The streets of Lagos Island were already humming with danger by 6 a.m. A smoky sky hung low over the skyline like a warning. Jidenna walked with a slow, deliberate pace through the cracked pavements of Ojuelegba, his eyes scanning every face. He wasn't just another street kid anymore—he was marked.
Word had spread. Someone had seen him walking away from the warehouse where Osazé, one of the Rottweiler Gang's enforcers, had been found stabbed and stripped of his weapon. No one knew what happened. But they all had their theories—and most of them pointed at Jidenna.
He reached a small buka tucked behind a rusted gate. "Mama Tee's" was the only safe place left. The woman inside had fed him since he was twelve and never asked questions.
"You come late today, boy," Mama Tee said, not looking up from her pot of beans.
"I had things to handle," he muttered, avoiding her eyes.
Behind him, another presence entered—the clinking of bracelets and the smell of expensive perfume. Jidenna turned sharply.
"Mira," he whispered, surprised.
She looked too clean for this part of town. Her braids were neat, her shirt spotless. She didn't belong here, but there she was, fearless.
"You killed Osazé?" she asked softly, her voice trembling just enough to show she still had a soul.
Jidenna didn't answer. But he didn't deny it either.
"Jay… they're coming for you. There's a bounty on your head," she said, eyes locked on his.
"I know," he replied. "Let them come."
Just then, three men burst into the buka. They weren't here to eat.
"Jidenna! The boss wants a word!" The tallest of them barked.
Mama Tee stepped aside silently. This wasn't her war.
Jidenna reached slowly behind the plastic chair, pulled out the hidden dagger wrapped in cloth. "Tell your boss… if he wants me, he better come himself."
The fight was quick and brutal. By the time it was over, two of the men lay bleeding on the floor. The third ran.
Mira stood frozen in place, eyes wide. Blood splattered across her shoes.
"This is your life now?" she asked, broken.
Jidenna looked at her. "No. This is how I survive until I build mine."
Outside, sirens began to wail.