"So… what is your final wish, sir?" Nezar spoke in a mechanical, practiced drone—the same tone he'd used thousands of times before. No interest, no curiosity; just the weary patience of someone waiting for the clock to run out.
Seated across from him was a short, stout man with a crooked nose and twitching eyes that darted around as if searching for something that wasn't there. The man rubbed his hands together with a childish glee. "I've thought about this a lot… I want to find an ancient treasure."
Nezar sighed internally. Treasure. Again.
He flashed the cold, professional smile he'd spent half a century perfecting."Congratulations. Your wish is granted."
The man's eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Yes, Before the day is out you will find what you're looking for"
The man leaped from his chair. "But how? Where? Will I—"
But Nezar was already gone, leaving only the echo of the question hanging in the empty air.
Two seconds later, thousands of layers deep into reality, Nezar streaked through the sky like a silver flash. He bypassed the visible world, then the invisible, until space itself tore open before him like an old curtain.
He entered the Realm of the Jinn.
From above, the place looked like the corpse of a great civilization that had breathed its last. Half-ruined cities and leaning towers sat under a cracked sky, while the lingering scent of scorched energy haunted the horizon—scars from the Great War. Lucifer's War.
The war where the Jinn had lost everything, even their dignity.
"Doesn't matter now." Nezar descended slowly, hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze fixed forward. "Client number one thousand… done."
He took a deep breath, looking toward the horizon where a massive gate of blue light shimmered. "Finally, I'm free. My contract is over. Riri Island… you lazy retirees, I'm coming for you."
Fifty years of non-stop labor was enough. Finally, he'd have his retirement: no humans, no stupid wishes, no emotional drama. Just eternal silence… a true paradise.
The Wishes Bureau loomed ahead—a gargantuan structure that blended the majesty of a high court with the gloom of a factory.
Jinn hurried back and forth, clutching client files with pale, hollow faces. Some were exhausted, their passion long since burned out; others still wore a mask of forced enthusiasm.
Ever since Lucifer's fall, this place had run like a relentless machine. Having lost their ancient power source in the war, the Jinn had struck a humiliating bargain with the "Guardians of the Universe": they would grant human wishes, and in return, they would harvest the energy emitted from moments of hope, despair, and desire. A raw energy known as Afgan.
Humans thought wishes were divine gifts, but in reality, every wish was a precise, organized harvest. And humans were never, ever allowed to discover the ugly truth.
Nezar entered the corridor leading to Office 17. He paused for a moment at the door, giving it a farewell look. I'm never seeing this place again.
As he pushed the door open, several employees looked up.
"Nezar!"
"We heard you finished your thousandth client!"
"Finally leaving us, you old dog?"
"I'm jealous. You're joining Falco and Ren on Riri."
He waved them off with indifference, muttering to himself, And I won't have to see your moronic faces ever again.
At the reception desk, Lily greeted him with her usual robotic smile. "Congratulations, Employee AD1734."
And I won't miss this old hag either, Nezar thought as he watched her pull his file and produce a sealed golden envelope. "Your retirement papers."
In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
Nezar reached out slowly… Finally. No work, no contracts, no orders, no humans. Just freedom.
He was one hundred and thirty-three years old, and he'd spent fifty of them toiling away. I'm still young. There's so much life ahead of me and—
His fingers were inches from the envelope when a voice he never wanted to hear again pierced the air.
"Hold on."
Nezar's face soured as Lily pulled the envelope back.
A tall man with shimmering blue skin and malicious red eyes approached. His steps were calm, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in his own private garden.
It was Haver, the Director of Office 17, famously nicknamed "Ten Thousand Wishes."
Haver snatched the document from Lily's hand, his voice smooth and resonant. "My dear employee…"
Nezar closed his eyes, fighting the urge to explode. "What do you want now?"
"Nothing much. Just one last mission." He waved a folder in his hand.
"Damn it… no!"
"Nezar—"
"I said no. The contract was clear. One thousand clients. I'm free." He lunged for his papers.
Haver pulled them back with a flick of his wrist, playing a game he already knew he'd win. "Your father won't be happy."
Nezar froze. His defenses crumbled instantly. "…What?"
"The assignment came directly from him."
Nezar looked away from Haver, staring at the ceiling with a bitter expression, as if trying to see someone who wasn't there. His father… the man who hadn't asked about him for fifty years. Had he suddenly remembered he had a son?
Gritting his teeth, Nezar snatched the file from Haver's hand with a violent jerk. "After I finish this… I don't want to see your face ever again."
Haver smiled coldly. "Understood."
"Or the face of any creature in this depressing building!"
"Also understood."
"And don't—"
"Nezar… just go."
Nezar stormed out without another word, his pace so fast he nearly scorched the floor beneath his feet.
A million Jinn in this world… why me, for hell's sake?
He flipped the file open as he walked. Suddenly, his feet stumbled, and he froze in his tracks. Inside was a photo of a young girl. She was smiling weakly in a hospital room, wearing striped pajamas that looked far too large for her frail body, clutching a storybook.
> Name: Lynn
> Age: 10
> Condition: Advanced Cancer — Terminal Stage.
> Estimated Time Remaining: One month.
> Contract Type: Unlimited Wishes — Duration: One Month.
Nezar's eyes widened in sheer shock. "What?! Unlimited wishes?!"
He had never heard of such a contract in his entire life. Standard contracts never exceeded three wishes—five in rare cases—and they were executed immediately. But this? This was pure madness.
But what truly sent a chill down his spine was the final line in the file:
"Warning: Potential Angelic Surveillance."
Nezar slammed the file shut and looked down the empty corridor, exhaling a breath of pure bitterness. "An 'exceptional' mission, huh?"
He looked up toward the human realm and sighed. "Why do I feel like my retirement ended before it even began?"