"Who are you? Why are you stopping me?" Ru wanted to ask, but his lips seemed to be sewn shut. All that came out was a muffled "mmm." His hand still held the potion.
"Who or what I am is unimportant. The only thing that matters is that you don't become the witch's slave," said a voice that sizzled through Ru's neurons.
"Can you stop talking nonsense?" thought Ru, struggling to move his body.
"Lift your head and look," the voice said.
"Where should I look?" thought Ru. The thinking was hard for him now. His head was pounding, his ears were ringing.
Flashes of light filled Ru's vision. It felt like a severe migraine attack. He couldn't control himself due to the pain and nausea. When he stopped resisting, his head lifted slightly against his will, and his face turned towards the wardrobe. On top of it, he saw a rat with eyes glowing red.
"A witch can command animals and see through their eyes, hear through their ears," the voice said. "And even speak through their mouths."
"Let me escape from here," Ru thought, panicking.
"No, that wouldn't be wise," said the voice.
"Do you want the witch to eat me? What's your problem?" Ru thought.
"You can use the witch against demons," said the voice.
Ru was about to vomit, "Hurgh, hurgh..." and reflexively stood up. He placed the vial on the nightstand and ran to the bathroom.
As he headed to the toilet, he noticed something different in the mirror. He took a step back and looked.
His left eye was glowing blue.
"What are you?" Ru thought. "Or are you... Are you that djinn?"
"I guess I am. Thanks for the info. Watch out for the spider," the voice said, now less crackly and somewhat clearer.
Seeing the spider dangling from the ceiling, Ru covered his eye with his hand and turned his back to it with the mirror.
"There are animals everywhere. How am I supposed to hide from the witch?"
"You will not hide. You will play with the witch," the voice said, less crackly now.
Ru left the bathroom quickly. He climbed the stairs to the terrace. "Play with the witch? She's too powerful. You must be crazy."
"Can you pretend?" asked the entity defined as a djinn.
"I can pretend, but what does that have to do with anything?" thought Ru, the pressure in his skull easing, making him feel more comfortable.
"We'll switch the potions and amulets the witch gives you and will give you," said the entity defined as a djinn.
A cunning smile appeared on Ru's face. "I like this idea," he thought, settling into the swing on the terrace. "Tell me how, and we'll do it."
"First, you must define me and accept me." said the entity defined as a djinn.
"You're a djinn, that's all I know. What do you want to hear from me?" Ru thought as he slowly swung on the swing and watched the moonrise.
"Try to remember where you found me." said the entity defined as a djinn.
Ru strained his mind to remember. He crossed his legs on the swing, took a deep breath, and focused on the moon. "No, too bright," he said and turned his eyes to the stars. It seemed like he could see something between the stars, but he couldn't quite make out what it was.
"Kind of..."
After a while, images started to flow slowly.
"In a place in space... In a void wrapped with strings, where crystal shards floated, I saw your ice-blue eyes," Ru whispered.
At that moment, a small bat flew past him. Ru covered his mouth with his hand and spoke with his thoughts.
"I had just died. And oh, wait, I remember. I rejected you because you wanted me to cut myself."
"I remember," said the voice, almost thundering.
"Wow, you've gotten stronger, huh?" Ru thought.
"I told you I didn't disappear thanks to you," the djinn said.
"What do we do now?" Ru asked, continuing to watch the night sky, whistling as he did.
"You will accept me. It's the only way," the djinn said.
"Let's say we're going to create some magic. How do I find the magical items I need in this world? I don't even have a crystal. How am I supposed to accept you?" Ru thought, still whistling.
"You're a thief, and you're in a witch's hut," the djinn said.
"You forgot yourself, but never me," Ru thought sarcastically and added, "That was a good hint, thanks." He then stopped whistling and stood up. "I'll do this when the witch goes shopping. Otherwise, she might catch me."
"Understood," the djinn said, completely stopping his manipulation of Ru's body. "I'm returning to my void. Think of me when you're ready."
"Hey, could you give me some buffs before you vanish?"
"Buffs?"
"Something like a protection spell, an intelligence boost, and a strength boost. You know, things like that."
"Have a sip of the witch's intelligence potion. Just one sip, though."
"So that was real," Ru said and walked towards the basket decorated with beads and tulle left for him on the terrace. "Do these beauty potions in the basket work?"
"Yes. The moonlight beauty lotion is safe."
"Which one is that?"
"The one in your hand, the purple potion."
"Great! Let me use it right away," Ru said, opening the lid and sniffing the lotion.
"Get yourself a girlfriend."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm serious. Find one and convince her to stay with you here. Witches' spells generally don't work on women. Charm spells never work. Plus, a girlfriend would help you relax both mentally and physically."
"Don't get into those topics now."
"As you wish."
"What kind of girl should I find? Brunette, blonde, or maybe redhead, I don't know. What do you think? Hello? Djinn?"
There was no answer, meaning the djinn had returned to his void. Ru took the lotion with him and returned to his room. He sat on the bed and began to think.
"Maybe I should call Vaelan? Clockmaker is a girl. But Vaelan is a guy. Besides, Clockmaker thinks I'm her father. Should I ask Vaelan to introduce me to some girls? Oh shit! Vaelan wants that from me. In that case, hmm... Let me drink this potion first and then think."
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
"Oh, my mind is already clear. Everything is much clearer now. Yes!"
Seconds later, Ru's perspective on everything changed completely.
"I'm probably hallucinating again. So I should see Dr. Noob tomorrow," he said.
At that moment, the thick book made its presence known with its weight.
"Oh no. I'm resorting to madness. This is all real," he said and quickly opened the book and started reading.
"Wow, what's in here," he started. In fifteen minutes, he had read about two hundred pages. It was extraordinary that he understood what he read.
"No, not at all. I've always understood what I read," he retorted to no one.
"Wait a second..." he said to himself. Then he shouted as if he had discovered something great: "I got it! I can convince Dr. Noob to join my supernatural adventures! That way, he'll stop giving me pills!"
Then he found himself thinking about this. Why was he getting therapy and medication from Dr. Noob? What was the point?
"Forget it," he said.
He read about two hundred more pages and laid to bed.
In his dream, he flew and rose to discover the universe's most important truth. He rose a bit more. He rose a bit more. Just as he was about to grasp the truth, he hit his head on the sky dome. Then he fell back to his body and woke up.
"Fuck it!"
Next, he planned to cleanse his room and bathroom of the witch by going to the supermarket for insecticide. While examining the pesticides in the store, he took a step back and bumped into someone.
"I have found the love of my life," he thought happily, and he immediately turned around.