After introductions and presenting my case, I'd have to walk into a place called the "Pool of Stars" where Fantasia herself would give me a glimpse of my path as a Jinn and unlock 'some' of my abilities.
It was confusing to understand what or who Fantasia was. It was the place where all Jinns lived and received wishes to either ignore or grant, but from the way the guys had explained it, she was like their living planet. Kind of how we liked to say Mother Earth or Mother Nature.
The only difference is Fantasia can talk back.
From their explanation, once I unlocked some of my powers, I'd be a temporary Jinn and get chosen by a mentor who'd demonstrate what a Jinn does. After that, the ball would be in my court on whether I would want to continue being a Jinn or return to my previous life.
My memories would be erased of this world and I’d be sent back to reality. Seeing as I had nothing left to return to, that option wasn't really appealing.
To be honest, it isn’t an option for me. Period.
I was curious about who'd mentor me. The Father of Jinns could either appoint someone to me, or a genie could choose. If more than one individual wanted to mentor me, Father of Jinns would have to determine both Jinn's compatibility level of my 'title' or whatever.
The whole title thing was another matter that piqued my interest. Essentially, it was what told someone what kind of Jinn you were or what type of wishes you'd most likely grant.
Quietly pondering about the guys’ titles, I realized they made sense to me based on what little I knew of their personalities.
Luke was the Humble. During the short amount of time I'd been around him, he has really shown a level of kindness and calm many individuals wouldn't have. He definitely had humble aspects to him, but did that mean his personality was always like that before he'd been chosen as a Jinn?
Owen was the Adventurous. I could only see hints of his personality. He looked to be laid back during some moments of a conversation, but I hadn't really gotten much time to see more of him. I’m willing to though.
Jeremiah was the Magnificent. I think that was right on point with how he valued clothing and his appearance in general. It wasn't a negative personality trait in his case. Even though he loved high-class items and cared for his appearance, it wasn't in a cocky or privileged manner that pissed you off. He gave off the impression that even though he loved luxurious items, he wouldn't take it for granted.
Cole was the Vengeance. It sounded a little off for a title in my mind. Vengeful would have made more sense, but hey, I wasn't the title-appointing master, so what would I know?
From Cole's closed off personality, his title could have been a good representation of him, but at the same time, I didn't know for sure. There was something about him, whether it was his cold personality or the hints of emotion he did show from time to time, that made me crave more.
I wanted to know what led to him appearing cold-hearted or to hate associating with people. I could have been overstepping with my assumptions of him, but those were the vibes I got from him.
There is definitely kindness in him, but did he hide it because he was Vengeance or am I missing something?
My bunch of questions would eventually be answered, but it didn't help calm my nerves either. I was about to enter a world where I could have been born in.
If this Fantasia place was previously my home, why did I end up with humans? Did I not belong there and was dumped here?
Something brushed my cheek and I opened my eyes to see Cole place his hand back on the steering wheel. "You okay?"
"Ya. Just thinking," I replied and closed my eyes once more.
"Don't stress, Pinky. Fantasia is pretty chill," Jeremiah assured me.
Owen let out a sigh. "When you ignore half the population."
"Aside from that minor detail," Jeremiah agreed.
I opened my eyes to look over my shoulder at them. Luke's head was resting against the windshield, his eyes closed and his chest rising up and down slowly, which told me he must have fallen asleep.
Owen was sitting behind my passenger seat; he too had his eyes closed and looked like he was dozing off.
Jeremiah sat between them, and he was reading something on his phone. I faced forward again, not wanting to make much discussion when the others looked really tired.
If they had been taking care of me the last two days, they must not have gotten much sleep on my behalf and making unnecessary conversation when they could be resting would be inconsiderate on my part.
As much as I tried to sleep, I was struggling yet again, leaving me to wonder whether I'd be able to adapt well when we reached Fantasia. If I did pass this test thing and was really a Jinn, I'd be passed over to some mentor.
They wouldn't care about my inability to sleep alone, and just the thought of having to explain my issues to a stranger who would most likely judge me, left me feeling hesitant.
Opening my eyes, I looked to the back again and realized all three of the guys were now asleep; Jeremiah's head rested on Owen's shoulder, his phone still clutched in his hands that were placed on his lap. Luke hadn't moved an inch, and Owen had a peaceful expression while he slept.
A frown formed on my lips and I turned back and perched my chin on top of my knees. What am I going to do? Now I'm scared.
"What's wrong, Destiny?"
I shifted my gaze to Cole, who was still focused on the road but took a few seconds to meet my gaze.
"I'm scared."
"Why?"
"I won't be able to sleep… if I get a mentor, I'm going to have to explain everything all over again, and I'm worried they'll judge me."
"We didn't judge you," he pointed out.
"I know. Doesn't mean whoever I get won't either," I mumbled.
"We'll figure it out when we get there." Cole dismissed my fear easily, but it didn't help me feel any better.
"If I get a mentor, does that mean I'll never see you guys again?"
Cole was silent, and my shoulders sank in disappointment.
I shouldn't be sad about it. They can't stay and babysit me, but it would have been nice if they could stay for a little bit. Maybe until I adapt to this place?
"We haven't fulfilled your wish yet. Even if you get a mentor, you'll have to make your decision on whether you want to become a true Jinn or not. We'll stick around. Just depends on who your mentor is," Cole explained
That explanation helped to lower my anxiety a lot more. "And the sleeping part?"
"Are you tired?" he countered, catching onto my main concern.
Even with the quiet drive and the smooth motion of the car, I couldn't sleep, but my body and mind were still drained from my week of hell.
"Yes," I replied. "I want to sleep, don't get me wrong. It’s just… my body won't let me."
Cole nodded, appearing deep in thought as he continued to drive down the straight road, the side lamps illuminating his face as we passed each one.
"You can rest your head on my arm if that helps," he mumbled.
I had to thank myself for having amazing hearing or I would have missed his suggestion entirely due to his deep voice. It could have been his shy attempt to try and help me, but I bet he didn't want the others to hear, even if they were all asleep.
"Is that okay? Just… for this ride," I clarified, not wanting him to think it would be some permanent thing.
At least if I really did have issues sleeping at this Fantasia place, I could maybe bribe Luke in exchange for a hug or something.
"Fine by me," Cole replied with a shrug. "Just don't snore."
"I don't snore," I grumbled before pouting my lips in a displeased expression.
"Sure," he replied, and I caught another one of those 1 cm smiles that tugged on his lips.
Goodness, the day this man smiles, I'll need to take a picture and have a memorial made for it. RIP to a once in a lifetime smile of Cole the Vengeance, which should be Vengeful.
I lowered my legs from my seat and leaned over so that my
head rested against his arm. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it already made a big difference; my eyes grew heavier by the second.
After finally allowing them to close, my mind wandered, thinking about the past. Did everyone return to their daily lives? They must have, seeing as my death had been the quickest clean up with little remorse.
As much as I didn't want to ponder about it, I could already see everyone going back to their daily duties. My desk would be cleaned off, and there would be Philip’s new fiancé enjoying the position I'd had to work my way up to receive.
Being Phillip’s fiancé didn't mean I got my own cubicle to do whatever I wanted. I started from the bottom at a table with five other individuals trying to handle the crazy publishing workload. Hard work had landed me in a role that was still stressful, but at least it was respected by the few coworkers who did care about me.
Now I’m not so sure about them either.
Either way, this new fiancé was getting the better end of the stick, and the thought made me angry and sad. Had I really been so stupidly in love that I hadn't realized Philip didn't love me? Was I too blind to catch the signs? I should have seen the flashing warning signs...right?
Who was I trying to kid? Even the people I thought were my friends, whether online on social media or in real life as coworkers, had played their role when my body was being buried into the wet ground of my grave, but they couldn't even call me to check if what they saw was a hoax.
Everyone around me didn't care and whether it was intentional or not, that realization was what brought the sadness that felt like it would be engraved in my being forever. I would always remember that my existence meant nothing to everyone in the human world. As for the anger, I was unsure if it would stay or even grow with time.
With time, I'd be able to think through everything and accept it as the truth. Acceptance would just emphasize what a fool I'd been, and my anger wouldn't be directed toward anyone but myself.
I've been the blinded fool, and the pain I have and would experience in the future is my fault.
The depressing thoughts were consuming me as I tried to sleep, and I whimpered quietly as tears rolled down my cheeks. I desperately wanted to sleep, wishing I could just enjoy the few hours of darkness that would bury the pain I was trying to ignore, but I wasn't going to put all my hope into falling asleep now.
Trying to open my heavy eyelids was a fail, which only contributed to my tears and quiet sobs. I could have been crying in my sleep for all I knew, but I did notice one thing. There was a shift in position for a moment, and I felt something wrap around my shoulder and bring me closer into something that was comfortingly warm.
It could have been my imagination, but a soft touch pressed against my forehead, and with it, a wave of tranquility followed. That wave of calm gave me hope that everything was going to be okay. Even if my past was shitty and my current present was a mess, my future would be brighter.
Whatever had just happened, I was beyond thankful for it, because it was what I needed to finally fall asleep.
"Holy shit."
"I think that's the 37th time she's said that," Jeremiah commented.
"38th time," Luke said with a yawn. "That was a nice nap."
"Try not to go into shock, Destiny. Never seen eyes as wide as you’ve made yours." Owen reached out to pat my shoulder.
"How can you NOT be shocked every time you come here? This place is magnificent!" I exclaimed, my eyes unsure where to linger.
"All you need to do is look at me, Destiny. I'm all you need," Jeremiah cooed, and the other two groaned.
"Thank goodness he's not a narcissist." Luke shook his head.
"Right? We wouldn't be friends if he was," Owen replied.
"Hey! We so would, you jerk!" Jeremiah yelled.
Cole kept walking, his hands in his pockets as we made our way through the oversized palace that could have been the size of my town. Even after we'd been walking for fifteen minutes through this mansion which, again, looked like a town itself, I couldn't keep my eyes forward.
For the sake of me not tripping and humiliating myself, Luke was holding my hand so that I could look around as much as I wanted.
I'd woken up when we'd already arrived and cleared some checkpoint. I was a little surprised to awaken in Cole’s arms as he carried me, but the others explained it was the most logical method since everyone was afraid of Cole and wouldn't stop them to ask silly questions.
Guess it's beneficial when almost everyone is afraid of you. Even so, I wonder if that made Cole a lonely person?
The palace was cloaked in glittering gold and sparkling white marble. It was extravagant, and everyone who I assumed was a Jinn sported similar outfits like the guys had worn when they needed clothes.
All of them wore white, maybe as a type of uniform and indication that they worked in the palace, and their jewelry was gold. Some of the sashes were decked out with rhinestones; a few were crystal clear, while I saw others that were black or red.
I'd noticed right away that all the servants were men, and I hoped I'd get to see a female Jinn so that I'd know what expectations I was supposed to meet.
From how perfectly fit and attractive all the male servants were, I knew there must have been some type of beauty requirement. Not beautifully shaped enough? Out the door, you go.
Jeremiah had reassured me that that wasn't the case, but Jinns went through a transformation when they unlocked their powers.
The guys explained when they were chosen to be Jinns, they would revive in their previous bodies and undergo the same steps I was about to with facing the Father and then talking with Fantasia herself.
I had asked about the revival stage, wondering if they would revive in the state they left their bodies, but Owen explained they were in the healthy state they remembered before whatever incident that caused their death occurred.
Reminiscing on the fact that they all had died before still bothered me. It looked like the other three were kind of over it or didn't mind talking about it. Cole, however, always tensed up with the simple mention of it. If I did have questions about it, I'd have to make sure he wasn't around. I didn't want to keep bringing something up that he may have bad memories about and ruin his day because of it.
My boyish baggy clothes weren't doing much justice in disguising me, in my personal opinion; all the servants deliberately stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me as we made our way through the palace.
It could have also been because I was practically surrounded by Jinns and holding onto Luke's hand for safe measure. I looked more like a tourist in the middle of their perfected glory, but if we did go through some type of transformation, I'd be turned into society’s perfect body image.
No hips, no booty… hmm. Does that mean I'd have to change ethnicities? I like being African and Asian…
"What are you thinking about now, Destiny?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Jeremiah who had a calm expression on his face as he smiled at me.
"Would I have to change ethnicities when I go through my transformation?" I asked. It kind of felt like a stupid question when my brain decided to realize yet again, that the guys were all from different backgrounds. "Actually, don't answer that stupid question. I didn't think fast enough," I quickly added.
"It's not stupid," Owen replied from my left. Luke squeezed my right hand and I looked over to see his reassuring smile.
"Not dumb. We wondered the same thing before our transformations."
"You'll stay the ethnicity you'd want to stay as unless you request the change," Jeremiah answered.
"Why would someone want to change?" I asked.
"If it impacted the individual negatively when they were alive, they would want to change into the ethnicity or race they assumed was the better one," Owen answered.
"What background are you, Destiny?" Jeremiah asked.
"African and Japanese. I don't really know what my specific African background is, to be honest.
From the little documents I was given with my birth certificate, my mother was black. I'm assuming that meant my dad was Asian. I know I'm Japanese because I can understand it when I watch the dramas. It was easier for me to learn Mandarin too."
"Why didn't your adoptive parents tell you until now? I mean, were they also African and Asian descent, so you didn't really question it?" Jeremiah asked.
"Ah… well, I didn't question it because I thought they would abandon me."
We came to a stop in what looked like a waiting area. A servant walked up to us, his gaze landing on me and holding there until Cole deliberately stepped in front of me and pulled out a card pass.
The servant nodded and hastily turned around and walked away. Cole glanced over at us. "We have to wait a bit."
"Cool," Jeremiah replied and turned back to me. "Why would you think that?"
"I don't have memories of my childhood," I admitted.
The four of them stared at me and I decided they would need me to explain more to understand.
"When I was around eight, I woke up in a hospital room with no memories. I knew my name, if that really counted as something, but I had no idea how I had landed in the hospital, especially the mental ward. My ex-parents were there, and though my mother wasn't really black, she was mixed, and my father was white. I just assumed I took the majority of my ethnicity from my mom because I could associate myself with her. Back then, it wasn't like healthcare workers tried to incorporate the client when it came to their own treatment. All I knew was I had severe amnesia, which soon became the least important problem."
I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced around the room as I continued. "I spent all day on the ward, trying to figure out who I was and why I was there. Even without memories, I was smart enough to realize I didn't belong in the mental ward. It's really the psych ward, but the nurses would insist that I must have a mental problem and thus, the reason even today, I still use that term. I don't like it, but bad habits die hard."
I shrugged and studied the marble tiled floor, my eyes taking an interest in the little specks of gold that flickered because of the lights above us.
Wish For Me (Destiny Jinn Series Book 1) Page 6