Eleven's Ghost

Chapter 3: Heaven

Shams stared at Zultan and Alu with round eyes. “Zu… Zultan?! You’re… You’re… a… a…”

Zultan clenched his fists, and a golden spell circle appeared under his feet. Two long-tailed golden fish swam out of the circle and floated around him. Zultan gazed in front of him.

“My father didn’t disappear from the grey zone,” he whispered, staring at the giant that jumped onto the sand. The shockwave caused by the impact nearly made Shams fly away, but Zultan hugged him protectively. The giant dug a hole into the desert. Zultan glared daggers at it, and his fish flew towards the giant to chain him and surround him. The giant growled and fell down. Zultan coughed blood and fell to one knee, panting. The fish turned to him and faded into golden light as the giant shredded them to bits.

Zultan gritted his teeth. “My father… knew damn well what he was doing…”

He pushed the ground. “Shams…” He walked towards the giant, and the veins on his body shined brighter. “You must promise me…”

Tears rolled down his cheek.

“That you will stay… by my side no matter what.”

Shams glanced around, his eyes widening. He saw the sky cracking as multiple giants surrounded them. Alu removed his dark red cloak and wrapped it around Shams. “When he saved my life, I pledged to dedicate myself to his service, and we made a contract.”

He grabbed the fist of one giant and smiled widely, melting it into lava. “That I protect you until you understand how this world works… until you figure out how Sirkus works… until you can stand on your own feet.”

Shams shook his head. “What do you mean?! No! Go help him! He can’t fight on his own!”

“What you don’t understand is that…”

Shams’s eyes widened, hearing the rest.

“Zultan is already dead.”

Before Shams could reply, his world turned turquoise and slowed down significantly. Alu stood in front of Shams and gritted his teeth, blocking a dagger with his bare hands after his skin hardened.

“Hooo… I see you’re still as strong as ever, Yayis?”

The man holding the sword grinned and jumped backwards. “I can’t believe Zultan was able to save and tame you.”

Alu clenched his jaw. “Believe it or not, it happened.”

The man pushed his blonde hair backwards and nodded. A green-haired female was standing beside him, staring at Shams as she adjusted her rimless rectangular glasses.

“We must go,” she spoke, “The vice-director is calling all of us. He said it’s time we collect Zultan. He ran away for too long. This is our only chance. He’s pre-exhausted. We will have no chance if his energy is restored.”

The yellow-haired glanced at the golden light that took down the last giant. Shams smiled happily and ran to Zultan. He hugged him tightly and giggled. “Hey, I think the heat got to my head! I’m seeing things. Let’s go home! Let’s go home! Okay? Big broth–”

He looked up and saw tears in Zultan’s eyes. The black-haired smiled and leaned down to kiss Shams’s forehead. “Promise me… that we will be together forever.”

Shams nodded several times and started crying. “Don’t say weird things! It’s not like you’re going anywhere! Let’s go back…!”

His eyes flashed wide as red feathers floated around him. He saw Zultan getting further and further away from him as his arms reached out for the black-haired. “Home?”

He gasped, seeing blood staining the sand.

He saw the black-haired’s lips curving into a smile before he whispered something nobody could hear.

“ZULTAN!”

“I love you, Shams.”

Shams gasped and sat up on the bed, hyperventilating and shaking.

He glanced around with bewilderment before his eyes landed on Alu, who was sitting on the windowsill of the white room.

“Is this… heaven?”

Alu closed his eyes. “It depends on how you see heaven.” He opened his blood red eyes and gazed at the dark city.

“It’s probably not heaven…”

“Where is… Where’s Zultan?” Shams smiled and stood up. “Let’s get out of heaven? We must find him! He… He made me promise… to always be by his side!”

Alu turned to him and stared at him in silence.

Shams felt his eyes watering, and he forced a smile. “What…? Why are you… looking at me?”

“I feel like I never introduced myself properly.” Alu jumped on the floor. “My name is Yayis. I’m not a human. I’m a jinn. You’re familiar will jinns, right? Beings created from smokeless fire. Evil jinns are called Sheitans, but I’m not one of those. I’m also the only rare permanent summoning Zultan ever had.” He took a step closer to Shams. “I’m from the anti-Sirkus fraction in the jinn world. This is too complicated for you right now. Maybe later. You might have never heard of me, but it’s only because you still don’t understand anything yet.”

Shams stared at him with round eyes. “What are you talking about?!”

“You don’t need to panic.” Yayis smiled. “I will walk you through everything you need to know. It’s my job. Since I will be around you twenty-four-seven from now on, we will have all the time in the world.”

Shams stared at him with shaking legs. Yayis patted his shoulders. “For now, let’s leave the hospital. We need to go eat, and then you will go to the city chief’s office and explain everything that happened. Don’t tell her anything about Zultan. Just tell her you got lost, and that yellow-haired helped you find your way back.”

Shams’s eyes widened. “That yellow haired killed Zultan… I must… find him!”

“And do what?”

“Kill him!”

Yayis shook his head. “You’re not strong enough to kill an ant right now. Don’t even think about Dahab. You have no chance in front of him, and his jinn is on par with me in my current state. We have no chance with you like this.”

He sat down on the bed and gave Shams new clothes. “Dress up. Trust me for now. You have no choice anyway.”

“I already trust you!”

Yayis’s eyes widened. “Huh…? I just told you that I’m not the same person you–”

“YOU’RE THE SAME PERSON!” Shams gritted his teeth. “YOU’RE ALU!”

Yayis sighed and nodded. “All right. Come on. Let’s go.”

They walked out of the room, and all the nurses avoided Yayis as he walked. He instinctively closed his eyes and wrapped a cloth around them.

“Um…” Shams held his hand. “Maybe you can’t see…”

“Won’t you ask why I did this?” Yayis smiled, not refusing Shams’s assistance.

“I don’t know… I won’t ask if you don’t tell me.”

“I can’t tell you if you don’t ask.”

“Then, why did you do this?”

“Because humans recognize me when they see my eyes.”

“What? What about your eyes?”

Yayis shook his head. “Never mind. I will tell you later.”

They left the hospital, and the flying orange fireflies lit their path. The street lights shined above their heads. Shams stared at the lights. “I’m tired of this place.” He gazed at the thousand stars that were printed on the metal ceiling. “I’m tired of living in hiding. I want to leave and explore the world.”

Yayis sat down on a nearby bench. “Well, there’s nothing to see in the outside world. I can tell you about it if you want.”

“No! I want to see it with my own eyes!” Shams objected. “That’s why I want to go to the academy!”

Yayis smiled and nodded. He stood up. “Let’s go find a place to sit.”

They walked in the dark streets, which were buzzing with fellow humans and busy shacks. Shams stared at the happy faces. The smell of sweat and perfume, hot and cold, sweet and bitter mixed in the air. It’s a smell that Shams knew well.

“Do you want to go see your parents?” Yayis glanced at him. “They checked on you yesterday.”

Shams’s gaze saddened. “But… They’re not my parents.”

Yayis looked to the side and closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if blood links you or not; your parents will always be your parents,” he whispered, “Whether you were born from your mother’s womb or not, your parents will always–”

“SHAMS!” A woman in her thirties ran towards Shams and hugged him tightly. “Oh, you’re awake!” She smiled brightly and kissed his forehead. “You’re alive! I was so worried! I thought you were gone forever once you strayed off the green zone! The search teams couldn’t find out. Alu… Alu brought you here wounded! Alu is such a good human! Did you thank him appropriately?”

“Human… Alu?”

Yayis smiled again and patted Shams’s head. “No need to thank me, auntie. I did what anyone would have done. Zultan protected him the best he could as well. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.”

“Never talk about Zultan, please!” The woman glared at the floor. “He’s just the son of a reckless traitor. He’s such a bad influence. I’m glad he died.”

Shams’s eyes widened. “Even though his father broke the rules, Zultan always… He always respected them! He’s not a bad influence! I’m…” He took a couple of steps backwards. “I’m the one who wanted to leave the green–”

“Please, let’s stop talking about Zultan.” Yayis clapped. “Miss, would you allow me to spend the day with your son? I will do my best to comfort him.”

The woman lowered her head and looked down sadly. She nodded. “I trust you, Alu. Don’t follow Zultan’s footsteps, okay? He’s an impolite orphan. He never had parents that raised him appropriately. You’re not like him, okay, Shams? You have us.”

Yayis’s eyes widened as his hair ends started burning.