📜 READER RULES
"A Realm Where Cowards Get Lost Twice"
1. This story uses a system structure.
Not a tax system, not a coding system— a choice-based survival system.
And every choice has consequences. (Yes, even the stupid ones.)
2. You must be as honorable as a grandmaster in desert chess.
Once your finger touches a pawn—no takebacks.
No crying. No "I didn't mean it."
Live with your decision.
3. Do NOT read all paths.
You're not an omniscient deity. Choose one route and stay loyal.
If you peek at the others, the jinn will judge your commitment issues.
The protagonist's fate is now in your hands.
If they die, that's between you and your conscience.
Do not DM the author at 2 a.m. to blame the plot twist.
5. Confused? Terrified? Regretting your choices?
Perfect.
That means the system works.
Proceed.
6. You may laugh, scream, or re-evaluate your life choices.
You may NOT go back and redo the chapter.
This is not a dating sim.
This is destiny—with lag.
***
The first ragged breath they heard didn't come from themself.
The wind ahead shifted slightly, carrying a mixed smell: wet earth, a thin trace of metal, and something like an animal pen… but older, wilder. Those yellow eyes moved a little—not closer, just blinking… in unison.
Rafi stepped back half a pace—he felt his toes locking into the ground. His back was cold, his face hot. His brain was calculating possible escape routes; his knees were strongly suggesting he just faint instead.
Beside him, Sahim swallowed so hard he heard it himself. He tightened the strap of his bag. His fingers were trembling, but his eyes were alive—restless, not ready to die, but not ready to stand still either.
"Bro…" he whispered,
"…are we just going to stand here… and wait for them to chew us slowly?"
Rafi shook his head quickly.
"No. We run. We make a gap."
The alpha wolf-deer lowered itself. Its leg joints locked. The world slid into half-a-second decides who becomes lunch mode.
Rafi opened his bag slowly, one hand still facing the pack. He pulled out a single stem of Nabat al-Muhayyil—the flower they'd snatched before like panicked thieves.
Its petals responded at once to the descending light of Zurq:
silver glimmers flickered—thin mist began to rise.
Without waiting for any proper signal, Sahim hissed:
"ALLAHUMMA IRHAMNA—BRO, JUST THROW IT NOW!!"
(ALLAH PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON US—BRO, JUST THROW IT NOW!!)
Rafi swung his arm.
WHUFF—!
The flower burst into a puff of silver mist. The frontmost wolf-deer stopped dead—a slight tilt of its head—its tail stiffened—its golden eyes flickered with doubt for a split second.
A GAP.
"RUN!!!"
Rafi shoved Sahim, really shoved him, as if physically rejecting the possibility of a "sad audience in minute 14" scenario.
They sprinted.
Not elegant, not cinematic.
The kind of run only normal humans have when they absolutely do not have Marvel-level stamina.
The glassy forest floor threw back the image of their feet.
Sahim's breath hitched.
Rafi was on the verge of throwing up.
The little monster ran alongside them, tiny legs moving as fast as a blur.
Behind them:
the pack's pounding footsteps started to recover.
They realized:
Humans = valid targets
Flower = distraction, not barrier.
Rafi glanced back once—and regretted it immediately.
"THREE ON THE RIGHT! TWO ABOVE—
ASTAGHFIRULLĀH THEY CAN CLIMB TREES?!"
Sahim fumbled in his bag while running.
"CATCH, BRO!!"
He flung two flowers to the left.
WHUFF! WHUFF!
Silver mist exploded like perfume grenades. Two creatures veered aside, confused, heads tilted like cats watching a slow-motion video.
The other three kept chasing.
Zurq was dropping lower.
Its pale, bluish-white light turned slightly dull.
Safra—the pale yellow sun—began to climb from the side.
Time was up.
The tiny monster tripped on a root—it fell, rolling into a little tumble. One young wolf immediately leapt for it.
Sahim's feet stopped—WITHOUT THINKING.
"MY PETTTTT!!!"
He spun around and sprang back toward the little creature, both hands reaching out. The wolf's claws raked across his arm and shoulder—deep. Warm blood sprayed into the cold air.
Sahim's body snapped back, smashing into the ground.
His breath was cut short.
His eyes went wide with pain, his body folding like a rolled-up rug.
"SAHIM!!"
Rafi's voice shattered like glass.
He turned back, dragging his friend's body behind a large glass-tree trunk. The wolf that had clawed him lowered itself again, ready to pounce on both of them at once.
The tiny monster stood upright in front of them.
It didn't retreat.
It didn't run.
Its little claws opened.
Its fur stood on end.
Lines of light ran through its body—as if someone had poured Safra-gold and Zurq-green into its veins.
Sahim raised a trembling hand, trying to push the small creature back.
"No… no…"
The little monster turned—exactly for one second.
Its gaze flicked to Sahim's blood-soaked shoulder.
Then to Rafi.
Then to the pack in front of them.
Its fur flared suddenly—not green anymore, but a blend of rising Safra and the leftover Zurq light reflecting off flower dust in its coat. The ground beneath it shivered.
The world took a long breath. Five wolves leapt. The tiny monster made a sound—not its usual "Hrrp!", not a growl. Something that split the air in every direction. Five wolves leapt. In that moment, the colors of the world broke.
The tiny monster let out a sound that made no sense to any normal biology:
"—HRRRRYYRPP–PHWAAAAH!"
High and low notes clashed like two hot metals hammered together.
The air vibrated.
The glass leaves above them chimed.
The ground bucked as if struck from below.
Green-gold lines of light tore across its small body, like a brush dragging Safra-ink through Zurq-paint.
The lead wolf froze mid-air.
Actually frozen.
As if gravity had forgotten its job.
Rafi went rigid—his heart scraped its way up into his throat.
"YA Rabb… YA Rabb… YA Rabb…"
His voice broke; he himself didn't know if it was prayer or shock. Sahim, still on his knees with blood pouring from his shoulder, could only clutch his chest.
"…Small Habibil… what are you…?"
His hand shook—half fear, half pride. Mostly pride.
The tiny monster vanished.
It didn't run.
It didn't blur.
It simply… wasn't there.
And then it was—under the belly of the first wolf.
DRAAAK—!!
A wave of light slammed upward, flinging the creature into a glass trunk. Hairline cracks spidered across its hide like fractures in ice. The second wolf lunged from the left. The little creature twisted—its neck bending like some light-based animal.
WHIP—!!
Its stubby tail lashed the wolf's jaw like an elastic whip. There was an ugly "krk!" of breaking bone, followed by a heavy crash.
Rafi jerked.
"BRO—ITS TAIL IS A WEAPON??!"
The three remaining wolves attacked together.
The tiny monster stood still.
Its ears drooped a little.
Its green eyes turned pale silver-white.
ZIPP—ZIPP—ZIPP—!!
The air twitched—like invisible blades of light were being pulled between the trees, leaving thin, gleaming scars in the mist.
WHIP—!
One wolf stopped dead. A gash carved across its chest; it skidded sideways, slamming into a glass root with a dull thud.
VRMM—TK!
Another flash of light from its tiny head sliced the air. The second wolf spun wildly, hit a trunk, and rolled like a wheel that had lost its axis. The third didn't even finish its growl before those small claws closed around its muzzle.
A low thud echoed as the ground swallowed the impact, glass-dust floating upward. The forest didn't understand what had just happened. Not immediately.
The crystal leaves vibrated belatedly; the air tried to reassemble itself; only a faint echo of blows remained, far off, like the last crackles of fireworks after the show was over.
Sahim held his breath—not out of fear, but because his body refused to believe he'd just watched one tiny creature dismantle a predator pack in under ten seconds. Rafi realized he hadn't blinked; his eyes only stung when the wind finally touched them.
The cute little monster stood upright again.
Its fur still shimmered.
As if that whole thing had just been a warm-up.
"HE JUST SPEEDRAN THEM, BRO?!
HE SPEEDRAN THREE MONSTERS AT ONCE?!"
The ground shook heavier.
From the darkness, the Alpha emerged—twice the size, black fur with a SAFRA-blue sheen. Its eyes were a dense, glowing gold, completely untouched by the flower's leftovers.
It roared—low, echoing, shredding what was left of the hallucination mist.
The little monster stopped.
Its shoulders rose and fell—rapid, uneven breath.
Sahim jolted.
"Bro… he's tired… he's still just a kid…"
The Alpha lowered itself, ready to pounce. Rafi grabbed a shard of ground-glass, his palm trembling with a tiny electric buzz.
"We have to help him.
Whatever it takes."
He thumped his chest hard, forcing his heart into overtime.
"We all get out of this alive!!!"
He darted to the right, making as much noise as he could:
"HEY! OVER HERE!!"
The Alpha's head snapped toward him. Sahim instantly flung a Nabat al-Muhayyil flower at its face.
WHUFF!
Silver fog burst right over the Alpha's nose. Those golden eyes blinked three times—a reflex, not fear.
Half a second of opening. The little monster saw them helping. Its fur bristled… then sank… and for a moment—It exploded in light. Not green. Not gold.
Milk-white with silver streaks—the condensed color of Nabat al-Muhayyil clinging to its coat, wrung out to the last drop.
Light gathered in its chest.
It launched itself at the Alpha.
BAM—!!!
The Alpha's body went flying five meters back—smashing through three tree trunks. Shards of glass-wood exploded like hellish confetti.
Sahim screamed.
"YA ALLAH!!
OUR BABY JUST WENT SUPER SAIYAN!!!"
Rafi was half crying, half panicking.
"IS THAT A PET OR A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION?!"
The Alpha staggered back up—slow, but furious. Its jaws opened, wide enough to bite the world in half.
The tiny monster stood in front of Rafi and Sahim. Its fur slowly dimmed… but its eyes burned brighter. As if it was saying:
They're my friends. They don't get taken.
It leapt—
its little claws raking the air—
CRAAAAAK—!!!
A wave of light scythed through the air, invisible but merciless, slamming into the Alpha's chest. The giant wolf collapsed to the ground…
moved once…
twice…
then went still.
The glow at its throat went out.
Its golden eyes dulled.
That massive body shuddered… then shattered into fine glass dust that evaporated into points of light.
Left on the ground:
a crystal.
Small, irregular like a broken tooth, blue-green with a thin gold vein inside—the condensed color of Zurq, streaked with leftover Vena. It pulsed softly, like a calm heartbeat.
Before Rafi could say anything, three more lights rose from the bodies of the fallen smaller wolves.
Tiny crystals, marble-sized, floated up—similar, just smaller, their inner glow dimmer. They drifted upward, hanging in the air like petals scared of falling.
Rafi stared.
"Bro…"
He pointed at the three little crystals hovering like shattered stars.
"…even the small ones… have mini drops?!"
Sahim raised one shaking hand, eyes shining like a kid seeing his first toy store. The little monster—their new pet—went to the small crystals first.
It sniffed them.
Nodded slightly.
Then nudged them all toward Rafi and Sahim as if to say:
These… are for you.
Rafi looked at the Alpha crystal and the three tiny ones lined up like cosmic loot. He picked up the Alpha. The light inside stirred like a small magnetic storm.
"What do you think… this one does?"
Sahim held one of the little crystals, still faintly dusted with fur.
"The small ones are cute.
InsyaAllah the buff isn't… sudden death."
The tiny monster bumped against their legs, four greenish eyes sparkling with points of light.
"Hrrp!"
As if saying: Take it all. You're still low level.
Rafi let out a long breath.
Sahim, though nearly passed out, stroked the little creature's head with fierce tenderness.
"Small Habibi… thank you…"
The monster blinked all four eyes at once.
"Hrrp!"
Rafi covered his face with one hand.
***
Sahim finally collapsed sitting on a cracked glass root. His breath came short, his shoulders rising and falling like a stuck piston.
The tiny monster stared at him for a long moment—then picked up one crystal in its small front paws.
The crystal glowed softly.
Not dramatic.
Not blazing.
More like a lazy firefly. The creature held it out to Sahim.
As soon as the crystal touched his skin—warmth flowed in, like a thin blanket fresh from the sun.
The bleeding stopped.
The pain dropped a few levels.
There was a borrowed breath inside him, like someone had placed a gentle hand against his back—not healing fully, but holding him together.
Sahim's eyes widened slowly.
"Bro…"
His voice was hoarse, almost disbelieving.
"…this… this feels so good. Like… Abi putting a warm compress on me."
Rafi almost smiled as he sighed in relief.
"Alhamdulillah… don't wreck my heart like that again, Sahim."
The tiny monster pressed its head against Sahim's shoulder—a small movement, packed with intention. Sahim stroked its head with a shaking hand.
"Ya Small Qalbi… I'm not leaving you… Wallah…"
He let out a thin laugh, then added,
"…from now on, your name is… Zuzu."
Rafi stared.
"Why Zuzu?"
"Because… it's cute and… I'm hungry. I suddenly thought of zurna bread."
"Bro… that's the least heroic name I've ever heard."
Zuzu made a short sound:
"Hrrp!"
As if agreeing.
Sahim leaned back, still holding the small crystal, the warmth lingering. His vision swayed, but he was calmer. Between breaths that were finally steadying, he mumbled:
"…Abi always said… lean on the house wall when you're tired.
Now I'm leaning on glass roots instead."
His smile was fragile.
"…And Ummi always said… eat first. Then cry."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"Fatimah… my little sister… she'd go feral if she knew her brother almost died."
Zuzu stayed in his lap.
Rafi sat down too and opened the bag.
"Let's eat. But remember… just a little. Very little. This might be the only human food we have for the whole week."
Sahim emotionally re-spawned on the spot.
"Bro… that's your Ummi's shredded meat…"
He set a hand on his chest like a fresh groom.
"…the last food that has real love in it, not… jin-world love."
Rafi flicked his forehead.
"Eat."
They ate slowly.
One bite: warmth.
Second bite: strength.
Third bite: enough—the rest had to be saved.
Zuzu stared, eyes widening. Sahim, in full future-pet-dad mode:
"This… is for you. But only ONE BITE. Don't get addicted."
Zuzu sniffed, took it, chewed, and its eyes glowed neon green.
Rafi panicked.
"SAHIM! Don't get him hooked! He'll start stealing Ummi's food later!"
"Bro… just one bite… he's our kid."
"OUR WHAT??"
Zuzu sat primly between them.
Like a brand-new family.
Sahim smiled faintly.
"Okay. I'm the Dad now. Done."
They stayed there in that little hollow longer than planned. Their breathing was still rough. Their hearts still hadn't slowed. Zuzu sat near Sahim like a tiny bodyguard surveying the world.
Rafi set the Alpha crystal on the ground—between the three of them. Its oval light rose and fell like a heart learning its rhythm.
"Bro…" Rafi said quietly, crouching near the glow,
"…we need to know one thing first: how long this thing lasts."
The crystal's light slowly dimmed.
Not fast. Not abrupt.
Slowly—like an emergency lamp running out of battery.
Every five minutes, Rafi glanced at his cracked watch and muttered timing notes under his breath. Zuzu watched the watch too. As if he understood.
2 hours 40 minutes — the glow was much weaker, the "shield" around them trembling faintly.
2 hours 50 minutes — the barrier was almost gone, its outline flickering like smoke.
3 hours sharp — click.
The light went out completely.
It didn't shatter.
It didn't feel dead.
Just… asleep.
Rafi exhaled deeply, exhausted but satisfied.
"Yā Allah… so our 'portable home' has a limit."
He pointed at the still-faintly-etched lines on the crystal.
"Look… there are three light paths.
The first one died out first, the second dimmed after, the third lasted the longest.
If this follows Zurq's energy pattern from earlier…
then its rest time should match how long we use it."
Zuzu tilted his head like the world's cutest lab assistant.
They waited.
Didn't say much.
Listened to the forest.
Watched the world breathe.
Minute 20 — the first line returned.
Minute 40 — the second line lit up.
Minute 60 — the third slowly glowed back to life.
Rafi leaned against the root.
"Confirmed. One hour to recharge."
Sahim straightened up a little—still pale, but his eyes had a spark again.
"Bro… you speak crystal.
Are you a future magician or a power-bank salesman?"
Rafi patted his shoulder.
"We're alive because of this. So from now on… we schedule shifts."
Zuzu
"Hrrp!"
Rafi looked toward the deeper forest—the parts they hadn't touched yet.
"Bro… we need real medicine. Your wound has stopped bleeding, but it's not healed."
Sahim nodded. Slowly. Heavily. The small crystal in his hand glowed faintly, holding the pain at bay but not erasing it.
"We also need food. And water," Rafi added.
"And tools. Anything."
Zuzu stood up, tiny body straight, tail up. As if to say: let's go now.
Rafi turned to Sahim.
"Bro… you rest here. The Alpha crystal will fully reactivate soon.
You'll be safe inside the shield."
He placed one of the small crystals in Sahim's palm.
"This is to keep your stamina. Don't use it unless it's an emergency."
Sahim stared at the crystal for a long time.
"…Bro, I feel bad letting you go alone."
"Not alone." Rafi stroked Zuzu's head.
"He's coming."
Zuzu chirped, proud:
"Hrrrp!"
When the Alpha crystal lit up fully again, the barrier formed back around Sahim.
More stable. Stronger.
There was a faint hum in the air—like a giant AC running in another dimension.
Rafi stood, checking his watch.
"Three hours. That's what we've got. After that…
we have to be back before the shield dies."
Sahim held up two fingers.
"Listen. You come back when your watch hits…
ya Allah… what time even is that?
Your screen is so fragile."
"Just before three hours."
Zuzu hopped onto Rafi's shoulder, ready for battle—though he was far too cute to be called "battle-ready."
Sahim looked at the two of them. There was a little emotion there he tried to swallow.
"Rafi… If you die, I have to explain it to your Ummi. Don't die. Please."
Rafi pointed at his chest.
"If you die first, I still have to explain it to your Ummi. So neither of us dies."
Zuzu lightly tapped Rafi's head with his paw. It felt like a blessing. Rafi and Zuzu stepped out of the barrier.
The forest greeted them with soft sounds: glass-insects, slow currents of air, the faint hum of bioluminescent plants.
Zuzu stopped.
He stared east.
Tail straight.
Rafi followed his gaze.
There was something behind those trees.
Not moving.
Not noisy.
Just… there.
The small crystal in Rafi's pocket glowed faintly—not danger, but "something living."
"Bro…" Rafi whispered, even though Sahim wasn't beside him,
"…I think our adventure is actually starting now."
Zuzu stared ahead. His green eyes reflected Safra's light.
Then he stepped forward.
And Rafi followed.
"Hm. Maybe he knows a safe place," Rafi muttered.
"Or a food place. Or… a death place. Who knows."
—To be Continued—