A knock on the door.

"Faruq, open the door. It's me, Rija."

A man in a white thobe and turban opened the door. He had a long face with a black beard that reached his shoulders; his hair was no shorter.

"Surely the Gods have smiled on me. Rija, oh, how I have missed you," Faruq said as he welcomed her in.

A woman matching his height stood in the doorway. She wore a blood-red cloak, her black hair tucked in. She had a bright face with thin eyes and heavy eyeliner. She stepped inside a still unpaved floor. The only room had a rugged carpet. One charpai and a fireplace. But knowing Faruq, he didn't need anything more. He waved his hand, and the water in the air accumulated on his hand. He had two leaves in his other, which dropped in two cups and then dropped in them. He clapped his hand, and the air became so hot that Rija started sweating. He clapped again and pushed all the warm air into the cups.

"Tea." He smiled, giving a cup to Rija.

"Show off." She took a sip.

He laughed and waved his hand. A gust of wind came and took all of Rija's sweat away. They drank tea and catch up. Rija told him that she was now a Raven.

“Ah, Raven, so, have you caught any traitors yet?” Faruq asked.

“I completed my path. I thought I give you a visit before I go off saving the world,” she chuckled half-heartedly.

“You don’t seem happy.”

“No, I’m delighted. Anyway, how’s Rangini?”

“She’s in Mirha.”

“Oh?”

“You know, studying. I thought if I couldn’t maybe she could.”

“Well, you turned out pretty well.”

“Yes, well... but it doesn’t mean she can’t be a scholar.”

Rija sipped her tea, and they talked until the sun scattered into a billion pieces that lit up the night sky. Rija slept on the bed while Farup slept on the carpet. In the middle of the night, Rija woke up with a dagger in her hand. She looked down at Faruq, deep in slumber. Her hand hesitated for a moment, but she was a Raven now; hesitation had no place. She moved her hand to stab him, but a gush threw her up, sticking her to the roof.

“Get out of her body, Jinn!” Faruq said.

“Farup, it—” air got ripped out of her by the second “I’m not possessed. It’s still me.” She said with all her strength.

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“Rija?” Faruq whispered, and the wind loosened. It then gently placed her on the floor.

“Why are you—” started Faruq, but then he stared at the dagger in her hand. Red, as though it's burning, with a raven carved in the middle.

“You were sent to kill me,” he whispered.

“Why did help her, Faruq? How could you help a witch?”

“I have my reasons.”

“And what were those reasons?”

“I’ll only discuss it in front of elders?”

“The elders? Then the whole world would know. The reputation you have built for all these years would be gone in mere seconds.”

“I don’t care…so, is it all why you are here? To save me some respect?”

“What did you expect?”

“I thought… you were here because of us.”

“Faruq, I…”

“Maybe you changed your mind about my…proposal.” He winced his eyes.

“I didn’t think—”

“Of course.” He turned away and looked at the broken sun. “If we start moving now, we might reach the academy by tomorrow.”

It was a narrow street with a wooden door at the end, round white stones beneath, and a bright white sun above. The door opened, and a crowd of people in colourful clothing burst out, but as soon as they saw Faruq, they cleared the path. They looked like statues made by the same artist and had the same expression: Shock.

Unbelievable and impossible were the most common words.

Three men sat under an old and shady tree. The air swept away all their worries and calmed them, though no one knew wether it was because of the tree or the elders. They looked like brothers, with the same long white beard and hair, sharps eyes and dried up lips, white thobes and turbans and wrinkly skin. Faruq kneeled before them, and Rija, with a trembling hand, placed the red dagger on his neck.

“The blood flows in the river,” said the first man in a misty voice.

“Change its path with words,” said the second, with the same voice.

“Or the river becomes the ocean,” said the third.

“The witch was my sister, Rangini,” said Faruq, and whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.

“She was having difficulty studying. Some of her friends told her to take some potions. She didn’t know. She’s innocent. They told her to do some techniques to help her concentrate. She didn’t know what she was doing. Magic was just easier to do. I told her to stop, but she didn’t listen.”

“You should have struck her down,” said the first man.

“She’s my sister. How could I? I knew someone would come for her sooner or later. So, I helped her escape.”

“Let the river flow,” said the three of them.

“It’s cruel,” said Faruq.

“You dare question our judgement?”

“I’m next in line to be an elder. Yes, I question your judgement. Magic is a desire. You cannot kill it with a dagger. These people need help, not a dagger. Just… kill me, if you want, but leave my sister. She’s stupid. I was burdening her with too many expectations. She’s innocent.”

“Raven!”

Rija looked at the elders and then at the dagger. She lifted her hand to strike, and something blue sparkled in her hand; steam shot out of it and engulfed everything.

When the steam faded, no one was there.