The waves rolled against the shore of Ikot-Ana's southern coast, whispering secrets only the sea knew. The village of Ndito-Eka, small and forgotten, clung to the edge of the water like a stubborn shellfish. Huts of raffia and mud lined the beach, and the smell of roasted fish drifted through the humid air.
Among the barefoot children chasing crabs and tossing nets was a boy called Ufan. Seventeen rains had passed since he was found as an infant, wrapped in a cloth of silk too fine for a fisherman's hut. The villagers never asked too many questions. The old fisherman, Etim, had claimed the child as his own, and that was enough.
But there was something different about Ufan.
He carried himself with a quiet strength, even when he laughed with the other boys or hauled nets heavy with tilapia. His eyes—deep, stormy black—often wandered beyond the horizon, as if searching for a place he had never seen. And on his left shoulder, hidden beneath his tunic, burned a mark no villager could mistake: a sun etched in flesh, the royal crest of Ikot-Ana.
That morning, Ufan stood by the water's edge, staring at his reflection rippling in the tide.
"Ufan!" Etim's gravelly voice broke the silence. The old fisherman limped toward him, leaning on his staff. His once-strong frame was bent with years, but his eyes still burned sharp. "The sea does not give fish to dreamers. Cast your net, boy."
Ufan smiled faintly but did not move. "Father, do you ever wonder… if we are meant for more than this? More than fishing and mending nets?"
Etim frowned, shifting his staff. "A man who chases dreams on the sea will drown. Remember that."
But Ufan did not answer. For in his mind, the dreams he spoke of were not empty. Every night, he saw fire—palaces burning, steel clashing, and a throne of gold shrouded in shadow. And always, a voice whispered in his sleep: "The blood of kings flows in you."
As the waves pulled back, leaving the sand wet and glistening, Ufan felt the pull of destiny stronger than ever. He could not explain it, but he knew—something was coming.
Something that would change the quiet life of Ndito-Eka forever.