《The case study of Jinns》


 Story 1 chapter 1- introduction

    Ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and other supernatural creatures have long been regarded as classic figures of the occult in human history, each embodying the fears, mysteries, and beliefs of humans. In the old ages, when science and technology were still not as prominent as now, we humans often turned to the supernatural to explain phenomena that seemed beyond our understanding. Strange illnesses, unexplainable deaths, mysterious sounds in the night, and even natural disasters were regarded as supernatural beings. If one can''t find any logical answer, then they label it as supernatural.


    These entities served as a means to generalize the unknown, giving shape and form to the intangible fears that haunted the human mind.


    For example, jinns, believed to be invisible beings made of fire. They were thought to inhabit the desert and were often blamed for sudden misfortunes for the travelers traveling through the desert.


    Ghosts, on the other hand, represented the lingering spirits of the dead, embodying humanity''s struggles with life and the afterlife.


    Ghouls are associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh, mirroring fears of death.


    Vampires, seductive bloodsucking monsters, symbolized the anxieties surrounding forbidden desires.


    But most of these things have logical explanations, like The chupacabra, which is a legend in Latin American folklore, it means "goat-sucker" in Spanish, comes from its alleged habit of attacking livestock, particularly goats, and draining their blood through small puncture wounds. Descriptions of the chupacabra vary; it is often depicted as either a reptilian creature with spines or quills along its back or a hairless, canine-like animal. They are said to be nocturnal, stealthy, and predatory. They''d kill their prey and then blood dry it with its teeth. But in reality chupacabras are actually dogs or coyote-dog hybrids affected by mange, a disease that causes hair loss and a thick buildup of skin. Others have suggested that the chupacabra is a Xoloitzcuintli, or Mexican Hairless dog, which has large bat-like ears and a long neck.


    Another example is vampire. It said that vampires are afraid of the sun and garlic. And always look pale like a dead body. But in reality it''s a disease called porphyria. It is genetic blood disorders that can cause sensitivity to sunlight, pale skin, sensitivity to smell, and other symptoms that could be interpreted as vampire-like behaviors.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    So these supernatural beings were not just products of fear but also served as tales, moral lessons, and even entertainment. They provided a framework for understanding the world and coping with the uncertainties of life. Over time, these entities became deeply ingrained in folklore, evolving with cultural shifts and continuing to capture the imagination of people across generations. You can find the same supernatural entity in various cultures, just with a little name change or change of details depending on the environment.


    As a guy who is doing a master''s in mathematics and living in the 21st century, I believed all these occult things were made up by our minds, like religion, to keep us in check.


    Yes, I said believed...


    As a graduate student pursuing a master¡¯s degree in mathematics and living in the golden age of science, I prided myself on being a rational, logical thinker. Numbers, equations, and proofs were my tools for understanding the world.


    I believed that all so-called occult phenomena¡ªghosts, cryptids, UFOs, spirits, and even religion¡ªwere nothing more than constructs of the human mind, created to provide comfort or control over the chaos of existence. To me, they were modern myths, no different from ancient gods or legends, designed to keep humanity in check.


    I openly mocked the idea of anything supernatural. Like magic, people who claimed they had seen ghosts or UFOs, and religious people preaching miracles¡ªnone of it held any weight for me. I saw myself as above such beliefs, standing firmly on the foundation of science and reason.


    My friends often teased me about my skepticism. They¡¯d share ghost stories or tales of haunted houses, hoping to get a reaction. I¡¯d laugh, roll my eyes, and counter their stories with logical explanations. "It¡¯s just pareidolia," I¡¯d say when they described seeing faces in the dark. "Confirmation bias," I¡¯d argue, when they claimed a psychic predicted their future. I was the guy who could take the magic out of any story, and I wore that badge proudly.


    I thought most of the people who have these types of tales are mentally disturbed or coping with emotions.


    And then, things started happening to me that were beyond logical.


    That day shattered the carefully constructed world I had built around myself. It wasn''t just a fleeting encounter or a misunderstanding; it was a mental disorder. What I experienced defied all the logic and reason I had so stubbornly clung to. It wasn¡¯t something I could dismiss as coincidence or delusion. This wasn¡¯t a ghost story told by someone¡¯s grandmother, nor a blurry photograph of a UFO on the internet. It was real, undeniable, and utterly terrifying.


    The encounter turned my beliefs upside down and sent me spiraling into questions I had never imagined asking. Was everything I had dismissed as superstition or fantasy actually rooted in some deeper truth? Was the universe far stranger than I had ever allowed myself to consider?


    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever fully understand. But I do know one thing: the world is not as simple or rational as I once believed. Sometimes, the very things we dismiss as impossible come knocking on the door of reality. And when they do, they leave us forever changed.

 Story 1 chapter 2

    It started like any other day. I had been working late in the university library, poring over equations for my thesis on chaos theory. Ironically, I thought I understood chaos better than most how it could be modeled, predicted, and tamed with the right mathematical tools. But the chaos I encountered after that was something no equation could quantify.


    The burden of daily work to feed myself and running errands for the professor under whom I¡¯m doing my thesis is making my life feel like hell.


    After my part time job the walk back to my dorm was nothing special. I''ve been doing this for quite a time. The streets were quiet without any traffic.


    It wasn¡¯t a dorm to be honest. The uni dorm was filled to the brim, and as a guy with a full-paid scholarship, I found myself in a bit of a unique situation. The university, unable to give me a room in the dorms, arranged me to live in a small apartment near the campus. It was a decent place..clean, cozy enough, and close to all the university facilities. The catch, however, was that I had to cover half of the expenses, while the university would take care of the other half.


    At first, it seemed like a fair deal, but as the months went by, I realized the cost of living was quickly adding up. Food, utilities, and maintenance started to weigh heavily on my budget. My scholarship covered my tuition, but the rest was on me, and I found myself constantly living in a paycheck to paycheck.


    After weeks of thinking, I finally made a decision. The apartment, while cozy, was honestly too big for ne. It had an extra bedroom, and I barely used the living room except for studying or eating. It felt wasteful to keep all that space to myself when I could be sharing it. More importantly, having a roommate would cut my living expenses in half, which would be a huge relief. Which means i can work less and focus more on my studies.


    So, I made the decision. I sent an application to the university housing office, requesting a roommate. I made sure to specify that I wanted someone who was in the same boat as me¡ªpreferably another scholarship student or someone with a similar major.


    A few days later, I got an email from the housing office confirming that they had found someone. They didn¡¯t share many details, only that the person would arrive soon and had been informed of the arrangement. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but I hoped for the best.


    That brings me to today. I was sitting on the couch, flipping through a textbook, when I heard a knock at the door.


    This had to be my new roommate,the person the university had sent. I took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the door. My hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment as I wondered what kind of person was waiting on the other side. Did i did the right thing or did i gave fairwall to my peaceful life.Would they be friendly? Easy to get along with? Or would this be a complete disaster?


    With a final deep breath, thing already happened so there''s no turning back. I finally opened the door.


    The guy standing on the other side of the door was not what I had expected. He was shorter than me, probably around 5¡¯6¡± or 5¡¯7¡±. He had a full beard and thick hair, giving him a slightly rugged yet well-kept look. His complexion and features suggested he was a foreigner maybe Middle Eastern or Arab. There was an air of confidence about him, though he didn¡¯t seem intimidating.


    I took the lead, as the old resident of the apartment. ¡°You must be the guy the university sent,¡± I said, offering a polite smile.


    He nodded slightly, his expression neutral but polite.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Ted,¡± I added quickly, extending my hand for a handshake.


    The guy took my hand and shook it firmly. ¡°my Name¡¯s Maaz,¡± he said, his voice carrying a slight middle eastern accent. Then, with a small grin, he added, ¡°It means ¡®safe,¡¯ in case you were wondering. You know, like a safe place. Kind of ironic, huh?¡±


    I chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood. ¡°Nice to meet you, Maaz. Come on in.¡±


    I led him into the apartment, gesturing toward the dining room as we walked. ¡°You must have traveled a lot to get here, so why don¡¯t you freshen up first? We can talk about our arrangements later .¡±


    I pointed to the rooms as we passed them. ¡°This is my room,¡± I said, pointing ar the door on the left. ¡°And this one here is yours. It¡¯s empty for now, so you¡¯ll need to buy whatever you need tomorrow. For tonight, though, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to crash on the couch. Sorry about that¡ªit¡¯s just how things worked out.¡±


    Then I pointed to the door at the end of the hall. ¡°And that¡¯s the washroom. None of the room has an attached bathroom, so we have to share it.¡±


    Maaz didn¡¯t say much in response. He nodded, his eyes scanning the apartment as if he were taking in every detail. He walked slowly, his gaze on the furniture, the walls, and even the small decorations I¡¯d put up to make the place feel cozy. At first, I thought he was just getting a feel for his new living space. Maybe he was the type to analyze his surroundings, or maybe he had OCD. Either way, I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time.


    After scanning the room like a detective, his gaze locked onto something behind me. His eyes widened briefly, he quickly composed himself, his expression returning to normal as if nothing had happened.


    Curiosity took the better of me, and I turned to glance over my shoulder, expecting to see something out of the ordinary. But there was nothing just the same room I''ve been living for few months, with no apparent reason for such a reaction.


    What on earth could he have seen? My mind raced, trying to piece together his strange behavior. Was he imagining things, or was there something I missed? The way his demeanor shifted so quickly left me unsettled.


    "What the hell is this guy looking at?" I muttered under my breath, feeling a mix of unease and frustration as I turned back to face him. His calm facade only deepened the mystery, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to this moment than met the eye. I was about to ask him a question but without saying anything he carried his bags into his room, which was completely bare except for a bed frame and a small wardrobe. Without a word, he placed his things down and headed toward the washroom to freshen up.


    When he came back, he had changed into a casual t-shirt and sweatpants, looking much more relaxed than when he¡¯d first arrived. I was already sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. He joined me, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.


    ¡°So,¡± I started, turning to face him, ¡°Where are you from originally?¡±


    Maaz leaned back,. ¡°It was long,¡± he said simply. ¡°I¡¯m from Morocco. Even though it''s technically in north Africa but most people are from arab origin. Ever visited that side of the world?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope. Closest I¡¯ve been is watching travel vlogs on YouTube. What¡¯s it like there?¡±


    He smiled faintly, his expression softening. ¡°It¡¯s different. Beautiful, in its own way. The history, the food, the people¡ªit¡¯s something you have to experience to really understand. But it¡¯s not all deserts and camels like some people think.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Yeah, I figured as much. So, what are you studying here?¡±


    ¡°physich,¡± he replied. ¡°Specifically, astrophysics. And you?¡±


    ¡° mathematics,¡± I said. ¡°I guess we¡¯re both in fields that involve a lot of problem-solving.¡±


    He nodded, and for the first time, I noticed a flicker of amusement in his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I guess we are. So, tell me, Ted, Anything I should know about living here?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s pretty straightforward. Quiet neighborhood, close to campus, decent i say to be honest. Just don¡¯t expect a five-star experience. The walls are thin, so you might hear the neighbors sometimes. And the heating can be a little finicky in the winter, but nothing too bad.¡±


    He listened intently, nodding occasionally. The conversation flowed easily, and before I knew it, we were talking about everything from our favorite foods to our goals for the future.


    ¡°We¡¯ll divide everything by half,¡± I said as we continued our conversation. ¡°Rent, utilities, internet¡ªall the bills. But food expenses are separate. You¡¯ll handle your own groceries and meals, and I¡¯ll handle mine. That way, no one¡¯s stepping on anyone¡¯s toes.¡±


    Maaz nodded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± he replied, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.


    I leaned back on the couch, relieved that he wasn¡¯t going to make this arrangement complicated. ¡°Good. Glad we¡¯re on the same page. Makes things a lot easier, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He gave a slight smile. ¡°Yeah, it does. I¡¯m not picky about stuff like this. As long as we¡¯re clear about the rules, I¡¯m good.¡±


    That straightforward response made me feel a little more optimistic about having a roommate. No drama, no fuss¡ªjust a simple agreement between two people trying to make things work. I could live with that.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re off to a good start,¡± I said, offering him a small grin. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long we can keep it that way.¡±


    Maaz chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my part. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    And just like that, we had laid the foundation for our living arrangement. Simple, fair, and hopefully drama-free.


    By the end of the night, I had a feeling that this guy and I might actually get along. Sure, he was a bit reserved, but there was something about him that felt trustworthy. Maybe this roommate situation wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all.