Cold breaths flew out of her mouth as she stared at one of the sculptures. Marwan's face was hardened, it didn't looked like that he was even breathing. Layla walked upon to the kneeling statue of Marwan. His eyes wide with fear as his hand stretched as to stop someone from freezing him.

A cold breath escaped through Layla's mouth, a shudder and tears blurring her sight.

"Marwan," a whisper escaped making Layla realise, that Hala wasn't someone who should be pitied.

She harshly wiped her warm tears that cascaded down her cold cheeks and stared at Hala.

"Traitor," the word almost slipping out of her mouth but she stopped.

"What are these?" She questioned her voice coming out strong.

"These are my creations, I have taken people from all over the world, frozen them. Turned them into sculptures and soon I will turn them back into humans, who will obey me and follow me. I will be their queen." Hala's voice was filled with menace and greed as she stared at the sculptures with an evil glint in her eyes.

♤

Jafar raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms at Barq. Barq mirrored his pose and stood tall making Jafar's lips break into a smile and move near to Barq.

"I was waiting for you so long." Jafar said and gripped Barq's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"I would have come earlier, if only I would have known it." Barq sighed and stared at his uncle a smile forming on his face.

"I guess we should act fast as possible." Nazreena said breaking the moment.

Serious expressions covered Jafar's face and he turned away from them..

"Hala had cursed us to never go against her, but I have learned enough about her in the past years. There's this gem which helps her to control the US not only that but now that she had freed Ifrit Jinn. She had been controlling that Jinn, but now things have been changing. Jinn has been overpowering her for a quite a time." Jafar informed them as he guided them out of the room.

"Why is she doing this all?" Hafsa asked with her huffed breaths as she tried to catch up with their steps. But the food that she just gobbled down made her lazy and she felt she want to just sleep.

"Hala is greedy. She wants to rule over every kingdom. But Qamaristan doesn't have that much people, that's why she was taking help of other Jinn to capture people and turn them into sculptures. She had also changed the way of other people’s thinking. So that nobody doubts where has people gone." Jafar continued and walked in long strides taking a sharp turn.

Barq took in a sharp breath and realised who was the in the cave of Jinn.

"But why didn't you kill her?" Barq asked climbing down the stairs to reach the center point of the palace, but it seemed like it was too far from them.

"You have magic Barq, and we don't Hala can't kill you but you can kill her. She can't even touch you, because your magic is pure unlike her's. Her magic is corrupted and can't be controlled by a normal human." Jafar continued his words coming out stained.

"But my magic isn't working." Baraq sighed looking out of the huge dome window, as sky turned a little darker. Evening hues colored the skies into dull oranges and blues.

"Once you touch the gem, you will grow powerful and will be able to use your magic." Jafar informed, but suddenly stepped back when the army of soldiers pointed their sharp spears at them.

They all turned around to run away to the other end but it looked like they didn't had any way of going out. Guards surrounded them and a shadowy figure lingered in the corner of the corridor.

"You all will plot against us, and we will never know about it? You think we are stupid, huh?" The deep, gravel voice echoed in corridor making them all shuddered with sudden fear.

It was Jinn, even if it didn't showed himself  they knew it.

"Barq, the gem is under the fountain."

"We will take care of them." Jafar continued and stretched his hand out infront of Hafsa and Hala.

Barq nodded he didn't have anyntime to waste upon arguing on who will stay and who will go. It was clear that Barq was the only one who could touch that gem then so be it. His eyes darkened as he pulled out the dagger from his those and tossed it to Jafar.

Jafar caught it without even so much as moving his muscle.

Barq jumped upon the pillar making the guards pointbtheir spears at him. He tried his best to get the hold of his weight through his fingers, but his fingers was slipping so he jumped far away and rolled on the marble ground.

"Seize him," the Jinn yelled to the guards who begin moving where was Barq, but Barq didn't gave them a chance to even touch him, he begin sprinting at his velocious speed.

Even in the cold evening, he was sweating. Cold drops of sweat coated his skin making his clothes stick to his body. He wasn't tried of running, but the fear which crawled on his spine made him slower. The clicking of spears and the rushing footsteps reminded him that he was being chased.

The view of steps came in his sight and he thought that climbing down them would take his sweet time, and the last time he checked; time was very precious and he didn't have enough to waste. So, he did want was the best option in his mind. He jumped off of the balcony. His keffiyeh loosening around his neck as he dived straight into the huge fountain.

The sudden rushing water into his nostrils burned him. He never knew water could burn, too. He jerked out of the water and gasped for air, his loud gasps echoing in the empty Fountain Court making it look like as if he was asking for help. The weight of his clothes made it harder for him to stay afloat.

He could see the purple shining light emerging from the depth of the fountain from his peripheral vision.

"How could be a fountain so deep?" Je questioned himself with his heavy gasps.