The village is quiet but with unease, everbody unaware of what is coming.
Nightfall blankets the rebel camp in uneasy silence. The wounded sleep, guarded by wary fighters. A strange wind whistles through the trees—unnatural, cold.
Morenike stiffens where she meditates, her hands trembling. Her connection to the ancient realm is disrupted—tainted.
> Morenike (whispers to herself):
"This isn't ordinary. Something dark has been pulled from the ground beneath us."
Suddenly, the sky rumbles.
A shriek—deep, inhuman—shatters the quiet. Then, the beast comes.
Massive, shrouded in black smoke and sinew, with burning eyes and claws like machetes, the Ajaká, summoned by Bankode's blood ritual, storms the camp. It cuts through warriors like dry grass in harmattan. Flames erupt as huts are crushed underfoot.
---
Yemi's POV:
Yemi rushes forward, blade drawn. But the moment he strikes, the beast throws him back like a sack of yam.
> Yemi (gritting his teeth):
"This thing… it's not meant to be defeated by swords."
His thoughts flash to Chief Alade, to the promise he made—to protect the people. He watches villagers scatter, and shame wells up inside him.
> Yemi (to himself):
"I wasn't ready. I'm still not ready."
---
Bayo's POV:
Bayo and Ayomide flank the creature, striking its legs. Blood—thick and black—spills, but the beast doesn't slow. Bayo swings again, panting hard.
> Bayo (thinking):
"Tunde is dead, but this… this is the punishment."
He looks up, sees a boy trampled by the beast's charge.
> Bayo (low):
"All this blood is still on my hands."
---
Adeola's POV:
Adeola, watching it all, grips his sword tighter.
> Adeola (internally):
"How do I lead when I don't even know what I've become?"
The beast charges him. He dives to the side, barely escaping its claws. His chest burns, but he rises. He must rise.
> Adeola (to himself):
"I carry the blood of kings. Then I must fight like one."
---
Akimule's POV:
Akimule engages the beast alone, blade glowing with the markings of his old tribe. Each strike is precise—disciplined. But his age shows. The creature slams him to the ground.
> Akimule (coughing blood):
"I was born for war… but maybe not this one."
---
The Turning Point – Morenike's Arrival:
Then comes Morenike.
She walks through the chaos, eyes fierce, staff in hand. The wind stops. Even the beast hesitates.
> Morenike (shouting):
"You are not of this world. Return to the rot that bore you!"
She drives her staff into the earth. A burst of ancestral energy explodes outward—glowing sigils circle her arms. The air shimmers.
The Ajaká roars and charges.
> Adeola (watching):
"She's not just gifted. She's something else entirely."
---
Final Battle:
With the beast weakened by Morenike's power, the rebels strike again—this time with purpose. Akimule cuts deep into its hind leg. Ayomide leaps from above, blade piercing its neck. Bayo, bloodied and breathless, lands a crushing strike to its gut.
Yemi delivers the final blow, his sword driving straight into the beast's chest as Morenike releases a final surge of energy. The creature lets out one last guttural cry, then disintegrates into black ash.
---
Aftermath:
Silence. Smoke. Moans of the wounded.
The rebels gather. None speak.
Morenike stands in the ashes, eyes closed.
> Yemi (softly):
"If she hadn't come…"
> Adeola (quietly):
"We would all be dead."
Akimule kneels, tired but alive.
> Bayo (low, to himself):
"Victory… still feels like loss."
---
Cut to: Ojora Empire
Bankode stares into a black pool of water. The image fades. His hand trembles.
> Bankode (coldly):
"She broke the spell."
Adekunle turns away from the vision, seething.
> Adekunle:
"Then break her. Burn every village she hides in. I want nothing left."
fades out on his burning eyes.
---