The rain fell harder, thick and glowing red like drops of fire on the windshield. The wipers moved fast, but they couldn't clear it all. Each sweep left faint streaks that shimmered before fading. Lagos looked strange now, empty roads, dead streetlights, and a red sky hanging heavy over everything.
Taye kept his eyes on the road. His fingers gripped the steering wheel tight, the mark on his wrist glowing softly. The city he knew was fading before his eyes. The silence outside was too deep, like the world was holding its breath.
Nnena sat beside him, quiet but tense. Her hand rested on her gun, even though she knew it wouldn't help much against what they were facing. She looked out the window, watching the fog swirl and twist like something alive.
"Are you sure this is the way?" she finally asked.
"Yes," Taye said, voice low. "The core lies beneath the bridge. Where the river breathes."
She frowned. "The river… breathes?"
Taye nodded slowly. "The river isn't just water. It's a boundary. A living seal. The Light once flowed through it, and when the Shadow Lord fell, I used it to lock him away."
Nnena turned toward him. "And now he's trying to break out."
"Yes," Taye whispered. "He's feeding on fear, on chaos. The more panic spreads, the weaker the seal becomes."
For a moment, they didn't speak. The sound of the rain filled the silence, tapping like whispers on the roof. Then the headlights caught something up ahead, a broken bus, its doors open. Smoke drifted from it.
Taye slowed down.
"Maybe we should turn back," Nnena said quickly. "Something's wrong with that....."
Before she finished, the bus door creaked. Something crawled out.... thin, human-like but twisted, skin grey and dripping wet. Its eyes glowed faint red, same as the sky.
Taye's jaw tightened. "Echoes."
The thing hissed, and two more followed behind it, dragging their feet across the road. Nnena raised her gun.
"Taye....."
"Wait," he said sharply.
The creatures moved closer, their bodies twitching with every step. Then one of them raised its hand, and the air grew colder.
"They were people once," Taye said quietly. "The Shadow Lord feeds on the weak-minded. Their fears make him stronger."
Nnena's hands shook. "We can't just sit here!"
"I know."
Taye stepped out of the car, pendant glowing bright in the rain. The light pushed back the fog around him. He raised his hand, and the mark on his wrist burned golden.
The creatures hissed louder, shielding their eyes. The light spread, wrapping around Taye like armor.
"In the name of the Light," he whispered, "return to peace."
The glow flared. The echoes screamed as their bodies dissolved into dust, fading into the rain.
When it was over, the street was quiet again. Nnena stepped out slowly, eyes wide. "You're going to burn yourself out doing that."
Taye smiled faintly, though his face looked pale. "Maybe. But better me than them."
She sighed, glancing up at the blood-red sky. "Let's just get to that river, before the whole city turns into this."
They got back into the car. The road ahead led toward the bridge, but now it looked endless, swallowed by fog.
They reached the base of Third Mainland Bridge after almost an hour. The roads were flooded. Dead cars lined both sides, some half-submerged in glowing water.
"This place looks cursed," Nnena muttered.
"It is," Taye said. "The river remembers everything."
He stepped out, the pendant lighting their path. Beneath the bridge, the sound of rushing water grew louder but it wasn't normal water. It hummed, low and deep, almost like a heartbeat.
As they walked down the slope, Nnena caught sight of something beneath the surface, a faint golden light flickering, like veins under skin.
"What's that?"
"The seal," Taye said. "What's left of it."
He knelt by the riverbank, dipping his fingers into the water. The mark on his wrist glowed brighter. Ripples spread, and an image formed across the surface.... faint, shifting.
Nnena gasped. It showed the city from above, covered in fog and red light. Then shadows moved through the streets, hundreds of them, heading toward the river.
"They're coming," she whispered.
"Yes," Taye said quietly. "He's calling them."
"Then we have to stop him now."
Taye didn't move. His eyes were locked on the water, where another image appeared,a woman, standing in the middle of light. Her face was soft, kind, and familiar.
"Lira…" he breathed.
Nnena frowned. "Who?"
"My past," he said, almost to himself. "She was the one who helped me seal him. She gave her life to bind the gate."
The image flickered again. Lira's lips moved, whispering something, but only one word was clear... "Remember."
Taye's hand trembled. The mark on his wrist burned hot, pain shooting through his arm. The image vanished, replaced by darkness.
"Taye!" Nnena grabbed him as he almost fell. "What's happening?"
"He's pulling me in," Taye groaned. "He wants me to forget again."
"Fight it!"
He shut his eyes tight, breathing hard. The pendant flickered, then flared gold. The ground beneath them shook. The water churned violently.
From within the river, something huge moved... a dark shape, rising slowly.
Nnena stepped back, eyes wide. "Taye… what is that?"
"The door," he whispered. "It's opening."
The water lifted higher, swirling like a whirlpool that touched the clouds. The air turned cold enough to sting their skin. Nnena grabbed Taye's arm, shouting over the roar of the storm.
"Taye, we can't stay here!"
He didn't move. The mark on his wrist blazed, and his eyes glowed the same gold. "If we leave, the seal breaks for good!"
The ground shuddered. From the heart of the river, a tall shape began to rise...first the head, then shoulders, all made of black smoke. Two red lights burned where its eyes should be.
The voice that came from it was low and deep, vibrating through the air.
"Eran… you return at last."
Nnena froze. "Eran?"
"That was my name before," Taye said quietly. "Before I was reborn."
The shadow laughed, a dry, hollow sound. "You locked me away, Eran. You stole my throne of light. Now watch your city drown in my darkness."
The rain turned thicker, every drop glowing red. The river's surface boiled. Taye took a step forward, light building around his body.
"You don't belong here," he said. "Go back to the void."
The shadow spread its arms. "You think you can send me back again? Look around you...your people's fear feeds me. Even your light flickers, little guardian."
"Taye, stop talking to him!" Nnena yelled. "We need a plan!"
He nodded, his voice softer. "There's only one way now. I need to reach the core."
She stared. "You mean under the water?"
He met her eyes. "If I touch the heart of the seal, I can restore it. But I can't do it alone."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You'll have to guard the surface. When I enter the river, it'll call the shadows. Don't let them touch the light."
She hesitated, but the look on his face told her it wasn't a request.
The water's edge glowed gold beneath his feet. "When the light fades," he said, "say my name. Not Taye. The other one."
"Eran," she whispered.
He nodded once, then stepped into the water.
The river swallowed him instantly. The glow around him spread beneath the surface like veins of gold running through black glass.
Nnena turned, scanning the fog. Shapes moved in it, dozens of them, crawling out from the ruins, whispering in voices that weren't human. She lifted her gun, heart racing.
"Come on," she muttered. "I'm not afraid of smoke."
One shadow lunged. She fired. The bullet passed through, but the flash of light made it recoil. Another came from the side, and she swung the flashlight, burning it with its beam.
Below the bridge, the river pulsed again.
Down in the dark, Taye drifted deeper. The water wasn't cold anymore...it felt heavy, alive. He could see glowing threads twisting around him...memories. Scenes flashed before his eyes....a city of light, a woman smiling, fire raining from the sky.
Lira.
He reached toward her image. She stood on a white bridge, light flowing from her hands. "Eran," she said, voice echoing through the water. "You must remember who you are."
"I remember enough," he said.
"The seal is breaking because your heart still doubts," she said gently. "You can't fight him with fear."
He clenched his fists. "Fear keeps me human."
"Then be both," she whispered. "Human and light. Only then will the gate obey you."
The vision faded. He sank until his feet touched something solid, the riverbed. The ground beneath him glowed with lines of gold forming a circle. In the center pulsed a crystal heart, cracked and dim.
He knelt and placed his palm on it. Light burst out, flooding the water. The mark on his wrist burned so bright it hurt to look at.
Above, Nnena saw the river light up like liquid fire. The shadows screamed, burning away as the glow spread across the bridge.
But then the voice came again, deeper, angrier.
"You cannot seal what was born from your light!"
A dark hand rose from the river, grabbing the bridge pillar. Cracks ran through the concrete. Nnena stumbled, almost falling.
"Taye!" she screamed.
Under the water, Taye felt the pressure crush against him. The Shadow Lord's form loomed, reaching down with claws of smoke.
"You think you can stop me again?" it thundered.
Taye shouted back, voice echoing like thunder. "I'm not the same man you fought before!"
He poured everything into the seal.... the memories, the pain, the love he'd tried to forget. The crystal flared white. The Shadow Lord roared, its body tearing apart like ash in the wind
The explosion of light shot up through the river, splitting the storm clouds. The red rain stopped.
Nnena shielded her eyes. The water turned clear again, calm as glass. She looked around. The shadows were gone.
"Taye?" she called. "Taye!"
No answer.
She ran to the riverbank, heart pounding. The surface rippled once, then Taye rose slowly from it, surrounded by faint light. His clothes were soaked, but his eyes were calm. The mark on his wrist was gone.
She laughed, tears mixing with the rain. "You scared the life out of me!"
He smiled weakly. "Sorry. I had to make sure he's truly gone."
"Is he?"
"For now," he said. "The gate is sealed again."
They stood in silence, listening to the soft rush of the river. The city behind them began to flicker with power again...lights returning one by one.
Nnena looked up at him. "What now, guardian?"
He looked at the sky, which was turning pale with dawn. "Now we rest. Until the next shadow rises."