The sky had the kind of dark, brooding quality that always made Y/N feel small. Clouds hung heavy in the distance, threatening rain but holding back just enough to create an oppressive stillness. Y/N pulled her coat tighter around her, eyes scanning the horizon as if expecting something, though she didn't know what.
"Typical," she muttered to herself, kicking at the stones underfoot. It was one of those evenings where everything felt off, like the universe had decided to twist just slightly out of sync with her reality. Work had been a nightmare—again. The usual monotony of her life felt like it was closing in, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
The small leather-bound book in her hand caught the fading light of dusk. It was old, far older than anything she'd ever owned before, with a strange symbol embossed on the front. She hadn't even meant to buy it—just one of those odd impulse purchases from a dusty corner of a used bookstore. Something about it had called to her, as if it was waiting for her to pick it up.
Inside, the pages were filled with peculiar symbols and lines of text she couldn't read. "Probably some dead language," she thought, flipping through the delicate pages without understanding a single word. There was something enchanting about it, though. Almost... magical.
Y/N shook her head. "Magic," she scoffed to herself, closing the book with a snap. She wasn't a kid anymore. There was no such thing as magic.
Still, her fingers lingered on the cover. An irrational thought bubbled up, and without even realizing it, she whispered under her breath, "I wish something would happen. Anything."
The air grew unnaturally still. A heavy pause followed her words, and for a brief second, Y/N's breath caught in her throat. Then, the wind came alive with an eerie howl. It swirled around her, fast and ferocious, pulling at her coat and hair like invisible hands. She stumbled, dropping the book as her heart hammered in her chest.
"What the—"
A blinding flash of light split the sky. Y/N shielded her eyes, but she could still feel it—a presence, powerful and suffocating. The wind died down, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake. Her hand fell to her side, and when she looked up, the world was different.
He was standing there. Tall, otherworldly, with a kind of sharp elegance that made him seem out of place in her small, mundane world. His pale skin glowed faintly in the twilight, and his eyes—those mismatched, hypnotic eyes—locked onto hers with an intensity that made her freeze.
"Hello, precious thing," he said, his voice a smooth drawl that sent a shiver down her spine.
Y/N stared, her mind racing to catch up. Who was he? Where had he come from? More importantly—how?
"Who are you?" she blurted out, taking an involuntary step back.
The stranger tilted his head, amusement flickering across his features. "Jareth, the Goblin King," he answered, as if that explained everything.
She blinked, processing the name. Goblin King? This was ridiculous. But when she opened her mouth to speak again, she found the words caught in her throat. There was something terrifyingly real about him, something that made her believe in him even as her rational mind screamed that this was impossible.
Jareth's lips curved into a knowing smile, and he stepped closer. "You summoned me," he said softly, his voice wrapping around her like silk. "Did you think your wish would go unanswered?"
"I didn't mean it," Y/N stammered, feeling her pulse quicken. She couldn't tear her gaze away from him. "I didn't think... I mean, this—"
"Ah, but you did mean it, didn't you?" His eyes gleamed in the dim light, cutting through her confusion. "A wish is a powerful thing, Y/N."
Her heart skipped at the sound of her name on his lips, a dangerous mix of fear and fascination bubbling up inside her. "How do you know my name?"
Jareth chuckled, the sound low and almost mocking. "I know many things, precious. I know you're tired of this life. I know you crave more than the dull routine you've been trapped in. And I know that somewhere, deep inside, you want something extraordinary."
Y/N swallowed hard, unsure whether to run or keep listening. "What do you want from me?"
"I want nothing," he replied smoothly, but the way he said it suggested otherwise. "The question is—what do you want, Y/N?"
For a moment, she didn't answer. She didn't know what to say. But something about the way Jareth looked at her made her feel exposed, as if he could see all the things she hadn't been willing to admit, even to herself.
Finally, she whispered, "I just... I just want something different. Something more."
Jareth's smile widened. "Then I think you'll enjoy what comes next."
Before Y/N could respond, the ground beneath her shifted, and the world around her dissolved into shadow. The last thing she saw was Jareth's face, his eyes burning with the promise of something far beyond her wildest dreams.
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