The concrete ceiling shattered into a million pieces, raining a cloud of thick silver dust down over the garage. The air turned heavy instantly, pressing down on my chest like a wall of solid lead.I pushed Ms. Alabi and Ifeoma behind a thick concrete pillar, shielding them from the falling stone. Commander Okoro raised his rifle, aiming straight at the tall man in the silver coat standing near the exit ramp."Who goes there?" Okoro demanded, his finger resting hard on the trigger.The man in the silver coat did not even look at the gun. He smiled, his violet eyes glowing brighter in the dim light of the basement garage. "My name is Kaelen. I am the vanguard commander for the True Ancestors. And you, Tunde, have been playing with powers you do not understand."[System Al

The man standing before us was supposed to be dead. Twelve years ago, family records stated that Grandfather Victor died in the grand mansion fire that destroyed everything we owned. Yet, here he stood inside the secret underground vault, holding a staff that pulsed with a cold, violet light."You look shocked, Tunde," Grandfather Victor said, taking a slow step forward. His gray eyes held no warmth, only a sharp, calculating hunger. "Did you really think the head of the True Ancestors would let a simple house fire stop him? Weak people die in fires. Rulers use them to start over."Ifeoma stepped back, her hand shaking slightly as she gripped the hilt of her steel dagger. "You lied to us. You ordered the attack on our parents.""I ordered a test," Grandfather Victor corrected, his voice echoing off the stone walls o

The radio message echoed through the dusty warehouse like a sharp knife, freezing my fist just inches away from Kaelen's chest. My golden energy flickered and died down as my heart dropped into my stomach.I turned my head slowly toward the desk where the old analog radio sat."What did you say?" I demanded, letting go of Kaelen and taking two fast steps toward the transmitter.The radio crackled with static before the voice spoke again, sounding smooth and completely calm. "You heard me clearly, Tunde. You think you beat the council because you locked away your grandfather and stole our digital money. But you left someone behind at the safehouse before you ran to the harbor."My breath caught in my throat. I looked back at Ifeoma, whose face had instantly turned as whit

The phone screen in my hand lit up with a blinding crimson light just as the morning sun began to peek over the Lagos skyline.[System Alert: Supreme Tribunal Fleet Detected.][Warning: Three airships from the global council have entered Nigerian airspace.][Objective: Defend Apex Global headquarters before total bombardment begins.]I stared at the glowing text while holding Ife close to my side. She was safe, resting in the back of our armored transport vehicle, but the danger was far from over. The global council did not care about Julian or Kaelen or even Grandfather Victor. To them, we were just loose ends that needed to be erased.Ms. Alabi tapped furiously on her laptop keyboard, her face pale under the dashboard light

Falling down the dark elevator shaft felt like dropping through space with no bottom in sight.Air rushed past my ears, and the concrete walls blurred into gray streaks as gravity pulled me downward at top speed. I twisted my body in mid-air, throwing my hands out toward the wall to slow my descent. My palms scraped hard against the rough bricks, sending sparks flying before my boots slammed onto the top of a maintenance cage resting on the floor of the sub-basement.The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs. I doubled over, coughing hard as I pushed myself off the metal cage and dropped onto the solid floor below.[System Alert: Minor physical damage detected.][Warning: Connection to surface network completely severed.][