Abule-Egba market pulsed like a living thing as dusk descended, vendors lighting lanterns that cast golden shadows on corrugated stalls. Kemi, Naomi, and Juwon navigated the labyrinthine alleys, the scent of fried plantains and jerked goat meat mingling with whispers—the buzz of the plaza riot, Consortium drones patrolling overhead like mechanical vultures.
Their contact, a hooded figure cloaked in a _dashiki_, waited by a spice cart piled with crimson _tatase_ peppers and turmeric roots. "Tolu," Juwon murmured, and the figure handed Kemi a small, ornate box inlaid with _Ọ̀nà_ symbols.
"Tade's work," Tolu whispered, eyes darting. "Data from Consortium servers. Locations of their Lagos hubs, project blueprints... everything."
Kemi's fingers closed around the box like a talisman. "How?"
"Tade hacked their intranet. But you need to move fast. Consortium's shutting down nodes, tracing IDs—"
Naomi intercepted the box. "We split the data. Juwon, get it to the safehouses. Kemi, you and I—"
A Consortium drone zapped overhead, spotlight blinding them. Shouts erupted. Tolu vanished into the crowd like smoke.
"This way!" Juwon yanked Kemi and Naomi into a narrow alley, dodging a laden tray of _suya_. Footsteps closed in. The _Iwọ̀n_'s hum grew louder, like a heartbeat syncing with Kemi's.
They burst into a courtyard—makoko-style stilt houses over murky water, children drumming on upturned buckets. A _gẹ̀gẹ̀_ player on a porch nodded, recognizing Kemi, and launched into a wild riff. The _Iwọ̀n_ responded, water rippling.
Naomi activated a jammer; drones veered off, confused. "Split here. Juwon, _gbagbọ́_—trust."
Juwon grinned, tucking the box into his _Aṣó Oke_ sash. "Makoko won't fall."
As they parted, Kemi's phone buzzed—a coded message from an unknown sender:
__The tide's turning. Meet me, Eko Hotel rooftop. Midnight. -E._
Kemi's pulse skipped. E... Elara? Naomi's eyes met hers—same thought.
"Let's go," Kemi whispered.
Midnight. Eko Hotel's rooftop bar, abandoned, glittered like a fallen star over the lagoon. Elara leaned against the railing, city lights painting her skin bronze. Kemi and Naomi approached, wary.
"Elara," Kemi said, _gẹ̀gẹ̀_ pendant warm against her chest.
"Kemi. I see you've chosen sides."
"The people chose," Kemi corrected.
Elara sighed, a flicker of something—hesitation?—in her eyes. "I can broker a meeting. Consortium's willing to negotiate. But you need leverage."
Naomi snorted. "Like they negotiated with Makoko?"
Elara's gaze hardened. "You don't understand the stakes. The _Iwọ̀n_ is unpredictable. Consortium won't back down without control."
Kemi smiled, slow. "The _Iwọ̀n_ has a mind of its own."
The lagoon surged, waves lapping higher. A screen on the bar flickered—a feed of Consortium HQ, guards rushing corridors...
Elara's phone rang, loudspeaker blaring a single word: "BREACH."
Kemi's smile widened. "Looks like Tade's faster."
Elara spun, eyes wild. "This isn't a game—"
The rooftop erupted—drones swarming, laser pointers slicing smoke. Kemi and Naomi dove behind a planter as Elara shouted, "Abort!"
But it was too late. The _Iwọ̀n_ roared, a gorgon of water and debris, Consortium drones dissolving in its fury. Elara stumbled back, Consortium phone shattered on the floor...
And then, silence.
Kemi stood, _Adire_ cloth whirling like a storm.