CHAPTER 10
1329 Words
Chapter 10 – The Keeper’s Warning
The following morning, the world seemed quieter than usual. Jenny stared blankly at her cup of coffee, her mind replaying every word Mr. Tan had said the previous night.
> “Azrael was once human.”
“You might be the reincarnation of the woman he loved.”
“If your love blooms again, the curse may return.”
She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. “Ang hirap paniwalaan,” she muttered. “But everything… everything feels real.”
Her eyes fell on the lamp resting on the table, its metal faintly shimmering under the sunlight. “Azrael,” she whispered. “If what Mr. Tan said is true… then why didn’t you tell me?”
The lamp remained silent.
Jenny grabbed her bag and stood. “Fine. If you won’t answer me, I’ll find the Keeper myself.”
---
By noon, she found herself on a long, dusty road leading out of the city. Clutched in her hand was a piece of parchment that Mr. Tan had slipped her before she left. It bore a symbol — an ancient sigil of a crescent moon and flame — and an address written in faded ink.
“Barangay San Roque, Mountain Province,” she read aloud. “Great. Just great. Another long trip for a mysterious person who might not even exist.”
She took a bus, then another jeepney, until the bustling city faded into lush greenery and towering mountains. The air grew cooler, the sound of cicadas echoing in the distance.
When the jeepney finally stopped at the last drop-off, the driver turned to her. “Miss, sigurado ka bang dito ka bababa? Wala nang bahay paakyat d’yan.”
Jenny nodded firmly. “Yes, po. Someone’s waiting for me.”
The driver shrugged and drove off, leaving her alone with her backpack and the lamp tucked safely inside. She started hiking uphill, her shoes slipping occasionally on the damp soil.
After an hour, she finally saw it — an old, stone house half-covered in vines, surrounded by mist. Its wooden door bore the same crescent-and-flame symbol from the parchment.
Jenny took a deep breath and knocked.
No answer.
She knocked again. “Hello? Anyone here? I’m looking for the Keeper of Wishes!”
The door creaked open on its own.
Jenny swallowed hard. “Okay… that’s not creepy at all.”
She stepped inside cautiously. The air smelled of incense and old parchment. Shelves of strange artifacts lined the walls — bottles, scrolls, and glowing stones that pulsed faintly like living hearts.
Then she heard a voice.
“I’ve been expecting you, Jenny Reyes.”
Jenny spun around. Standing at the far end of the room was a tall, silver-haired man cloaked in deep purple robes. His eyes were a sharp amber, glowing faintly under the dim light.
“You’re the Keeper?” she asked.
He nodded slowly. “I am Eryndor, the last Keeper of Wishes. And you… are the heart that awakened the bound one.”
“The bound one?”
“Azrael.”
Jenny’s chest tightened. “You know him?”
Eryndor’s gaze softened, though his tone remained distant. “I was there when he was cursed. I am the one who sealed his soul inside the lamp.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “You—what? You cursed him?”
The Keeper sighed, as if burdened by centuries of regret. “No, child. I saved him. The gods wished to erase his existence entirely for breaking the law of divine love. I pleaded for his life. The lamp was the only way.”
Jenny stepped closer, her fists clenched. “Then why is he still suffering? Why does he have to keep granting wishes for people who don’t even deserve him?”
Eryndor studied her carefully. “Because every time he loves, the curse strengthens. It is not the magic that punishes him, but his own heart.”
Jenny felt tears sting her eyes. “That’s cruel.”
“Cruelty is the price of forbidden love,” Eryndor said simply.
Jenny shook her head. “Then tell me how to free him.”
Eryndor turned away, his robes sweeping across the floor like whispers. “Freedom for a genie is not simple. You must find three relics — the Tear of the Moon, the Ember of Souls, and the Mirror of Truth. Only then can the curse be broken.”
Jenny frowned. “And where can I find those?”
He looked at her, eyes burning with warning. “Each one is guarded by something that will test your soul. If you fail… you die.”
Jenny’s heart skipped. “That’s… a lot of pressure.”
Eryndor smirked faintly. “You remind me of her.”
“Her?”
“The princess,” he said quietly. “The one Azrael gave up his humanity for. She had your eyes. The same fire. The same stubborn heart.”
Jenny’s breath hitched. “Do you… think I’m really her reincarnation?”
Eryndor didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand, and the lamp inside Jenny’s bag floated gently into the air. It glowed brighter than ever before.
“His soul calls for you,” he said. “But be careful, Jenny Reyes. The moment your hearts truly align, the curse will awaken fully. And this time, no one — not even I — can stop it.”
Jenny’s eyes glistened. “Then I’ll break it before that happens.”
“You’re willing to risk your life for him?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “He already risked his for me.”
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then Eryndor nodded slowly, as if seeing something inevitable. “Very well. I will guide you — but remember, every wish you make from now on will draw the gods’ attention. And once they notice… they will strike.”
Jenny’s hand trembled as she took the lamp back. “Then let them. I’m not afraid.”
Eryndor gave her a small, almost sorrowful smile. “Bravery is often the mask of love.”
Before Jenny could respond, the entire house began to shake. Bottles clattered to the floor, scrolls flew open, and the air turned thick with energy.
Eryndor’s eyes widened. “They’ve found you!”
“Who?!” Jenny shouted over the rumbling.
“The Watchers — the guardians of the curse! You must leave now!”
He raised his hand and created a portal of swirling light. “Go, Jenny! Find the Tear of the Moon before they do!”
Jenny hesitated, clutching the lamp. “What about you?”
“I’ll hold them off. Now run!”
With a final, desperate glance, Jenny stepped into the portal.
---
The next thing she knew, she was falling — through clouds, through darkness, through whispers that spoke her name.
When she landed, she found herself in a strange place — a moonlit forest where the trees glowed faintly blue and the stars hung low like lanterns.
She looked around, heart pounding. “Where… am I?”
The lamp in her hands pulsed with light.
And then — for the first time since he vanished — a familiar, soft voice echoed beside her.
“Jenny…”
Her breath caught. “Azrael?”
The blue mist began to swirl, forming his silhouette again. But this time, his eyes glowed brighter, his expression torn between love and fear.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” he said quietly. “The gods know about us now.”
Jenny stepped closer, tears filling her eyes. “Then let them watch. I’m not leaving you again.”
Azrael’s hand reached for hers, their fingers almost touching — but before they could, the air around them cracked with lightning.
A voice thundered from the sky:
> “The mortal has crossed the line. The bond must be broken!”
Jenny screamed as a blinding light enveloped them both.
- Writer
