Chapter 06 : Companion in the Curse

If you think death is a mercy or that our world is strange and cruel, then what can we say about the lair of Seralak?

It spares neither the virtuous nor the wicked, the prince nor the slave, the rich nor the poor, the spiritual nor the cursed. It is considered God's wrath upon this earth for containing creatures beyond imagination, their sheer ugliness and terrifying features carved into their faces making you wish for the Angel of Death to visit you rather than falling into the lair of Seralak.

Between reality and fantasy lies a fine line; between mercy and torment is a gate on the verge of breaking, ready to unleash a flood of pure evil upon God's servants. It will drown everything in its path, leaving behind lifeless corpses that can neither harm nor benefit. Are you ready to be part of it, knowing that all of us are destined to belong to it? None can save us from it except God, who created it. Only then will you realise that there are things God left unspoken out of mercy for us. Do not ask about them, but do not deny their existence.

"Please, leave me alone.

Mother, Mother, I will never disobey your orders again.

O Merciful Lord, save me from this place!"

These are the words of the tormented souls on this earth—or, at least, in what Suleiman Agha called it. But who is this man? And what is his connection to our story? Well, he is an important character who will transform an isolated individual into a merciless human machine. Are you ready to meet him, or are you a coward afraid of your own shadow?

A vast geographical expanse resembling the land of resurrection, yet it is black and darker than the night itself. There is no moon or stars to light the place, only human skeletons and strange creatures we never knew existed. They hang on long tubes, their skulls lit with burning lanterns that illuminate the place faintly, like the streetlights of our world, whose hidden secrets we grew up never discovering.

A human earthquake strikes the ground, shaking it with the sheer awe and presence of a figure feared by enemies and friends alike. Eyes once green in a previous life now glow red, devoid of pupils. His massive, muscular frame resembles that of a bodybuilder. This man was a vital figure during the Ottoman rule of the Kingdom of Algiers. No royal decree was implemented without his approval or signature. He is Suleiman Agha, the soldier who fought alongside Aruj and Barbarossa, and the prime minister under Dey Hussein, the ruler of Ottoman Algiers. But the question remains: why is he in the lair of Seralak? Shouldn't he be in the Barzakh (the intermediate realm) with the rest of the Muslims, not in the lair of the cursed and the damned? Suleiman will answer this later. Keep an open mind, for the truth will shock you.

A human figure once a source of terror for foreigners, no church bells rang during his passage, and no Christian ruler dared declare a continuation of the Crusades. They knew there was an Arabized bogeyman named Suleiman Agha, also known to them as the "Executioner of Christians."

With a broad chest and a head held high like a proud mountain, Suleiman walked through the lair of Seralak, searching for someone as he questioned anyone he encountered:

"Have you seen our guest?"

Someone responded:

"No... perhaps. He's in the cellar—the place where newcomers to Seralak's lair always emerge."

Suleiman:

"I was there. I found no one."

The person replied, walking away without turning or glancing back:

"Check the Chamber of Curses. I saw a strange figure I've never seen before there. If he's not there, you'll find him in Cirrus' Palace."

Suleiman:

"Very well. See you later."

Suleiman continued on his way with swift, wind-like steps until he reached the Chamber of Curses. There, he found a human head with its flesh still intact, as if freshly severed, hanging on a door used as a knocker. He knocked, and the head screamed in agony. The door opened for him, and he entered, scanning the room until his eyes landed on Abdeljalil, who was praying in the Muslim way. Suleiman waited for him to finish.

A strange gaze emanated from Abdeljalil as he spoke:

"Who are you? And what do you want from me?"

Suleiman:

"Just your friendship. You'll need a friend in this place, especially someone like me."

Abdeljalil:

"Someone like you? Who do you think you are—Achilles?"

Suleiman let out a booming laugh that shook the hall and filled Abdeljalil's heart with dread, making him realise this man was awe-inspiring and of great stature.

Suleiman:

"I met him here, actually. Honestly, not the hero I read about in Greek mythology. He didn't last a week in this place. As for me, I am Suleiman Agha."

Abdeljalil:

"Suleiman Agha? Then you must be from the Turks."

Suleiman replied:

"I am not of the Turks or Mongols but from the greatest empire on earth—the Ottoman Empire. I served the Kingdom of Algiers."

A look of astonishment and shock crossed Abdeljalil's face before he shook Suleiman's hand warmly and said:

"You belong to my country! But it's now a republic, not a kingdom. What brought you here?"

Suleiman:

"You could say a curse befell me because of an ancient creature that appeared in the Kingdom of Algiers. My comrades and I fought it off and succeeded, but..."

Abdeljalil:

"But what?"

Suleiman:

"We forgot that France sought to occupy the kingdom. We weren't prepared for them. They invaded suddenly, and the kingdom fell."

Abdeljalil:

"Hmm, we weren't taught this in school."

Suleiman:

"That's because France distorted the true history. But we succeeded in exiling Pololu Kara. Then Baba Yaga and his brother, the bogeyman, appeared because of that book—the Book of Death. They avenged their elder brother's exile, and that led me here. What about you?"

Abdeljalil:

"Honestly, I don't understand what happened to me. I was walking in the Kingdom of Denmark when I fell into a pit. I found myself in a grave-like hole, and then they pulled me out. I saw a vast and beautiful place."

Suleiman:

"You were in the Kingdom of Bogars."

Abdeljalil:

"The Kingdom of Bogars!"

Suleiman:

"A kingdom famous for curses. The only way out is death—or nearing it."

Abdeljalil's face was marked with shock and fear as he spoke in a trembling voice:

"Are you saying I'm dead?"

Suleiman:

"Not yet, but you cannot return to the world of the living unless you read from the Book of Death. Come with me—Cirrus needs you. He sent me to find you."

Abdeljalil:

"Who? What does he want from me?"

Suleiman:

"Come with me. You've entered a maze from which escape is impossible. Come quickly—he'll explain everything."