Eleven's Ghost

Chapter 13: Power And Loneliness

Ihdaachar’s jinn appeared instantly from the shadows and stared at him sadly. “M-Moussa…”

Ihdaachar smiled faintly, brushing dust off Shams’s eyelids. “Perhaps, I never truly healed.” He stood up, carrying the teen in his arms. “From my losses.”

He glanced in the direction of his jinn. “You know me better, Raven. Tell me, do I look broken? Do I look weak?”

“Only when you’re with me.” Raven smiled back. “I will always be your eyes, so lean on me. You can be as weak as you want with me. As human as you want.”

“Strength and weakness cannot coexist.” Ihdaachar lowered his head and observed the sleeping Shams. “Sometimes, I hesitate to let this innocent child go.”

Disturbance showed on his face as he raised his eyebrows. “Being human in that world is an impossible feat.” He sat down on the piano bench, seeming tired. “My heart is tired. My body isn’t listening. It’s thirsty for blood, but my heart cannot keep up. After so many decades of torture, only light saved me. Only light punished me.”

Raven’s gaze saddened. He sat next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. “But you’re fighting. You’re still standing. Everyone relies on you. If you fall, humans will lose their only shield. Until someone reliable shows up, humans still need you. Whether they realize it or not isn’t important. You always wanted to make yourself little known.”

“Perhaps it’s loneliness that’s making me go mad.” Ihdaachar shook his head and rested Shams down on the bench. He stood up and walked towards a glass wall. “Living alone. Studying alone. Fighting alone. Eating alone. Laughing alone. Crying alone. Grieving alone. Burying the dead alone…” His lips quivered. “Praying alone.”

Raven looked away, clenching his fists. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been a worthy jinn. I watched you suffer in silence.”

“Loneliness can make a mountain fall.” Ihdaachar smiled softly. “But maybe, I cannot fall any further.”

“Don’t say that!” Raven stood behind him and hugged him. “I’m… sure… these two boys will change you. Maybe they will help you feel human… More human.” He smiled. “You’re already human to me. So overprotective. Trying so hard to keep face and remain strong. Sacrificing everything for the sake of those you love. Only a human would do that.”

Ihdaachar nodded. “What would I do without you, Raven? You’re so perfect for me.”

Raven rested his head on Ihdaachar’s shoulder. “No… You’re the one who were so kind to me. Back when everyone else enslaved jinns and tortured them, you refused to let anyone lay a hand on me. You trained me and fed me your blood whenever I needed it.” He shut his eyelids. “We have been through so much, but we’re both strong now. We only need one another.”

Ihdaachar remained silent. He walked away from the glass and blinked, hearing notes. He saw Shams playing the piano. Shams gasped, feeling someone patting his shoulders. He glanced behind and saw Ihdaachar. Shams fell off the chair, scared. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to use this without permission. I just heard you play and… it sounded amazing. I wanted to play too. I mean… I’m sorry.”

Ihdaachar sat down with a soft smile. “I can teach you a song that suits you.”

Shams smiled faintly and nodded. He sat next to him. Ihdaachar rested his hands on the notes. “Can you follow me?”

Shams tried to follow his hands as they played but missed most of the notes. Ihdaachar then got up and stood behind Shams. He rested his hands on the teen’s and placed them on the correct notes. They played, and Shams smiled brightly. He laughed and played alone, already learning the tune. Ihdaachar leaned back and walked out of the hall. He rested a hand on his chest and sat down on the floor, tilting his head backwards.

“Are you okay…? In pain?”

He frowned slightly and stood up. “You’re awake.” He smiled at Yayis. “I’m glad to see that you recovered.” He pointed at Raven. “My jinn made sure you’re fully healed and comfortable. I figured he would know better than me, since you two are from the same race.”

Yayis smiled at Raven. “Thank you. I feel as good as new. Thank you so much.”

Raven shook his head. “It’s my duty. No need to feel grateful.”

Shams ran out of the hall and hugged Ihdaachar tightly. “Thank you so much! I always wanted to play the piano! You’re the best!”

Ihdaachar smiled and rested a hand on the wall. “I will go rest a bit. I’m afraid I’m not in my best shape currently. My jinn will be your mentor for the next few months. He’s very qualified. I’m sure you will learn a lot from him.”

With that, he hurried out of the corridor with fast strides. Shams stared at him, worried. “Is he okay?”

“He will be.” Raven walked ahead. “I want you to see something. Follow me.”

They left the house. They saw a thick forest filled with trees as tall as the colossal titan. They stared at the trees with round eyes. “What is this… place?!”

“The grey zone.”

Raven walked behind them, his arms crossed behind his back. His royal blue eyes shined in the shadows of the trees.

“The desert stops after the blue zone. There’s a small rift between the black and blue zone and the rest of the zones. There’s also a wall. The last two zones need a lot of skill to venture into,” he paused, “Ever since the exploration squad was established, two thousand people joined. Only fifty went beyond the blue zone, beyond the wall. Only twenty among those made it out alive. Most of them didn’t want to go back in here. The reasons are unknown. They didn’t want to say why.”

He glanced around. “That’s the main reason why Ihdaachar built his house here. He wanted to see why the explorers were so afraid. He lived here for ten years, and nothing happened. He also wanted to live here because he knew Sirkus will go for his head after he betrayed them. He didn’t want to get the other humans involved. He rarely goes into the citadel.”

Shams lowered his head. “But… There’s nothing here… He must feel lonely.”

Raven shut his eyelids. “A leader is beyond such feelings. He has no right to feel loneliness. The lives of millions rest on his shoulders. He needs to stay strong.”

“Then, I will become as strong as he is and help him!” Shams screamed, excited.

Raven smiled weakly. “I look forward to seeing that. Good luck.”

He pushed the giant leaves on their way aside and stepped on a cliff. “In the meantime, look at this.”

Shams’s eyes widened, seeing nothing beyond the cliff.

“Is this… what I think it is?”

“The end of the world,” Raven started, “This is the border between the sand kingdom and the water kingdom, the two halves of Earth.”

Shams approached the edge of the cliff carefully and touched it. “It looks like… such a clean cut…! It’s like someone used scissors.”

“Iblis did it.” He glanced at Yayis. Raven nodded. “I was there when the fight happened. Indeed. Iblis did it. He cut the Earth by mistake.”

“While… While fighting the angel?” Shams asked.

Raven frowned. “Why would Iblis fight an angel?”

Shams smiled, confused. “But… It was a fight between a jinn and an angel that caused this… right?”

Both jinns fell silence and exchanged glances. Raven scratched the back of his neck. “All right. Let’s start with physical training. We will train until you two pass out.”

“Not to brag, but…” Yayis smiled. “I have a lot of stamina.”

Raven smiled back. “Yes. I’m aware.”

He gave them blades that weighed little. “Swing your swords. Go. If you stop, I will kill you.”

Their eyes widened. “Y-You’re just joking right?”