CHAPTER 14
1387 Words
Chapter 14: The Woman Who Cursed Him
Jenny stood frozen, her heart hammering wildly as the elegant woman stepped out from the shadows. Every movement she made was deliberate—graceful, yet filled with something cold and cruel. Her black silk gown shimmered faintly in the light of the floating crystals, and her long dark hair flowed behind her like a shadow made flesh.
The genie moved in front of Jenny protectively, his body tense, his expression unreadable. Jenny had never seen him like this before—his usual calm replaced by something sharp and dangerous.
“Zafira,” he said, his voice low. “How did you find this place?”
Zafira smirked, her red lips curling. “Oh, come now, Azrael. Did you really think you could hide from me forever?”
Jenny’s eyes widened. Azrael? The genie’s real name. She had never heard it before.
The woman’s gaze flicked toward Jenny, her eyes assessing her from head to toe. “So this is the mortal girl you’ve been protecting,” she said, amusement lacing her tone. “The one who awakened the lamp.”
Jenny felt a chill crawl up her spine. “Who are you?” she asked, though she already knew.
Zafira tilted her head. “I am the one who made him what he is. The curse that binds his soul—the reason he belongs to no world.”
Jenny clenched her fists. “You… cursed him?”
Zafira’s smirk deepened. “He earned it. Once upon a time, your precious genie was not the noble protector you think he is. He was a man blinded by love and pride.”
Azrael’s jaw tightened. “Enough.”
Zafira ignored him. “He defied the laws of both worlds—mortal and divine—just to be with a woman he was never meant to love. His arrogance destroyed kingdoms. His choices led to my death.”
Jenny’s breath hitched. “Your… death?”
“Yes,” Zafira said softly, stepping closer, her heels clicking against the stone floor. “I died because of him. And the gods gave me one chance—to bind his soul in eternal servitude. To make him live forever with the burden of his guilt.”
Azrael’s voice cut through the air. “You were not innocent, Zafira. You betrayed our people. You sought the lamp’s power to enslave the divine.”
Zafira’s eyes flashed. “And you chose a human over your own kind!”
Jenny flinched as Zafira’s voice rose, the air around them crackling with dark energy.
The crystals trembled. One shattered.
Azrael raised his hand, forming a golden barrier between them. The light glowed warmly, pushing back the shadowy tendrils of Zafira’s power.
“Leave, Zafira,” he warned. “You’ve caused enough suffering.”
But she only laughed—a soft, melodic, dangerous laugh. “Oh, Azrael. You think I came here to fight? No.” Her eyes slid toward Jenny again. “I came to watch you destroy yourself all over again.”
Jenny’s stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”
Zafira’s smile turned knowing. “He hasn’t told you, has he? That every mortal who loves him is doomed to die?”
Jenny froze, her heart stopping mid-beat. “What?”
Azrael spun toward her. “Jenny, don’t listen to her—”
But Zafira’s voice cut through his protest like a blade. “It’s true. His curse isn’t just to serve—it’s to suffer. Any mortal who loves him will meet a tragic end. It is the balance of his punishment.”
Jenny’s lips trembled. “You’re lying.”
Zafira stepped closer, her eyes gleaming. “Am I?”
Azrael’s barrier flickered. He stepped in front of Jenny again, shielding her with his body. “That curse only holds if I fall in love again. And I—”
He stopped, the words caught in his throat.
Zafira’s grin widened. “Can’t even finish the sentence, can you?”
The tension in the air was suffocating. Jenny’s chest ached, not from fear this time—but from confusion.
She looked at the genie, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is it true?”
Azrael hesitated, his gaze filled with regret. “Jenny…”
“Answer me,” she demanded, tears stinging her eyes. “Is it true that anyone who loves you dies?”
He looked away. That single act was enough.
Jenny’s breath broke. “Oh my god.”
Zafira chuckled softly, circling them like a vulture. “There it is—the truth he didn’t want you to know. You’re just like the others, girl. The curious mortal who falls for the curse she can’t break.”
Jenny felt anger rise in her chest. “I’m not like them.”
Zafira raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you? Look at yourself. You already care for him. You’d risk everything for him. And that’s exactly why you’ll die.”
Azrael’s voice thundered suddenly, filled with fury. “Enough!”
The entire chamber shook. Light burst from his body, blinding for a moment. The floating crystals dimmed, as if bowing to his power.
Zafira only smiled faintly. “Ah… there’s the genie I remember.”
Azrael pointed toward the dark corridor. “Leave before I make you.”
Zafira’s eyes glimmered with satisfaction. “You can’t destroy me, Azrael. You never could. I am part of your curse—your shadow. Wherever you go, I will follow. And when she finally breaks, I’ll be there to watch.”
And with a swirl of black smoke, she vanished, her laughter echoing long after she was gone.
Jenny stood still, her hands trembling. The silence felt heavier than before.
Azrael turned to her slowly, his golden aura fading. “Jenny…”
“Don’t,” she said sharply, stepping back. “Don’t come near me right now.”
He stopped. “You have to understand—”
“I don’t understand anything!” she snapped, her voice breaking. “I didn’t ask for any of this! You show up, save me, and now I’m cursed just for existing near you?”
He flinched, the pain in his eyes genuine. “I never wanted you to be part of this world. I tried to stay away.”
“Then maybe you should have,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Azrael looked down, his hands curling into fists. “The curse isn’t absolute,” he said quietly. “It can be broken… if the one who loves me learns to wish selflessly.”
Jenny frowned through her tears. “Wish selflessly?”
He nodded. “The first wish made from pure love and not desire can alter fate. That is what the gods feared most—human hearts stronger than divine law.”
Jenny took a shaky breath. “So if I wished for you to be free…”
He looked up, eyes wide. “Don’t,” he warned. “You’d die.”
Jenny stared at him, her heart pounding. “Then what choice do I have, Azrael? Because right now, it feels like you’re the only thing I can’t walk away from.”
For a long moment, neither spoke. The only sound was the faint hum of the glowing crystals around them.
Finally, Azrael whispered, almost to himself, “You’re just like her.”
Jenny blinked. “Like who?”
He met her gaze, pain flickering in his eyes. “The woman I lost.”
Jenny’s breath caught. The memory of Zafira’s words—a woman forbidden to love—rang in her mind.
Before she could ask more, the ground beneath them trembled again. The golden light in the chamber pulsed erratically.
Azrael’s expression darkened. “The seekers are coming. She’s opened the path.”
Jenny gasped. “What do we do?”
He reached for her hand—warm, steady, determined. “We run. And this time, I won’t lose you.”
Jenny hesitated, looking at their joined hands. A surge of energy shot through her—a pull stronger than fear.
And as they vanished into a beam of golden light, one thought consumed her:
If love was her curse… then maybe it was also her only way to break it.
To be continued…
- Writer
