Chapter 1

“Haa Haaa.....” Adobi’s laugh was a chill wind that rattled the bones of the dead leaves. “You thought u can take me on shame nice try thou.”

Chioma’s breath came in ragged gasps. She had fought valiantly, her machete flashing, her heart full of the desperate hope that she could buy time for the others. But Adobi’s power was a relentless tide. A final blast of shadow had torn through her defenses, and now she felt her strength draining into the cold earth.

From the edge of the clearing, Nneka watched in horror. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Chioma!” she cried, her voice a raw shard of grief.

Okochi stood beside her, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. He could only stare as Chioma’s knees buckled. She fell forward, catching herself on her palms, and lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were already growing distant, but they held a desperate love.

“Okochi.... I am sorry I tried but I let you down.... Please for... Forgive me.....”

Her voice faded to a whisper. Her body slumped, and a faint, shimmering wisp of light—her soul—rose from her chest. Adobi opened her palm, and the soul spiraled into it like smoke into a bottle. The sorceress laughed again, a sound like grinding stones.

“What’s wrong, Nneka?” Adobi taunted, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Don’t you like my energy?”

Nneka’s grief ignited into fury. Her eyes blazed. “U gonna pay for this!”

Okochi took a step forward, then stopped. His fists were shaking. “Chioma is.... Dead,” he whispered, the words tasting like ash.

Nneka turned to him, her face a mask of resolve. “There is only one way we can defeat this Adobi.”

Okochi’s eyes narrowed. He knew what she meant. “If u think about that fusion technique u better forget about it.”

“Dude, it’s our only hope!” Nneka grabbed his arm, her grip fierce.

“I won’t fuse with someone who lied about those chocolate,” Okochi said, his voice flat.

Nneka blinked. For a moment, the rage in her chest flickered into disbelief. “Wait.... Are u mad about that? Come on, Okochi!”

“Hey, don’t think I will feel sorry for u,” he shot back, crossing his arms.

She took a breath, forcing calm into her voice. “Okay, okay, I am sorry. But look, we must fuse, Okochi. This person killed people we know and love.... Mama, Chioma, Amaka, the twins—they are all gone! Will u let that slide?”

Okochi’s face twisted. A storm of emotions—grief, anger, fear—battled behind his eyes. He looked at Chioma’s still form, then at the mocking shadow that was Adobi. His jaw worked. Finally, he let out a growl.

Adobi watched the exchange with theatrical boredom. “You complain like couples. Are u gonna do the fusion nonsense or what? I really don’t mind to finish both of you off.”

Okochi met Nneka’s gaze. “All right, fine. She mess with our family, she must pay.”

Nneka’s face broke into a fierce smile. “That’s more like it!”

They stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder. Nneka raised her right hand, Okochi his left. Their palms met, and a brilliant light erupted from the point of contact. The air hummed, the ground trembled. Their forms blurred, merged, and reformed into a single figure—a woman of radiant power, her skin glowing with a warm, golden hue. Her eyes held the fire of Nneka and the steadiness of Okochi. She was Anita.

Adobi’s smug expression cracked. “Wait.... It.... It can’t be!”

Anita flexed her fingers, feeling the surge of energy coursing through her. A grin spread across her face. “Oh hell yeah.... I love this power. Who knew that this fusion would be this epic...”

Adobi recovered her composure, her shadows coiling tighter around her. “U might seem strong, but u still have no match for me.”

Anita tilted her head, her smile unfaltering. “I would like to see u try.”

Adobi thrust her hands forward, and a torrent of shadowy tendrils shot toward Anita. They struck her chest and exploded in a cloud of black smoke. But when the smoke cleared, Anita stood unharmed, brushing off her shoulder.

“Was that the best u got?” Anita asked, her voice laced with mockery. “Oh mighty Adobi, what kind of power is that? Do u call it a ‘spell’?”

“How dare u undermine me!” Adobi shrieked. She gathered her power, the shadows around her swelling into a massive vortex. The trees bent, the ground cracked. She hurled the vortex at Anita with all her might.

Anita didn’t flinch. She raised one hand, and a golden shield flared to life. The vortex shattered against it, dissipating like mist. Then Anita moved—a blur of light and fury. She closed the distance in an instant and drove her fist into Adobi’s chest.

Adobi’s eyes widened. The impact sent her flying backward, crashing through a baobab tree. She struggled to rise, her shadows flickering and fading. “No.... It can’t be. I am the mighty one! I can’t die.... NO!”

Anita stood over her, hands on her hips. “Your reign ends now.”

She raised both hands, and a sphere of pure light formed between them. With a cry, she released it. The light struck Adobi, and the sorceress exploded in a burst of dark energy that scattered like torn clouds. For a moment, the clearing was silent. Then, from the explosion, thousands of tiny lights—the stolen souls—rose into the sky like fireflies, drifting back to their owners.

Nneka and Okochi’s forms separated, stumbling apart. They were both drenched in sweat, their legs trembling. Nneka fell to her knees, breathing hard.

“We did it.... Our family and friends are back,” she said, her voice hoarse.

Okochi nodded, his eyes on the distant lights. “Yeah.... I hope it ends here.”

They looked at each other, and then, as if the same string had been cut, they both collapsed onto the grass, too exhausted to move. The sky above began to clear, the first rays of dawn peeking through the trees. But in the shadows of the forest, something stirred—a faint, dark whisper that no one heard.

And far away, in the village, a child woke from a dreamless sleep, her eyes wide, and whispered a name that should have been forgotten: “Adobi.”