Morning did not come with peace. It came with noise. Before the sun fully rose, the village was already awake. People gathered along the paths, standing in groups, whispering, pointing, waiting. By the time the guards brought them out, the crowd had grown thick on both sides.
No one hid. No one looked away.
Queen Owusu and Baffour were brought forward, their hands forced together again. This time, there was no struggle left in her. Her face was swollen from crying, her steps slow and weak, but she walked. Because she had no choice.
The first shout came from the back. "Abomination!" It spread quickly. Abomination!" "Abomination!"
The word rose from every side, louder, sharper, until it filled the air completely. It followed them as they walked, clinging to every step, pressing down on them like weight.
Queen Owusu flinched at first. Then she stopped reacting. Her head lowered.
Her grip on Baffour's hand remained loose, almost lifeless, but she did not pull away again.
Baffour walked beside her in silence. His steps were uneven, his body still weak from the beating he had received, but he forced himself forward. Step by step.
The guards stayed close behind them, watching, making sure they did not stop.
Akosua stood among the crowd, her eyes fixed on them, her chest tight. Adjoa was not there. She had been taken back under care, still weak, still not fully herself.
But Akosua could not stay away from this.
Something in her refused.
As the shouting grew louder, she stepped forward slightly, her voice breaking through the noise. "Mother!" The word came out before she could stop it.
For a brief moment, the air shifted. The wind moved. And then—She appeared. Afia Serwaa. Not fully solid, not like before, but clear enough. Her presence alone silenced a part of the crowd.
Akosua's eyes filled instantly. "Please… stop this," she said, her voice shaking. "They have suffered enough. Let it end—" Afia Serwaa's gaze hardened. "Step back."
The words were sharp. Firm. Not a request.
Akosua froze.
"This is not yours to stop," Afia Serwaa continued. "They must walk it. Every step."
Akosua shook her head slowly. "But—"
"Step back," she repeated.
The warning this time carried weight.
Something in the air shifted again, heavier, pressing against Akosua's chest until she could not speak. Her lips parted. But no word. Afia Serwaa held her gaze for a second longer, then slowly— She faded.
The wind died. The noise returned.
"Abomination!"
The shouting rose again, louder than before, as though nothing had interrupted it.
Akosua stepped back into the crowd, her heart racing, her throat tight. There would be no mercy. Not yet. The walk continued.
Through the main paths. Past every home.
Through every watching eye.
By midday, the sun burned high, but no one left. If anything, more people gathered. The shame was no longer just theirs. It belonged to the land now.
By evening, their steps had slowed.
Queen Owusu stumbled more than once, her body close to giving up, but the guards did not allow her to fall."You will walk," one of them said. And she did. The first day ended without rest. Without silence. Without dignity.
The second day was worse. The news had spread. Before they even stepped out, people from nearby villages had already arrived. They lined the paths, filled the open spaces, climbed stones and walls just to see.
The shouting began earlier. Louder. Crueler.
"Abomination!" "Shame!" "Let the land judge you!"
Queen Owusu did not lift her head anymore.
Her body moved, but her spirit looked gone.
Baffour walked beside her, his breathing heavier now, his strength fading faster than before. Sweat covered his face. His steps dragged. But he kept moving.
Because stopping was not allowed.
The guards pushed them forward again.
The crowd parted. Then closed behind them. Again and again.
Akosua stood at a distance this time, watching without moving closer. Her face was pale, her eyes restless.
Something about today felt different.
Heavier. Like something was about to break.
Baffour's lips moved as he walked. At first, no one noticed. Then the guard beside him frowned. "What are you saying?"
Baffour did not answer.
He kept murmuring to himself, his voice low, almost lost under the noise. "…after this… will I still live here… after this shame…"
His head shook slightly as he walked.
"…how will I stand… before these same people…"
The guard grabbed his arm. "Speak properly!"But Baffour only laughed weakly.
A dry, empty sound. Then he coughed.
"Let me ease myself," he said suddenly, his voice rough. "I need to go."
The guards exchanged a look. For a moment, they hesitated. Then one nodded. "Take him." Two guards stepped forward, pulling him out of the line and leading him away from the crowd.
The shouting continued behind them.
No one cared where he was taken. The shame was already done.
They led him to a small, enclosed place at the edge of the path.
"Be quick," one of the guards said, standing outside.
Baffour nodded weakly and stepped inside.
The guards waited.
Outside, the noise of the crowd continued, distant but loud enough to remind them where they were. A minute passed.
Then another. One of the guards shifted slightly. "He's taking too long."
The other frowned. "Give him a moment."
Then—A sound. Sharp. A strangled cry from inside. The guards froze. "What was that?"
Before the question could settle, another sound followed. A choking gasp. Then a heavy thud. The guards rushed in immediately.And stopped.
Baffour lay on the ground. His body twisted unnaturally, his hands clawing weakly at the earth before going still. Blood foamed from his mouth, thick and dark, spilling down his chin.His eyes were open.But empty Completely empty.
The smell hit them next.Something bitter.
Sharp.Wrong.One of the guards stepped back immediately. "He's—""He's dead," the other finished, his voice low.
They stared at the body for a second longer.
Then one of them turned and ran.
The news moved faster than footsteps.
It reached the crowd before the guards returned.Whispers at first.Then louder.
Then—He is dead!"The shouting stopped.
Not slowly. Not gradually. At once.
Queen Owusu's head lifted slightly for the first time."What…?" she whispered.
But no one answered her directly.
The guards pushed through the crowd, their faces tense, their movements urgent.
"He is dead!" one of them shouted again.
This time, everyone heard it clearly.
A wave of shock moved through the people.
"How?""When? "What happened?"
Akosua's heart dropped.Her body went cold as she pushed forward, trying to see past the crowd. "No…" she whispered
The murmuring spread faster now, louder, more chaotic . He poisoned himself—"
"He couldn't take the shame—" "It is judgment—"It is not over—"
The voices overlapped, rising into confusion. At the center of it all, Queen Owusu swayed.Her eyes widened slowly, the meaning settling in piece by piece.
Then—Her body gave way again.
She collapsed.
This time, no one moved immediately.
Because something had changed.
The judgment had been broken.
The walk was not complete.
And the land—Had not finished speaking.