---
Ire looked down at Efe, who lay on the ground, surrounded by the cold steel of weapons pointed at him. A flash of guilt pierced her heart.
He saved my life... and now I've dragged him into this. This is really bad.
Their lives now hung in the balance, waiting on the silent verdict of the commandant, who was speaking into a mysterious call. Every ticking second felt like a countdown to destruction. And yet, she couldn't help but admire how Efe remained calm, even in the face of death.
Then she saw them — the heavy boots of the commander approaching steadily. He held the phone in one hand and his gun in the other, his face unreadable.
"Waste them," he said casually, as though passing down a trivial order.
The words struck Ire like a hammer. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Please!" she cried out. "What wrong have we done? Please... show mercy!"
But her pleas fell on deaf ears. The soldiers adjusted their aim, weapons locked on target. The commander raised his arm, counting down with his fingers — three... two...
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. A fearsome tremor shook the earth beneath them, snapping everyone's attention to their surroundings. Overhead, the clear skies darkened as storm clouds gathered with unnatural speed, casting eerie shadows across the field.
"Hurry and get the job done!" the commander barked, voice tense. The soldiers raised their weapons, fingers poised on the triggers—when a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, crashing into a nearby vehicle with a thunderous explosion.
Flames roared upward, licking at the dark clouds. The shockwave left them all momentarily stunned. Ire's heart pounded—her life now balanced on a razor's edge.
Then came the sound. A screech—high-pitched, otherworldly. Everyone turned toward the source.
In the distance, a swirling black mass twisted across the horizon like a cyclone. Glowing red eyes blinked through the shadows, fixed on them. The soldiers froze in terror as the nightmare raced closer.
Suddenly, a massive tree was hurled through the air like a spear, crashing down and flattening several men instantly. Ire stood frozen, unable to move, paralyzed by horror.
But Efe acted. While the chaos unfolded, he crouched low and slipped a key from one of the fallen bodies. He tapped Ire's arm and motioned for silence. Together, they crept toward the car amidst the confusion.
"Retreat! Take the prisoners and—" The commander's voice was cut off by the roar of the ignition. Efe slammed his foot down, and the car jolted forward.
"Stop them!" the commander yelled, his own gun blazing. Bullets and debris flew. A soldier hurled a rock that shattered the windshield, glass raining down inside the vehicle.
Behind them, the black tornado reached the commander's position.
"Oh no…" he whispered—his final words before the monstrous force devoured him and his remaining men.
Blood rained from the sky. Severed limbs and shattered bodies hurled from the vortex, thudding against the ground—and the car.
"Bang!"
The commander's severed head landed on the hood with a sickening splat.
"Ahhhh!" Ire screamed, clutching her seat as tears streamed down her cheeks. The vehicle rocked, struggling to stay on course as the storm's pull intensified.
The tornado surged closer, its monstrous suction dragging the car toward its core.
Then, up ahead—Ire spotted a fallen fuel tanker, leaking fuel across the road.
"Bingo!" Efe grinned. He fished through his pocket and pulled out a lighter, thrusting it toward Ire.
"Hold this! When I get us close, light it and toss it!"
"What? That's insane!"
"Trust me—it's the only way unless you'd rather get eaten by that," he said, jerking his head toward the vortex.
Ire's hands trembled as she took the lighter. "Burning to death sounds like a horrible way to go. God, please help us..." she whispered.
"Good." Efe focused, driving toward the spill—but staying just far enough to avoid the flames.
"Now!" he yelled.
Ire struck the lighter and flung it out the window. The flame hit the fuel—and ignited instantly.
The fire raced across the spill, reaching the base of the tornado. The storm lit up like a torch—and then—
BOOM!
A colossal explosion shook the earth.
---
Ire slowly opened her eyes—at first lazily, then wide with panic as her surroundings came into focus. She sat up abruptly, finding herself in a hut filled with strange carvings and sheets in red and black. Her mind raced, trying to remember how she got there, when the chief priest walked in. It was the same old man from her last vision.
He entered holding a calabash, his expression unreadable. As before, he didn't acknowledge her presence. He began chanting, shaking his maracas rhythmically. Smoke filled the room, thick and suffocating.
Cough, cough! Ire gasped, unable to suppress it. The smoke gathered in a single spot, swirling into the shape of a man.
A voice emerged.
"Idusogie! It's nice to hear from you again."
"What have you done, Sapele? I can feel a dark presence among the people."
"I warned you—give me what I want, and no one gets hurt. But you chose to be stubborn."
"This is madness. You're playing with a force beyond reckoning. It will destroy you. Change before it's too late..."
"Enough, old man!" Sapele snapped. "Have you done what I asked?"
"Never. The gods won't allow it."
"Very well," the voice echoed before vanishing.
Ire's curiosity grew, but everything began to fade again into darkness.
---
She opened her eyes once more—this time to the real world. She was lying on the bare ground, not far from the flaming wreck of the car. Pain seared through her body, reminding her of the chaos they'd just escaped. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself upright.
A hot liquid trickled from her head. She wiped it away with her fingers—blood.
Her body trembled. Her mouth went dry.
"Good—you're awake," came Efe's voice.
She turned and saw him standing a short distance away, bruised and cut but steady on his feet. For a moment, her eyes shimmered with admiration before she looked away.
"Thank you."
"No need," he replied calmly. "Like I said—it's my duty."
"Okay… what now?" she asked, struggling to stay upright.
"We move. But first, put this on. The last thing we need is more attention." He tossed her a jacket and tapped his neck, signaling for her to hide what she wore.
She slipped on the jacket and followed him into the night.
"What did you see this time?" Efe asked, glancing at her as they walked beneath the trees. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting silver shadows around them.
Ire paused. Her voice was soft.
"It comes in bits. But I know one thing… this has happened before."
---