Salif watched the final notes of the bell fade through the hallways. He had intended to ask Adjara to step outside with him, to get to know her a little better, but before he could form the words, she had already disappeared down the corridor, her small frame swallowed by the crowd of students moving between classrooms. A faint pang of disappointment shot through him, but he shook it off, telling himself he would see her again.
Minutes later, the students returned to their desks, settling down as the hum of whispers gradually gave way to the familiar order of lessons. Salif tried to focus, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Adjara. She was… really beautiful, he thought, almost uncomfortably. He found himself staring at the spot where she had been, imagining the curve of her shoulder, the way she had held herself shyly, and the timidity in her voice.
The teacher's voice suddenly cut through his daydream, sharp and authoritative.
"Salif… Salif… are you with us?"
Salif jerked upright, startled, and the sudden attention drew a few chuckles from the class. He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks burning with embarrassment, muttering a barely audible,
"Yes, sir." The teacher sighed, shaking his head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and the lesson continued.
Hours passed in a blur of lessons, scribbled notes, and occasional glances toward the classroom door, hoping Adjara might appear. By the time the final bell rang, Salif had reluctantly accepted that she had vanished for the day. He packed his books slowly, replaying her brief words in his mind and trying to decode the sudden curiosity she had sparked in him.
As he stepped out of the school, he found Abdul waiting by the gate. His familiar, stoic presence was somehow comforting.
"Get in the car," Abdul said simply.
"We're going home."
Salif's lips curved into a teasing grin.
"Couldn't you have at least asked how my day went first?"
Abdul's eyes flickered toward him, a faint flush crossing his otherwise calm features, betraying a hint of discomfort.
He muttered,
"I… I suppose I should," but didn't press further, motioning for Salif to follow him to the car.
On the drive back, Abdul suddenly spoke, his voice unusually soft.
"Do you remember your little sister?"
Salif's mind immediately tensed.
"Yes… I can't imagine how she's coping with the loss of our parents," he admitted, the weight of the years and the grief pressing down on him.
Abdul placed a steady hand on Salif's shoulder in a gesture meant to reassure him.
"We're going to see her," he said simply.
Salif's eyes widened.
"Now… today?"
"Yes. She's with my parents," Abdul replied, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
A mix of fear and anticipation churned inside Salif. His sister, only ten when he had left, might not even recognize him after four years. Yet, beneath the worry, there was a spark of excitement, the chance to reconnect, to share a fragment of the family they had lost.
He let his thoughts drift for a moment, recalling memories of him and his sister—how they had bickered and fought, teasing one another relentlessly. He laughed softly to himself, the memory warming him against the tension of the present.
When they arrived at Abdul's family home, Abdul called out to Salif as they approached the doorway.
" Your sister… she's not the same as you remember," he warned.
Salif frowned, irritation mixing with worry.
"Of course I know that. Losing our parents… that would affect any child. Anyone would be changed by that," he said, his tone defensive, trying to hide the nervousness creeping into his voice.
Abdul's expression darkened, exasperated.
"You idiot! That's not what I mean. Listen to me first."
Salif's confusion deepened.
"Then… what is it?"
Abdul's eyes softened with an unspoken apology, his voice low and heavy.
"Your sister… she is possessed by a djinn."
The words hit Salif like a physical blow, freezing him in place. Fear, disbelief, and a creeping sense of danger washed over him in one overwhelming tide. The thought of his sister, the innocent girl he had once known, now under the influence of a supernatural force, was almost unbearable.
The drive back and the school day had already tested his nerves, but this revelation pushed his mind into overdrive. Questions and fears collided—How did this happen? Can she be saved? Was it inevitable? Salif's fists clenched around the edge of the car seat as he tried to maintain composure, his jaw tightening with a resolve forming somewhere deep inside him.
Meanwhile, the brief, strange encounter with Adjara lingered in his mind, pulling at his thoughts even as fear gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. Who had sent her, and why? Was it connected to the mask, to the entities, or to something else entirely? Every shadow, every whispered thought felt significant, as though the world around him was layered with invisible threads of danger and intrigue.
By the time they reached Abdul's parents' home, Salif's mind was racing, cycling between worry for his sister, curiosity about the message, and the strange, inexplicable pull of the girl he had just met at school. He was caught between the ordinary world of classmates and teachers and the extraordinary, perilous world of masks, entities, and djinns that now surrounded him.
Abdul stopped the car, glancing at Salif with that familiar mix of calm and unspoken authority.
"Prepare yourself," he said simply, the gravity in his tone enough to make Salif's stomach tighten.
Salif exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself, and nodded. The day had begun with school and small, mundane moments, yet it ended with a tension that no ordinary boy should have to bear. The ordinary and the extraordinary collided, leaving Salif suspended in a space where childhood memories, grief, and supernatural peril all demanded his attention at once.
The house loomed ahead, familiar and yet alien after so many years. Salif braced himself, feeling the weight of his responsibilities and the fragility of the life around him. Today, he realized, was a turning point—not merely a visit to see his sister, but a confrontation with the unseen forces that had shaped his family's fate. Every step he took toward the door was a step into a world that was no longer safe, a world where ordinary rules did not apply.
And yet, amid the fear, there was a spark of determination.
Salif understood, somewhere deep inside, that he could not hide from what was coming. He could only face it, armed with courage, wits, and the knowledge that he was no longer alone—Abdul and perhaps even the mysterious girl, Adjara, might be allies in a life that had suddenly become far more complex than he had ever imagined.
Abdul parked the car in front of his parents' house. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the yard.
Sall's heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of excitement, fear, and uncertainty. He could hardly believe he was about to see his little sister after four long years.
As they got out, Abdul placed a hand lightly on Sall's shoulder.
"Try not to behave too strangely around her," he said, his voice firm but calm.
Sall froze for a moment, staring at Abdul.
"Wait… you're telling me my sister is possessed by an entity, and I should… act normal?"
Abdul shook his head, cutting him off gently.
"No, Sall. Djinn are not the same as ordinary entities. They are far more powerful. You must be careful. Do not treat this lightly."
Sall swallowed hard, the weight of the words sinking into him.
"Will… will she die?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Don't lie to me, Abdul. Please, tell me the truth."
Abdul looked at him, his dark eyes steady, almost sorrowful.
"Her life is not in danger," he said slowly.
"But if we try to force the Djinn out of her, she will die. We must be patient and cautious."
Sall's mind raced. He remembered the laughter of his little sister, her mischievous smile, the way she had always run around like a whirlwind. The thought that a powerful Djinn now lived inside her made his stomach twist. He nodded slowly, trying to anchor himself in the moment, to focus on what he could do to help her without causing harm.