"A…date? What are you on about?" Leo asked, his voice trembling as he slowly pulled the convers from his face.
The Sphinx towered over him, unnaturally tall. Leo's heart raced, a primal fear clawing at his insides as the creature's neck elongated, its head now just a foot away from his face. The darkness shrouded the Sphinx's features, but he could sense its presence—predatory and malevolent. "Out of all the codes I've met in my life…you're the most boring one," it said, its voice a deep rumble that reverberated through Leo's very bones.
He fought to steady his trembling body, catching a glint of the creature's teeth, a wide, sinister smile lurking in the shadows. "There's no need to be frightened, Leo Starworth," the Sphinx chuckled, its breath hot against his skin. "Your soul…smells amazing," it purred, satisfaction dripping from its words.
"Wh-what are you?" Leo stammered, his voice cracking under the weight of fear.
The Sphinx leaned closer, its laughter echoing in his ears, a chilling sound that sent shivers down his spine. "You don't know anything…do you? I'm a jinn," it proclaimed, pride lacing its tone. "You possess a code that could earn you a reward—if you're worthy for it."
"Please, explain," Leo pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice.
Euphoria roared, cutting him off, and he fell silent, the sound like thunder rolling through the room. "What is your name, Sphinx?" he demanded, trying to muster a semblance of courage.
Euphoria tilted its head, amusement dancing in its eyes. "Oh, you have balls, don't you?" it chuckled darkly. "My name is Euphoria, human. Listen closely: I am going to explain something to you. Do not interrupt me…or I will rip your soul from your body and consume it, leaving you nothing but darkness after death!" The threat hung in the air, heavy and palpable.
Leo swallowed hard, the weight of its words pressing down on him. "Good boy," Euphoria continued, its tone dripping with mockery. "As I said, my name is Euphoria. I am a jinn. Jinns are souls, spirits, fallen angels, or, like me…one of the three death devils. Devils and jinns aren't the same…devils are much stronger and tend to rule over jinns or kill them easily. You can thank the seven princes of hell for that one."
"Oookay…so, why are you here? Does that mean you used to be a human? If so, why take that form?" Leo asked, confusion swirling in his mind.
Euphoria's gaze sharpened. "I'm here…because you have a code. If you can unlock this code, you'll take the first step toward defeating whoever caused this mess."
Leo's brow furrowed. "Caused what?"
Euphoria scolded him, its patience thin. "Tell me, do you believe the Christian God is the same as Allah? Do you think these two beings are the same?"
"I'm not a believer."
"That's not the point!" Euphoria snapped, its voice a crack of thunder that made Leo flinch. "Well, I'm not sure. I keep thinking they are the same, but something within me says they aren't."
"That's because they aren't. All over the world, people have referred to God and Allah as the same. Do you know why that is, Leo?"
"N-no."
"Because something or someone powerful…has kept rewriting history itself. Possibly a very powerful demon that can easily defeat angels," Euphoria explained, its eyes glinting with a dark intensity.
Leo gulped, dread pooling in his stomach. "Something took down angels? Aren't they supposed to be powerful?"
Euphoria glared, a smirk twisting its lips. "Yes…they are," it sighed. Leaning closer, it whispered, "I'll give you three riddles. If you get any of these wrong throughout my stay…that will show me you're not worthy."
"O-okay?" Leo croaked, his heart racing.
"What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the middle of the day, and nothing at night?" Euphoria leaned in, its form shifting into something horrifying yet beautiful. Her neck stretched, her mouth wide open behind him, darkness swirling like a storm.
Leo's mind raced, repeating the riddle. "A human. A human crawls on four legs in the beginning of life, two when it's older, and at the end…there's nothing." He turned to face Euphoria, her skin darker, eyes glowing crimson, wings spread wide, teeth elongated, and her long black locs crackling with energy.
"Are you certain? This is your final answer?"
"Y-yes," Leo replied, forcing confidence into his voice as he stared into her fiery gaze.
"You dare look death right in the eyes?!" Euphoria exclaimed, amusement lacing her tone.
"I'm already dead, Euphoria. This is no different if I guessed wrong," he retorted coldly, feeling an unexpected surge of strength. (This man…is…truly magnificent!) Euphoria thought, softened by a flicker of affection.
Euphoria's menacing features slipped back to normal. "Lucky man," she smirked. "You have survived the first one. Next time, it won't be so easy."
"I want you to explain more. I'm confused—"
"Don't worry about the possible other demon. That's for another time. Right now, we need to focus on the people building that weapon," Euphoria interrupted, her tone grave.
"A weapon?!" Leo exclaimed, his heart racing.
"Yes, a weapon, Leo. A weapon built to kill me."
"What's wrong with that? Not to be rude, but you don't seem like the good type."
"Oh?" Euphoria said, her glare icy. "I am a jinn after all. However, I always have fleeting memories of my past. Jinns can remember their human lives. Some have a harder time than others."
"What…do you imagine?" Leo asked, curiosity mingling with fear.
Euphoria hissed, irritation flashing across her features. "It doesn't matter! What matters is stopping the weapon these hunters have created!" With a sudden, fluid motion, she leaped onto the roof, a massive shadow against the moonlight, and dove back into him.
Leo felt his body lift into the air, confusion and terror gripping him. (Wh-what are you doing in my head?!)
(Shut up! I need to see if you ran into it.)
Euphoria's massive sphinx form erupted from Leo's body, and he coughed violently, the air escaping his lungs like a storm. "Oh, I'm gonna be sick," he groaned, panic rising as Euphoria's expression darkened.
"No, no, no! You fool! Why couldn't you have caught it while it was small?!" she roared, frustration and fear lacing her voice.
"What are you talking about?!" Leo shouted, disoriented.
"The little creature you found! You should've caught it! That's a weapon made to destroy me! A group of powerful entities has been hunting me for some time, Leo. If that creature kills and absorbs more animals, not only will it endanger you and those around me, but it will spell doom for this city!"
"Why are they hunting you?" he asked, breathless.
Euphoria paused, her demeanor shifting. "I'm one of the few in the world…who knows what transpired," she said softly, wrapping her tail around herself as she settled beside him. "Months ago, there was a massive attack on a small town. The world doesn't know anything about it—the town, the people, and more. Some weren't affected by the battle. Those survivors began to rise in powerful companies that now hunt those who remember their past or that event."
"The past? Powerful companies?!" Leo's mind raced, connecting dots. "Are you saying someone rewrote history? Like an alternate reality?"
Euphoria nodded solemnly.
Leo pressed his hands to his temples, a wave of realization crashing over him. "The memories…"
"What did you say?"
"I…have memories. Are you saying…that my wife and child are supposed to be alive?!"
"In the old life…possibly—"
"WHY HAVE YOU NOT SAID ANYTHING?!" Leo shouted, adrenaline surging through him as he stood, gripping Euphoria's face.
Euphoria hissed, trying to pull away, but her eyes widened at the energy swirling around him. (Jinn energy?! This situation is more dire than I thought. Doesn't Leo know how rare he is? His potential?! He's worth more than I am to these hunters.)
Euphoria closed her eyes, and Leo felt his strength wane. He dropped to his knees, desperation clawing at him. "Why…didn't…you…tell…me…?"
He fought against the encroaching darkness, but it claimed him, pulling him into a deep sleep.
---
Leo jolted awake, panic flooding his senses as he scanned his room. "Euphoria, come out! You have to explain all of this more!" He paced, slamming his fist against the wall in frustration. "I just want to know who did this and how to stop them! How can something have the power to rewrite reality itself?! Why are you being hunted?! Why can I remember parts of my other life?!"
Silence filled the air as Leo closed his eyes, tears threatening to spill. "D-damn you!"
Suddenly, a knock echoed through the stillness. Straightening, Leo strode downstairs and swung open the door, revealing his imposing boss, Mr. Armstrong, looming in the doorway.
"How's the search going, Leo-boy?"
******
Next chapter: Apart
Coming in 10 days