Blood on the Marina

The Face in the Mirror

The boy looked just like me, but his eyes held no warmth. He stood at the open door of the vault, resting his hand on a black blade that gave off a faint, pale light.

You missed, sister, the boy said. His voice was identical to mine, smooth and calm, making the hair on my arms stand up.

Amina pulled her glowing spear out of the brick wall with a sharp tug. Stone dust fell to the floor as she turned to face the boy. She did not look surprised to see him. She did not look surprised at all. Her face stayed hard and cold, like stone.

I did not miss, Amina said, her voice sharp as glass. I wanted him to move. I wanted him to see what is coming for him.

I pressed my back harder against the wall, breathing fast. My hands shook, but I forced myself to look between the two of them. Nothing made sense. A girl with a magical spear had crashed through my ceiling, and now a boy who looked like my twin brother was standing in my secret basement.

Who are you? I said, my voice cracking slightly. Both of you. What is going on here?

The boy stepped out of the vault, his boots clicking softly on the floor. He walked closer, tilting his head as he looked me up and down.

You really do not know, do you? the boy asked. A small, cruel smile touched his lips. You spend your days cleaning up magic blood in this dirty club, thinking you are just a normal orphan. You think your life is real.

"Tari,"Amina warned, raising her spear slightly. "Do not waste time talking to him. Our orders are clear.

So his name was Tari.

"Orders from who?" I pushed off the wall, my fear turning into anger. "This is my place. You break my roof, you break my vault, and you talk in riddles? Tell me what is going on right now, or get out!

Tari laughed. It was a cold, empty sound. Your place? Kelechi, you do not own anything. You do not even own your own body.

Before I could answer, a loud beep sounded from my pocket. It was my phone. The screen flashed bright red.

I pulled it out. Yetunde was trying to call me. I tapped the screen to answer, pressing the phone to my ear.

Yetunde? I said quickly. Are you there? The power went out, and

Kelechi, listen to me, Yetunde interrupted. Her voice did not sound like her usual calm self. She sounded terrified, breathing hard into the mic. I am looking at your files from the old database I cracked three years ago. I thought they were just local records, but I was wrong. They are national security files.

What are you talking about? I watched Tari and Amina circle me slowly, like hunters closing in on a cornered animal.

You are not an orphan, Yetunde said, the sound of furious typing coming through the line. Your birth record, your name, your history in Lagos, it was all written down on a computer sixteen years ago by a secret group. You are a biological vessel, Kelechi. They grew you in a lab under the Marina to hold an ancient power.

The words hit me like a physical blow. My breath caught in my throat.

A vessel? I whispered.

Yes, Yetunde said, her voice shaking. And the vault behind you... it is not a storage room. It is a containment cell. You were supposed to stay locked inside until the power inside you woke up fully. Someone hacked the system from the outside to let you out, or to let them in

A loud crash cut her off. Through the phone, I heard a violent smash of glass, followed by a sharp gasp from Yetunde.

Yetunde? I shouted into the phone. Yetunde, answer me!

No voice came back. Just the sound of a heavy struggle, a muffled cry, and then a cold, mechanical click as the line went dead.

My phone screen went black.

Rage flared up inside my chest, hot and blinding. I forgot about the glowing spear. I forgot about Tari's black blade. They had gone after Yetunde. They had hurt my best friend.

What did you do to her? I roared, taking a fast step forward.

My right hand burned with a sudden, intense heat. I looked down at my palm where the cut had been. The dark black blood was no longer dripping slowly. It was pulsing under my skin like thick ink, glowing with a faint, dangerous light that matched the darkness in the room.

Tari stopped walking. His smile faded, replaced by a look of sharp focus. He gripped the handle of his black blade tighter.

It is starting, Tari said, his voice dropping low. The seal is breaking.

Amina stepped back, holding her glowing spear ready, but her eyes widened just a fraction. He is unstable. If the power wakes up too fast, this whole block will go up in smoke.

Then we finish it now, Tari said. He drew his black blade from his belt with a sharp shriek of metal.

I did not care about their rules or their warnings. The pain in my chest was too heavy, the anger too loud. I clenched my fists, and the air around me grew cold. The black blood on my hand spread up my arm, turning my skin the color of midnight.

You hurt my friend, I said, my voice sounding deeper, wrong, like two voices speaking at the same time. Now you pay for it.

I lunged straight at Tari before he could raise his sword, my fist pulled back and ready to strike.

Tari grinned, swinging the black blade in a wide, fast arc toward my neck.