As the school bell rang, announcing the end of the day, Amer dashed toward the school gate as if the ground beneath his feet was ablaze.
When he reached the doorstep of his home, he rushed to his room and carefully shut the door behind him, trapping himself in that confined space.
Amer began searching frantically, his fingers dancing across the keyboard, desperate to feed the curiosity that had awakened within him toward the world of jinn.
Hours passed, and suddenly, he felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, as if warning him of a great power drawing near.
A sudden wave of terror washed over him, and when he lifted his eyes, he discovered a massive creature behind him. Its presence was nightmarish—a silent beast with glowing eyes, soaked in a force that could destroy him at any moment.
Fear twisted in his gut, but the visitor suddenly spoke, his voice calm and sharp like a sheathed sword:
"Amer, how wonderful it is to finally meet you."
Amer turned with a mysterious gaze and a faint smile laced with irony.
"I didn't expect this moment to arrive in this way."
The visitor noticed Amer's stillness, his calm in the face of danger. With a low voice filled with confusion, he replied:
"How strange... Is your fear truly so isolated? Not a single beat of terror in your heart, even knowing I could end your life in an instant, or kill those you love before your feet even touch the ground?"
Amer slowly turned his chair and stepped forward with firm strides, standing in front of the guest. He gave a cryptic smile, blending warmth with silent mockery, and said:
"I apologize if I've disappointed you, but you haven't yet reached the stage where you can frighten someone my age."
The guest's face showed no sign of irritation; he remained composed, as if the sarcasm hadn't touched him. He smiled and spoke with a calm tone:
"What we fear is often what remains unknown in our minds. And what we think we've understood may hold the real terror once we open the doors of knowledge."
Amer responded with disdain, trying to suppress his annoyance:
"What do you mean by that?"
The guest replied, with a hint of mockery:
"I suppose I forgot that deep thoughts aren't easily grasped by someone like you. Let me simplify it."
Amer smiled, his expression now tinged with anger, and said in a soft voice laced with threat:
"Are you mocking me?"
The guest replied calmly, as if pouring oil onto a flame:
"You must learn to distinguish between truth and mockery, my friend."
At that moment, Amer held his breath, as if a volcano was about to erupt inside him. He spoke with a voice charged with restrained anger:
"And you need to learn the difference between rudeness and truth."
The guest laughed, a hearty laugh full of amusement, then began wandering around Amer's room as if on an exploratory journey. He spoke with a playful tone, as if he had just discovered something precious:
"I'm starting to like you, Amer."
Amer, his eyes blazing with fury, replied with words like arrows:
"As for me, my hatred has reached its peak. I've rid myself of anything that could possibly tie me to you."
The guest raised his eyebrows in surprise, then sighed in sorrow and said:
"And who told you I ever asked for your affection? That's none of your concern."
Amer smirked with biting sarcasm, replying with a tone that reflected complete rejection:
"You don't need to ask. Wishing is more than enough."
A flicker of restrained anger appeared on the guest's face. The smile that once adorned his features now meant nothing but the storm brewing behind it. Yet, he insisted on continuing the conversation with strange coldness, addressing Amer:
"Such arrogance... for someone who has tasted only fifteen years of life. Arrogance that exceeds your age and burdens you more than you can bear."
But Amer, having nothing left to hide before the intensity of his guest, responded with a sincere gaze that pierced to his core:
"So tell me… who in heaven's name are you? How do you know me? And what is it you want from this meeting?"
The guest kept examining the corners of the room, as if searching for something hidden in its shadows, unaffected by Amer's shifting expressions or the sharpness of his questions. Then he replied, his voice laced with a mysterious indifference:
"Me? All you need to know is that I don't intend to harm you. As for what I want—that depends on how willing you are to accept me. Because I came to help you… And as for how I know you, life has revealed more about you than you could ever imagine."
Amer sighed deeply, the fire of challenge kindling in his eyes as he spoke in a calm yet firm tone:
"I don't like answers that hide behind vagueness and open doors to interpretation. I want clarity—clarity that leaves no room for doubt."
A cold smile stretched across the guest's face, turning his features into a lifeless mask, and he replied in a voice as cryptic as his expression:
"All in due time. You'll know everything you seek when the moment comes. But what you must understand now is that I am not an enemy bearing you ill will… I am your ally—your aid."
Amer's expression didn't change. He remained serious and composed, staring directly at the guest as he said in a low but cutting voice:
"And how am I supposed to believe that?"
The guest smiled—a chilling smile—and said with utter nonchalance:
"Because I haven't killed you yet. Isn't that enough?"
Amer lowered his head slightly, a mysterious smile playing on his lips before he replied in a quiet voice, as if he had long grown used to the silence of life:
"Threats mean nothing to someone who has no reason to live."
The guest replied in a calm tone, as if his words flowed effortlessly:
"What I'm saying is not a threat—it's a declaration, a clarification. Believe me, Amer, I bear you no ill will. All I ask for… is your help."
Despite the questions piling up in his mind, Amer maintained his composure, staring at the guest with eyes that held a hint of doubt before speaking:
"My help? What do you mean by that?"
Silence fell for a moment. Then the guest sat down on the chair with composed elegance, his body seemingly in harmony with the space, his eyes never leaving Amer, piercing through him with a deep gaze. Finally, he spoke in a cryptic voice:
"Queen Maryam."
Amer's eyes widened in shock and suspicion as he echoed:
"Queen Maryam… Do you truly know her?"
The guest smiled calmly, as if holding unshakable certainty, and replied with an indifferent tone that somehow carried a mysterious reassurance:
"Of course. How could I not?"
Amer's curiosity flared in the face of this puzzling enigma, and he pressed on with focused intent:
"Then tell me about her… What do you know?"
The guest responded with a quiet tone tinged with a trace of arrogance:
"For now, all you need to know is that she is the most powerful entity in the Lower Realm of the Jinn… the embodiment of pride, strength, and brutality."
Amer looked conflicted, hesitation clouding his eyes before he said:
"But she wasn't like that when I met her… She was kind, gentle, and compassionate, though she did have a touch of jealousy."
The guest replied in a serious tone, one that seemed to pierce the mind:
"I know. And that is exactly why I want to help you. I'm well aware that she harbors special feelings for you. And you, Amer—you succeeded in preparing her for this meeting. But what you don't realize is that she is not as you see her."
"The fairy who appeared gentle to you is hiding another side. You only saw her soft shell because she was taking care of you. If that hadn't been the case… you would've witnessed a face that would make you tremble with a fear you've never known before."
Amer sighed bitterly, as if his hope had just crumbled, and said in a voice heavy with disappointment:
"So even you think she loves me? I've lost my trust in you. Do you truly believe that a being like her could love someone like me?"
The guest smiled a cryptic smile, his tone carrying a deep, lingering question:
"Who knows, Amer?"
Doubt and mistrust showed on Amer's face as he asked:
"How do you know all this about her? Were you the one who recruited her?"
The guest replied firmly:
"No. And I don't need to. No one in the Realms of the Jinn is unaware of who Queen Maryam is… She is the strongest entity."
Amer turned away indifferently and raised his hand, gesturing for the guest to leave, his voice cold:
"Leave. I don't need your help."