed. "You promise security and power," she said slowly. "But what if you betray me? What if this is all a lie?"
"Then you're free to walk away," Jason said without hesitation. "If I ever break my promise, you owe me nothing. But I won't break it. That's not who I am."
Mary studied him for a long moment, her piercing golden eyes searching his for any trace of deceit. Finally, she sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Fine," she said, her voice reluctant but firm. "I'll agree to this pact—for now. But don't think I'm doing this because I trust you. I'm doing it because you've piqued my curiosity. And if you ever betray me, I'll make sure you regret it."
Jason smiled, a mix of relief and satisfaction washing over him. "Fair enough," he said. "You won't regret this, Mary."
Jason's smile softened, a warmth spreading across his face. "Trust me," he said gently, extending a finger toward Mary's forehead.
Mary hesitated, her golden eyes narrowing as she studied him. Yet something in his voice, in the sincerity of his gaze, made her pause. Slowly, she lowered her defenses and allowed his touch.
The moment his finger made contact, a pulse of energy flowed between them. Jason's soul force entered her soul sea, a realm of shimmering silver light and swirling lunar energy. In the heart of this ethereal domain stood a phantom wolf, its translucent form glowing with an otherworldly radiance.
The wolf's golden eyes locked onto Jason, filled with apprehension and wariness. It growled softly, its ears pinned back as if ready to defend its territory. Jason took a step closer, his soul presence steady and unthreatening.
"I'm not here to harm you," Jason said, his voice calm and soothing. "I'm here to form a bond, to work together as equals."
The phantom wolf's growl subsided, though its stance remained guarded. Jason knelt before it, bringing his forehead level with the wolf's. The shimmering light of their shared soul sea intensified as he leaned forward, touching his forehead to the wolf's.
In that instant, a surge of energy enveloped them both. Threads of light intertwined, weaving a luminous sigil that anchored their souls together. Jason felt the weight of Mary's essence, her strength and determination, intertwining with his own.
The wolf's form began to shift, its apprehension melting away as a sense of understanding and acceptance took its place. A deep connection blossomed, an unspoken bond forged in the depths of their souls.
Jason opened his eyes, meeting Mary's gaze once more. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something new in her golden eyes—trust, perhaps, or the first glimmer of a fragile partnership.
"It's done," Jason said softly, lowering his hand. "We're bound now. Your strength is mine, and mine is yours."
Mary remained silent for a moment, then nodded, her voice quiet but firm. "I'll hold you to that."
The pact was sealed, and their journey together began.