The world was shifting.
The sound of the drums had not gone unnoticed. In corners of the earth where shadows thrived, groups were already moving like pieces on a chessboard.
Somewhere deep in Nigeria, inside the ruins of what had once been a state ministry office, a room glowed faintly with candlelight.
Men and women sat in a circle, their faces hidden behind black cloths. Their whispers overlapped like snakes hissing.
"They think it's just chaos.""They do not know it's only the beginning.""The gods stir. Not just ours, but theirs too.""The people are afraid. Fear makes them bow. Fear makes them bleed. In blood, we will rise."
A single figure leaned forward, their voice deeper than the rest."Then it is decided. The chosen will be tested. Some will fall. Some will ascend. But from this fire… the world will be remade."
The others answered in unison, their voices vibrating like a curse:"So let it be."
The candlelight flickered — and in an instant, the room was empty.
Abuja.
Once a city of noise and traffic, now quiet like a graveyard.
Broken cars lined the roads. Shops stood open, looted. Dogs barked in the distance, then fell silent. A smoke cloud hung in the air where a petrol station had exploded two days ago.
Inside an abandoned BRT bus, a boy sat curled against a seat, clutching his schoolbag like it was armor. His name was Chike, seventeen years old. His glasses were cracked, his shirt torn, but his mind was still alive.
He muttered to himself, voice shaking but steady."Okay, Chike… rule number one — don't panic. Rule number two — survive. Rule number three — if this was a manhwa, the protagonist would… would…" He laughed nervously. "Abi no be me go be the protagonist?"
He tried to smile at his own joke, but it came out broken.
The truth was, he hadn't eaten properly in two days. All he had left in his bag was a half-empty bottle of Coke and a mathematics textbook that weighed more than his entire body.
He adjusted his glasses and peered out the window. Abuja was a ghost town. Soldiers had been here at first, but even they had disappeared. He had seen them — bodies in uniform lying by the roadside, guns scattered like toys.
Something creaked.
Chike turned sharply, holding his bag close. The sound came from the back of the bus.
"Hello?" his voice cracked. "Anybody there?"
Silence.
Then—scratch. Scratch. A sound like claws scraping against metal.
Chike's blood went cold.
Slowly, he turned his head. A shadow was crawling across the ceiling of the bus. Long arms, fingers ending in claws, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. Its body bent unnaturally, joints cracking as it moved.
Chike's throat tightened. "Oh… oh shit."
The thing hissed, saliva dripping onto the seats.
Chike's legs trembled. His mind went into overdrive, recalling every anime and manga he had ever read. This is the part where the weak secondary character dies. No… I can't be that guy. Not me.
He reached into his bag, pulling out the Coke bottle like it was a grenade. His other hand gripped the math textbook. "Stay away o! I swear, I no dey sweet for food!"
The monster dropped lower, hanging upside down, its teeth gnashing.
Chike's heart slammed against his ribs. Sweat poured down his forehead. His mouth whispered prayers without him realizing. "Jesus… Jesus… Jesus…"
The creature lunged.
Chike screamed, swinging the bottle with all his strength. Coke splashed across the beast's face. It hissed but didn't stop.
Desperate, he flung the textbook. The heavy book smacked its head with a dull thud, buying him a second. He scrambled down the aisle, tripping over torn seats.
The thing snarled, its claws gouging the floor as it crawled after him.
DUM-DUM-DUM.
The drums again. Louder. Clearer. The entire bus seemed to vibrate with the sound.
Chike stopped, frozen in terror and awe. His chest rose and fell. The monster jerked violently, twitching as though the drums commanded it. Its red eyes flickered, its limbs shaking.
Chike's jaw dropped. "Wh-what the hell… is happening?"
The beast turned back to him, fury burning in its gaze. Faster this time. Stronger.
The bus rocked as it lunged.
Chike stumbled, his glasses falling off, the world turning blurry. He could smell its foul breath, feel the air of its claws.
This was it.
I'm not ready to die. Not like this.
The monster screeched — and the chapter ended.