Chapter One: The Boy and the Bandits
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the dusty path that led into the village of Odan. Market stalls were nearly empty, children ran home with dusty feet, and smoke from evening fires curled lazily toward the heavens.
Sixteen-year-old Efe walked beside the narrow stream, a basket of firewood balanced on his shoulder. His eyes, sharp and observant, flicked toward every rustle in the bush. Ever since the rumors of bandits spread, the villagers had been uneasy. But not Efe. Not because he wasn't afraid—but because he refused to let fear stop him from helping.
That evening, as he reached the old mango tree near the edge of the village, he saw them.
Three men. Rough, dirty, and armed.
A scream tore through the air.
Efe dropped the basket.
Near the path ahead, a woman clutched her small child, trembling as one of the bandits yanked her by the arm. Another pointed a rusted machete at her chest. The child wailed, tiny arms reaching for help no one seemed willing to give.
No one but Efe.
He didn't think. He just ran.
"Hey!" he shouted, picking up a thick branch. "Leave them alone!"
The bandits turned, surprised by the shout—and even more so by the sight of a lone boy charging at them. They laughed.
"Look at this one. A little goat with fire in his eyes."
"Let's teach him to fear."
But Efe didn't stop. He swung with all his strength, striking the machete from the first man's hand. The woman gasped and pulled her child close, crawling backward.
The other two bandits attacked. Efe fought like lightning—wild, desperate, brave.
He hit one in the jaw, dodged a swing, took a blow to the ribs. Pain exploded in his side, but he stood firm. He had no sword. No shield. Only the will to protect.
Then came the dagger.
Quick. Silent. Deep.
Efe staggered, his blood hot on his shirt, legs crumbling beneath him.
The last thing he saw was the woman fleeing with her child, both alive—safe.
And as darkness took him, a voice echoed in his mind. Not human. Not earthly.
> "You gave your life for others, young one.
Rise. Your story is not yet done."