Mayang stood frozen before a magnificent castle, breathtakingly beautiful and seemingly made of light. Its walls were covered in shimmering gold and adorned with diamonds that reflected the starlight in the dark sky.
A supernatural breeze blew softly, carrying the scent of jasmine mixed with ylang-ylang and the strange yet soothing fragrance of wet earth.
On the threshold stood the jinn prince she had encountered before, his regal presence radiating warmth.
His deep eyes gazed at Mayang with love and longing, as if piercing the soul torn between the real world and the realm of dreams.
A faint smile curved his lips, stirring memories that had left a lasting mark on Mayang's heart.
Mayang's body felt light, but her chest pounded. She was overwhelmed by an emotion and longing she couldn't explain.
In the silence, only their gazes spoke, waiting for Mayang to take a step closer into the embrace of the destiny awaiting her.
The prince walked slowly, his steps steady as he approached Mayang.
“Is he coming to me?” Mayang whispered.
As the prince drew closer, his smile became more vivid before Mayang's eyes.
“Where did you go? I didn't even get a chance to talk to you, but you had already left. I tried calling you, but you had already gone through the gate.” His voice was gentle yet firm.
Mayang stared at him in shock, unable to speak coherently.
“W-what do you m-mean? Y-you mean m-me?”
“Yes,” the prince replied, brief and clear.
Mayang's heart seemed ready to leap out of her chest along with all her other organs when she heard his answer.
“This is a dream. It has to be a dream. I was asleep just now, and then suddenly I was here. This isn't real. Don't get carried away, Mayang,” she murmured, lowering her face.
The prince smiled, amused by Mayang's behavior.
“You are dreaming, but this dream of yours is real, because I am the one who brought you in here,” he said.
Mayang looked up, her face filled with shock.
“Huh?!”
The look in his eyes nearly made Mayang faint.
“May! May! Mayang! Wake up, Mayang!” Joenathan's cries blurred her view of the handsome prince, who was still standing proudly before her.
Mayang felt as though she had fainted in front of the prince, but she woke up in the real world.
“May? You okay?” Joenathan looked panicked.
Mayang, on the other hand, merely gave him a strange smile.
“Prince? So you are real? I wasn't dreaming,” she said.
“Wow, this kid's possessed.” Joenathan went to the dining table to get some drinking water, then splashed it on Mayang's face several times.
“Ah! Ow! Hey! Rain!” Mayang cried, finally waking from her dream about the jinn prince.
“Joe?”
“Mm-hmm. Finally awake, huh?”
“What happened to me?”
“You were out of it. Now hurry up and get ready—we're leaving for the airport in two hours.”
Mayang climbed down from the bed and dragged her reluctant feet toward the bathroom.
After showering, she got ready with her suitcase and waited for the car sent by Joenathan's office to pick them up.
Her heart grew heavy again as she stepped into the car. During the drive, she kept staring at the road. Every time she saw a cliff, she would grow excited, only to sit quietly again a moment later.
“Joe, your friend's heart is probably still in that jinn realm where you two got lost yesterday,” Joenathan's friend whispered.
“I think so too. That's why I need to get her back quickly and get her out of this city, so we can erase its influence.”
“Make sure she doesn't come back here again, Joe. You might lose your friend for good.”