The sun slowly broke over Lagos Island, casting a golden glow on skyscrapers as Kemi wrapped the electric-blue _Adire_ cloth around her shoulders like a shawl.
The _gẹ̀gẹ̀_ pendant felt heavier, as if pulsing with the _Iwọ̀n_'s anticipation.
Naomi helped tie her hair into neat _oje_ braids, adorned with tiny cowry shells that clicked like whispers.
"Ready?" Naomi asked, handing Kemi a phone with an encrypted feed.
Kemi nodded.
"The people know.
Now it's time Elara does too.
" By 10 AM, Lagos Island Plaza thranged with bodies-students in _Aṣó Oke_ caps, vendors selling spiced peanuts and _puff-puff_, hackers in mirrored shades.
The Consortium's team occupied the stage, Elara poised with a sleek tablet.
Dr. Amadi's warning echoed in Kemi's mind: _They'll try to control the narrative.
_ Elara began, her voice smooth.
"Lagos, we bring innovation.
Clean energy, smart grids-" The crowd didn't let her finish.
_"What about Makoko?"_ someone shouted.
_"No more evictions!"_ Juwon's drums kicked in from a floating DJ booth on the lagoon, a rebellious beat that drowned out the PA.
Kemi stepped onto the stage, _Adire_ cloth fluttering.
Elara's smile faltered.
"Good morning, Lagos," Kemi said, mic amplifying her voice.
"We don't just want upgrades.
We want _ownership_." Screens behind flickered-footage of Makoko's piers, the _Iwọ̀n_'s swirling waters, protesters chanting _#LagosUnbound_.
The crowd roared.
Amara Rao, from the Consortium, tried to intervene, but Kemi kept going.
"The _Iwọ̀n_ isn't a tool.
It's our heritage.
And we decide its beat."
Naomi activated a mesh network, and the plaza's LED ads flickered, replaced by _Ọ̀nà_-weave patterns-spirals, waves, symbols of unity.
The crowd gasped.
Kemi raised the _gẹ̀gẹ̀_, and the _Iwọ̀n_ responded, a low rumble beneath the seawalls.
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"This is reckless. You'll destabilize-" "Destabilize what?" Kemi cut in.
"A system that ignores us? The _Iwọ̀n_ speaks for Lagos.
_We_ are its voice." The drums peaked. People surged forward, waving _Aṣó Oke_ banners, chanting.
The Consortium's guards pushed back, but the sea of bodies held firm.
Kemi unfurled the _Adire_ cloth-its patterns swirled into the air, like threads weaving into the city's fabric.
A sudden screech.
Drones swooped in, Consortium logos flashing. Naomi yanked Kemi down as a laser pointer grazed the stage.
_"Get out!"_ They plunged into the crowd, Juwon grabbing them into a tight huddle.
_"This way!"_ The _Iwọ̀n_ surged, water spraying high as if breaking chains.
Police sirens wailed, but the crowd didn't scatter-they flowed, like a human tide toward the streets.
Elara's voice, amplified, echoed: "This is a warning.
The Consortium won't be undermined." Kemi smiled, _gẹ̀gẹ̀_ thrumming.
"Too late.
The threads are loose."
As they vanished into Makoko's alleys, the drums didn't stop.
The _Iwọ̀n_ hummed louder, as if joining the rebellion.
In a hidden chat, a message pinged: _The gatekeepers are nervous.
Meet me, Abule-Egba market. Dusk.