Chapter 57 - Chuka's Chase Through Lagos(2)

Chuka pressed himself against the gnarled roots of the baobab tree, his breath ragged, the sigil on his palm pulsing like a trapped star. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and something sharper—ozone, like the promise of a storm. Above, the sky roiled, gold and ash twisting into shapes that made his head ache: wings, eyes, a crown of flame. The distant clash of Mama Ife's battle with Kweku echoed faintly, a fading drumbeat swallowed by Lagos's chaos. He wanted to run back, to help her, but her words burned in his mind: You're more than you know. Don't let it end here.