CHAPTER 18
1207 Words
Chapter 18 – “Dreams of the Dark”
Jenny couldn’t shake the chill that clung to her after what had happened at the café. Even hours later, after she and Rafiq brought Mira safely home, her hands still trembled. The air in her apartment felt heavier than usual, as if the darkness Malik left behind refused to leave.
Mira was asleep on Jenny’s couch, her breathing steady but shallow. Rafiq stood silently by the window, his golden aura faint, almost dim.
Jenny glanced at him. “You’ve been quiet all night.”
Rafiq didn’t turn. “I used too much energy fighting him. Malik draws power from fear… from chaos. The more afraid we become, the stronger he gets.”
Jenny hugged her knees. “Then he must be really strong right now.”
A small, tired smile curved on Rafiq’s lips. “Not if you stop doubting yourself.”
Jenny looked down. “That’s hard to do when a demon version of your friend just tried to kill you.”
Rafiq turned finally, kneeling beside her. “You’re stronger than you think, Jenny. You broke his hold on her without magic—only with your will.”
His voice was gentle, but something deeper shimmered beneath his words—pride, maybe even affection. Jenny’s heart gave a small, traitorous flutter.
She tried to hide it by changing the subject. “What happens now? You said he’s still out there. What if he comes back?”
Rafiq’s eyes darkened. “He will. But next time, he won’t come in a mortal’s form. He’ll come for you directly.”
Jenny swallowed hard. “Why me?”
“Because the lamp chose you,” he said. “And because your soul carries something ancient… something even I don’t understand.”
Jenny frowned. “Ancient? Rafiq, I’m just a normal person. I’m not some kind of—”
But before she could finish, the lights flickered. Mira stirred slightly, murmuring in her sleep.
Rafiq’s expression tensed. “He’s near again.”
Jenny stood quickly, her heart racing. “Here?”
“Not in the physical realm,” Rafiq said. “In dreams. He’s trying to reach you there. If you fall asleep, he’ll enter your mind.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “Then I’ll just stay awake.”
Rafiq shook his head. “You can’t fight exhaustion forever. Sooner or later, he’ll find a way in.”
Jenny bit her lip, fear curling in her stomach. “Then what should I do?”
Rafiq hesitated. “Let me protect your dreams. It’s dangerous, but… I can enter your mind and fight him there.”
Jenny blinked. “You can do that?”
He nodded slowly. “It’s forbidden, but I’ll do it for you.”
Her breath caught at the tenderness in his voice. “Rafiq…”
Their eyes met—hers filled with uncertainty, his with quiet resolve. The air between them hummed, charged with something unspoken.
Finally, Jenny whispered, “Okay. I trust you.”
He stepped closer, lifting his hand gently toward her forehead. “Then close your eyes, Jenny Reyes… and don’t let go of me.”
The moment his fingers brushed her skin, the world fell away.
---
Jenny gasped. She was standing in a strange place—a dark field under a blood-red sky. The wind howled like whispers. Everything felt real, but distorted.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Rafiq appeared beside her, his eyes glowing faintly gold. “Your dreamscape. Malik is hiding here.”
Jenny looked around. The field stretched endlessly. In the distance stood a lone figure—a shadow shaped like a man, his crimson eyes gleaming.
Malik.
“Welcome, sister of fate,” he said, his voice slithering like smoke. “You brought my brother’s weakness with you.”
Jenny’s pulse quickened. “Weakness?”
Malik smirked. “Don’t you see it, mortal? He’s breaking every law of our kind for you. Genies are forbidden to care. Forbidden to feel. Yet look at him—risking his existence for a girl of dust and sorrow.”
Rafiq’s jaw tightened. “Enough, Malik!”
Malik laughed darkly. “You’ve fallen, brother. Just like the mortals you pity.”
Rafiq raised his hand, golden light forming around him. “Stay behind me, Jenny.”
But Malik moved faster than wind. Shadows erupted from the ground, swirling toward Jenny. She screamed as they coiled around her like snakes, dragging her down.
“Rafiq!” she cried.
He struck the darkness with a blast of gold, shattering the tendrils. The shadows retreated—but not before Malik whispered close to her ear, his voice echoing inside her mind:
> “You carry power you don’t understand, Jenny Reyes. When you discover what you truly are… you’ll beg me to take it away.”
Then he vanished, swallowed by the red horizon.
Jenny fell to her knees, trembling. “What… what did he mean?”
Rafiq knelt beside her, helping her up. His face was pale, his form flickering. “He’s lying. Trying to confuse you.”
Jenny shook her head. “No. He said it like he knew something. About me.”
Rafiq looked away, conflicted. “There are truths in this world even I don’t dare to uncover.”
Jenny stared at him, fear and frustration mixing in her voice. “You’re hiding something from me.”
He hesitated. “Jenny—”
“Tell me!” she snapped. “You said I’m the key. You said I was chosen. But chosen for what?”
Rafiq met her eyes, his own glowing with sorrow. “Because… you’re not just a mortal, Jenny. You were born under a binding star—the same one that imprisoned my kind. You are the bridge between our worlds.”
Jenny froze. “What?”
He nodded slowly. “That’s why the lamp responded to you. That’s why Malik wants you. If he takes control of your soul, he can break the barrier between realms forever.”
Jenny took a shaky step back. “You’re saying… I’m part of this magic?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “And that’s why I can never truly leave you.”
For a moment, the red sky faded to soft gold, and they were standing face to face in the quiet of her dream. Jenny’s heart beat wildly. “Rafiq… what happens if I lose?”
He smiled faintly, reaching out to brush a strand of her hair from her face. “Then I’ll lose with you.”
The world blurred, and Jenny felt herself falling—until she woke up with a gasp, back in her room.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, but her hands still trembled.
Rafiq stood by the window, his gaze distant. He turned to her, his voice quiet but firm. “He’s getting stronger. But so are you.”
Jenny met his eyes, determination replacing fear. “Then let’s find out why I was chosen. Before he does.”
Outside, the wind whispered faintly—like Malik’s laughter carried through the morning air.
And Jenny realized that her battle wasn’t just for survival anymore. It was for her soul.
- Writer
