Title : Echoes of the Forgotten
After the storm of the past, nothing was the same.
Aryan and Zahira were shattered. Aryan's heart had turned hollow with guilt, and Zahira's world collapsed completely. Fired from the company under Aryan's father's command and rejected by the man she loved, Zahira's life unraveled like a threadbare cloth. Days later, her father—the only anchor in her broken world—died in a sudden road accident. Alone, grieving, and penniless, she fell back into a world of poverty, fear, and hunger.
Nobody came to help.
On the other side of the city, Aryan drifted into mental disarray. Locked in his room, he murmured Zahira's name again and again like a prayer—an apology whispered to the air. His soul was drowning in guilt, haunted by the fragments of their past lives.
One night, Zahira had a dream. Faint, yet powerful. She saw a glimmer—a flash of something ancient, something shining. Her reflection morphed into a terrifying version of herself. Startled and confused, she reached out to Yasmin and Aahil. When Zahira described the strange shining lights and her eerie self, Aahil grew pale. He asked urgently, "Do you remember the place? Any signs?"
"It was blurry," she replied. "Just shadows, and something... sparkling."
Aahil's voice lowered, serious. "That wasn't just a dream. That was the call of the hidden treasure of a Jinnhiyah. Every Jinnhiyah leaves behind a vault—filled with gold, diamonds, ancient relics, and weapons of unspeakable power."
Before they could act, Zahira collapsed from hunger on a rain-soaked street. Her clothes were torn, her body frail. Yasmin found her and took her into her home. There, she met Yasmin and Aahil's daughter—a cheerful soul who shared her clothes and warmth. Zahira slowly recovered and started working in Yasmin's grand art museum. But the dreams continued—sharper now, clearer.
One night, she dreamt of a town—a ghost town outside the city—and a house. Rayan's house. She felt it calling her.
Without telling Yasmin or Aahil, Zahira and Aahil's daughter set off for the abandoned town. The place was rotting, empty, consumed by time—but Zahira remembered it all. She entered the crumbling ruins of Rayan's house. In the dark, they found a basement. And there, under broken stones and dust, was an ancient scroll and a map.
When they returned, Zahira stood before Yasmin and said, "I went back to Rayan's house. Where it all started." Yasmin's eyes welled up instantly—the memories too painful to speak.
Aahil returned shortly after. When Zahira showed him the scroll, his face darkened. He decoded the ancient writing slowly.
"This… is not just a map," he said. "It's a key to another world. A gate to the dark realm—where all the fallen jinn and lost spirits roam. If you want the treasure… you must enter that world. But Zahira… it is not meant for humans. It's death in every breath."
Zahira nodded. "I'll go."
Aahil handed her a taweez. "This will make you invisible… but it won't hide your scent. If they smell you, you'll be hunted."
The moment Zahira entered the realm, time shifted. She stepped into an endless void—silent and hollow. The air was heavy with decay. The land stretched infinitely, empty yet alive with whispers. After hours of searching, she whispered, "If I want the treasure, I must forget Zahira… and let Zahra rise."
She closed her eyes. Zahra awakened.
Her steps became stronger, her senses sharper. She followed a pull until she found the treasure vault—an altar of cursed wealth, gleaming with forbidden power. She grabbed a pouch of black diamonds and one weapon—the blade of death forged by jinn bone and sealed with fire runes.
But before she could escape, a monstrous jinn sensed her presence.
"I smell human flesh," it growled. "Reveal yourself!"
Blind, it hunted her by scent. She remained hidden but was wounded badly. With her last strength, she grasped the weapon. As her hand wrapped around the hilt, light surged. Zahra's full spirit returned.
The jinn never stood a chance. She destroyed it in a single strike.
Then all went dark.
Zahira awoke in Yasmin's arms. Her wounds were healed by something not quite human. Zahra's power had returned—partially. She was not a full jinnhiyah… but she was not just human anymore.
To be continued...