Gabrielle remained hidden behind the small golden chamber pot, the only object that could serve even minimally as a shield. She was still trembling with fear, trying to understand what had just happened. The creature, frustrated, extended its claws again, but instead of piercing the girl's body, it struck the chamber pot hard, producing a metallic sound that echoed throughout the room.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a third voice, unexpected and full of indignation:
— What the hell is going on?
Gabrielle, still clutching the chamber pot, widened her eyes, completely shocked by the phantom voice that echoed around the room. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. "What is happening to this inn?" she thought, unsure whether to feel relief or a new kind of fear.
The creature seemed a bit confused after hearing the phantom voice, but the next moment, it seemed to understand the situation.
— So, the Djinn wasn't destroyed along with the lamp... he was hiding in the chamber pot all this time... I thought it was too easy to destroy the lamp... it should have been more resistant because of the Djinn's power — the monster said, its voice filled with fury.
Gabrielle looked incredulous. "So the Djinn is in the chamber pot?"
A feeling of exasperation increasingly took over the creature, which howled in rage. Its red eyes glowed even more intensely.
— I have nothing against you, but the Djinn deserves to die... he deserves to pay, and he will pay! And, unfortunately, you have to die with him! — the monster revealed, with a tone of lament and rancor.
Upon hearing these words, Gabrielle fell into despair, her mind clouded. She remembered all her struggles, the troubles she had faced; it wasn't fair!
"Am I going to die? Did I struggle so much to end up like this? ... No, I'm not going to die... not before achieving my dreams!" she thought firmly.
In an act of desperation, Gabrielle began to rub the chamber pot violently, using her arms and hands, and she shouted in a tone of anguish:
— Come out, come out, come out... come out of the chamber pot now, Djinn, whatever you are!
Unexpectedly, an intense light began to emanate from the chamber pot, filling the entire room and blinding both the creature and Gabrielle.
As the brightness began to fade, Gabrielle caught a glimpse of a silhouette positioned between her and the creature... It was the Djinn!
***
Gabrielle blinked, stunned, staring at the figure in front of her. She didn't know what a Djinn was, but one thing she was sure of: the figure before her was a genie, but not like the ones in the Arabian legends she was used to hearing. The being's skin was a bright copper tone, nothing like the vibrant blues, greens, or reds she had imagined. His long, straight hazel-colored hair was tied in an elegant double ponytail, gently swaying around his angular face.
The Djinn wore an array of golden accessories that caught the eye. Wide bracelets adorned his wrists, and a gleaming, shiny piercing sparkled in his ear. In the center of his forehead, attached to the hairline, a blue amethyst stone glinted. His gaze, sharp and slightly mocking, suggested unshakable confidence.
Standing nearly 1.90 meters tall with a muscular physique, he seemed to radiate power. He wore only a long blue vest with golden details, revealing his defined chest. Below the golden belt, where his legs should have been, thick bluish smoke swirled, as if he could vanish into an ethereal cloud at any moment. Gabrielle couldn't take her eyes off him, completely fascinated and a little scared by the imposing presence of the Master of Wishes.
— That's right, my dears! I'm here! If you knock me down, it's a penalty! — said the Djinn, massaging his shoulder muscles with one hand while moving his arm.
Gabrielle couldn't tear her eyes away from the mythical figure standing before her. A Djinn, who was undoubtedly a genie, the same as those from the Tales of the 1001 Nights and Aladdin's story, was now before her.
— A… a Djinn, really a genie of the lamp… — Gabrielle stammered, perplexed. "He shoud be the good guy... thanks God! I'm totally saved," she sobbed.
The creature, however, didn't share Gabrielle's fascination. In fact, the mere presence of the Djinn seemed to awaken in it a visceral repulsion, inflaming its murderous thirst even more. The look of pure hatred the monster directed at the Djinn made the energy in the room oppressive, almost suffocating.
— Yo... you... — the creature growled, the disgust evident in every syllable, as it sniffed disdainfully.
The Djinn continued to massage his shoulder muscles until the light emanating from him faded completely. Ignoring the creature's hateful gaze and the heavy feeling of repulsion hanging in the air, he stared at the beast with disturbing calm. With a crack of his neck bones, a mischievous smile appeared on his lips, and he said:
— Hold on a second, pal!
In an unexpected move, he turned to Gabrielle, the sly smile still present, and added:
— Princess, are you my new Master?
The Djinn kept staring at Gabrielle with a confident and audacious smile, his eyes examining her carefully. "Damn it... With this fragile little girl as my Master, I'm screwed... I need to get rid of this contract as soon as possible."
Keeping the defiant smile, he approached Gabrielle and said:
— Nice to meet you, my lovely! I'm Farid, Djinn and Lord of the Sands of Desire. I'm here to fulfill three wishes of your heart. How about making those wishes now so I can get back to my old chamber pot?
Before Gabrielle could react, the creature, impatient, rudely interrupted the scene.
— You shameless scoundrel! — the beast bellowed, rage boiling inside it. — YOU TURNED ME INTO THIS!
Farid slowly turned his neck toward the creature, cynicism shining in his eyes, and replied:
— WEEEEEELLLP! Don't blame me for your bad wishes, big guy!
The beast let out a roar of pure fury, clenching its claws as it violently charged toward Farid and Gabrielle.
— SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!
The Djinn looked at the creature with an expression of boredom and disappointment. Lightly scratching the right side of his mouth, he taunted:
— Wow... I can see there's really no talking to you...
Then, a wide, mocking smile appeared on his face as he continued:
— Smile and say "CHEEEESE"!
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light exploded from Farid's hands, momentarily blinding the creature. The beast writhed in pain, covering its face with its claws, screaming:
— Ahhh, my eyes!!
Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the flash, Farid quickly moved toward the window, reaching out to Gabrielle. His voice carried a tone of urgency:
— Let's get out of here, doll!
Gabrielle, who had witnessed everything, noticed she wasn't affected by the blinding light. "Probably because I'm linked to him by the Master and Djinn contract," she thought. Still a bit lost in her thoughts, she took a few moments to respond to Farid's call.
— Ah… Yes! — Gabrielle replied, finally focusing again.
As she headed toward the window, the creature, still howling in pain, began destroying the entire wall of the room in its agony caused by the strong luminescence emitted by Farid.
— Ahhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! I WILL FIND YOU BOTH! AND I WILL KILL YOU... I WILL SHOW NO MERCY!
Gabrielle hesitated and turned back to look at the creature, feeling a wave of compassion wash over her as she saw the beast writhing in agony. Farid, noticing her intention and wanting to speed up their escape, exclaimed:
— Come on, slowpoke! Move it!
The creature's cries of suffering echoed through the inn and the neighborhood as Gabrielle and Farid escaped, leaving the wounded and furious beast behind.
***
Gabrielle was exhausted, resting at a bus stop near Botafogo Beach, after having desperately run away to escape the beast. Gabrielle was gasping for air, still out of breath, as she tried to steady her breathing. The girl watched Farid, who was hovering in the air with his ethereal legs gently waving. While she struggled to catch her breath, he seemed completely unaffected by the fatigue, clearly unbothered by the desperate escape they had faced.
— Gasp… gasp… I almost died from running so much… yet you seem to be doing just fine… — said a panting Gabrielle, nearly out of strength after running as fast as she could.
Farid, suspicious, cast furtive glances at Gabrielle, pondering the situation. Suddenly, he summoned an ancient scroll that appeared in his hands, and with a somewhat forced tone of enthusiasm, he said:
— Well, let's get to it, pretty! I'm a Djinn and I can grant you any wish your heart desires. Actually, you're entitled to three wishes. You can ask for anything, except to revive, kill, or manipulate someone. If you do that, you'll end up turning into one of those creatures…
Gabrielle, still stunned, didn't react, which made Farid continue, trying to keep his confidence up:
— As long as I have the Sands of Desire in this wonderful hourglass, I can make any dream of yours come true — he said, conjuring a beautiful hourglass adorned with golden details. However, upon closer inspection, the Djinn noticed something terrifying, making his expression freeze in fear. "Wait… it's empty… I used up all the Sands of Desire trying to escape from my last master… and now, what am I going to do? I'm in deep trouble…" he thought, feeling panic rise.
Gabrielle, still stunned by everything that had happened, glanced sideways at Farid, not understanding the reason for his visible despair.
— What happened, Djinn? What's that hourglass in your hands? — asked Gabrielle, quite worried, carefully observing the beautiful hourglass.
— This is the Hourglass of Desires, the place where we store the Sands of Desire… only with this magical dust can we Djinn fulfill the dreams of you, our Masters — said Farid, with a look of annoyance.
The Hourglass of Desires is a piece of rare beauty and sophistication. The hourglass, with crystalline glass bulbs that house the mystical Sands of Desire, is framed by a solid gold structure. The upper and lower discs, which keep the bulbs in place, are meticulously sculpted with fine arabesques, conveying an air of refinement and power. In the center of each disc, precisely engraved, is the Djinn's sigil: a symbol resembling a cursive "U," with a small hook pulled inward at the left tip, and an oval delicately positioned at the top.
Flanking the sigil, the discs display engraved gold designs of a sun and a moon, symbolizing the duality and balance of the powers contained in the hourglass.
Connecting the two discs, three golden rods run through the entire structure, reinforcing its solidity and elegance. Between the glass bulbs, a golden belt, also adorned with intricate arabesques and ancient inscriptions, surrounds the hourglass, suggesting the mystery and ancient magic that govern the artifact. Every detail of the Hourglass of Desires reflects the majesty and danger contained in its function, doing justice to the power it grants to those who possess it.
— Wow, the Hourglass is really beautiful! Can I take a little bit? — Gabrielle asked, moving forward to try to touch the artifact.
— Of course not! This artifact is laden with ancient magic, no one but a Djinn can touch it. The Sands of Desire are granules of the most potent magic, and can only be handled by us, the Djinn — said Farid, visibly dismayed and very worried.
Gabrielle observed Farid's irritability and couldn't understand why the Djinn was so nervous. "The Sands of Desire are powerful, but they are no longer in the hourglass," she thought.
"Why are you so nervous? The Hourglass isn't that dangerous since there isn't a single grain of the Sands of Desire in it," Gabrielle questioned.
Farid, who was focused on the Hourglass, turned to Gabrielle and responded, — You don't get it, blondie, I needed the Sands of Desire to unstick myself from you and go back to my jar…— he said sharply. "I don't want to die young, if I stay stuck with this fragile little blonde who smells like milk, I'm going to kick the bucket…" the Djinn mused irritably.
Gabrielle saw the concern on Farid's face and the sharpness of his response, already guessing the reason.
— Oh, so that's it? With the Sands, you can 'unstick' yourself from me? By the way, Mr. Djinn, what are we going to do if that monster catches up to us? — Gabrielle asked ironically.
— If the Tar gets here, we won't have any choice but to run, got it? Run like crazy, as fast as we can, with our feet pounding the ground since we don't have the Sands of Desire…
Suddenly, a figure approached Gabrielle and Farid. The Djinn noticed the approach and frowned, suspicious.
— Aren't you supposed to be resting to work tomorrow? — said a voice from behind the bus stop where Gabrielle and Farid were.
Gabrielle turned, recognizing the voice. She had a look of relief on her face and walked towards the source of the voice.
— Mr. Oshiro, it's so good to see you're okay! I was worried… — She turned to Farid and said, — This is Mr. Guilherme Oshiro, my boss, the owner of the Pousada Buraquinho!
Farid looked at Guilherme with a serious expression while holding Gabrielle by one shoulder, preventing her from approaching Guilherme.
— HE IS THE TAR! — Farid said, still stopping Gabrielle from getting close to Guilherme, without taking his eyes off the young Oshiro.
Gabrielle was completely oblivious to what Farid was saying. — Tar? What do you mean Tar? What is that? — Gabrielle wondered.
Guilherme closed his eyes, savoring the moment, and then smiled maliciously, his teeth turning sharp, and when he opened his eyes, the sclera was black, and the iris was red.
— Farid… or rather, Djinn…— Guilherme's voice began to change, becoming distorted. — Are you going to coax her into making wishes like you did with me? — Guilherme said, with a visibly furious expression, and his voice becoming more and more distorted and guttural.
— What's happening to Mr. Oshiro? — Gabrielle asked in shock, turning to Farid and asking, — What did he mean by coaxing into making wishes?! —
Farid found himself cornered, and despite being worried about Guilherme's presence, he tried to play dumb with Gabrielle.
— I don't know what this crazy guy is talking about... — Farid said, feigning ignorance, whistling to the side, while still keeping his attention on Guilherme.
Guilherme narrowed his eyes, now completely taken over by yellow, and said:
— A Djinn loses his immortality when summoned by a human to the physical plane. When this happens, the Djinn's life becomes connected with that of his master! Only after fulfilling the wishes does the Djinn regain his immortality.
Gabrielle was confused and stunned! — So that's why he was talking about Sands of Desire… and fulfilling my dreams — she thought.
Gabrielle became furious, shoved Farid, and started slapping him on the chest. —That's why you wanted to grant my wishes so quickly, huh?! You deceitful Djinn! You scoundrel! — Gabrielle said, red with rage.
Despite Gabrielle's outburst of fury, Farid didn't care much about his Master's rage, and joked, — What a feisty blonde, huh? Don't hit me, or I'll fall for you!
Guilherme, who had been silently watching everything, began to completely transform into the monstrous creature that attacked Gabrielle at the inn.
— There's one more detail, Gabrielle, when a Djinn is on the earthly plane, his life and his master's become one! If I kill the master… the Djinn will disappear too!!! — Guilherme, now almost fully transformed into Tar, said excitedly.
Gabrielle and Farid stood still, watching Guilherme almost fully transform into the hideous creature.
— Now we're in trouble, Blondie! Get moving, girl! — Farid said, desperate. "If this little girl dies, I'm screwed!"
— Guilherme is that horrible monster! — Gabrielle shouted.
— I told you he was the Tar! — Farid responded.
— How was I supposed to know what a Tar was? What do we do now? -— Gabrielle said urgently.
Fearing that Gabrielle, his Master, could be easily defeated by Guilherme, now in Tar form, and that his life was in danger, Farid quickly picked her up in his arms. With a mocking smile, he said:
— Didn't I tell you? Run until our feet fall off!
While preparing to flee with Gabrielle, Farid suddenly hesitated. A thought crossed his mind: "No... there's still a way..."
The Djinn then looked directly into Gabrielle's eyes, who was in his arms, and with a seductive look said:
— Blondie, get ready, because now I'm going to use your body.
Upon hearing that, Gabrielle feels outraged! Her face turns red, a mix of anger and embarrassment. She jumps out of Farid's arms and slaps him across the face with all her might.
— You shameless, perverted scoundrel! What do you think I am? I'd rather be with Guilherme transformed into a monster than with you! — she says.
Farid, who didn't even feel Gabrielle's slap, mockingly retorts, — You're the pervert here! I didn't mean it that way...
— There's no other way to mean that! — Gabrielle snaps back.
Farid points to Guilherme, seeing that his transformation into Tar is almost complete, and says, — Soon, he will be fully transformed, and his main target will be you, because you're more fragile. So, what's it going to be? Do you want to die here, blondie? — The Djinn asks seriously, now with both hands on his hips.
Gabrielle trembles at the thought of being killed by Tar. "Die here? Without realizing my dreams? No way!" Gabrielle thinks.
— What do I need to do? — she asks urgently.
Farid looks at her with a tone of admiration, then replies, — If you give me permission to use your body, I can save my... I mean, save all of us! I can purify the Corrupted Sands of Desire in his body and soul! — Farid finishes, with a sarcastic smile.
Farid moves toward Gabrielle, as if to kiss her.
Gabrielle recoils instinctively, — I don't have to kiss you, right? — she promptly asks.
Farid widens his eyes, then makes a deeply disappointed expression.
— Fine... it can just be on the hand...— Farid replies, slightly disappointed.
Guilherme finishes his transformation, hearing the two of them arguing, and starts to move, creating a ball of scarlet red energy.
— DISAPPEAR!! — Guilherme shouts in his Tar form!
Guilherme, now in his Tar form, throws the ball of energy. Gabrielle panics and urgently tells Farid.
— Quick, quick! He's coming! — Gabrielle says, worried about Guilherme's approach, after all, she is his main target.
— Don't worry, doll! Leave it to me! — Farid replies, smiling sarcastically.
— Be careful with my body, huh?! — the girl warns.
The Djinn then kisses Gabrielle's hand, and a golden light cuts through the scarlet red energy.