The heavens poured out rain in outrage; lightning ran through the skies, and furious thunder deafened the people of Nnewi village. The women and children huddled together in their huts, praying to the gods to deliver them from their perils. Their lands had been invaded by Orlu, a strong kingdom from the south, leaving the men of Nnewi no choice but to leave their families and march to war to protect their loved ones. In one of the many huts, a young boy of about ten years old listened in awe to his mother as she told him tales of Amadioha, the deity of thunder, justice, and vengeance. These were his favorite stories, as he had always been intrigued by his past experiences of being struck by lightning twice. Being struck by lightning had given Ikenna unique features that made him stand out. His dark, dreadlocked hair had turned white. He possessed intricate fern-like burn patterns on his body, resembling permanent tattoos of lightning bolts, and his eyes had a faint cloudy appearan

Ikenna sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes as he tried to shake off the sleep, but the urgency in his mother’s voice snapped him wide awake as she dragged him to the door. “Mama, what is going on?” he asked, his voice laced with confusion. “Shhh, you’ll get us killed,” Akunna whispered in low tones, placing a finger over his lips. Her face was pale, and her eyes darted nervously toward the door, as if expecting a soldier to barge in at any second. Ikenna had never seen his mother like this before, and it filled him with dread. Akunna peeped through a crack in the door and scanned the village. She heard the screams of the villagers as they were forcefully dragged out of their homes. While she observed, she saw one of the soldiers point toward her hut and begin walking in its direction. Ikenna moved to peek, but she yanked him back, gripping his arm tightly. “Listen to me carefully. We need to leave this place now!” she hissed. “Leave? Why?” Ikenna’s voice cracked. “What about

Obinna and his soldiers marched out of the forest in heavy silence. Rain still clung to the trees and mud clung to their boots. The unconscious boy hung over a soldier's shoulder, limp and drenched like a rag doll. Obinna walked ahead, his thoughts weighing him down. “What have I done?”He couldn't get the seer's prophecyout of his mind. She had instructedhim to kill the boy, but Obinna just couldn't do such a thing. The boyhad lost everything: his mother, his home. To kill him would be a crime against the gods themselves.Behind them, another soldier carried the woman’s body. Obinna glanced back, his heart heavy. She deserved a proper burial. Maybe it would be the first step toward gaining the boy’s trust. As they came out of the forest, into the clearing, the village was in view. Smoke billowed from shattered huts, and the square was packed with terrified villagers under the gaze of Obinna's men. Mothers held their children close, and the elderly satstaring with worn-out eyes.O

Onyeka stood before the villagers with a face as cold as stone. His single eye, sharp and calculating, scanned the crowd. He saw no people—only problems to be solved and tasks to complete. "Line up the children," he ordered, his voice hard. "We move now." The soldiers wasted no time. Mothers clung to their children, crying. Fathers glared and quivered in silent rage, but no one dared challenge Onyeka. The soldiers pulled the children away, pushing them into a line. Onyeka counted each one with quick, precise glances. "Get them moving," he commanded in an emotionless tone. Obinna stood to the side, his expression unreadable. Onyeka's gaze landed on Ikenna. His white hair gleamed under the harsh sun, and the lightning-shaped scars that ran across his dark skin stood out like marks of power. His cloudy eyes seemed distant yet sharp. Ikenna led the line of children, following behind the carts carrying the supplies and resources plundered from the village. Despite the uncerta

Seeing Ikenna standing before the king when other kids were still kneeling shocked everyone, still Obinna couldn’t help the small smirk that appeared on his face as he was once again impressed by the boy foolish bravery.“How dare you!” One of the chiefs closest to the king yelled.“How dare a worm, stand before our king!,” the man continued with a furious look, as he stepped forward to approach Ikenna.“That’s enough Amaobi,” the king waved it off with a smile. Ezeibe had to admit he too was impressed and intrigued by the boy, where others knelt and trembled in fear, he stood defiant, and his unique looks also captured the king's attention. His white dreadlocks and lightning pattern scars were something he’d never seen before. “He is just a child and does not know our customs,” the king said with a benevolent smile. “I am sorry for this incident, my king,” Obinna said with a small bow. “ I promise it will never repeat itself again,” he promised.“It better not happen again Obinna,