"Make your wish come true?"
Maria repeated the words softly.
A flood of painful memories hit her, and her face crumpled like a sad kitten.
She'd always wanted to change, but that first step felt impossible. She was missing one crucial thing—courage.
Courage comes from confidence, the belief that you can do what you set out to do and handle the consequences.
Maria, who'd gone so long without anyone's approval, didn't have that.
On her own, she couldn't do anything.
But… what if she wasn't alone anymore?
Maria's heart stirred.
Who could say no to a power that could help them turn their life around?
Seeing Maria's wavering expression, Barry knew she was hooked.
She just needed one final push to convince herself.
"Maria, let's go back to the first question," Barry said.
"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly… live?"
Maria thought about it for the first time. Before, she'd brushed it off as a prank.
But now, as Barry asked again, she couldn't help but search her heart for an answer.
She racked her brain but came up empty.
"Life shouldn't be lived so small," Barry pressed.
"Think about all the setbacks, the pain you've gone through. You could've changed things, but you didn't."
With every word, Maria shrank deeper into her blankets until only her eyes peeked out.
"Maria, what are you so afraid of?"
"Why are you playing by the rules the weak set for you?"
"Do you really want to stay a coward forever?"
Barry's sharp words hammered at Maria like a blacksmith pounding soft dough.
"Answer me! Look in my eyes!" he snapped, his tone turning fierce.
Maria froze, wanting to hide under the covers but too scared to move.
Barry's eyes seemed to say, I pity your misfortune, but I'm furious at your weakness.
Maria couldn't take it anymore. Tears streamed down her face.
She was broken.
"Wahhh… I… I'm too weak…" she sobbed.
"I want to fight back like a mascot beating up a bully, but I don't have the strength. I can't do anything."
Maria cried as she spoke.
"No, Maria, you've always been capable. You just didn't believe in your own power."
Barry reached out, pressing a finger to her forehead.
A warmth like a spark of fire flowed into her, calming her emotions.
"What… what do I have to do?" Maria asked.
"Simple. Sign this contract, and we'll be friends for life. As your best friend, I'll definitely have your back."
Barry pulled out a small notebook, tearing out a page that grew larger in his hands. It read: Maria willingly enters a contract with Barry to be lifelong friends.
The page was covered in strange patterns, like decorations—or maybe eerie runes.
Maria took the contract, feeling a heavy sense of importance, as if she'd regret not taking it seriously.
"What's the cost?" she asked, one last time.
"Trust. Complete, unreserved trust in me."
Barry's face was dead serious.
"And if I don't sign?"
"If you don't, this is the last time we'll meet. I only make lifelong friends—the kind that matter."
In that moment, Maria felt the weight of her choice. One wrong move, and her life could veer off in a completely different direction.
Memories flashed through her mind as she sank into thought.
Barry waited patiently, his encouraging gaze fixed on her.
After a while, Maria's eyes hardened with resolve. Barry was right—she shouldn't live so small, like a coward. She had to rise up.
Friends don't lie to friends, right?
Maria told herself.
"Okay. Do I just sign it?" she asked, looking at Barry, her decision made.
She didn't want to see disappointment in his eyes.
"Just press your finger on your name, and the contract's sealed," Barry said, pointing to the spot.
She was about to do it.
Maria took a deep breath, as if she were about to do something monumental.
His earnest gaze, his genuine care, the days he'd spent by her side.
Thinking of how Barry had paid attention to her, how her life had started to change since he showed up—it was like sunlight breaking through her dark world.
Even if it was a deadly flame, Maria was drawn to it, ready to dive in like a moth.
She knew she had no real choice. She didn't want to go back to her old life, with only her fake friend Lily by her side.
"Press it, come on, don't hesitate," Barry urged silently, barely containing his excitement.
This was his first big score, and he was pumped.
Maria extended her thumb, slowly lowering it toward the contract.
Wait! Stop!
A powerful feeling surged from deep within, trying to hold her back.
That feeling again—like another version of herself screaming inside.
Always raging, never offering any real help!
Why was it showing up now?
Maria paused, one eye's pupil shrinking, glinting with cold defiance.
Side by side, her eyes looked uneven, like one was bigger than the other.
Shut up! You old ghost, don't try to stop me. I, Maria, have my own rhythm now!
Her will crushed the resistance. She wouldn't let herself be weak anymore.
Finally, Maria pressed her thumb down. A sharp sting, like a mosquito bite, pricked her, and a drop of blood seeped out.
A bloody thumbprint marked the contract.
In a daze, Maria thought she heard a despairing wail, both familiar and strange.
After it was done, the contract felt heavier in her hands.
Was it her imagination?
Barry took the contract back, sensing her thoughts. "That's the weight of friendship," he said calmly. "Welcome, my friend. I promise you won't regret this!"
He munched on the contract like it was a cookie, smacking his lips, his eyes squinting with delight. He was thrilled.
Heh, she signed it. She actually signed it. Feels so damn good!
"So, we're lifelong friends now!" Maria's eyes sparkled with an indescribable brightness.
"Of course. We've got a contract, don't we?" Barry grinned back.
Maria had willingly handed over her soul. They were friends for life now!