"Honey, stop for a second," Laras said, tapping Raka's shoulder.
"What's wrong, darling?"
Raka quickly pulled over and turned to look at her. But Laras couldn't answer. She hurriedly got off the motorcycle and ran toward the drainage ditch on the side of the road.
She crouched down and vomited everything in her stomach. Even when there was nothing left, her body kept retching.
Laras clutched her painful, cramping stomach. Tears streamed down her face. The pain was clearly unbearable.
"Darling, let's go straight to the doctor, okay?" Raka said gently, rubbing the back of her neck.
"What about the fish for Mom?"
Laras looked up and slowly stood with Raka's help. She wiped her mouth and cheeks with a tissue.
"We'll go to Mom's after the doctor. Let's get the rujak first and then get you checked," Raka said, wrapping his arm around her and guiding her back to the motorcycle.
Once Laras was seated comfortably and had her arms around his waist, Raka drove off toward the market. They didn't notice the pair of sharp eyes watching them with a calm, intense gaze.
"Jamila, I love you."
The handsome figure's voice rode on the wind, whispering softly into Laras's ear. She heard it clearly even while grimacing in pain.
In her entire life, she had never felt pain this intense. Her fingers dug tightly into Raka's stomach, forcing him to stop the motorcycle again.
"Sweetheart, hold on a little longer. We're going straight to the doctor."
"I want the rujak, honey," Laras replied, her voice shaky from the pain.
"We can order it online. Your health comes first," Raka said, stroking her hand before continuing the ride.
Zahir, you must know what's happening, right? Laras asked silently.
"I might," the Middle Eastern figure answered, his voice whispering softly in her ear. Raka remained completely unaware of his presence.
It hurts so much. Can you make it stop? Laras asked, closing her eyes tightly.
"You won't feel any pain if you live in my world."
"My world is not there, Zahir."
"I know. I'll help as much as I can, Jamila."
A cool breeze suddenly caressed her stomach, slipping through her clothes and into her skin. Laras shivered as a cold sensation entered her womb, swirling gently inside before the pain slowly faded away. She let out a sigh of relief — the cramping had completely disappeared.
Suddenly, a food delivery rider appeared behind them. In full uniform and helmet, he pulled up alongside and gave a light honk
Raka slowed down and moved to the side of the road. The courier got off his motorcycle with a package and approached them, lifting his helmet visor.
"Good morning! I'm delivering an order for Mrs. Laras," he said, handing over the package.
Laras smiled when she saw the familiar face.
"Oh, thank you, sir. You could've delivered it to the clinic," she said, giving him some cash.
"Thank you. Have a good day," the courier replied, then rode off.
"How did he find us? We're on a busy road," Raka asked, surprised. He kept staring at the courier until the man disappeared into traffic.
"I sent him the clinic address earlier and told him we were still on the road. He asked what kind of motorcycle we were riding and what we were wearing. So he found us."
"I see. That makes sense. These delivery guys are really good at spotting people," Raka said, impressed.
"I'll try a little first, honey. I've been craving it so badly."
Laras opened the package, took out one of the foam boxes, and began eating the fruit rujak with a small fork. Her face lit up with happiness.
"Does it still hurt?" Raka asked, gently rubbing her stomach.
"Not anymore, honey. Especially now that the 'medicine' has arrived," Laras replied while chewing.
Raka smiled, relieved to see his wife feeling better so suddenly. He assumed it was simply because her craving had been satisfied.
"Let's go, honey. Want to try some?"
"No, my teeth already feel sensitive just looking at it. Pack it up. We can eat the rest at the clinic. It's not far now."
Laras neatly packed everything and hung the bag on the motorcycle's hook.
They continued their journey and arrived at the clinic parking lot a few minutes later. Laras got off first, followed by Raka. They walked side by side into the building.
Since they had already made an appointment, they only needed to register. Five minutes later, a nurse escorted them into the examination room.
After a urine test and an ultrasound, the doctor reviewed the results with a smile.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Raka. Insyaallah, there is a fetus growing in your wife's womb. Please come for regular monthly check-ups so we can monitor both mother and baby," the doctor said, shaking their hands.
"Thank you, Doctor," Raka replied, beaming with joy. Laras smiled beside him.
After receiving the prescription and test results, they said goodbye to the doctor and nurse. As soon as they stepped out of the room, Raka pulled Laras into his arms and kissed her cheek.
A moment later, he let go and quickly sent a message on his phone. Once it was sent, he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Raka was overjoyed at the thought of soon holding their baby. Laras, however, felt conflicted. She knew the child in her womb was Zahir's.
Yet she couldn't understand why Raka was so confident it was his. Deep in thought, she wondered what it would be like to raise a half-jinn child… and what her baby would look like when it was born.
"Congratulations, Jamila. I'm so happy. You must meet my family soon," Zahir's voice suddenly spoke right beside her.
Laras startled for a moment but quickly composed herself so Raka wouldn't notice.
"Wa'alaikumsalam, Mom. Yes, we'll stop by later after the check-up," Raka said into his phone.
He listened for a moment, nodding.
"Wa'alaikumsalam."
Raka turned to his wife with a wide smile.
"I already told Mom. She's thrilled. We'll go there later and bring the fish too," he said, his cheeks glowing with happiness.
Laras forced a smile, but her blood ran cold. The baby inside her wasn't Raka's. It belonged to a jinn — a being that had already begun claiming her.
As they walked back to the motorcycle, the air around them grew unnaturally thick. The familiar scent of musk returned, heavier than before, almost suffocating. Laras's steps slowed.
"Zahir…" she whispered under her breath.
No answer. Only the scent grew stronger, wrapping around her like invisible hands.
On the way to Raka's mother's house, the sky seemed to darken faster than it should. The streetlights flickered even though it was still early evening. Laras gripped Raka's waist tighter.
"Honey, are you cold?" Raka asked.
Before she could answer, a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen — not like normal cramps, but something moving inside her. Something that felt too strong. Too aware.
She bit her lip hard to stop herself from screaming.
Then she heard it. Not in her ear this time, but deep inside her mind, clear and possessive.
"He will never have you. Nor the child. Both of you belong to me."
Laras's breath hitched. She looked around frantically, but there was no one. Only the scent of musk and the growing feeling that something was watching them from the shadows between buildings.
When they arrived at Raka's mother's house, the horror only deepened.
The moment they stepped inside, the fish they brought — which had been fresh just hours ago — suddenly smelled rotten. The strong stench of decay filled the living room instantly.
"Ya Allah, what is that smell?" Raka's mother covered her nose.
Laras stood frozen. She knew. The fish had been perfectly fine when they left the house. Now it looked as if it had been dead for days — gray, oozing, and covered in strange black veins.
Raka quickly threw the package outside, apologizing to his mother. But when he came back in, Laras saw something that made her skin crawl.
Behind Raka's mother, standing in the corner of the room where the light barely reached, was Zahir. Fully visible to her, but completely invisible to everyone else. He wasn't smiling. His handsome face looked cold, almost inhuman. His eyes glowed with a faint greenish light.
He raised one finger and slowly placed it over his lips, as if telling her to stay silent.
That night, as Laras lay beside Raka in bed, sleep refused to come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes — not dreams, but visions. A dark palace. Hundreds of eyes watching her from the walls. A cradle made of black gold, rocking by itself.
She placed her hand on her stomach. The baby kicked hard — much harder than a normal pregnancy should allow this early. It felt as if something with claws was moving inside her.
"Zahir," she whispered desperately into the darkness. "What are you doing to me?"
A low, chilling chuckle echoed softly around the room. The curtain moved even though the windows were closed. The musk scent became so thick it coated her tongue.
Then came Zahir's voice, no longer gentle.
"I'm not doing anything, Jamila. Our child is simply… hungry. And he doesn't like sharing his mother with a human."
Laras's eyes widened in terror as she felt a sudden, sharp pain again — this time accompanied by a low, wet sound coming from inside her belly, like something gnawing.
Raka slept peacefully beside her, completely unaware that his wife was slowly being devoured from within.