Book 1: Chapter 11 - Reincarnation

After dinner, Jabari stood beneath a steaming shower in a marble-floored wet room, letting the warmth cascade over his battered body. The grime of years gone by flowed off him in murky rivulets, darkening the once-pristine grey marble beneath his feet. No matter how much filth washed away, more seemed to take its place, as if his very skin had absorbed the squalor of the slums. And yet, for the first time in his life, he felt a level of comfort he never knew existed.

Still, his mind refused to share in his body's relief. The weight of the information he had received earlier that day loomed over him, refusing to let go.

Once he had scrubbed himself clean, he followed Heba's instructions and eased into the waiting bathtub, its crystal-clear water lapping against his skin. She had claimed it had medicinal properties – something to soothe his malnourished and overtaxed physique. He had been sceptical at first, but the moment he submerged himself, a gasp of surprise escaped him.

The warmth seeped into his bones, unravelling years of tension he hadn't even realised he carried. Though his mind remained restless, his body had no such resistance. He could feel the strain of his past life melting away, his muscles softening, becoming more supple with each passing second. It was as if the years of hardship had been stripped from his very being.

By the time he stepped out, he felt like an entirely different person. His skin was clean in a way it had never been before, and his body – though still underdeveloped – felt several times stronger than it had just an hour ago. For a fleeting moment, he entertained the notion that he might even be a match for the slum enforcers who once seemed untouchable.

He knew it was a delusion, a trick of his newfound vitality – but still, the thought sent a thrill through him. At the very least, he felt he could take on two of his former selves and walk away easily victorious.

Walking over to the chair by the door, he dressed in the jogging bottoms and plain white t-shirt Heba had left for him. The moment the fabric touched his skin, he stilled, marvelling at the sensation. It was nothing like the coarse, tattered rags he had always worn. This was soft, light – like being wrapped in a cloud.

"I never want to take this off," he muttered to himself, running his fingers over the material in awe. The sheer comfort of it was a luxury he had only ever dreamed about.

While Jabari revelled in the feel of his new clothes, Aten entered the wet room to drain the bath. Jabari turned just in time to see the now-murky water swirling away, disappearing down the drain.

"Where's it going?" he asked, eyes wide with alarm.

Aten barely spared him a glance. "I don't know. Probably a waste disposal somewhere," he replied, already preparing to scrub away the filth left behind.

Jabari froze, horror dawning on his face. Before Aten could react, Jabari darted forward and plunged his head back into the draining water, gulping it down in desperate swallows.

Aten recoiled, his face contorting in startled disgust. "What in the-?!"

Jabari ignored him, racing against the drain to drink as much as possible before the last drop vanished. Only when the water was completely gone did he finally come up for air, panting slightly. He turned to Aten, eyes alight with conviction.

"Water is too precious to waste!" he declared, as if imparting a vital truth.

Aten stared at him, speechless, before exhaling in resignation. He could only imagine the kind of scarcity Jabari had lived through, where even the dirtiest water was a resource too valuable to let go.

Jabari, seeing what he assumed to be understanding on the mage's face, gave a satisfied nod. Certain that he had imparted a lesson worth remembering, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room – off to check on Inayah.

At the sound of the door opening, Inayah glanced up – just for a moment – before quickly averting her eyes. Fear still clung to her, making it impossible to meet his gaze. But then, without hesitation, she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her into his warm, bony chest. The embrace was everything she had needed, everything she hadn't known how to ask for.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper earlier," Jabari murmured, his hand threading gently through her hair. "But I'm your big brother. It's my job to look after you, not the other way around."

"I know, but I just di-"

"I get that you just wanted to protect me," Jabari interrupted softly, resting his chin atop her head. "But you're the most important person in my life, Inayah. Without you, this life of mine loses all meaning."

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, soaking into the fresh fabric of his t-shirt. "Just promise me," he continued, "no more secrets. No more hiding things from me, okay?"

"I…

I promise," Inayah whispered, wiping at her eyes before burying herself deeper into his embrace.

Jabari stayed with her long after she drifted off, watching the slow, steady rise and fall of her breath. Only when he was certain she was deep in sleep did he slip away, stepping into the dimly lit corridor. His gaze drifted to the window at the far end, where the night stretched endlessly before him, the sky a canvas of faint, flickering stars.

"You're still up?" Heba's soft voice carried through the quiet as she approached, dressed in a plain white nightgown that only seemed to enhance her ethereal presence. "Aren't you tired?"

Jabari didn't turn, his eyes still fixed on the vast expanse outside. "I don't need much sleep," he answered calmly, though the weight in his voice suggested there was more to it than that.

Heba studied him for a moment, recognising the unspoken thoughts swirling in his mind. She could have asked, but she chose not to pry. If he wanted to share, he would. If not, she had no right to force it from him.

They stood in silence for several minutes before she quietly took her leave. Jabari didn't even notice.

From the shadows, another presence emerged. "Why are you going so far for a couple of kids from the slums?" Lateef's voice was low, measured, yet edged with curiosity. "Their goal would be impossible even for your parents. What chance do two untrained, ignorant children have?"

Heba didn't flinch at his sudden appearance. She had long known that her guards, even when unseen, were always there, monitoring her safety. It was no surprise that Lateef had overheard her conversation with the siblings. She didn't mind. There were few people in this world she trusted more than her two personal guards.

And yet, she chose not to explain.

Instead, an enigmatic smile curved her lips. "I trust my senses," she said simply. "And you should too."

As Lateef mulled over her cryptic response, Heba disappeared into the quiet halls of the estate, leaving behind only unanswered questions.

Not long after, Jabari finally returned to his room – directly across from Inayah's. He left the door slightly ajar, just in case she needed him in the night.

The moment he collapsed onto the bed, his body sank into the impossibly soft mattress, a sensation so foreign that a low groan of contentment escaped his lips.

'So comfortable.'

That was his last conscious thought before sleep took him – dragging him, as always, into the depths of his usual hellish nightmares.

Unbeknownst to him, Heba had silently reappeared in the corridor, watching through the sliver of space in the doorway.

Her expression shifted from curiosity to genuine surprise as she observed him lurch awake, clutching at his neck in panic for the second time in the last hour. She did not move, did not make a sound – only watched as his breathing slowed, as he lay back down, only to be ripped from sleep again not long after.

Her gaze darkened, shifting from shock to contemplation. Then, without a word, she faded back into the shadows of the corridor.

Jabari, completely unaware of his silent observer, continued to suffer through the relentless cycle of nightmares. He rose several times in the night, each time creeping to Inayah's room to check on her, reassuring himself that she was still there, still safe.

By the time morning arrived, he felt as though he had been woken a thousand times over.

With a weary sigh, he rolled out of bed and stepped into the corridor, intending to wait by Inayah's side until she woke.

But before he could take another step, Heba's voice, smooth and captivating, drifted into his ears.

"How did you sleep?"

"Amazing," Jabari replied, his expression unreadable – an impressive poker face honed through years of survival in the slums.

Heba arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Then why did you wake up multiple times last night, clutching your neck as if you'd just been struck?" she asked, a knowing smile playing at her lips.

At her words, Jabari's posture stiffened, wariness creeping into his gaze.

Sensing his growing distrust, Heba raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Relax. I'm not here to pry into your secrets. I was still awake, preparing Inayah's medicine, when I heard noises coming from your room. When I glanced through the door you left open, I saw you tossing and turning, muttering something too faint for me to hear. Then, you woke up – hands at your throat, as if in agony."

She paused, studying him. "At first, I assumed it was just an ordinary nightmare...

But then it happened again. And again. As if on a timer. Each time, you woke the same way, clutching your neck like you were in excruciating pain."

Jabari exhaled slowly, his mask of indifference slipping back into place. "It's just a nightmare," he admitted, his voice carefully neutral. He had long since learned to downplay the torment that haunted him.

Heba crossed her arms, unconvinced. "How long have you been having these nightmares?"

Jabari merely shrugged his bony shoulders, offering no real answer.

Heba's expression hardened. "The next two years will determine not just your future but Inayah's as well. If you're constantly exhausted because you can't sleep, how do you expect to improve fast enough to achieve your goals?"

Jabari looked away. "It's not like I don't want to get rid of them," he admitted. "It's just...

Nothing works. I've been reliving the same nightmare every night for as long as I can remember." His voice was eerily calm, as if he had already resigned himself to this fate.

Heba recalled the agony she had witnessed on his face when he jolted awake. His sleep had been fractured, barely lasting twenty minutes at a time. At best, he might have gotten a couple of hours of broken rest each night. No wonder the dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced.

'It's a miracle he's been able to function at all, let alone care for himself and a sick younger sister. The sheer willpower it must have taken...'

"What is the nightmare about?" she asked, masking her shock behind a carefully composed expression.

Jabari hesitated but eventually began to describe it in vivid detail, hoping – though not daring to believe – that she might have a way to free him from it.

He stood silently afterward, watching as Heba mulled over his words. He had long accepted that the nightmare was a permanent fixture in his life, something he would never escape. Even with all the healing abilities and resources at her disposal, he refused to let himself hope.

In his mind, the only true way to rid himself of the nightmare was through death – an option he had seriously considered more than once. But every time the thought crossed his mind, the image of Inayah alone in the world would shatter it completely. He could never abandon her.

Heba suddenly broke the silence.

"Have you ever heard of reincarnation?" she asked.

Jabari blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected question.