Esu opened his eye the other swollen shut from Musa Danjuma's whip to chains biting his wrists and the stink of his own shit and blood. The tool shed had no windows, just cracks where dawn light leaked in like accusations. His back was a map of lashes, skin split and crusted black. The collar hummed hot against his neck, reminder that one wrong twitch meant lightning in the veins.
He tested the chains. Iron links bolted to the wall, short enough to keep him kneeling. Guru Hassan's idea of punishment: no food, no water, double quarry tomorrow if he lived.
The spark in his chest burned like swallowed coals. Yesterday's harvest his own blood essence from the whipping, thick with the terror of dying forgotten in a shed had pushed it to the edge. He could feel the crack coming, like ice on a river about to split. But not yet. The Fear Realm didn't hand out layers for one beating. It demanded more. Always more.
Footsteps outside. Door creaked.
Lami Okoye limped in, crutch under one arm, bowl in the other. Face grey from fever, broken foot wrapped in Esu's stolen moss rags. Pus soaked through yellow.
"Brother," Lami whispered, dropping to knees. "Snuck in when guards changed. Water and yam. Guru Hassan says you're quarry bait tomorrow."
Esu drank greedy from the bowl warm, tasting of Lami's tears. Yam mush stuck in throat.
"Thank you," he rasped. Voice raw from screams he never let out.
Lami unchained one wrist careful stolen key from a drunk guard's belt. "Can't free you full. They'll notice. But eat. Heal."
Esu gripped the boy's hand. "Your foot?"
Lami winced. "Worse. Fever back. But you first."
Guilt poured off Lami like heat thick, delicious. Blood from the foot dripped on the floor as he shifted. Esu leaned close, let it splash his chained hand. Pulled slow. Terror-soaked essence: I failed him, he's dying because of me, no family, no one cares.
Spark roared approval. Throbbed painful.
Lami cried quiet. "Kano Ibrahim bragged in the yard. Says he'll crush your hands tomorrow so you crawl."
Esu nodded. "Let him try."
Door slammed open. Musa Danjuma filled the frame, lightning scars glowing faint.
"Benin rat visiting thief trash?" Whip cracked. Lami screamed as it caught his bad leg.
Esu lunged chain yanked him short. Collar sparked warning.
Musa laughed. "Tomorrow, survivor boy. Double blocks. Fall behind, I fry the collar slow."
He dragged Lami out by the hair. Door locked.
Alone again.
Esu lay in the dark. Licked blood from his hand Lami's mixed with his own. Harvested the fresh wave.
Spark screamed.
Then rats.
First one sniffed through the cracks. Fat, black, eyes red beads. Smelled the blood.
Esu stayed still.
More came. Three. Five.
They nibbled his wounds teeth sharp on raw flesh.
Pain sharp. Fear real buried alive with rats eating me, no escape, collar chains, weak weak weak.
He pulled the terror-blood as they bit. Drank deep.
One rat climbed his chest, teeth to throat.
Esu moved.
Free hand snapped out grabbed the rat by neck. Squeeze. Bones popped.
Hot blood sprayed his face.
He bit down teeth into fur, tore throat open. Drank the gush.
Not essence. Just blood. But soaked in his fear.
Second rat lunged. Esu caught it mid-air, smashed against wall. Skull cracked. Drank.
Third bit his ear half tore off.
He crushed it bare hands. Twisted until spine snapped.
Drank.
Five rats total. Floor slick.
He bathed in the mess. Rubbed blood into cuts. Licked fingers clean.
Spark detonated.
Crack inside like thunder in bones.
Layer 2.
Strength crept slow muscles denser, ribs shifted with pops as cracks knit halfway. Eye swelling went down. Cuts scabbed fast.
No light. No voice. Just power real and quiet.
[Esu's Status]
Realm: Fear (Layer 2)
Lifespan: 183 years, 9 months, 5 days
The words burned vision blue. First time.
He stared. Smiled through blood teeth.
Two extra years for perfect breakthrough rat blood counted pure because terror was pure.
Chains felt lighter.
Door creaked again midnight check?
No. Lami slipped back, face bruised from Musa.
"Brother… they beat me… but I brought "
Esu stood. Chains snapped like rope.
Lami's eyes wide. "How…"
Esu pressed finger to lips. "Quiet."
He hugged Lami quick. Harvested the fresh guilt I got him beaten worse.
Spark settled warm.
Tomorrow double quarry.
Tomorrow Kano Ibrahim would learn.
Rats weren't just food.
Sometimes rats bit back.
And the enclave would bleed for it.
One broken hand at a time.