Akosua.
The news was still playing when I woke up.
At first, I thought it was just another crime report—one of those things people shake their heads at and move on from. But then I heard the name of the place.
And my body went cold.
"…armed robbers invaded the Abrem Coast community late last night," the news anchor said, her voice steady, but her eyes grave. "Several houses were vandalized and destroyed. Multiple lives were lost in what authorities are calling a brutal and coordinated attack."
The camera switched to shaky footage.
Burnt roofs. Broken gates. Blood-stained sand.
Then came the words that made my heart slam painfully against my chest.
Abrem Coast.
Maame Abena Owusu's community.
I sat upright, my breath coming too fast.
"No… no, no…"
Across the room, maame Abena. "What is it?" she asked sleepily.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I only turned the television toward her.
She froze.
The reporter continued, "Residents claim the attackers came heavily armed, moving from house to house. Survivors are still being accounted for."
Akosua's hand flew to her mouth.
Maame Abena, who had risen early to pray, stood rooted near the doorway. Her face had drained of color, yet her back remained straight.
Too straight.
"They said… lives were lost?" Akosua continued.
Maame Abena nodded slowly. "Yes."
The silence that followed was heavy. Thick. It pressed down on us until breathing felt like work.
"My house," Maame Abena said quietly. "That is Abrem Coast."
Akosua rushed to her. "We have to go there. Now."
Maame Abena hesitated. "We don't even know—"
"I don't care," Akosua cut in, tears already forming. "I need to see it. I need to know."
I stepped forward. "We can't leave without informing the Supreme King."
Akosua nodded sharply. "You're right."
Within minutes, we were dressed and moving through the palace halls at a speed that turned heads. Guards bowed as we passed, confusion flickering across their faces.
The Supreme King was already awake.
He listened in silence as Akosua explained, his expression unreadable. When she finished, he exhaled slowly.
"I understand your concern," he said. "But this is not a small matter."
"She is family," Akosua replied firmly. "I won't sit here wondering if her home has been reduced to ashes."
The King studied her for a long moment.
"You will go," he finally said. "But not alone."
Relief washed through me.
"Two of my best guards will accompany you," he continued. "They will remain with you at all times and return you to the palace immediately after."
Akosua bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Maame Abena bowed too—but I noticed the way her fingers trembled.
The drive to Abrem Coast felt longer than it ever had before.
The closer we got, the heavier the air became. Smoke still lingered faintly, clinging to the morning breeze. The streets were quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
Then we saw it.
Burnt gates.
Collapsed fences.
Homes with shattered windows and blackened walls.
Akosua gasped. "Oh, Mother…"
The car slowed.
When we reached Maame Abena's house, my chest tightened painfully.
The front gate hung crookedly from its hinges. One side of the building was scorched. Windows were broken. The door—forced open.
Akosua stepped out before the car fully stopped.
"This is not possible," she whispered, walking toward the house like she was afraid it might vanish if she touched it.
Maame Abena followed in silence.
Inside, the damage was worse.
Furniture overturned. Cabinets ripped open. Blood stains smeared across the floor.
Akosua covered her mouth as a sob escaped her.
"They were here," she said brokenly.
Maame Abena sank into a chair that somehow still stood upright. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail. Every violation.
"They were looking for something," she murmured.
One of the guards cleared his throat. "Your Grace, we should leave soon."
Akosua nodded reluctantly. "Yes. Let's go."
But as we stepped outside, something in my chest refused to settle.
I looked down the street.
It was empty.
Too empty.
The attack happened on the road back to the palace.
It was sudden.
A loud bang shattered the calm, and the car jerked violently.
"Gun!" one of the guards shouted.
Before I could scream, bullets rained against the vehicle. The driver swerved, fighting to keep control.
Another car appeared out of nowhere, blocking the road ahead.
Men jumped out.
Armed.
Masked.
Chaos exploded.
"Get down!" a guard yelled.
The door flew open.
One of the Supreme King's guards leapt out, firing back, trying to create space.
Then I heard it.
A scream.
Akosua's scream.
I turned just in time to see Maame Abena being dragged from the car.
"No!" Akosua cried, fighting against the guard holding her back. "Leave her alone!"
The guard who tried to reach Maame Abena was shot.
He fell—hard.
Blood pooled beneath him.
I screamed.
"Go! Go now!" the remaining guard shouted, forcing Akosua back into the car.
Maame Abena struggled, her voice cutting through the gunfire.
"Akosua!"
Their eyes met.
That moment will haunt me forever.
The car sped off as another shot rang out.
I watched, helpless, as Maame Abena was thrown into the attackers' vehicle.
And then they were gone.
The palace gates burst open when we returned.
Akosua stumbled out of the car, sobbing uncontrollably.
"They took her," she cried. "They took her!"
The Supreme King came running.
When he saw the blood… the fallen guard… the empty space where Maame Abena should have been—his face darkened with a fury I had never seen.
"Seal the kingdom," he ordered.
Guards scattered.
He turned to Akosua, his voice low and dangerous.
"Every elder. Every allied king. Summon them all."
The palace bells began to ring.
A sound of war.
As I stood there, shaking, one truth settled deep in my bones.
This was no robbery.
This was a declaration.
And the kingdom would never be the same again.