Chapter 15: The Wish
2202 Words
“I need to see what happened further back in time.”
Malik returned Iblis to the room where he found him and took several steps back. He found himself back in the dimly lit hallway. He heard screams echoing in the empty hallways. He went to the room and found Iblis tied up mid-air with a purple circle rotating underneath him. He cried out for help as the circle stabbed his body with purple chains, pulling light out of it. Malik took a few steps back, gazing at the scene with round eyes.
He frowned, hearing Iblis breathing his name before gasping as a chain stabbed his heart. He then fell silent. The chains then threw Iblis’s body against a wall and stabbed him into place. He tilted his head backwards, panting. He threw up blood and moaned in pain as a woman with red hair pulled his hair. “Look here, traitor. God may have let you go after you were a b***h to him, but we won’t. We will suck you dry until you wish you were dead.” She smirked. “After I’m done with you, I’ll get your little winged friends you cherish so much.”
Iblis gritted his teeth, a blue aura emanating from his body. He yelped as another chain stabbed him. “I will be sure to destroy them, one by one.”
Iblis hissed at her as a blue fire started burning her. She kicked his face until the fire stopped. She huffed. “You think I wouldn’t come prepared to face a little mischievous b***h like you?”
Malik glanced back and saw Jibreel standing behind him, staring at the scene in silence. Red fire was burning in his first. Malik held his hands. “Stop. We can’t change the past, no matter what we do. I tried already.”
“She called him a traitor. I don’t understand. If he was with them at first, why?” Jibreel lowered his head. “I need to know.” He took a step backwards and disappeared. Malik followed him into the past. They found Iblis sitting in a hut on the trees, overlooking the ocean. He lowered his head, hearing the waves. He glanced through Jibreel and Malik as the wind blew, playing with his hair. A lesser jinn knocked on the door. “My lord... We... want your next instructions. We already ceased all misdeeds towards humans... but, the soldiers are bored. What’s the next move?”
Iblis eyed him and stood up, lowering the pen and paper that were in his hands. He shooed the jinn away. “I don’t care what you do. Leave me alone. Go breed some children.”
“A-As you wish, my lord! We will breed more children!”
Iblis smiled amused, watching him leave. He jumped off the hut and stepped on the sand. “Hot.”
He rolled up the legs of his light blue jeans and stepped into the water. “This is good.”
He knelt down, poking the water as he stared at the waves thoughtfully.
“Hey.” He glanced to the side and saw a woman with bright red hair. He frowned slightly, rising to his feet. “Who are you? Why can you see me?”
His eyes widened slowly as she grabbed him by the collar of his white shirt and kissed his lips. Jibreel blinked, taking a step forward. “What is she doing?!”
“Stop it. Stay still.”
Iblis frowned and pushed her away. “If you want a s*x toy, I can get you one. I’m not the one for the job.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Am I not beautiful enough to satisfy you, my lord?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Why are you calling me that? You’re not a jinn.”
“I’m not, but I can be your follower too, can’t I?”
Iblis sighed, walking away from her. “Leave me alone.”
“Do you want to see them again?”
Iblis stopped walking. “Why do you know that?”
“It has been six months since angels set foot in our world. I know that very well. You miss them, don’t you, your friends?”
Iblis looked away from her. A wave tickled his bare feet as the wind penetrated his long hair locks. “That’s none of your concern.”
“I can help you.”
He turned to her. “Help me? What will you gain from it?”
She grabbed his chin. “If they come back, will you be mine?”
He stared into her brown eyes and frowned, turning his head away from her. “I’ll think about it.”
“No. Answer me right now, or you will never see me again.”
He folded his arms. “I can see them now if I want to.”
He summoned a dagger of flames. “And I want to...” He was about to stab himself, but she held his wrist and hugged him from behind. “I won’t let you escape.”
His eyes widened as a red light flashed in his eyes. He relaxed in her arms with a grunt. They sat on the sand. She kissed the top of his head. “As I thought, even you get weaker when you’re isolated from your creator. I didn’t think taking you down will be this easy.”
She smiled, kissing Iblis’s lips as she unbuttoned his shirt. She unzipped his pants. Jibreel frowned, running his hands in his hair. “So... this started because of us?”
Malik glanced at the hut. He climbed it and read the paper. He lowered his head then returned to Jibreel’s side. Iblis was still fighting back the woman. “G-Get away from m-me...”
“You don’t mean it.” She kissed his neck. “You’re all wet already. How long has it been since you did it?”
Iblis clenched his jaw. “None of your business.” He stood up, zipping his pants and wiping the saliva on his mouth. “Leave.”
He gritted his teeth. “LEAVE!”
“I will be back.” She started walking away.
He pressed his hands against his head and kicked the sand several times until he fell to his knees, panting. “What did she do to me?” he whispered.
He called for a jinn. “Bring me a pen... and a book. Now.”
The jinn returned, carrying a blue book. Jibreel stared at it. “It’s the same one I have... He had it since then?!”
Malik glanced at him. “Did you read it?”
Jibreel shook his head. “Iblis told me it has nothing of valour.”
“Which Iblis?”
“Are there many?”
“Yes.” Malik sighed, rubbing his forehead. “At a certain point in time, Iblis lost all of his memories. One day before the apocalypse, he couldn’t recognize me or himself even. He was wiped clean.”
Jibreel’s eyes flashed wide, seeing tears on Iblis’s face as he whispered, “Before I forget... Before I forget.”
He winced, resting a hand against his face.
“My Lord?” A jinn peeked at him. “There’s a woman that came to our village. She said she needed our help with something.”
Iblis stood up. “Chase her away.”
“But, my Lord?”
“Do what I say. That woman is dangerous, but you can’t kill her.” He lowered his head. “We can’t kill humans.”
“As you wish, my lord.” Iblis turned away from him, hugging the book and shuddering. He sat on his knees, his lips quivering. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “For being the person I’ll become after this. If... I ever make it out alive.”
Jibreel sat in front of him and stared at him with round eyes. “Iblis...”
Iblis lifted his head and stared into his eyes. His hand reached out for him but went through him as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I was wrong... and I apologize... for that.” He bent forward, his face hitting the sand. “Just like the prayer I made after I sinned, dear God, I make another one now after I repented, and I wish for your forgiveness.”
He scratched the book cover. “So please, don’t... leave me all by myself. I know you can hear me.”
Jibreel saw a golden light shining from the jinn’s body as his scale tilted from left to right. His eyes watered. “Ever since then... he...”
He touched Iblis’s hair, and the jinn gasped, looking around. “Who’s there?”
Jibreel’s gaze saddened as he looked at him. “It’s... me.”
“My... Lord!” Iblis glanced behind him and took a step forward. “Why are you bleeding?”
He caught the jinn as he fell forward. He raised his eyebrows, seeing the hole in his back. “P-Please! My Lord! Run... away!”
Iblis shook his head as the jinn dropped dead in front of him. He took a step backwards, seeing a man twice his size appear from a portal. His sword was covered with jinn blood. Iblis stared at it in silence with a gaping mouth. He took another step back. Jibreel gazed at the man. “Who is that?!”
Iblis summoned two scythes of flames and jumped backwards. “Why are you doing this?”
The man lifted his sword and swung it towards Iblis. Blue-feathered wings spread from Iblis’s back as he floated above the water. He threw his scythes and the man and lifted a wave from the ocean before throwing it at the man. Fog filled the beach. Iblis flew above it and pointed his hands in front of him. Two spell circles floated under one another as a beam of fire burst towards the man.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Iblis’s eyes widened as the woman from before appeared behind him. “He’s human, you know?”
“LIES! THAT CAN’T BE HUMAN!”
“Oh, but he is!” She laughed. “From the people behind the barrier.”
Iblis held his head in his hands, panting. He screamed, falling towards the ocean. She caught him midair and kissed his forehead. “Yes. We took the information about their location from your memories, and now, we can use them all we want as a weapon!”
She laughed maniacally as she stepped on the beach. “THIS IS SO FUN! I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT!”
Iblis pushed her away, panting. He entered through the portal. His eyes watered, seeing all the jinns piled up on top of one another, not a single one remaining. He gasped, falling to his knees in a pool of blood. “Not... again...” he whispered. “NOT AGAIN! NO!” He screamed in pain and fear. She hugged him from behind. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you. No matter what, I will protect you!”
Iblis turned to her. “You did this...”
She grinned. “Yes!”
“Who are you...?” He stood up, summoning a sword this time.
“My name?” She took his chin. “You can call me Jawhara. I will allow it. You’re so adorable, so I’ll give you this privilege.”
Iblis dropped his sword slowly as one of his eyes turned red. He fell to his knees. “Uh... Bit... Sleep...” He collapsed in front of her, feverish and delirious. She smirked. “Let’s get started then.”
Malik and Jibreel returned to the future and found Seira and Azura still arguing about who will exorcise the spot. Jibreel rubbed his forehead. “I have to save him,” he whispered, “I don’t care what it takes.”
“What about that woman? What will we do?”
“Not all the questions are answered, but things are much clearer,” Jibreel started, “Whenever I see that woman...” He cracked his fingers. “I will destroy her in ways your hell doesn’t know.”
Malik stared at him in silence. He glanced at Seira and Azura, who had noticed them a few moments ago.
“We meet again.” Malik waved.
“And now I must go."
He grabbed Jibreel's hand and disappeared.
- Writer
