Chapter 3: Her cure is His addiction

"Aria, what happened?" Clarren said worriedly, scanning my body and looking for injuries. "Everybody has been looking for you. Who is that man?" His hands were cold and shaking. His eyes were red as if he had just finished crying.

"I'm okay. Sorry if I make you worry," I sheepishly replied. Guilt feelings are taking over me. Seeing everybody worried makes me feel that my life does matter to them and I just take it all for granted by selling my soul to the Djinn in exchange for a kiss. How foolish I have been thinking that I am doing them a favor by ending my life and yet I just make things worse and more complicated.

"What happened? I saw you with that man and vanished in thin air?" his tremulous voice caused everyone in the canteen to turn their heads on us. "Please, tell me who is that man and where did he take you?"

"It's a long story Clarren," I calmly said.

"You've been gone for thirty minutes! How long could that story be?" he hysterically said. "What did he do to you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Believe me, I feel so much better!" I smiled at him and in return, he just gave me a deadpan stare. "I'm starving. What's for breakfast?" I’m trying my best to change the subject. Clarren did not say anything. Instead, he just followed me around, looking at my every move and trying to decipher my thoughts.

As much as I wanted to tell him what happened, I couldn't. He won't believe me anyway. Ordinary people could never understand what I can see and experience. It's too much for them to comprehend. I just don't want them to think that I'm losing my mind.

I've never seen Clarren this seriously. He never smiled from the time I returned. "I want to check your vitals and run some tests after you finished your meal," he started to sound calm, but his eyes were still locked on me. He wants to ask me more questions at the same time as he doesn’t want to push me too much.

"Aye, Sir!" I teased and saluted him, trying to loosen him up a bit. But he did not waiver, not a bit. He became more furious than before.

"I'm not joking!" he irritably said and glared at me with his serious face. "Aria, please understand, I'm just concerned and worried sick about you. Try not to be too stubborn and listen to me just this once," he softly said, holding my hand tightly.

"I'm sorry Clarren, it won't happen again. I don't mean to make you worry," I replied.

I averted my eyes and turned my head the other way, trying to dodge his piercing eyes at me. He pulled his chair and dragged it close to me, then he slowly sat down. "I'm only concerned. You know that, right?" I simply nodded as a sign of confirmation. "I'm just..." he left his words hanging in the air.

"I know. You're worried. Please don't, I'm perfectly fine." Those were the only words I could think of to comfort him. "Too perfect that I don't feel any sign of pain or sickness," I said to myself.

We went to the testing laboratory to get my vitals scanned. I undergo an electrocardiogram or ECG to look at the electrical activity of my heartbeat. He tested my sugar, blood pressure, and temperature. All seems to be in perfect condition, which makes him more doubtful. It had never happened before, and seeing all my vital signs in normal condition astonished him even more.

"How did it happen?" he confusedly asks. "Did you take anything?

"Just the breakfast that I ate this morning," I simply replied, but I know it has got to do with the kiss. I just couldn't explain it.

"It's highly unusual for you to get normal vital signs. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to see that you're doing well. I'm just amazed at how fast your recovery rate is compared to your previous test results. Ever since you came here, you've never been this good, that even your face has color and is no longer pale." He gave me a doubtful stare while he was double-checking the results of my laboratory test.

"Staring at those papers won't change the test results," I said to him, rolling my eyes. "Since I'm in good condition today, can I go outside?" I tried to convince him using my cute smile and puppy-dog eyes.

Clarren tries to keep his serious look and avoid laughing at my silly face but epically fails. He scratches his head and releases an audible sigh as a sign of his confirmation, so I immediately ran towards the main door to go outside.

I feel like a prisoner that experiences freedom for the very first time. The sun was blazing in the cloudless sky and the morning breeze felt refreshing on my skin. I close my eyes shut, spread my arms wide open, and feel the sunlight crawl all over my skin.

For the first time, I was able to stroll along the sidewalks and sat on the benches where I could only see people doing it by watching from my window pane. Now it's my turn to lie on the grass and feel the warmth of summer. The only thing missing is a person with whom I can share this precious moment.

Why am I missing him? Weirdly, I missed the man who is going to take my soul. I went to the place where I first saw him, hoping that I could meet him again. There's something about him that I can't describe. The feeling of attraction is uncanny. I am magnetized by his aura. He's like a temptation I couldn't resist indulging. He may be the most dangerous creature that ever existed, but for some reason, I don't feel any fear. I don't even feel that he can harm me, even though he threatens me.

"Where are you?"

I looked around and scanned the place. He is nowhere to be found. I can't even feel his aura. For some reason, I can feel his presence every time he is around. I don't understand why he left me after the kiss. He looks so afraid and bewildered about something. Am I a bad kisser or did I disappoint him by any chance? I mean it's my first time, so he should not expect that I'm a good kisser and, to be honest, he doesn't seem to be that good either. But what concerns me the most is how he looked at me, as if he had seen a monster.

It was a very tiring but productive day for me. Even though a lot of things have happened today and I've been very active throughout the day, I still have a lot of strength left in my body. Unlike before, I easily get tired just by walking around the hospital. Not today, not only do I go out to enjoy the outside world, but I also help out the staff and nurses in the hospital. I want to do and experience what I always wanted to do when I was sick in bed. It may be my last time and I won't get the same opportunity again once he collected my soul. I know that he will be back, and it's better to make the best of my remaining time on earth and have no regrets.

I was on my way back to my room when I sensed an eerie feeling. There was a dark presence in the air, and it was so strong that I could feel its aura outside the door.

"He's here," I whispered to myself.

I recognized that distinct aura and I knew it was him. I opened the door, and my instinct was never wrong. He was standing by my window pane looking outside.

"So this is the view from your window. I always saw you standing here looking outside," he said to me.

I was about to ask how he got inside my room, but knowing that he is a Djinn, anything is possible for him. "Are you here to collect my soul?" I casually said to him.

I tried to stay calm and act cool, but my hands and legs wouldn't stop shaking. Pea-size cold sweats started to form on my forehead. Although he doesn't seem to look like he could harm me, the thought of losing my soul is giving me a scare.

"As much as I'd like to do that, the contract says that you are entitled to three wishes." He grinned at me.

"Are you here to ask me for my second wish?" I curiously asked.

"Are you that eager to die, Missy?" His forehead furrowed as he raised his voice at me. "Anyway, do you already have a second wish?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it yet. How about another..."

"Nope, no more kisses for you, Missy. No repetition of wishes," he nervously said while waiving off both of his hands. "But if you wanted another kiss that badly, I can give it to you free of charge!"

"If you're not here to collect my soul and not here for my second wish, then why are you here for?" I inquisitively asked, put my arms above each other, and lifted an eyebrow.

"Whoa, chill, relax Missy. I'm not here to cause you any trouble," he immediately replied.

"Then why are you here?" I inquisitively asked.

"Well, I was thinking about your first wish. It was too simple and weird." He sat on my bed and started to explain.

"So what? Though I can have any wish I desire," I confusedly said and sat beside him on my bed.

"That's true, but as per my thousands of years of experience, never did I encounter such a mindless, selfish wish like yours and I just thought it would be fair to give you an additional bonus to your wish," he sheepishly said while scratching the back of his neck.

"Really?" My eyes widened and sparkled with excitement.

"Well, a lot of my customers wish for a good life for their loved ones, money, and power. Sometimes they ask to change their physical appearance to look attractive in the public eye. Some wish for good health and enjoy the remaining days of their luxurious life, but you, on the other hand, only wished for a kiss. So I decided to give you a freebie," he suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," I said to him. "What a minute, is this some kind of a trick? Maybe you're trying to trick me into doing something stupid that will cause me to make another wish!" I gave him a doubtful stare.

"Seriously? Here I am doing a good deed and, in return, you are accusing me of being a trickster. You're unbelievable!" he irritably said and stood up from my bed.

"Hey, where are you going?" I held on to his arm and stopped him from taking another step away from me.

"I'm leaving!" He rolled his eyes and tried to remove my hand away from his arm.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I pouted my lips and batted my eyelashes. "Tell me, what are you trying to suggest earlier?" I smiled widely while pulling his arm.

He turns around and looks at me seriously straight into my eyes and said...

"Go out on a date with me!"

I was startled and couldn't react to his invitation. My jaw almost dropped to the floor. "Is he for real?" I said to myself. For the very first time, I was being asked out on a date, not by a human but by the Djinn. I've been experiencing a lot of first-time and weird supernatural phenomena today. It's too much for me to handle all in one day. I was slack-jawed and still couldn't believe what he said to me when he suddenly snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Hey Missy, you're spacing out," he worriedly said to me. I never thought that he would be concerned about me. He stared at me for a second and as soon as he confirmed that I was okay, he returned to his normal self. "Are you going out on a date with me or not? I don't have all day," he said in a commanding voice. He was never the gentleman type and now he is acting bossy toward me. What kind of invitation is that?

"Is that an invitation or a command?" I blurted out.

He smiled at me, looking so innocent and sweet. "I will take you to places you've never been and give you the best date of your life. How's that for a freebie? Don't you want to experience all of this before I collect your soul?"

The offer is enticing. He is good at persuading people to submit to his will. I know it was wrong of me to go with a stranger, but I can't explain this feeling of submissiveness. I can't say no to him no matter how hard my mind battled with my heart. My body keeps betraying me.

He reached out his arm and opened the palm of his hand, inviting me to hold on to it while looking straight into my eyes.

"Take my hand if you wish to come with me."