CHAPTER 9
1266 Words
Chapter 9 – The Genie’s Secret Past
The next morning, the world looked brighter — literally and painfully so. Jenny squinted as the sunlight streamed through her thin curtains, hitting her face like a spotlight. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she thought last night was just a dream.
But then her gaze landed on the lamp sitting silently on her desk — the same lamp that once glowed with Azrael’s magic.
Jenny sat up, clutching her blanket. “Azrael…” she whispered.
Her chest felt heavy. Everything from last night replayed in her mind — the blinding light, his fading form, and his final words: “Promise me you won’t forget.”
She stood up and walked toward the lamp, running her fingers along its smooth, cold surface. “You better come back,” she murmured, forcing a shaky smile. “You owe me explanations. A lot of them.”
Then a sound came from the kitchen.
Jenny froze.
“Jenny?” It was her mother’s voice — strong, clear, and warm.
She ran to the kitchen, eyes wide. “Ma!”
Her mother, who had been bedridden for months, stood there cooking breakfast like nothing had happened. She turned around with a bright smile. “Good morning, anak! I feel so light today. Parang gumaan lahat!”
Tears immediately welled up in Jenny’s eyes. She hugged her tightly. “Ma, you’re… you’re standing! You’re okay!”
Her mother laughed, patting her back. “Of course, I’m okay. I told you, nothing keeps a Reyes down for long.”
Jenny couldn’t stop smiling, though her heart ached at the memory of what it cost. Azrael kept his promise.
After breakfast, Jenny left for work, her mind filled with questions. Who cursed her family? Why did Azrael say their souls were bound? And why did it feel like he was hiding something?
She walked toward her afternoon shift at the café, the one near the university — the same place where she first found the mysterious lamp.
Inside, the familiar smell of roasted coffee beans greeted her. “Morning, Jenny!” her co-worker Mia said with a grin. “You look… weirdly happy today.”
Jenny chuckled. “Yeah, well… let’s just say something good happened.”
“Finally! Hindi puro kamalasan?” Mia teased.
Jenny rolled her eyes. “Ha-ha, very funny.”
But deep inside, she couldn’t ignore the strange flicker of warmth she felt in her chest — as if Azrael’s magic was still lingering there.
---
That night, after her shift, Jenny walked home under the soft glow of the streetlights. The moon hung low, and the air felt different — charged, like it was holding its breath.
When she arrived home, the lamp was glowing faintly again.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Azrael?” she called softly.
The glow pulsed brighter. Then, a voice echoed — faint, distant, but unmistakable.
“Jenny…”
Her eyes widened. “Azrael! Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m trapped…” His voice sounded strained, fading in and out like static. “You must find the Keeper of Wishes. He knows the truth about your father… and about me.”
Jenny clutched the lamp tighter. “What do you mean about my father? You said he left us—”
“No,” Azrael interrupted weakly. “He didn’t leave. He was taken.”
Jenny’s blood ran cold. “Taken? By who?”
But the glow faded before he could answer. The lamp turned dark once again.
Jenny’s knees gave out, and she sank onto the floor. “Taken?” she whispered. “So… my father’s alive?”
The words echoed in her mind, spinning faster and faster.
She had spent her entire life believing her father abandoned them — that he chose to leave her and her mother to suffer. But what if that wasn’t true? What if he was part of this whole curse?
Her pulse raced as she stood up. “Keeper of Wishes…” she repeated. “Whoever that is, I’ll find him.”
---
The next day, she started asking around at the antique shop where she once bought the lamp. The owner, an old man named Mr. Tan, was polishing a set of crystals when she entered.
“Ah, Miss Reyes,” he greeted her. “How’s the lamp I sold you? Still… shining?”
Jenny hesitated. “You knew it was special, didn’t you?”
Mr. Tan smiled mysteriously. “Let’s just say… that lamp chooses its owner. And once chosen, there’s no turning back.”
She leaned closer. “Do you know anything about the Keeper of Wishes?”
For the first time, Mr. Tan’s smile faded. “That name… where did you hear it?”
Jenny’s heartbeat quickened. “From Azrael.”
The old man’s eyes darkened. “Then it has begun.”
“What has?” she asked.
Mr. Tan stood up, moving toward a locked cabinet. He opened it carefully and pulled out a thick, ancient-looking book wrapped in red silk. “This is the Book of Wishes. It tells of every genie and every master who ever held a lamp. Azrael was not an ordinary genie, Miss Reyes. He was once human.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “Human?!”
Mr. Tan nodded gravely. “Yes. He was cursed centuries ago for breaking the sacred rule — a genie must never fall in love with a mortal.”
Jenny froze. Her heart pounded painfully. “Fall in love…?”
The old man looked at her knowingly. “I see it in your eyes, child. You feel it too, don’t you? The bond between you and him isn’t just magic. It’s love reborn — a love that once destroyed him.”
Jenny’s throat tightened. “Destroyed him… how?”
Mr. Tan opened the book to a faded page showing a sketch of Azrael — human, regal, and heartbreakingly familiar. “He fell for a mortal princess. To protect her, he wished away his own freedom. But when the gods found out, they cursed him — condemned him to serve as a genie for all eternity, until his true love found him again.”
Jenny’s tears welled up. “So… you’re saying…”
Mr. Tan nodded solemnly. “You might be the reincarnation of that same woman.”
Jenny staggered back, her mind spinning. Everything suddenly made sense — the instant connection, the way her heart seemed to recognize him, even the pain when he disappeared.
She looked down at the lamp, trembling. “Azrael…”
The old man placed a hand on her shoulder. “But be warned, child. If this love blooms again, the curse may return. And this time, it could destroy both of you.”
Jenny stood silently, her reflection glinting off the lamp’s surface.
“I don’t care about curses,” she whispered. “If he’s trapped because of love… then I’ll set him free — even if it costs me everything.”
---
That night, as Jenny walked home under the moonlight, she felt the faintest warmth in her chest again — like a heartbeat not her own.
And in the distance, far beyond the realm of mortals, Azrael opened his eyes in a world of endless blue flame.
He whispered her name, voice filled with both pain and longing.
“Jenny… don’t find me. Not yet. They’ll come for you too.”
But it was too late. Jenny had already made up her mind.
The story of their intertwined fates had only just begun.
- Writer
