Night falls heavy over the village.
A rare Blood Moon rises — thick, red, pulsing like a living heart.
Dogs howl. Birds go silent. The wind stops.
Inside the old house, Sade can't sleep.
The prophecy repeats in her head:
"Only one of you will survive."
She looks at Tunde, who's seated by the window, watching the moon with a strange expression.
Sade (softly):
"What are you thinking?"
Tunde doesn't answer immediately.
His glow is dimmer tonight… almost too dim.
Finally, he speaks:
Tunde:
"Sade… the prophecy may be right."
Sade stiffens.
Sade:
"No. Stop. Don't say that."
He turns to her. His face is sad but calm.
Tunde:
"The Hunter wants either your power… or my soul.
If it gets either one… it wins."
Sade marches toward him, anger rising.
Sade:
"I'm not choosing who dies. We're both surviving. Both."
Tunde grabs her wrist gently.
The mark glows brighter under his touch.
Tunde:
"Your flame is growing. Mine is dying."
Sade shakes her head violently.
Sade:
"I refuse this destiny. I refuse it!"
Before Tunde can respond—
THUD… THUD… THUD.
Someone is knocking on the door.
Slow.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Tunde's eyes widen.
Tunde:
"Sade… don't open it."
The knock gets louder.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Sade's heart pounds.
Then a voice whispers from outside:
"Sade… my daughter… open the door…"
Sade's breath catches.
It's her father's voice.
But her father is out of town — hours away.
Tunde steps forward, blocking the door.
His voice turns sharp:
Tunde:
"That is NOT your father."
The voice shifts… becoming distorted.
"…saAaAde… open… the… dooooor…"
The doorknob begins to turn on its own.
Sade backs away.
Tunde raises his glowing hand.
The house shakes—
BOOM!
The door bursts inward, flying off its hinges.
A tall shadow stands outside.
Black smoke coils around it.
Eyes hollow.
Teeth sharp.
Claws dripping with darkness.
The Spirit Hunter has found them.
The Spirit Hunter steps into the house.
Every candle extinguishes.
The temperature drops below freezing.
Sade can see her own breath trembling.
The creature crawls on all fours, like a twisted animal.
It circles them slowly.
Hunter (hissing):
"You… the flame bearer…
And you… the half-born spirit…"
Tunde stands protectively in front of Sade.
Tunde:
"You're not touching her."
The Hunter pauses…
Then it LAUGHS — a horrible, layered sound that echoes like screams and thunder.
Hunter:
"You cannot protect what does not belong to you."
It suddenly BLURS forward.
Tunde shoves Sade aside—
And the Hunter's claws slash him across the chest.
Tunde screams, collapsing to the floor, his glow flickering violently.
Sade:
"TUNDE!!"
She rushes to him — but his body is fading in and out, unstable.
The Hunter turns to Sade.
Hunter:
"You shine… too brightly.
Your soul… will make me whole."
It reaches for her—
Sade's wrist mark erupts in blinding gold.
She screams — not in fear, but fury.
A massive burst of flame explodes from her palm, slamming into the Hunter.
The creature shrieks and flies backward into the wall, cracking it.
The house shakes.
Sade pants, trembling.
Her hands glow white-hot, flames dancing around her fingers.
Tunde looks up at her, amazed.
Tunde:
"Sade… you're awakening."
But the Hunter isn't done.
It reforms, body stitching itself from shadows.
Hunter:
"I will return with my full form…
And when I do…
One of you… will die."
It vanishes into black smoke.
Silence.
Sade collapses beside Tunde, crying.
Sade:
"This is my fault—"
Tunde (weakly):
"No. This is fate."
But Sade shakes her head, gripping his hands tight.
Sade:
"No.
This is WAR."
They return to the shrine ruins where Mama Fowora waits.
Tunde looks worse — fading more each hour.
Sade explains everything.
Mama Fowora listens, face pale.
Mama Fowora:
"The Hunter is not showing its true form.
It is waiting.
Watching.
Feeding off Tunde's weakening spirit."
Tunde lowers his eyes.
Sade grabs his hand.
Sade:
"We're not giving up."
Mama Fowora sighs deeply.
Then she speaks:
Mama Fowora:
"Tunde… you must tell her.
She needs to know the truth…
About how you died."
Sade frowns.
Sade:
"Tunde… what truth?"
Tunde looks terrified.
For the first time… he looks ashamed.
Tunde:
"I didn't die peacefully.
I didn't die of accident.
I didn't die of sickness."
Sade whispers:
Sade:
"…Then how did you die?"
Tunde's voice cracks.
Tunde:
"I was killed."
Sade's stomach drops.
Sade:
"Killed? By who?"
Silence.
Wind blows softly through the shrine ruins.
Tunde clenches his fists.
Tunde:
"By a spirit.
A spirit I trusted."
Sade covers her mouth.
Mama Fowora continues quietly:
Mama Fowora:
"A spirit who betrayed him…
And whose betrayal turned Tunde into a Spirit Tear — a soul born in pain."
Sade whispers:
Sade:
"Who was it?"
Tunde's voice turns hollow.
His eyes go distant, haunted.
Tunde:
"My own guardian…
The one assigned to watch over me."
Sade's heart breaks.
Sade:
"You… were betrayed by the spirit meant to protect you?"
Tunde nods slowly.
Tunde:
"And that spirit…
Is connected to the Hunter."
The revelation hits Sade like lightning.
She steps back, shaking.
Sade:
"You mean… the Hunter was once a spirit… like you?"
Tunde nods again.
Tunde:
"It used to have a name.
A purpose.
A duty.
Until it devoured its human — the one it was sworn to protect."
Sade feels sick.
Cold.
Shocked.
Tunde looks at her with desperate eyes.
Tunde:
"Sade…
I'm terrified the same fate will happen to us."
She grabs his face gently.
Sade:
"We're not repeating history.
I won't let you become a Hollow.
And I won't let myself become prey."
Her voice is fierce.
Unshakable.
Tunde's eyes soften.
Mama Fowora instructs Sade to sit in the center of the shrine.
Candles ignite around her with no touch.
Drums sound faintly in the wind — though no one is playing.
Mama Fowora lifts a calabash and pours white chalk powder over Sade.
Mama Fowora:
"You will now call the ancestors.
You must face them.
Accept them.
Or they will reject you."
Sade nods nervously.
Tunde kneels beside her, placing a hand over hers.
Tunde:
"I'm here. Always."
Sade closes her eyes.
Mama Fowora begins chanting.
The world tilts.
The ground falls away.
Sade suddenly finds herself standing in a vast glowing forest — leaves made of light, rivers made of stars.
The Ancestor Realm.
Ancient figures appear.
Tall. Glowing.
Faces wise and fierce.
One steps forward — the Elder Ancestor.
His voice echoes like thunder:
Ancestor:
"Sade. Child of the First Flame."
Sade bows her head.
He continues:
Ancestor:
"You carry the power to open or close the path between worlds.
But your flame is unstable…
Because your heart is divided."
Sade frowns.
Sade:
"Divided… how?"
The Ancestor's voice softens.
Ancestor:
"You love a spirit.
And a spirit loves you."
Sade's breath shakes.
She closes her eyes.
Sade:
"Is that… wrong?"
The Ancestors whisper among themselves.
Finally the Elder speaks:
Ancestor:
"It is not wrong.
But it is dangerous.
For love creates power.
And power attracts darkness."
Sade lifts her chin.
Sade:
"Then teach me how to protect him.
Teach me how to defeat the Spirit Hunter."
The forest vibrates.
The Ancestors glow brighter.
Ancestor:
"We will help you.
But prepare yourself."
Sade braces.
Ancestor:
"For your greatest pain…
Will become your greatest strength."
Sade opens her eyes, ready.
And the Ancestors reach toward her—
Light consumes everything.