BACK TO GOLGOTHA
Chapter Forty-Seven: The Gate of Shadows
Night returned to Ikare with unsettling speed.
The sun had barely dipped below the distant hills when darkness began to thicken across the land once more. It was not the natural fall of evening. This darkness crept slowly, deliberately, like a curtain being drawn by unseen hands.
Stephen Dagunduro stood in the doorway of the abandoned compound, staring toward the distant horizon.
The Veil stirred uneasily within him.
Not violently.
Not like during the ritual.
But like a watchful sentinel sensing movement beyond the walls.
Favour stepped beside him, her Bible pressed against her chest.
"You feel it again," she said quietly.
Stephen nodded.
"Yes."
He paused.
"But it's different now."
Favour looked up at him.
"How?"
Stephen's eyes narrowed toward the darkening sky.
"It's not attacking."
"It's gathering."
Beneath the Earth
Far beneath the soil of Ondo State, the ground trembled faintly as ancient chambers opened that had not seen movement for centuries.
Massive stone formations cracked slowly apart.
And within the darkness below…
Eyes opened.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Creatures older than the towns above stirred restlessly. Their bodies were enormous, their scales like slabs of stone, their breathing slow and thunderous.
They had slept for generations.
But now…
The Gate had begun to awaken.
And they had felt it.
A low rumbling growl echoed through the subterranean caverns.
They were hungry.
The Valley of Ritual
In the hidden valley chamber, Baba Dagunduro stood surrounded by his followers.
Torches burned along the walls, casting long shadows that twisted across the ancient carvings etched into the stone.
The serpent coiled behind him like a living monument of darkness.
Oyekunle stepped forward carefully.
"Master… the vessels are ready."
Baba Dagunduro nodded.
"Bring them."
Two initiates dragged forward three terrified villagers.
Their hands were bound.
Their faces pale with fear.
Stephen would have recognized them instantly.
They were people from Ikare.
Members of the church.
Oyekunle hesitated.
"Master… are you certain the ritual requires—"
Baba Dagunduro raised one finger.
And the chamber fell silent.
"The Gate is stirring," he said softly.
"If it opens too slowly… the Veil will stabilize."
"But if it opens suddenly…"
His dark eyes gleamed.
"Even Stephen will not be able to contain it."
He turned slowly toward the villagers.
"And so… we accelerate destiny."
Back in Ikare
The town square was crowded.
Word had spread quickly about the young man who died in the church earlier that day.
Fear had returned.
People whispered in small groups.
Others prayed openly.
Stephen stood at the edge of the gathering with Favour.
"We need to calm them," she said quietly.
Stephen shook his head.
"No."
Favour frowned.
"No?"
Stephen looked at the anxious crowd.
"Fear isn't the enemy tonight."
Favour's brow furrowed.
"Then what is?"
Stephen's voice was grim.
"False peace."
He turned back toward the compound.
"The enemy isn't attacking openly anymore."
"That means something worse is coming."
The First Tremor
Suddenly the ground vibrated.
Very faintly.
At first no one noticed.
Then the vibration returned.
Stronger.
A glass window in a nearby shop cracked slightly.
Someone screamed.
The earth trembled again.
Stephen froze.
His eyes widened.
"Oh no…"
Favour grabbed his arm.
"What is it?"
Stephen's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Gate."
The Ritual Begins
Deep within the valley chamber, Baba Dagunduro raised his hands above the altar.
The villagers struggled desperately.
But the initiates held them down.
The serpent lifted its massive head, its red eyes glowing brighter.
Baba Dagunduro began chanting.
The language was ancient.
Older than the churches.
Older than the towns.
Older than the soil itself.
The altar began to glow with dark crimson light.
Oyekunle stepped back nervously.
"Master… the ground is already reacting."
Baba Dagunduro smiled.
"Good."
He placed his hand over the first villager's chest.
"Let the Gate taste blood."
The Earth Opens
Back in Ikare, the tremors intensified.
People began running through the streets.
Some fell to their knees praying.
Others screamed in panic.
Stephen's heart pounded violently.
The Veil erupted with sudden intensity inside his chest.
Favour gasped.
"What's happening?"
Stephen's voice was tight.
"He's forcing it open."
The ground cracked across the center of the square.
A long jagged fracture split the pavement.
Dust rose into the air.
Then something moved beneath the opening.
A massive shadow.
Favour stepped back in horror.
"Stephen…"
Stephen's eyes burned with determination.
"They've started the ritual."
He stepped forward toward the crack.
The Veil flared bright around his body.
"We stop it now."
The First Emergence
The crack widened.
Stone broke apart.
And then a massive scaled head pushed through the opening.
The creature was enormous.
Far larger than the serpent from the night before.
Its scales were black and gold.
Its eyes burned like molten metal.
The crowd screamed and fled.
Stephen stood his ground.
The creature hissed, its breath steaming in the cool night air.
It stared directly at him.
And then it spoke.
Not with sound.
But inside his mind.
Gate bearer…
Stephen clenched his fists.
"You will not cross into this world."
The creature's eyes narrowed.
The Gate is already opening.
Stephen raised his hand.
The Veil exploded outward in radiant light.
The creature recoiled violently as the light struck its scales.
The entire square shook from the impact.
Favour shouted from behind him.
"Stephen be careful!"
But Stephen didn't move.
The creature lowered its massive head again.
You cannot hold the Gate forever.
Stephen's voice was firm.
"I don't need forever."
The Veil surged again.
Blinding light slammed into the creature.
With a furious roar it retreated back into the crack.
The ground trembled violently as the fracture sealed partially.
Silence returned to the square.
Stephen staggered backward.
The Veil faded slightly.
Favour rushed to him.
"You pushed it back!"
Stephen shook his head slowly.
"No."
He looked down at the crack still faintly glowing.
"I delayed it."
The Realization
Hours later, the town had grown quiet again.
People stayed inside their homes.
Lights burned through the night.
Stephen sat on the steps outside the compound.
Favour joined him.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
Stephen looked up at the sky.
Clouds rolled slowly across the moon.
"The creature called me the Gate bearer."
Favour nodded.
"You think Baba Dagunduro knows that too."
Stephen exhaled slowly.
"Yes."
Silence lingered.
Then Favour spoke softly.
"Then we stop him before the Gate opens completely."
Stephen looked toward the dark horizon.
Somewhere out there…
Baba Dagunduro continued his ritual.
And the earth itself was beginning to respond.
Stephen stood slowly.
The Veil stirred once more inside him.
Stronger.
Awake.
Ready.
"Tomorrow," he said quietly.
"We take the fight to him."
Thunder rolled faintly in the distance.
And deep beneath the earth…
Something enormous shifted in the darkness.
Waiting.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
— James 4:7