The morning air was heavy with smoke and silence. The battlefield that had once echoed with screams now lay quiet — only the smell of blood and the crackle of burnt grass filled the air. Rows of corpses, both human and beast, covered the ground.
Sbu woke up in his tent, his body still trembling from yesterday's fight. His light element still pulsed faintly under his skin like it hadn't fully settled yet.
"Morning, sunshine," Lungelo said lazily from the corner of the tent, sitting cross-legged in mid-air — visible only to Sbu. "You snore like a truck, you know that?"
Sbu managed a tired chuckle. "You're the one haunting me. Can ghosts even sleep?"
Lungelo grinned. "Only when you stop glowing like a torch."
Outside, the camp was alive again. Soldiers shouted names, medics moved among the injured, and officers barked orders. Then, the murmurs began — whispers spreading like wildfire.
People were awakening.
Mandla came running toward him, excitement glowing in his eyes. "Bro! You won't believe this — I just awakened! Wind element! Look!" He lifted his hand and a faint swirl of air spun around his fingers.
Before Sbu could answer, Shle walked over, calm but proud, a thin mist forming around her. "Water element," she said softly. "Looks like we're catching up to you."
Sbu smiled faintly. He was happy for them — but something inside him felt heavier than before.
Soon, all awakened recruits were ordered to gather near the main field. The sergeants stood tall, flanked by armored soldiers with glowing qi weapons — living proof that humanity was adapting.
A man in a long green coat stepped onto a platform. His voice was deep and grim.
> "As of this morning, over one million lives have been lost across Africa. Entire cities have fallen. Johannesburg. Lusaka. Even Harare."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
He continued,
> "The beasts are multiplying faster than we can kill them. Every nation has agreed — the borders no longer matter. The only way to survive is to unite."
He raised a hand, and a holographic map of Africa appeared — cracked and red from top to bottom.
> "We will gather survivors and soldiers across the continent into a single stronghold. We'll build a wall. A fortress city. Africa will fight as one."
For the first time, Sbu felt the true scale of the war. The small battles they'd fought were nothing compared to what lay ahead.
As night fell, he stood by the fire with Shle, Mandla, and Banele.
> "Do you think we can really do it?" Shle asked quietly.
"We have to," Sbu said. "If we don't… there won't be an Africa left to fight for."
Lungelo appeared beside him, hands tucked behind his head.
> "Heh. You're finally talking like a hero."