The air in Makola Market was thick with the smell of fried kelewele and the shouts of hawkers calling out their wares. Nina Brooks weaved through the crowd, clutching a brown envelope tight against her chest. Her heart pounded — not from the heat, but from the strange feeling that had been chasing her since dawn.
She didn't know why she had been summoned to the old library in Jamestown by a letter slipped under her door, written in handwriting that somehow felt… familiar. She only knew she couldn't ignore it.
As she turned onto a quieter street, a soft voice echoed inside her mind.
"The Heart of the Stars must rise again…"
Nina froze. "What's going on?" she whispered, glancing around. The street was empty, except for an old woman selling beads under a faded umbrella. Nina shook her head. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she just needed kenkey and some good sleep.
Still, her fingers itched to open the envelope. Curiosity pulled harder than fear. She ducked into a narrow alley, hidden by the crumbling walls of an abandoned cocoa warehouse.
Inside the envelope was a single key — old, rusted, and heavy — and a note:
"Find the gateway where the stars fall. Your destiny awaits. — C.T."
Nina's mouth went dry. C.T.?
Before she could think deeper, the ground beneath her feet trembled. A low hum filled the air, like distant drums calling from under the earth. The walls of the alley shimmered, bricks rearranging themselves into patterns her mind couldn't understand.
"This can't be normal," she muttered, taking a step back.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped. The alley was still. Silent. But Nina knew — nothing about her life would be normal again.
She clutched the key tighter. Somewhere in Accra, a gateway was waiting.
And something — or someone — was waiting on the other side.