Nkosana sprinted through the night, his heart hammering like ancestral drums. Behind him, the earth groaned. That stone—it wasn't just a marker. It was a seal. And he had broken it.
Back home, MaGogo sat at the hearth, staring blankly into the flames. She didn't flinch when he burst in.
"You found the name," she said, voice hollow.
"Zamcolo," he whispered. "Who is it?"
Her eyes shifted. "Not who... *what*."
She took a long breath. "Long ago, your bloodline made a pact—one soaked in sacrifice. Zamcolo was a demon bound beneath our soil, cursed to sleep beneath the Manana line. He was sealed by your great-grandfather using the firstborn's life."
Nkosana felt cold. "And I'm the firstborn."
"You weren't supposed to awaken him," she said, standing slowly. "But your soul is… fractured. The curse is bleeding through the cracks."
Suddenly, the sky outside roared. Thunder split the air, and a scream—not human—echoed from the direction of the graveyard.
"He's awake," MaGogo said, her voice trembling. "And he's coming for what was promised."
Nkosana turned, fists clenched, terror and rage dancing in his chest. If the demon wanted him, he'd have to fight.
Even if it meant becoming the monster himself.