Chapter 34: Bribery And Threat
1428 Words
Yayis opened the door and smiled nervously, seeing Malik. “Hahah… Hi.”
Hajar and Nibiru gasped, seeing him. They forced a smile. “Wh-What a pleasant surprise!” They didn’t realize they were crying.
Malik glanced at them for a bit then ignored them. “Yayis. Come with me.”
Shams ran to him. “What about me?”
“I have no business with you.” Malik paused. “But I suggest you stop telling everyone that you know Ihdaachar or me. It’s for your own safety.” He folded his arms and walked into the room. “Since walls have ears.” He poked the glass and pulled Maine out of it by the nose. “Or windows…”
They gasped and backed away. “T-T-TEACHER?!”
Malik put her down and wiped his fingers in her jacket. “Snot.”
She shrugged.
“How much did you hear?” he asked.
She laughed and stood up. “As expected of you, gloomy crow.” She shrugged. “I didn’t hear anything new. Those are only a collection of rumours. I have no interest in bedtime stories.”
“Then why were you spying on us?” Hajar said, angry.
She was about to answer, but Malik grabbed her jaw and lifted her up. “Do I need to speak?”
His orange eyes were placid and frigid. “Do you want me to speak?”
She shook her head. “Don’t bother yourself. I’m only a night guard. I hate sharing my bounty.”
He threw her out of the window, and she started crying. “SO CRUEL!”
Wings came out of her back as she flew in circles. “You don’t know how to treat a lady at all! That’s why no one loves you except crazy Ni ran!”
“I wasn’t created to make people love me.”
“Anyway, I have a message to tell you.” She stared at him, annoyed. “What a grumpy cat.”
He eyed her. “Quickly. I have things to do.”
“From tomorrow on, you will teach the first grade, first year students in combat stimulations. Your skill is efficient, they said. I don’t see hooooow, but whatever.” She flew away.
He raised his eyebrows slightly and snorted. “Yayis, your father will always be in the library from now on. Go see him whenever. That’s all I wanted you to know.”
“C-Can I ask you…” Yayis gazed down sadly. “Did he… fix his mistake…? I only had a doubt.” He smiled in despair, and tears were rolling down his cheeks. “If he really… apologized then… I don’t have to kill him anymore.”
Malik stared into his pained eyes and wiped his tears. “One can never know what dwells inside the heart, not me, not you, no one but one,” he paused and shut his eyelids momentarily. “Your father knows what he did, and the matter has already been decided.”
Yayis looked up to the grey-haired, heart-broken. “But…”
“But I’m no God,” Malik carried on, “And I don’t know who will end up in hell. I don’t know who will end up in heaven. I’m in no position to judge.”
He moved his gaze to Shams. “This is an age where humans far surpassed jinns in evil and mischief. You don’t know the full story about why your father was imprisoned. Go to him. Investigate. Find your own answers, and make up your own mind.” He straightened. “You’re still young. Your heart is too fragile. However, you need to be firm at times.”
He patted his head. “If you ever want to learn the full story, come see me. We can discuss this further.”
“And… Is it… We’re really stuck here for sixty years, aren’t we?” Shams asked, worried. “I need to go back and see Ihdaachar…”
Malik turned to him and shook his head. “My class is at eight.” He lowered his chin without breaking eye contact. “I don’t play favourites.”
He left. “Good night.”
The others stared at him in shock. “W-Was that… all?”
Nihiru coughed a fur ball. “He’s not… as intimidating as he looks.”
“I expected him to be more… I don’t know. He’s a nano teacher, for God’s sake!” Hajar was frustrated. “He seemed so normal!”
Malik walked out of the dorms and grimaced slightly. He walked in the empty streets, and all the beasts roaming around ran away from him in fear.
“Gatekeeper…” A masked man appeared behind him. “May I ask… why did you answer Yayis like that?”
“Do you have anything you found dissatisfying?”
“Not at all. It was a bit too vague, I think.”
“I can’t answer things I don’t know,” Malik said, pushing his hair back, “I don’t fancy looking into people’s hearts. Not when I can avoid it.” He stopped, seeing the director blocking his way.
“I am seeing enough darkness around me.” He titled his head to the side and cracked his neck. “I don’t need to add to it.”
The director smiled. “You say scary things sometimes, Malik.” He grinned cruelly. “Why did you let my slave have a rest? I believe you have no interest in him.”
“Indeed.” Malik stared at him with lifeless eyes. “I hardly have interest in anything, unfortunately.”
“Oh, don’t be like this.” The director walked towards him. “I know we were on bad terms for so many years. Tonight, I want to make it up to you. I want to get closer to you. It’s okay, I will forgive you for interfering with my relationship with Iblis. I will also give you a reward for working so diligently for me!” He gave him a gold pyramid. “This is for you. Gold is still valuable, even nowadays. I will give you as much as you want. Just give me a pass to nano.”
He smirked, seeing that Malik’s expression didn’t change. He then showed him a pyramid-shaped diamond. “Then this will do! Diamond! This is a very special one. A diamond among diamonds! I don’t think it’s even okay to call it a diamond. What do you say? Do you want it?”
He cleared his throat, hearing no answer. “Well, aren’t you hard to satisfy?!”
Naked women then stood around the grey-haired and looked at him shyly.
“How about women then? Any man can’t resist women!” The director joked. “I can give you as many women as you like!”
He smirked. “Even men… Even children… Even corpses. Whatever your heart desires!”
Malik stared at the director in silence, not reacting to the men and women moaning behind him.
“How about actual heaven?” The man whispered. “I can take you to a real heaven!”
Then, black clouds gathered in the sky, and a loud screeching sound echoed along the city. It sounded like a laugh. Everyone in the dorms screamed in horror.
A black figure then appeared from Malik’s shadow, and it had a large smirk on. It was laughing maniacally and screeching. Malik then spoke. “If you told me this before I became a gatekeeper, I would have laughed too.”
He widened his eyes, and their orange was blazing. “Don’t play with fire.”
A deafening thunder blasted in the sky. Malik took slow steps towards the director, who stepped back. Malik then spread his arms. “Why are you running? Won’t we become best friends?”
The shadow behind him screeched louder, and thick black fog covered the streets. The director looked around and fell backwards. “What the hell is this?” He gritted his teeth and glanced in front of him. “WHO ARE YOU? I will never allow a freak like you stay here! YOU’RE FIRED! LEAVE!”
“I’m afraid you can’t do that.” Malik stood in front of him and looked at him from above with cold eyes. “After all, me being here is beyond your recognition or acceptance. I will stay here, whether you like it or not.”
“I’M THE GOD OF THIS WORLD! I’M THE ONE WHO DECIDES!”
Malik narrowed his eyes and tilted his head backwards. “Truly…” He folded his arms. “Humans surpassed you, Iblis.”
“Who are you? If you don’t speak, I will kill you.”
Malik eyed the director. “Let’s do this, then. I will tell you who I am, and then you tell me if you still want to kill me.”
The director gritted his teeth. “You’re making fun of me. YOU’RE A HERETIC! YOU WILL BE HANGED!”
“My name is Malik,” Malik clicked his fingers, and the screeching stopped. The fog disappeared along with the clouds. “I’m the keeper of Jahannam.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I believe you already know this.”
The director frowned and stood up with shaking legs. “Are you… Malik… the… Malik?!”
“Have a great night.” Malik pushed his hands in his pockets and walked ahead.
“COME BACK HERE! ANSWER ME!”
Malik ignored him, disappearing behind the towering buildings and narrow alleys.
A long and yellow haired man peeked from his shoulder and grinned. “You destroyed him! As expected of Malik! Evil!”
“What are you talking about?” Malik rested his palm in front of him, and a black key appeared from black flames. He unlocked an invisible door, and darkness swallowed them within second.
“No angel is evil.”
- Writer
