She hugged her Bible tighter. "I… I can't… I'm… I'm not ready for this…"
Eli's eyes softened. "Survival is never enough. You carry something in your bloodline that the darkness remembers."
Adaeze groaned. "Bloodline?! Great… my family is cursed. Can I get a refund on life, maybe?"
Her mind flashed to Lagos alleys, the faceless figure she'd glimpsed as a child, her mother whispering prayers at midnight. Every memory twisted with fear: It followed me… it's here… it's waiting.
Shadows behind Eli writhed, responding to his presence. Adaeze stepped back, muttering Psalm 23 again, voice trembling:
"I will fear no evil; for thou art with me..."
"I don't understand," she whispered, tears pricking. "How do I fight something that remembers me?"
"You will need courage, faith, and choices you cannot yet imagine," Eli said, his golden eyes steady. "And sometimes… trust those who appear unexpectedly."
The whisper hissed again: You cannot hide…
Mini cliffhanger: The golden glow dims. Shadows lean closer. Adaeze feels like her chest is being pressed by the unseen