Ayo stood frozen, his fingers inches from the blade pulsing in the earth. The rusted metal vibrated with an unnatural hum, as though it had been waiting—centuries—for his touch.
His grandmother whispered behind him, "Don't touch it yet."
"But... it's calling me," Ayo said, voice distant. "It knows me."
She stepped forward, pulling a beaded pouch from her wrapper. "This is not a warrior's weapon. It's one of Ekwensu's soul fragments. They say touching it without being chosen… drives people mad."
"But I am chosen."
He reached out—and the moment his fingers brushed the hilt, the world blinked.
*Everything stopped.*
The birds mid-flight. The breeze. Even time.
Ayo floated in a sea of black, stars forming ancient symbols around him. A massive eye, golden and ancient, opened above.
*"Bearer of Judgment,"* a voice thundered. *"Do you remember me?"*
Flashes of another life hit him all at once. Battles. Betrayals. A golden throne. Fire raining from the skies. Gods bleeding.
Ayo fell to his knees, overwhelmed.
"I don't… understand."
*"You will."
The blade exploded in light. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the forest, the blade now strapped across his back—weightless, yet heavy with memory.
His grandmother knelt, eyes wide. "It chose you."
Ayo nodded. "What happens now?"
She looked toward the sky. "Now the others will come. And they may not all be allies."
***
In a distant land, within the river citadel of *Onuiyi*, Ngozi stood on the surface of a sacred lake. The water glowed beneath her feet.
The priestess arrived, face grim.
"The first fragment has awakened."
Ngozi's hand tightened around her silver dagger. "Then the prophecy…"
"Yes," the priestess whispered. "The reincarnated soul has touched Judgment. Now, the six remaining weapons will begin to stir."
Ngozi looked toward the sky. "Do we protect him—or kill him?"
"That depends," the priestess said, "on who finds him first."
***
Deep in the enchanted jungle, in the underground fortress of *Baba Aye*, Temitope emerged from the ancient library holding a glowing scroll. His master, the ancient mage *Adigun*, awaited him.
"It's true," Temitope said. "The Trickster wasn't the villain."
Adigun nodded slowly. "The war of gods was not what the stories claimed. Ekwensu saved them from eternal destruction… by erasing them."
Temitope's eyes widened. "He made the world forget."
"But memory returns," Adigun said. "You must find him. Help him reclaim the fragments."
"What if he turns dark again?"
Adigun placed a wrinkled hand on his shoulder. "Then you kill him."
***
Thunder cracked over *Ogun's Forge*, the home of the Iron Warriors. Ifedayo swung her enchanted hammer, shattering a boulder. The force rippled through the mountain.
Her father, the war general *Oba Ogunwale*, approached.
"You felt it too."
"Yes," she replied. "The first soul weapon is awake."
He grunted. "Then the mission begins. If Ekwensu returns… the balance shifts."
"I'll find the reincarnated soul," Ifedayo said, eyes glowing faintly. "Before the others do."
Oba nodded. "Go. And remember: loyalty to Ogun comes before all."
***
As night fell, Ayo walked through the forest with his grandmother, heading toward the shrine of forgotten gods.
He could feel something inside him changing—like ancient instincts waking up. He didn't know who he was anymore, only that the name *Ekwensu* now echoed in his blood.
At the shrine, he knelt before the sealed gate. His blade pulsed again.
And then, from the shadows, a girl stepped out—dagger drawn, eyes glowing blue.
"You," she said. "You're the reincarnated one."
Ayo stood, confused. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ngozi. Of the river kingdom. And you're coming with me."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why would I trust someone with a weapon pointed at me?"
"Because if I don't bring you in," she said, "someone else will. And they won't ask nicely."
Suddenly, the air shimmered.
A blast of wind knocked them apart as a war hammer slammed into the earth between them.
Ifedayo landed in a crouch, her eyes blazing with war magic.
"I'll be taking him instead."
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