🩸MVELASE: THE INKABI FAMILY LEGACY
By Nonkululeko Masuku
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Prologue
Inside the Inkabi Training Chamber.
The sound of a leather whip cracked through the silence, echoing off the cold concrete walls.
Mandla was flogging Ukhozi with all his strength. Blood stained the floor. The boy no longer cried—pain had long since become his normal. His father always told him:
> "If you want to be king, you don't need a heart."
Far away, in the family mansion, Umthunzi lay powerless in his bed. Every lash Ukhozi took—he felt it too. It was the twin curse. When one bleeds, the other breaks.
Just as Mandla raised his boot to crush Ukhozi's ribs, a voice pierced the chamber like thunder:
> "Ngonyama! I beg you, my husband—please, stop! That's enough!"
It was Zamakhethi.
The most beautiful woman anyone had ever seen. But beneath that beauty was danger. Real, ancient danger. They called her "Mother of Shadows" — and even Mandla feared the shade she could cast.
"This is not a playground," Mandla snapped, annoyed. "He must learn!"
Zamakhethi stepped forward, pressing her hand against his chest. Her voice softened, her eyes searching his:
> "Just have mercy on him… he's your first fruit. Remember?"
She spoke with a seductive softness that made Mandla falter. He exhaled heavily.
> "Fine. Get out."
Ukhozi didn't wait. Blood trailing down his back, he ran from the chamber, wiping away tears he refused to cry.
Behind him, Mandla was pulled into his wife's arms. She kissed him slowly, deliberately.
> "We still have the whole afternoon to ourselves," she whispered, before slipping out with a dangerous smile.
Mandla stood there, breathless. Grinning. Alone.
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Nine Years Later
Empangeni. The dark city.
People rushed up and down, grabbing taxis, running home from work. The night was thick with tension. Then—a gunshot rang out from one of the office buildings.
Screams erupted. Footsteps scattered.
Inside the building, a man lay dead on the floor.
A girl trembled in the corner, trying to hide. Blood on her hands. Breath caught in her chest.
A tall man stood still above the body, dressed in black, his cold eyes locked on her.
His face hidden behind a balaclava.
Ukhozi.
The cruel twin. The feared one.
The girl threw his bag toward him and ran. Fast. Desperate.
From behind, another voice shouted:
> "Shoot her! Bhuti omdala—shoot her!"
Impisi, his younger brother, screamed from across the room.
> "She's getting away! Shoot!"
But Ukhozi didn't move.
Something had happened. His hand didn't reach for the trigger. His body refused. As if… something inside him cracked.
Impisi stormed toward him, furious.
Ukhozi quietly picked up the bag the girl had thrown, dusted it off, and turned to leave.
> "We'll find her. Don't worry," he said calmly as he walked past.
Impisi stared at him in disbelief.
But he followed.
They got into the car. And drove into the night.
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How is the novels .