Esu walked to the quarry yard like a man carrying his own coffin. The chains were gone, but the collar still kissed his neck with cold promise. Layer 2 had made his muscles denser, ribs knitting halfway overnight, but the lashes on his back pulled fresh with every step. Blood crusted the grey robe stiff. Guards eyed him like fresh meat.
Musa Danjuma waited at the gate, whip coiled on belt. "Thief rat lives. Double blocks today. Forty before lunch. Fall behind, I fry you slow."
Esu bowed head. "Yes, Captain Danjuma."
Lami Okoye limped beside him, crutch digging dirt. The broken foot had turned black at the edges, pus bubbling with each shift. Fever glazed his eyes again Esu's second poison dose working perfect.
"You shouldn't work," Esu whispered. "Stay in dorm."
Lami shook head stubborn. "Brothers together. I carry your rope if you fall."
Esu hid the smile. Guilt was ripening.
Guru Hassan assigned blocks bigger ones today, clay essence poured thick overnight. Each felt like dragging a dead god.
Kano Ibrahim lounged on the wall with his pack, metal scars gleaming. Fatima Yusuf beside him, fire blood flickering fingers like she wanted to burn the world.
"Look," Kano called down. "The rat that snapped chains. Heard you ate actual rats last night, trash."
Laughter echoed.
Esu started pulling. First block ground slow. Shoulders tore open fresh.
By block ten, blood soaked his back again. Lami collapsed at five, foot splitting wider.
Musa's whip cracked. "Benin rat down! Drag him!"
Esu dropped rope, lifted Lami over shoulder. Blood from the foot dripped down his chest hot, thick with infection terror.
Harvest quiet. Pulled deep.
Kano jumped down. "Let me help."
He grabbed Lami's broken leg, twisted.
Lami screamed raw. Bone grated.
Esu froze. "Young master Ibrahim, please—"
Kano punched his face. Nose cracked. Blood sprayed.
"Carry both now, rat. Or I break the other leg."
Esu obeyed. Pulled his block with Lami on back. Twenty steps. Thirty.
Kano followed, kicking heels. Fatima laughed, sparked fire near Lami's hair singed black.
By lunch, Esu finished twenty-five. Body shaking. Lami unconscious, blood soaking both robes.
Guru Hassan clapped. "Good show! Extra slop for the rat."
Afternoon worse. Kano made him pull thirty. Lami woke screaming halfway.
Harvest never stopped. Every drop from Lami's foot, every kick from Kano terror-blood essence thick as honey.
Spark settled heavy. Layer 2 stronger, but no jump.
Dusk came. March back.
Three servants had stolen Esu's food twice this week big ones from the quarry pack. Leader named Bello Chukwu, earth blood thin but fists like rocks. They laughed at his lashes, called him "whip dog."
Tonight they paid.
Dorm filled slow. Boys collapsed snoring.
Esu waited till moon high. Slipped to the kitchen shed lock picked with bone splinter from rat skull.
Three gourds on the shelf Bello Chukwu and his dogs drank deep every night.
Black thorn powder stolen from herb fields, mixed with slow-choke root. No taste. Throat swelled slow. Death in minutes, looked like bad yam.
He poured heavy in all three.
Back in dorm, he lay beside Lami. Boy burned hot, muttering fever dreams.
"Brother… don't leave me…"
Esu held his hand. "Never."
Midnight.
First choke started.
Bello Chukwu sat up gasping. Hands to throat. Eyes bulging.
His two dogs woke, same throats closing like fists.
Dorm stirred panic.
"Poison! Help!"
Guards rushed, but too late.
Bello clawed the floor, face purple. Blood foam at lips—bit tongue trying to breathe.
Esu slipped through chaos, knelt by Bello. "Here, let me—"
Hand on the dying man's chest. Pulled.
Terror-blood essence poured out pure, childhood deep. Father's beatings in quarry camps, mother's sale to enclave, the day he learned weak died screaming.
Thick harvest.
Second dog thrashed, nails raking own neck bloody.
Esu moved to him. Harvested.
Third dog tried crawling to door. Esu stepped on back gentle. Knelt. Drank the essence as eyes rolled white.
Dorm screamed chaos. Guards shouted for healers.
Guru Hassan waddled in. "Who did this?"
No one saw Esu. He sat by Lami, holding the fevered boy like a shield.
Three bodies cooled. Blood pooled thick.
Esu bathed hands in it quiet. Licked fingers.
Spark strengthened smooth.
Layer 2 perfect now body denser, ribs almost whole.
No status change. Just power real.
Lami woke in the noise, eyes wide. "Jide… they dead…"
Esu hugged him. "Bad food. Stay close, brother."
Lami cried into his shoulder. Guilt-blood fresh.
Harvest sweet.
Guards dragged bodies out. "Poisoner will hang tomorrow."
Esu smiled in the dark.
No one looked at the rat covered in old blood.
Tomorrow trial prep started.
Tomorrow more throats.
The poison night was just the start.
Three dogs fed the spark.
And the enclave slept easier without them.