This was Aether's first time encountering these two strange figures. They stood before him, their massive grins stretching unnaturally wide across their faces. Yet, he couldn't quite make out their features. All he could tell… was that they seemed to be women—at least in form.
That's all.
Aether took a slow, steady breath, calming himself as he stared directly at them, trying to remain composed in this unknown realm.
"So... you two are my Contractors?"
The twin figures tilted their heads slowly, almost mechanically, as if his words had caught their interest and made them pause in thought. Then, in perfect eerie unison, they spoke:
"No, I am not."
"No, I am not."
Aether blinked, his brows knitting in surprise. Not them?
Then who?
The twins tilted their heads again, this time both leaning to the right in perfect sync. The motion was smooth yet deeply unnatural, like puppets pulled by invisible strings. Watching them do that made his spine tingle.
"But we are."
