I could hear police sirens in the distance. The noise of the clashes was making the streets tremble.
I was running in all directions. I had lost track of Ayélé. Darn, I knew it wasn't a good idea to go for a walk today.
As I found myself facing a dark alley, I shouted loudly:
— Ayélé! Ayélé! Where are you?
That's when I heard a growl behind me. My body was trembling, but the only strength left in me was what allowed me to turn around and see the creature right in front of me. A repulsive monster with a deformed body. The morphology of a four-meter-tall man and the muscle mass of a rhinoceros.
My eyes widened, and I finally realized it.
I was going to die...
---
A little earlier.
Since I had left Congo for Nigeria, something in me had changed. Not that I was homesick, but in a certain way, I felt better back home. I was in my second year of a psychology degree at Nova Lagos University, right in the heart of Lagos.
It was ironic because I spent my whole life inside my head. People often told me I had my head in the clouds. Even today, in neuropsychology class, I was already somewhere else.
Professor Abenyago was speaking, making grand gestures with his hands. Me, I was completely elsewhere, my face tilted toward my screen.
"It has now been fifteen years since Africa was cut off from the world. On October 15, 2020, mysterious purple clouds appeared around the continent. They made all access impossible, reducing to ashes anyone who tried to penetrate them. To this day, we have no solid information about their origins; we only suffer the consequences."
I glanced up at the professor to make sure he wasn't looking at me before diving back into my reading.
"In addition to having to develop technologies without external help, the various countries on the continent fear falling behind the rest of the world, about which we know nothing. These clouds have also increased spiritual energy which we call Nuru. This has caused the appearance of monstrous creatures that we commonly call Onayi."
Scrolling further down, I could clearly see an image of an Onayi. A repulsive monster that looked like everything and nothing at all.
"These creatures devour humans and are extremely dangerous. Fortunately for us, there are people with divine abilities tasked with protecting us from the Onayi. The Hunters are a group created by the African Union and the Nuru Counc—"
— Mr. Fazili!
I looked up to meet Professor Abenyago's eyes, who seemed ready to explode.
— Aren't the sensory and motor functions of interest to you?
— Of course they are, sorry...
He turned back to continue. While a few people around me laughed, Ayélé leaned over slightly.
— So Ethan Fazili, since when are you interested in neuropsychology ? she said, a bit provocatively.
— Stop teasing me; I'm just having trouble concentrating, that's all.
— Why ? are you still looking at pictures of Adaeze?"
I jumped slightly. She was talking about Adaeze Oyoke. A regional hunter who was pretty much everyone's crush. Athletic body, smooth skin, shiny hair—she had it all. But she wasn't my main concern.
— No, actually... Today marks fifteen years since the clouds appeared.
Ayélé nibbled on her pen, her gaze shifting between the board and me.
— I wonder when we'll make progress on them. When they'll leave and those damn monsters will go away.
I lowered my eyes, feeling a lump in my throat.
— But you see, I don't know if the world was better before. What was Africa like before the clouds? Wars, corruption, ethnic disputes. I don't think that's changed.
— You're right. But now there are humans with powers and gigantic monsters.
She said it in such a way that I was forced to smile.
— Listen, she continued. If you want Africa to move forward, you have to believe in it first.
— Until when?
— Forever and always. Love breeds faith. If you love Africa, you'll never stop believing in it. You know what? You need a good refresh. After class, we'll go get some ice cream.
She might not have been wrong. Maybe that wasn't the right approach.
As we walked through the streets, I couldn't help but admire Ayélé. She was from Benin. Even if she didn't show it, like me, she didn't feel entirely at ease. I was happy to have met her last year.
As we moved forward, we suddenly heard a shrill crack. An Onayi was right above us. Fear froze me in place. Ayélé started running in the first direction that appeared. Police officers began shooting at the beast, which seemed barely scratched by the bullets. An officer stared at me.
— Get out of here !
I obeyed without thinking twice. I ran in Ayélé's direction to find her, but nothing. As I advanced, I found myself alone in an alley. That's when I heard the beast's breath behind me.
That's how I was going to die...
...