The Untold

Chapter 12: My Personal Investigation Team

his voice broke the silence, low and melodic, "Amira~"
My heart skipped a beat. I remembered the voice, the way it felt in my soul.

It was the same.

The same warmth that had always comforted me... but also the same voice that had terrified me as a child.

"You missed me didn't you," it said, stepping closer, the voice somehow both soothing and commanding.

I felt the pressure of his words on me, the gravity pulling me toward him.

And despite the terror that twisted in my chest, despite every logical thought in my mind screaming that it couldn't be real, I felt like I should be there, with it.

But I also remembered the past—the way my parents had sent me away.

The therapy, the countless counselors, the explanations that it was all in my head. It's just your imagination, Amira, they'd told me.

This isn't real. They told me I had to forget about him, that I had to stop calling out for him.

I took a step back. My voice trembled. "You're not real. This isn't real."

Its tone softened for a moment, and I felt his presence settle around me, like a cloud. "I never left you, Amira. I've always been here. You know that."

I shook my head, fighting against the memories. "No. I was a child. It was all a game. It was just my imagination. You can't be real!"

The jinn didn't move, didn't try to convince me. He simply said, "You will see. I will always find you."

And just as he took another step toward me, the room around me seemed to ripple and dissolve.

I could almost decipher a face through the Smokey fumes of its presence.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The world went dark...

I jolted up awake, gasping for air, my heart pounding. My bedroom felt foreign and strange. I was in my New York penthouse, not my childhood home.

The shadows of my past had followed me, but I wasn't sure if I could trust the reality of what I'd just experienced.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the fear of this vivid dream. Was it a dream? I could still hear its voice, feel its presence.

I quickly got out of bed, my body trembling. My breath caught in my throat as I made my way to the kitchen.

The cool water did nothing to ease the sense of unease that lingered, the lingering echo of his words.

I stepped out onto the balcony, the city lights twinkling below, and I looked up at the full moon.

It seemed larger tonight, brighter. Was that part of it? Was he trying to reach me? Had that silly game I played... called him back?

It was only then that I realized it was still dark outside, far too early. I couldn't sleep. My thoughts kept racing back to the dream—or whatever it was.

I tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than a nightmare, but deep down, something in me wasn't so sure.

I went back inside and crawled into bed, but sleep refused to come. The heaviness remained, the fear gnawing at me.

And just when I thought I might drift off, the doorbell rang.

My heart skipped. Who could be here this early?

I hesitated for a moment before heading to the door. My mind was still a mess from the dream, the jinn's words still echoing in my head.

But when I opened the door, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.