OBARA OBARA

Umuawulu — 1995

The drums began long before midnight.

Deep inside the evil forest of Umuawulu, where the trees grew so tightly together that moonlight could barely reach the ground, the sound travelled through the darkness.

Gbaaam.

Gbaaam.

Gbaaam.

The drums were slow.

Heavy.

Deliberate.

Tonight was not a celebration.

Tonight was a sacrifice.

Beyond the thick trees stood an ancient temple hidden from ordinary people. No road led to it. No sign marked its location. Only members of Ochichi knew how to find it.

Inside, dozens of men and women dressed in dark traditional garments moved around a large stone altar.

Torches burned along the walls.

Smoke from burning herbs covered the ceiling.

The smell of blood hung heavily in the air.

At the centre of the temple stood the highest priest of Ochichi.

Obalatule.

He was an old man with a calm face and frightening eyes. In his hands was a carved wooden staff covered with strange symbols.

Around the altar were the remains of the first sacrifice.

The Ochichi had already sacrificed twenty-four virgins.

Their blood had been collected in clay bowls and placed around the altar.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody dared to move without permission.

Obalatule slowly raised his staff.

The drums stopped.

Silence filled the temple.

Then Obalatule spoke.

"Tonight, the blood has been given."

The cult members lowered their heads.

"Tonight, Ochichi has opened the way."

He turned toward the altar.

"Let the ancient one hear us."

The candles suddenly went out.

One after another.

Fuff.

Fuff.

Fuff.

Darkness swallowed the temple.

Then black smoke began rising from the altar.

It twisted through the air like something alive.

Several cult members stepped backward.

Obalatule remained where he was.

He lifted his staff.

"Ekweusu."

The name echoed through the temple.

"Ekweusu."

The cult repeated it.

"Ekweusu."

The black smoke grew thicker.

"Ekweusu!"

The chanting became louder.

Then a deep voice came from the darkness.

"I hear you."

Several members fell to their knees.

Obalatule smiled.

The first ritual had begun.

---

THE BLOOD BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE

Among the powerful members of Ochichi was a man named Obiora Ezeike.

He was respected by the cult.

He was feared by many of its members.

He was also ambitious.

Obiora wanted power.

Not ordinary power.

He wanted wealth that could never disappear. Influence that could never be challenged. A life that would never end.

He believed Ochichi could give him all of it.

But there was one person who made him question everything.

Adaeza.

Adaeza was strong-minded, intelligent and respected within the cult.

She understood the traditions.

She understood the spirits.

But unlike many of the others, she still possessed a conscience.

She did not believe every sacrifice was necessary.

She did not believe every command should be obeyed.

And she certainly did not believe that innocent blood should be spilled simply because Ochichi demanded it.

Obiora and Adaeza began meeting secretly.

At first, they only talked.

They talked about Ochichi.

They talked about their future.

They talked about leaving the life they were living.

Eventually, their relationship became something deeper.

They became lovers.

They knew they were taking a dangerous risk.

But they continued.

Then Adaeza discovered she was pregnant.

She stared at the result in silence.

Her hand slowly moved to her stomach.

"Obiora..."

When she told him, he was speechless.

Then he smiled.

"We're going to have a child."

Adaeza smiled too.

But her happiness did not last.

The dreams began.

She would wake in the middle of the night covered in sweat.

In one dream, she saw her unborn child standing in the middle of a burning land.

In another, she saw the child surrounded by people praying.

And in another...

She saw a giant shadow standing behind him.

Watching.

Waiting.

She always woke before she could see its face.

But she knew the voice.

Ekweusu.

Adaeza began to fear what her child might become.

More importantly, she feared what Ochichi would do when they discovered the child existed.

---

THE SECOND SACRIFICE

Months passed.

Adaeza's pregnancy became impossible to hide.

Her body became weaker.

She was frequently sick.

Some days she could barely walk.

But Ochichi did not care.

They believed the child inside her was connected to something greater.

And so another ritual was prepared.

A ritual far more important than the first.

The temple was filled again.

The drums returned.

Gbaaam.

Gbaaam.

Gbaaam.

Adaeza stood near the altar, holding her stomach.

She was heavily pregnant.

Her breathing was difficult.

Obiora stood nearby.

He looked at her with concern.

"This ritual should not be happening," he whispered.

Adaeza looked at him.

"They don't care."

Obiora turned toward Obalatule.

"We should stop this."

Obalatule slowly looked at him.

"You forget who you serve."

Obiora said nothing.

Obalatule turned toward Adaeza.

"The child must be presented."

Adaeza held her stomach tighter.

"My child is not yours."

A few members of Ochichi exchanged nervous looks.

Obalatule's expression hardened.

"You carry the blood of Ochichi."

Adaeza stared directly into his eyes.

"And I will not allow you to take my child."

Before Obalatule could answer, Adaeza suddenly bent forward.

Pain shot through her body.

She gasped.

Obiora rushed toward her.

"Adaeza!"

She grabbed his arm.

"The baby..."

Her voice trembled.

"The baby is coming."

Obiora looked toward the altar.

Then toward the entrance.

Something was wrong.

Outside the temple, another sound had begun.

A sound Ochichi knew very well.

Sirens.

Obalatule's head turned.

"What is that?"

Then—

BOOM!

The temple doors exploded inward.

Police officers stormed inside.

Behind them came Christian prayer warriors and church representatives carrying crosses and Bibles.

"POLICE!"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

"EVERYBODY DOWN!"

Chaos erupted.

Ochichi members attacked.

The police raised their guns.

Gunshots filled the temple.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

People screamed.

The Christian group began praying loudly.

"Lord, protect us!"

"Drive out this evil!"

Obalatule slammed his staff against the ground.

A dark force exploded outward.

Several people were thrown backward.

One police officer crashed into a stone pillar.

Another dropped his weapon.

Adaeza fell to her knees.

Obiora turned toward her.

Then he stopped.

Something was standing behind him.

Black smoke.

It wrapped itself around his body.

Obiora gasped.

His back arched.

His eyes widened.

The smoke entered through his mouth and nose.

Adaeza stared in horror.

"Obiora..."

His body shook violently.

Then everything became still.

He slowly lifted his head.

His eyes were glowing.

Something ancient had entered him.

Ekweusu had possessed Obiora.

A police officer raised his gun.

"Don't move!"

Obiora looked at him.

The officer fired.

BANG!

The bullet struck Obiora.

He barely moved.

Another officer fired.

BANG! BANG!

Obiora looked down at his body.

Then he looked at the gun.

A smile appeared on his face.

He reached for a weapon lying nearby.

He picked up a gun.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He fired at the attackers.

People scattered.

Police officers returned fire.

Bullets flew across the temple.

But Obiora continued walking.

He looked almost amused.

Then he threw the gun onto the ground.

CLANG!

He looked at the police officers.

"Useless weapons."

Silence.

Even the attackers hesitated.

Obiora opened his mouth.

Something began glowing inside it.

Adaeza's eyes widened.

"No..."

Obiora inhaled deeply.

Then—

FWWWWOOOOOSH!

Fire exploded from his mouth.

A massive wave of flames tore through the temple.

Wooden pillars caught fire.

Clothing burned.

People screamed and ran.

The forest outside lit up orange.

Obiora stood in the middle of the flames.

Untouched.

His eyes burned like two furnaces.

The voice that came from his mouth was no longer completely human.

"You called me."

Obalatule dropped to his knees.

"Great Ekweusu."

The flames continued spreading.

Adaeza struggled to stand.

She looked at Obiora.

For a moment, she could still see the man she loved.

Then she looked down at her stomach.

Her child.

Her unborn child.

She understood the truth.

If she remained there, Ochichi would take him.

She had to escape.

She had to protect him.

Even if it meant turning against everyone she had once known.

Outside, the police continued firing.

The Christians continued praying.

The forest became a battlefield.

And inside the burning temple, the fate of an unborn child was being decided.

A child who would one day be known as Ikenga.

A child whose blood would awaken an ancient war.

A child who would inherit a bloodline that had been hidden for generations.

And on that night in 1995...