Prompt: Aladdin, het!2min (Minjung)

To fulfill her greed and desire,

She called forth the mystic fire.

Failing, she lost her pride and fortitude,

And in return, she was granted servitude.

She collided into the darkness, not finding a way out, not finding what kept her confined. But she knew very well the reason of her confinement, the reason she felt strange from within, the reason she could not follow her will freely.

It was the price she had paid in her greed. Greed for what? She could not even remember now.

She settled inside the darkness, glancing at the gold that adorned her wrists tightly, gold that hinted at her enslavement. She gathered herself, letting the time pass, finding herself fall into an open-eyed slumber...a slumber she could not stop, a slumber she soon found no will to stop.

The darkness whirled one day, a day that came after years and years of slumber. She got up, feeling stranger from within, feeling being pulled and pushed across the expanse of the darkness she owned. She looked around in perplexion, finding the darkness turn into light- a light she had been too eager to see. Within a blink of a second, she found herself standing on the soil she originally belonged to, but having no sensation of being belonged. Her eyes sought the reason of her wake, knowing well the clauses of her punishment.

A woman stood before her, a woman adorned in affluence, a woman blessed with beauty, wealth and health. Yet her eyes contained greed...making her realize, it was similar to what her own eyes had once contained. Her realization made her morose from within, yet her face remained stoic, her tongue working on its own, “You, who has awoken me, are my Master till I grant the last of your three wishes.”

The woman had spoken her wishes too quickly, not asking till what her prowess extended, only asking for wealth, wealth and wealth; and she granted her all the wealth she could. On granting the third wish, she could exist no longer in the bright world, because no longer had she a master. She returned to her darkness, returned to her slumber, waiting for another to wake her again.

She was woken a countless times and countless times she recited, “You, who has awoken me, are my Master till I grant the last of your three wishes.”

There were times her Master would not believe in her existence and would waste their wishes on trivial things; and there were times she was awoken by children- naive and curious- who only wished for the simple joys.

She felt at ease doing their bidding while their wishes lasted, finding her heart at ease on giving them a ride on her back or arms, or watching them eat the sweets they wished for, or watching them play with the pebbles and toys they wished for. But her heart twisted when she would grant their last wish, for she would disappear, leaving some of the children looking lost or teary-eyed.

Her memories, despite having a bitter tinge, kept her slumber bearable as she reminisced the laughter and smiles she had been the cause of.

But her memories grew bitter and bitter as she granted wishes.

She was awoken by evil men and women who wished for power and advantage over others, wished for weapons, wished for atrocities worse than the deed of killing. They wished poverty and hunger for their enemies, they wished her assistance in trickery, they wished her to cover their inhumane acts, they wished for her to commit deeds that would lead to destruction and misfortune eventually.

Though her heart twisted and ached, though her body shook in reluctance, she could do nothing, having being confined by her punishment, by her curse, leaving her no choice but to grant every cruel wish her master uttered.

Slowly, she began to wish to stay in the darkness, wish to not be awoken; and though she had the ability to grant wishes...her own, she did not.

Wish by wish, the time passed and she found herself staying in the darkness for far too long. It seemed like her wish had been granted but she knew, truly she may have drifted to a place unreachable, a spot invisible.

Deep waters, below the soil or in high mountains- she did not care where she had drifted to, but she wanted the darkness to remain, wanted herself to lie unawaken.

The darkness, she liked more, more than the heart of humans, the heart she herself had owned one time, a heart which desired great things, a heart willing to commit both virtue and vice for them.

The darkness never raised her hopes, letting her commit virtuous deeds only to disavow them by forcing her to commit misdeeds.

The darkness was her only solace, the only definite she possessed, which vouched the safety of her gullible self.

Years may have passed in peace, years that passed in ease, years to be forgotten in ease. She rested with her memories, hoping to never wake, sacrificing her opportunities to do the good in return for not doing the bad.

But one day, her hopes failed her, for the darkness began to swirl, swirl into light, making her whirl too, until she stood on the hot sand she may have many times stepped upon.

Before her was a young man, the heat making his skin glisten, his eyes filled with determination- the determination to fulfill his desires. His gaze was of surprise, of amusement, of hope, of emotions she could not keep track of- his gaze was a whirl of mystery.

Bowing, she recited to the young man, “You, who has awoken me, are my Master till I grant the last of your three wishes.”

The man looked at her with amusement, “So, Jinns do exist?”

She nodded, bowing.

“You will stay with me till my third wish? Even if I take an eternity to speak it?”

She bowed, “Yes.”

The man chuckled, nodding, before getting on his way, pulling his satchel tighter as he walked ahead in the fiery desert. The Jinn stood in her place, watching her Master go with wide eyes; until he stopped a few steps later, holding out the rusty lamp, her dark abode,, “Jinn, do I need to wish for you to follow me?”

The Jinn was at her feet, following her Master but keeping a step difference in between.

“Jinn, do you have a name?” Her Master spoke as he walked relentlessly in the heat, his voice hoarse due to dryness. “Or would you prefer I address you by your kind?”

“I was named Minjung a long time ago, Master.” The Jinn replied, “And I pray you do not talk as much if you have no intention of wishing yourself out of this desert.”

He turned at her words, his chapped lips curling up in amusement, “Was that your concern or your spite, I wonder.” He turned back, “Anyway, I would prefer you call me Taemin.” He walked on and Minjung followed, unaffected by the gale that threw sand into her Master’s senses, making him cough harshly, unaffected of the heat that made her Master groan in irritation, unaffected of the cold that made her Master shiver.

She followed and followed, until she watched Taemin exhaust his last drop of water, watched Taemin’s steps get weaker, watched him keep up his steps despite the harsh desert. She followed him, worry cladding her eyes, finding her heart twist in a familiar manner having no freedom of assisting until it was wished for.

And it was Minjung who sighed in relief when Taemin finally collapsed under the shade of a palm tree at the edge of the Sultanate, attracting a shop vendor’s attention who tended to the young man while Minjung just watched helplessly, but content that her Master had obtained unwished help, which she had been debating to give.

Gaining enough strength, Taemin ventured into the Sultanate, Minjung following him a step behind.

“Can everyone see you, Minjung?”

Minjung blinked, taking in the voice for a moment, for it was different- softer than the hoarse voice she had heard Taemin previously speak in. “Only the one who awakens me and the ones spiritually strong can glimpse me, Master.”

“Taemin.” Taemin corrected, sighing, “That is good. I would not have to worry about explaining your presence at my side then.”

“Master.” She spoke, “Who may you be?”

“You would not believe me.” Taemin chuckled, “No one else has during my journey.”

“But what if I will?”

Taemin halted and turned back, his intense gaze on Minjung, “A prince. I am a prince.”

Minjung eyed her Master from head to toe. He was dressed in dirty, battered robes, had no sign of wealth and had travelled a desert on foot.

“You do not believe me.” Taemin smiled with a sigh and began to walk ahead, only to halt at the Jinn’s words.

“Master, your claim I can make everyone believe...with just one wish.”

Taemin turned to her, laughing, “Minjung...why are you set on making me utilize my wishes? Would you be freed on the third wish?”

Minjung remained sombre, “I will not. I will return to the lamp you hold, in wait for another Master.”

Taemin’s laughter faded, his gaze turning turbulent as he pondered on her words, “What if I wish for your freedom?”

Minjung’s eyes widened, “You...you very well can, Master.” She sighed, lowering her gaze, “But I pray you do not.”

“Do you not want to be freed?”

“...I do not.”

“Why?”

“Master, people are staring at you like you are an insane rogue- for, to them, you are speaking to air.”

Taemin tilted his head, folding his arms as he raised a brow at Minjung, nodding. He turned and with a sluggish gesture of his fingers, he signalled her to follow, as he began going deeper into the hustle and bustle.

Taemin stepped into an inn and ascended the staircase, leaving Minjung puzzled why no man stopped her Master from barging in so freely. But she followed, entering the corridor bustling with men who bowed down deep on finding Taemin enter. Minjung looked to them, curiosity tinging her face on finding a man open the door to his Master, letting him in with a bow.

Minjung entered right behind, watched Taemin get rid of his satchel and his ragged shirt, watched him signal her to stay, before leaving towards an inner room. He returned a few minutes late