The Curse of Zainab, the Full Novel: Son of Chaos

By Ahmad I. Alkhalel

Part 1. Pharaonic Blood: The past has not yet concluded.
&
Part 2. Deity of Torment: Heroes are born out of the most unlikely beginnings.

After the exciting events of the first novel "Zero Moment" and the second "The Sect" of the Son of Chaos series, it is more necessary to know this unidentified hero, so what is his story? Where is he from? And how did a man who could manipulate others become like this?

To know him well, it is necessary to know his history, not only from birth, but even a hundred years ago and more, that is what we will find out in this novel.

Between Pharaonic curses and Turkish-Arab origins, there is a dangerous secret that men gave their lives decades ago, to preserve it, a story of violence and madness was born to create an exceptional situation.

In this world, beginnings decide your fate, and many times, heroes are made from very strange beginnings, a mixture of cruelty, pain, and loss.
Although this book is a part of the Son of Chaos series of novels, its events do not take place in the same setting as those in the other books in the series or even during the same time period. Instead, they occur very far in the past in the fictional timeline, where the beginning, which was inevitable, to make its hero, is a moment on the fabric of time, which we cannot ignore.
If you love the character of Baibars from the book Zero Moment and are eager to read the rest of his story in the book The Moment of Baibars, the final book in this series, then, my friend, you have the right to know who he is. In order to get to know someone well, you need to be aware of their past, which spans many years before their birth.
Your destiny is determined by your beginnings, whether you like it or not. The past hasn't passed away, and you have every right to know the events that contributed to who you are now, even if they started more than a century before your birth.

Your future is determined by your beginnings.
Oftentimes, heroes are born out of the most unlikely beginnings.
Do not concern yourself with who you were or how you came to be.
What is important is who you are going to be tomorrow!

-The thief of memories came to me and offered me a number of alluring contracts, promising to remove all of my terrible memories. When he eventually departed, I felt like a lump of joy and pleasure, and I was just about to accept his offer when I suddenly thought of you.

-He was struck by chaos, polished by randomly, wrestled with him and wrestled with it, wrestled with it until he tamed it, and he became its brother, friend, and son.

-From an early age, he did not enjoy safety and stability, he lived in the midst of hurricanes of chaos, and the heart of randomness. He became the son of shadows and their master.
He deserved the nickname he called himself "Son of Chaos."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ahmad I. Alkhalel
• Release date: Nov 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223258070

Ahmad I. Alkhalel

I want to stir up that madness within you, who you have always been told, would be the cause of your ostracism, and your expulsion, out of the herd. When I was a child, I made sure to write down all my concerns, wishes, and aspirations, which were not always childish, or perhaps even so childish, that would occur only to a child who was naive enough of his peers, and then I burned this paper, believing that this would make my words merge with the whole universe so that it, in turn, could react to them as it sees fit. Since then, I have lived a life that may not be successful to the standards of many people today, but it is very exceptional, and the difference between success and exception is a thorny dilemma, with a slight difference. Every exception is a success, but not every success is an exception, at least this is how I see things from my own perspective. And the problem with exceptional people is, that many people are not qualified to see success behind their exceptions. If we wanted to group people according to their academic success, every few million of them would be grouped into one group, and for me, my goal in this life was not to be in a crowded group. In my opinion, the real success lies in the memoirs. If you ever decide to write your own memoirs, do you think that it will be exceptional from the rest of the memoirs of millions and millions of people crowding into your group? You own the answer.

Book preview

The Introduction

Although this book is a part of the Son of Chaos series of novels, its events do not take place in the same setting as those in the other books in the series or even during the same time period. Instead, they occur very far in the past in the fictional timeline, where the beginning, which was inevitable, to make its hero, is a moment on the fabric of time, which we cannot ignore.

If you love the character of Baibars from the book Zero Moment and are eager to read the rest of his story in the book The Moment of Baibars, the final book in this series, then, my friend, you have the right to know who he is. In order to get to know someone well, you need to be aware of their past, which spans many years before their birth.

Your destiny is determined by your beginnings, whether you like it or not. The past hasn't passed away, and you have every right to know the events that contributed to who you are now, even if they started more than a century before your birth.

Chapter I: The Oven

Zainab stayed where she was, terrified, shivering at the horror of what her eyes saw, her body trembling as if a demonic possession had invaded her, something was running through her, her eyes turned fiery red and her face veins popped.

The location is in the southern region of Egypt, in the heart of the city of Badari, on the banks of the Nile River, halfway between the governorates of Assiut and Sohag, where ancient Egypt left its imprint on history that will endure for all time. According to its inhabitants, the Pharaonic civilization existed here, who claim that among them are the descendants of the last remaining pharaohs on earth. Rumors have also been spread about a secret council of wise men who possess knowledge that no one else possesses, including the burial secret, which is allegedly where all the secrets of ancient Egypt are buried.

Asyut was called " Siōwt, which is derived from the word Syowt and means guard in the hieroglyphic language, that is, the border guard of Upper Egypt when it joined the Thebes" capital of the country in its struggle against the invading Hyksos.

Regarding the Badari Center or the city of Badari, it is the largest in terms of area of the centers of the Assiut Governorate. The Badari civilization, which dates back to 3200 BC and is one of the oldest civilizations in history, is located there. It consists of 36 settlements and is thought to be the first indication of the development of agriculture in Egypt and North Africa 7,000 years ago.

The resurrection, or the afterlife, was a concept that the ancient Badarians held dear. They interred their dead in the desert with their heads facing south and their eyes turned west. They also buried them with their pets or statues of animals, people, or birds nearby.

These ancient superstitions vanished after monotheistic faiths arrived in Egypt, or at least they did so in their direct form. This is because superstitions are always preserved and absorbed through conventions and traditions.

Some Badarians carried along their ancestors' old customs. Evil spirits must have perished eternally, and everyone who fails to merit resurrection deserves to die.

The date: 1910 AD.

Ten-year-old girl cowering in terror, surrounded by men in traditional Upper Egyptian garb, their faces hard, their throats quivering, their mouths foaming with rage, uttering the dreadful words the cursed get rid of her!

They forced a ten-year-old girl to see her sister, who was only a few years older than her. As the father firmly fixes her by the shoulders, she screams at the top of her lungs and sobs in terror in front of an old clay oven with a black iron door that is closed and has an iron bar on it, making it impossible to open from the inside. Their thick mustaches and beards did not waver during the entire ordeal.

As she watched her sister Fatima being placed alive in the oven, Zainab was shaking, her body trembled, and she felt as if she had been possessed by a demonic being. Her eyes ended up being red, and the veins in her face burst open. Then the door was shut in front of her.

The girl's cries rose, burning slowly as she writhed inside the oven and knocked on the iron door from inside, pleading in pain. Then there was a moment of majestic silence, followed by a strong wind and birds flying and fluttering in all directions. Finally, a final cry echoed from the oven and reached the ancient Badarians tombs, at which point the girl fell silent forever.

Avoid giving yourself over to the devil and allowing him to hurt you to avoid sharing her destiny. Nothing will uncover this untold truth, which has been hidden for many years, after today or countless other days.

Each night, the mother made sure to warn Zainab about what would happen if those indications appeared on her. These signs are visible only to the sect's wise men, who are also familiar with the mysteries and secrets surrounding old burial rituals and who ultimately decide who would live and who would perish.

A fourteen-year-old girl whose poor luck and attractiveness caused a 70-year-old to lust after her, Fatima's sin was that she refused, chose to rebel, and refused to be a victim of her own bad luck.

Even though he is one of the wise men, she declared: No, I will not wed this old man.

They had her married, and on the wedding night, she barely managed a brief escape before coming back with ropes.

The sage Sheikh then discerns in her the indications of a curse that has been passed down through the years, a demonic spirit that resides there, who dared to rebel and go, and a curse that must be destroyed since the devil might use her tongue to reveal the secrets of the graves.

The girl was scorched, and the flames were put out in her bones, but the old man's lust was still burning. It needs to be appeased and made up for by the cursed one. No one other than her sister Zainab could take her place.

A ten-year-old child lacked the bravery to flee, but something happened that day as if a mysterious aura left her sister's body with that cry and invaded her spirit. She grew remarkably powerful, and something inside of her drove her to rebel.  On the eve of the wedding, she mustered all of her power and decided to run as far as she could.

She was pursued by torches, shame, and the oven all through the night as she ran aimlessly, yet when morning came, she was found unconscious beside a little waterwheel.

A young man with brown hair and blue eyes as bright as snow, barely past the age of seventeen, who was not from this country but spoke with a clear civil Egyptian accent, appeared to her as soon as the veil over her eyes lifted. He asked, What's wrong with you girl! as he wiped water across her face. where did you come from?

Her heart was pounding frantically as she tried to remember who she was. She jumped in panic and frantically searched her surroundings.

The young man realized right away; She is undoubtedly a runaway, and in these places, females only flee from death to death often.

He unloaded a sizable basket of dates, placed the girl inside, and immediately rode out with the horse-drawn carriage.

A young man of Turkish descent who is a warlord descendant of the Ottomans.

He was intended to be here today to save Zainab by fate.

Or perhaps to prevent the curse from being dispelled!

Or perhaps to start a story where events start, get going, and end at every moment...

Chapter II. The Crypt

-Do not be afraid; muster the confidence to enter seeing as the rope is sturdy.

-Please, Dad, I'm terrified

-I told you, do not be afraid, Mustafa, come in and do not get me furious with you, my son.

His features grew harsher than before; his eyebrows were thick, his eyes were narrow and greedy, his skin was dark, his lips were black, and he bit with yellow, separated teeth on them. He pushed the boy inside while his eyes welled up with tears and his forehead began to perspire.

-Coward, show some courage. Do enter.

In a last-ditch effort to awaken at least part of his father's remains—or at least, the remains of a human being—in his heart, he clutched to his father's cloak and embraced his feet.

-Why me? My brother Haridi should be sent in my place.

-Since you are small, the time is now for your thin, malnourished body. There is no room for anyone else in this confined corridor. Do not worry; nothing awful will occur, I assure you.

He begs his mother for assistance while sitting in the corner of the room, hugging his sister Zainab close, while Fatima is standing next to her, sobbing quietly for her terrified brother.

Mustafa, proceed. Hold onto the lamp. What do you observe on the walls? Please describe. Specify every detail.

Many residents in Assiut's villages are fascinated by the Pharaonic tombs and the valuables they contain, and they believe that by finding something in one of these tombs, they can instantly transform their condition from poverty to wealth.

Strangely enough, some people devote their entire life to searching for treasures that are actually just under their feet.

Eight-year-old Mustafa was playing calmly on the ground with a small wooden horse an hour ago at noon on April 19, 1910, while Zainab and Fatima were engaged in a common game called, The Seven Stones involving a few stones with Zainab.

While the father smokes a hookah and the mother clasps a shirt that has been torn ten times, Haridi checks the cow enclosure in the back room.

He then abruptly said, Dad, Dad, in an excited voice.

-What's wrong with you?

-Come soon.

Only a wooden door and a wall separated the chamber from the barn when the father entered there, and an eerie silence soon descended.

Haredi: This is what? A cave, perhaps?

-When did you show up?

-Unexpectedly, the ground close to the wall collapsed, revealing this pit beneath it.

He asked his father with a bewildered expression, Is this...

-Keep quiet while I check first.

He brought a pick and began hammering away at the wall while trying not to make any noise. Suddenly, Fatima's screams could be heard coming from the adjacent space.

They sped over to her only to discover that a bigger hole had collapsed at the opposite end of the wall, exposing the curtain of a small, dim crypt. This crypt in Upper Egypt might represent much more than just the hidden treasure at its end.

-Keep quiet; no one should hear you.

The mother covered Zainab's mouth with her hand while Fatima covered her own with hers. Absolute secrecy is required. The authorities may seize the father's home and the homes nearby if the neighbors found out and the information got out. These crypts could represent old tombs in this location, which is the state's right as a historical relic.

The father decided right away. Only just enough room exists for Mustafa in the crypt. We'll rope-tie his feet and give him a lamp so he can crawl inside and tell us what he sees. There can be no question if there are inscriptions there. It is a Pharaonic burial, or it could be a desert cemetery. In both situations, we shall permanently wave goodbye to poverty.

Mother: Shouldn't you seek advice from the Council of Elders, Saleh? They are the guardians of the burial's secret and will treat you fairly when it comes to your share of the treasure.

The father: Hold on, let's first check what's within.

-Suppose this tomb is a cursed one. Only they are capable of dealing with old curses so that we don’t suffer under their curse

-If there is a tomb, we won't go into it. I'm solely interested in the writing on the inner crypt and what's at the very end.

As he spoke, Mustafa caught his attention and said, Listen, son, describe to me everything you see. If you come to a dead wall or a door, you must memorize the drawings on it.

The father pushes the terrified child firmly into the crypt while he cries out in terror and trembles on his hands and feet.

-Dad, here, here, here, and there... He started to crouch down a small corridor while struggling for breath.

-All right, son, come in a bit more.

He squinted, unable to move, his sight blurred, the dust covering everything, and he was just about 20 meters away. His lips uttered the word Pull me, and he gasped loudly, crying and screaming with trembling, Pull me, pull me.

The rope soon slipped from his grasp as a shriek rang out. The child collapsed suddenly.

Aiming to steady him: Haridi, please help.

He is being yanked by them.

Later, a cry that was louder than the first one erupted. Backpedaling quickly, the two hit the floor.

The father stood up and began pulling the rope, which was light and weightless. The pulling soon came to a stop, and the child plummeted down a deep well or something alike.

The entire crypt then fell, leaving only a hole and debris above it.

As Zainab raced to Fatima after she collapsed, the sobbing mother was slapping her face with her hands, flinging dirt on her head, and yelling at the top of her lungs with a bloody burn, Mustafa... Mustafa... my son.

When the neighbors realized what had happened, they hurried to help them and exclaimed, What a fool you are, Hajj Salih, how can you send your son inside like this? What's going on, man? We must swiftly summon a member of the Council of Elders so that we can save the child, someone cried out.

The wise man, a man in his seventies, arrived after 30 minutes. He gave a strong instruction as he stared at the women and the man, "Get out all of you. Only those who were present at the incident will stay. Make sure not to say a single letter or it will cost you your life.

Father: We need them, all men, to save Mustafa; let's keep digging.

-Did you hear his voice after it fell, the wise man asked as he regarded the crumbling wall.

-Not at all; everything fell on top of him.

-Has he remarked on what he saw?

-Yes, he confirmed, observing weird inscriptions.

-Did he describe anything?

-No, just that. He then began shouting out, Pull me. Just as I started to retrieve him, the rope snapped, making it appear as though he had fallen into a deep well. Following that, the ground eclipsed and the wall fell.

-No other words, right?

The father held back a statement he wanted to make because he was uncertain or fearful of something.

With a dubious expression, the wise man lowered his eyes. Speak up, Saleh, he said. Avoid being terrified. What transpired following the wall's collapse?

-I'm not sure what it was, but we heard a strange cry that didn't sound like Mustafa's voice. Abruptly I felt air coming out of the crypt, and suddenly...

The old man's eyes sparkled: Continue.

-Fatima's head was resting on her mother's shoulder, and she was fully unconscious as the father turned to face her. She wasn't conscious for a time. My daughter then collapsed to the floor, he claimed.

The old man: Did she get unconscious?

-Yes.

He commanded firmly, Don't say a word, and don't tell the people of the village about this, keep it secret until I investigate the matter.

The father is perplexed and is afraid of something. What about Mustafa, he asked. What is going to happen to him?

-Your suffering is severe; he won't survive when everything fell on him, and only God knows where he landed. The fact that the administration is currently in the dark about what took place is crucial; you need to be saved.

Take a look at Fatima, and don't forget about your daughter right away!

Mom: Don't leave my son, please.

May God have pity on your son, mother, the wise man reiterated in a stern voice to the father. You need to consider your family at this point, especially your daughter.

While the father relinquished control, Fatima held closer to her mother out of dread for what she did not understand. The family must be preserved, may God have mercy on Mustafa.

Within this part of the world, the wise men know everything. They possess information that no one else has, and while you may not think that these secrets are anything more than ridiculous, illogical drivel, they nevertheless give them a sense of dignity and a level of wealth and power that no one else possesses.

No one will ever argue with them about something they request, especially considering that only they are familiar with dealing with the ancient curses that were used to protect treasures and burials from thieves. One of the most potent curses requires them to slaughter an animal during special ceremonies and rituals. the most dangerous and irrational of these is the curse that you should not attempt to approach, no matter what the temptations may convey. It is a curse that was discovered following a person being killed outside the cemetery's entrance.

Both the mother and the father were aware of this, and they both had their reservations regarding the existence of a long-forgotten curse. The curse could only be broken in one of two ways if this occurred, and she had just emerged from the crypt to settle in Fatima.

The first technique is through a wise person who has the strength and knowledge to free the girl from the curse.

The oven is the second technique....

Chapter III: The Ritual of Deliverance

Days after the incident, the father and Haridi's digging efforts failed to locate Mustafa, who had vanished without a trace or a voice. The situation had been resolved.

The wise guy approached the father and asked, How are you, Saleh?

Without waiting for an answer, he added with a reproachful look: The sounds of your digging tonight are audible, Saleh. Your neighbors are debating your attempts to go to the cemetery...

The father cut him off, saying, We're in search of Mustafa with the goal to find him alive.

The wise man: I told them that we couldn't stop you from attempting to save your kid, but after over a week, are you sure he can't survive?!

Unfortunately - may God have mercy on him - there is no hope.

-Well, then, stop digging because we don't want to cause controversy in the village; we'll deal with the burial later.

He said, How is your daughter?

-She is constantly crying as she grieves for her sibling.

-Is her behavior any different now?

-Yes, she appears to be more daring. This morning, she yelled at me. She stated that you are to blame for what happened to Mustafa.

-I'll see you later tonight. I need to look into that. I believe she has been cursed.

The wise man sat in front of Fatima in the evening, exposing her face. She was a brunette with some red color on her cheeks, the blood of fear flowing in her face, or perhaps it was the blood of anger, her beautiful eyes, her plump lips, and her delicate and soft features. She was a young girl in front of an elderly man in his seventies with the full authority to decide what he wanted about her.

His face took on a peculiar expression as he seized her eyes with his fingers, opened them, and started to peer into them as if he were searching for something. He let her go, went back, and immediately made a decision. She was struck by the ancients' curse.

Chaos erupted in the space; her mother hugged her, her father was speechless, and Zainab had no idea what was happening. But she had thoughts about a young lady who was supposedly cursed with a terrible fate!

When the men emerged, holding the girl bound by ropes and pointing her in the direction of a blazing oven, she was playing. She chased after them to see what would happen to her. But because she didn't want her to witness what would happen to her, her mother caught her and took her home.

Mother: Wise man, spare me the pain of losing her after Mustafa.

The wise man said, I'll try my best.

Father: We have to save her at all costs.

The wise man approached the father at the door of the home and said, Hajj Salih, listen to me. It is one of the most powerful curses and is reckless. A malevolent spirit who is familiar with all the cemetery's secrets resided there. We won't permit her to reveal them with her tongue. Either I try with your daughter or she shall burn to death.

-This will not happen; it will work, I am sure it will work, and you'll be successful in treating her since, after all, you've done it before.

He hesitated before responding, Yes, but the rituals will be hard on her. She might not be able to handle it, I fear. We'll have to give it a shot.

-When do we begin, then?

-Bring her over to my house outside the village tomorrow. The ceremony must be conducted in silence. She would be murdered before dawn if the populace learned about her curse.

The following day at midday, Fatima is alone outside the village in a room in one of the man's homes. She tried to talk her father out of doing the ceremony, but he resisted because the wise man believed she had a curse on her. Even if she thought she was fine, this did not help the situation. Her denial can be evidence of their existence rather than negation because curses have never acknowledged their existence within a person.

The father was instructed to depart and come back later by the wise man. During the curse's removal, it is essential that everyone connected to her by blood leave the area to prevent her from returning to her body and settling there. There must be caution because the rites are sacred.

This particular kind of curse favors switching from one blood-related body to another. Because the entire family is in danger, everyone needs to be away from the house when it is being evicted.

Fatima was seated on a mat when he entered the room, and he sat down directly across from her.

Listen to me, Fatima, he murmured in a fatherly voice. You have been cursed with a wicked, malicious spirit. As soon as it has complete power over you, it won't hesitate to spill the beans it has been holding in with your tongue. This is what the Council of Elders will not allow. In an effort to break the curse, the villagers will burn you to death. Obedience to what I require of you is the key to your salvation.

Fatima: I don't feel like there's a problem with me, Sir! Apart from my sadness for Mustafa, I am exactly the same as I usually am.

-You won't feel it right away, and once you're certain that it's there, everyone in the village will realize it, at which point it will be too late for me to offer any assistance. Instead, you must get it out before it can