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Before anyone could answer, Ibe and Nonso walked into the room, looking just as surprised to see everyone gathered.
"Looks like we're all here," Ibe remarked, scanning the room. His gaze landed on Frost, and his eyes widened when his gaze landed on the twins
Frost ignored Ibe's comments, his focus on Kira and the folder in her hands. "Kamdi," he said, his voice low and serious. Kamdi immediately crossed the room to Kira, his eyes trained on the strange piece of paper she held.
"May I?" Kamdi asked softly, holding out his hand. Kira hesitated, but before she could respond, the hospital director interjected.
"Hey, that's private information!" he barked, clearly frustrated by the chaos unfolding in his office.
Nonso stepped forward, placing a firm hand on the director's shoulder. "Sir, this is a murder investigation. We need your cooperation."
The director, still bewildered, sank back into his chair, his eyes darting between Kira, Kamdi, and Frost. "Murder investigation?" he repeated, his voice barely a whisper.
Kira glanced at the director, then back at Kamdi. "It's okay. They need to see this." She handed the folder to Kamdi.
Kamdi quickly flipped through the folder, his eyes narrowing as he read through the notes and studied the pictures. "These are the victims," he muttered to Frost, "and all of them had some kind of connection with Kira."
"I volunteer here at the hospital," Kira explained, her voice shaky. "I've helped a lot of patients dealing with mental health issues, especially those who've had devastating news about their health. These people—they were struggling, and I… I did my best to help them see their own beauty, to accept the parts of themselves they thought were cursed." Her voice faltered. "I didn't know they would end up dead…"
Kamdi's eyes flicked to the piece of paper Kira had been holding earlier. "That's Agbogugu Forest," he blurted out suddenly. Kira handed it to him, and he flipped it over ''There's a map on how to get to the location in the picture''
Frost's expression darkened at the mention of the forest. "Kira, give Kamdi that note Mary left for you."
She hesitated at first. How did he know Mary left her a note? None of these made sense, but at the same time, it DID make sense. Of course, she shouldn't be questioning things. From the onset, she had always felt like Frost knew more than he let on, so it wasn't really strange that he knew about Mary's note. She handed it to him, and Kamdi's eyes widened as he examined the reversed pentagon symbol. "This… this is part of the ritual to break the curse," Kamdi said, his voice trembling slightly.
Frost's face contorted in realisation. "Mary… she's the shaman. The one who cursed me. She left you this note because the time is running out. We have until midnight."
"The shaman?" Ibe and Nonso exchanged confused looks, clearly lost in the conversation. The director, too, looked utterly bewildered by what he was hearing.
"We don't have time to explain everything," Frost said, his voice growing more urgent. "We only have six hours to stop this. If we don't act now, Kira... she will take over your body forever, locked in."
Kira and Koa shot up from their seats, ready to follow Frost's lead. But just as Frost started toward the door, he paused and turned back to the director.
"One last thing," Frost said, his tone sharp. "Did a doctor stop working here about four days ago?"
The director blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Uh… yes, actually. He was one of our best. Young, kind, really talented. But he left unexpectedly. Why?"
"Do you have a picture of him?" Frost asked, his voice cold and calculated.
The director nodded, quickly rummaging through his desk drawers until he found the file he was looking for. He handed it to Kamdi, who examined the picture closely.
"That's him," Frost muttered darkly after Kamdi described the man's features to Frost. The young man in the picture had sharp features, glasses, and a kind, confident smile that seemed out of place in light of everything that had happened.
''Shadow," Frost said, a grim determination settling over his face.
With that, they rushed out of the office, leaving the director, Ibe, and Nonso standing in stunned silence.
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The drive to the forest was quiet, the rain pounding on the car roofs like the universe was in mourning. Inside one car, Ibe and Nonso exchanged anxious glances. Neither of them had a clue what Frost had planned. They were detectives, not mystics. Rituals and ancient symbols weren't part of their training. But this case, with its strange twists and turns, had taken them far beyond the world they knew. In the other car, Frost sat in silence, deep in thought. Kamdi, sitting beside him, looked over and broke the silence.
"You sure about this, Frost?" Kamdi asked, glancing at the bottle Gourd nestled between Frost's feet, filled with ancient herbs and the items they had spent hours gathering.
Frost nodded, his blind eyes staring straight ahead. "I have no choice. Shadow is no ordinary enemy. He doesn't play by our rules, so we can't play by his."
Kamdi leaned back, Frost's words a heavy reminder of what was to come. "I guess we'll find out tonight if we can truly beat him."
When they finally arrived at the forest clearing, the rain had lessened to a misty drizzle, but the air still felt charged, like it was holding its breath, waiting. The group moved by the light of their torches, and after following the map drawn on the back of the paper of the forest, they found the spot: a clean stream running through the trees, the moonlight casting eerie reflections off the water.
Frost moved with a confidence that was unsettling. Despite being blind, he knelt by the stream, filling a bowl with water. "Kamdi, help me set up a circle, and put the drum in the middle."
Kamdi immediately jumped into action, though he wasn't entirely sure what's going to happen. Ibe and Nonso watched from a distance, still uneasy.
"Aren't we supposed to be catching Shadow?" Nonso asked, his voice shaking with the fear that had been building in him since they'd entered the forest.
Kamdi turned to them, wiping his hands on his jeans. "This is the trap, Frost mentioned earlier. Trust me. This is how we catch him." He looked at Ibe and Nonso, then added, "Whatever you see tonight... try not to lose yourselves in it."
Nonso crossed his arms, his scepticism barely masked by his fear. "This is crazy. Frost has gone mad. We're detectives, not witch doctors!"
Ignoring Nonso, Frost calmly passed Kamdi the red silk wrapper. "She needs to change into this. Quickly, we don't have much time."
Kamdi gave the wrapper to Kira, who stood by the stream, shivering slightly from the cold. Koa helped her, tying the wrapper tightly around her chest and waist, adorning her with beads that glimmered in the moonlight. When Kira stepped into the clearing, everyone fell silent. The moon seemed to shine directly on her, bathing her in an ethereal glow.
"She looks like a goddess," Ibe whispered, unable to take his eyes off her.
Frost worked methodically, crushing the grains of Selim, grinding the water leaves, and mixing them in the water. He was focused, but his movements felt desperate because time was slipping away.
"Get into the bath," he told Kira.
She hesitated, looking at him with a mixture of defiance and longing. As she slowly lowered herself into the large drum of water, with Koa's help, the tension in the air grew thick, almost unbearable. Frost began drawing white chalk circles on her body—on her collarbone, her arms, her forehead. Each touch sent shivers down Kira's spine, her heart beating erratically. She willed herself not to feel anything, not to be affected by him, but every stroke of his hand reminded her of their shared history—a history filled with betrayal, love, and tragedy.
Frost's breath was hot against her skin as he leaned in, whispering ancient incantations. She tried to steady her mind, reminding herself of the curse, of the man he once was, and of the lives they had lost.
Meanwhile, Ibe and Non so stood frozen in place. This was beyond anything they had ever seen or imagined. It was as if they had stumbled into a world they didn't belong in.
As Frost spat the chewed kola nut and alligator pepper into the water, thunder cracked violently across the sky.
"He's here!" Frost's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Everyone, be alert!"
Nonso panicked, stepping back. "This is insane! What the hell are we doing?"
Before anyone could respond, a low, guttural laugh echoed from the darkness. The temperature dropped, their breath visible in the freezing air. From the shadows, a figure began to materialize—a hooded figure holding a sword, ancient and menacing.
"Really, Frost?" the figure sneered, his voice booming. "This is your trap?"
Lightning struck the sky, illuminating Kira, who suddenly screamed in agony. The rune on her waist suddenly shone in the bath water. Koa held her tightly, but her body convulsed, her skin flashing between pale grey and her normal tone. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she thrashed about in the bath, like something was trying to tear its way out of her.
Frost's face paled as the realization hit him. "No... it can't be."
Shadow's laugh was deafening. "This was always my game, Frost. You thought you could stop me? The initiation was complete the night she regained her memories. You've already lost."
Nonso and Ibe stood frozen, horror etched on their faces, staring at the scene as if in a nightmare. Fear had rooted them in place, their breaths shallow. Was this really Shadow? The being they had all feared but couldn't imagine would take this form?
Kamdi glanced at the clock—five minutes before midnight.
"Frost!" Kamdi yelled, his voice rising above the chaos. "There has to be a way! Remember, we were told we had until midnight! We still have a chance!" He refused to believe this was it, his voice thick with urgency.
Shadow's voice echoed through the air like the roar of thunder. "Insignificant creatures. You really believe there's still hope? I've existed long before your pathetic bloodlines were even thought of. Watching you struggle… it pleases me. Your futile efforts will amount to nothing."
Frost's eyes were hollow, lost in despair, while Shadow's cruel laughter enveloped them like a thick fog. He seemed to be everywhere, yet nowhere. Kira's thrashing grew wilder, and with one sudden surge of strength, she broke free from Koa's grasp, flinging him to the ground. Her once-human movements had become grotesque, jerky, unnatural. She emerged from the bath, her guttural snarls growing louder, as if she were no longer human. It was as if her very soul had been swallowed.
"Kira's gone," Frost whispered, his voice cracking.
"She's not gone!" Kamdi shouted, spinning around to face him. "Humans are tenacious! They fight for their loved ones! Even Shadow does everything for his wife! You have to believe we can still save her!"
Shadow laughed harder, the sound reverberating like a storm. "You speak of tenacity, but in the end, you're just your own worst enemies. I have lived a very long time to see the chaos you create backfire on you. So no matter how hard you fight, you'll fail. Watch—she's mine now."
Kira's body, no longer her own, began walking toward the darkness.
"Come to me, my love," Shadow whispered, his voice dripping with satisfaction. Kira, now just a puppet under his control, obeyed.
"No, we failed... we failed..." Frost muttered, his voice shaking as he sank deeper into hopelessness.
"FROST!" Kamdi screamed, grabbing him by the shoulders, desperation flooding his voice. "We haven't lost yet! THINK, FROST! There's always another way! You need to think!" With that, Kamdi's fist came crashing into Frost's face, snapping him back to reality.
Frost's eyes flared open. Kamdi's punch, combined with the urgency in his voice, jolted something awake in him. He blinked, shaking off the fog clouding his mind. His hand fumbled in his pocket, and he found the piece of paper Mary had left behind—the strange symbols scribbled on it. His fingers brushed against it, and suddenly, his vision blurred, then sharpened. His white pupilless eyes dissipating with his brown pupils materialising from them. With his sight back, the symbols began to make sense, revealing their hidden message- the one left by Mary.
He jumped to his feet, cutting his white Hair and Koa's palm, dipping his hair in both of their blood. The night roared with chaos, the skies filled with heavy clouds, and thunder shook the earth beneath them. Shadow's voice, booming and filled with malice, echoed in the clearing.
"Foolish humans!" he snarled, his voice rippling through the darkness. "Try all you want. You shall not see the sunrise come morning."
Suddenly, as if ignited by an invisible force, everyone but Kamdi screamed out in agony, writhing on the ground. The burning sensation spread across their bodies like wildfire, searing every nerve. Koa, Nonso, Ibe—all fell, their voices drowning in a chorus of pain. Even Frost, though his flesh seared from the burning, grit his teeth and staggered, every movement torturous, as he inched his way towards Kira's manipulated body.
"Frost, don't! You're going to die!" Kamdi yelled, but his words seemed lost in the chaos.
Kira—no, the creature that had taken over her—stood unnervingly still, her eyes glowing a blinding white as her body convulsed. Frost stumbled, his legs shaking as the pain gnawed at him, but he pushed through. With every bit of strength left in him, he reached out, his hands trembling as they found Kira's body. For a moment, he thought he'd collapse—thought the pain would finally consume him—but he forced his arms around her, pulling her close,
"I may not have returned your love in our past life... but in the next..." Frost whispered, his voice breaking, "I will find you. I'll love you completely... I promise."
His hand shook violently as he fumbled with her red silk wrapper, exposing her slender waist. His bloodied fingers traced over the rune that glowed menacingly on her skin, pressing the strands of his hair, drenched in blood, against it. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
The thunder boomed above, the skies splitting with flashes of lightning. Shadow's voice reverberated through the air, shaking the earth beneath them.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO! What have you done?!"
Even as his flesh burned and his body tore itself apart from the inside, Frost's lips curled into a painful smile.
"Since I can't unbind the curse... but I can take away your memories, Shadow. Without them, she will cease to exist for you.... Once she ceases to.....ah....grrrr..... exist, you have no reason.... to keep hunting us"
Frost's words, barely coherent, were spat out in a broken whisper as his strength faded. The fury in Shadow's voice deepened, crackling in the air as another bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking down towards Frost.
"Foolish mortal!" Shadow thundered. "You underestimate me! You underestimate—"
The lightning struck and several puffs of dark smoke burst out of the shadow gathering around him as guttural shrieks shred the night sky. Frost had only a moment to react. He shoved Kira away, and the bolt slammed into him with an earth-shattering impact. Blood sprayed from his mouth, his body convulsing with a final jolt of agony. He collapsed to the ground, his limbs limp, his breaths shallow. Kira lay motionless nearby, her body still. The ritual, the binding, the curse—it all fell dormant.
Kamdi ran to Frost's side, screaming his name, but the man's eyes were dimming fast. The light was slipping away.
"Frost! Stay with me!" Kamdi yelled, shaking him.
In the dying light of his eyes, Frost's trembling fingers pointed towards something. Kamdi followed the gesture, spotting a small, tattered jotter lying nearby. He grabbed it, heart racing, as Frost's hand fell limp.
"Frost?" Kamdi whispered, his voice trembling. "Frost!"
There was no response. Tears welled in Kamdi's eyes as he reached over, gently closing Frost's lifeless eyelids. The sorrow hit like a wave, crashing through his chest as he knelt beside his fallen friend, the rain pouring down harder than before, as if the universe mourned with them.
Across the clearing, Koa rushed to Kira, her body pale and unmoving. His heart shattered as he cradled her limp form in his arms, tears streaming down his face. He gently brushed a strand of wet braid from her face, whispering her name, hoping, praying for some sign of life. But she was cold as stone, her skin pale like moonlight.
"Kira... please," Koa begged, his voice hoarse with grief. He kissed her forehead, his tears mixing with the rain. As he held her close, a droplet of his blood—still dripping from his earlier wound—accidentally slipped into her mouth.
Behind them, Ibe and Nonso approached cautiously, their faces pale with shock. The burning sensation in their bodies had ceased, the curse lifted the moment Shadow was defeated. They stared in disbelief at Frost's motionless body and at Kira, unresponsive in Koa's arms. The madness of the night was finally subsiding, but the weight of their loss was suffocating.
Nonso knelt beside the hooded figure who had fallen near Frost, gently turning him over. The face they saw was all too familiar—the doctor from the photograph back at the director's office. He was alive but babbling, his memory seemingly wiped clean, as he was making incoherent sentences and had no idea how he got to the forest. Leaving behind only a shell of the dangerous man he once was. There were cuts all over his body.
"We need to take him to the hospital," Ibe muttered, exhaustion in his voice. "He's harmless now. Whatever had taken possession of him is gone"
Together, they handcuffed the man and propped him against a tree, but none of them dared move from the clearing until morning. They needed to get rid of the things they did to prepare for the ritual lest they be unable to explain all of that.
As dawn finally broke, casting a soft, grey light over the scene, Ibe and Nonso loaded the now deranged man into the back of their car, driving him to the hospital. Kamdi, however, remained kneeling by Frost's side, still holding the jotter in his hands, the tears not yet dry on his cheeks.
"I'll figure it out," Kamdi whispered to his fallen friend. "The Karma I owe those two… I'll figure it out and I'll definitely find a way to break this curse permanently."
Koa, silent and broken, gently lifted Kira into his arms, her body still limp and cold. He couldn't find the words to say goodbye. He wouldn't accept it—not yet.
As the clearing grew quieter and the echoes of the night's battle faded into the wind, the two men cradled their loved ones and carried them home. Just as several police vehicles and an ambulance filled the scene. For Frost, Kamdi would fulfil his dying wish: to be buried beside Ume, the woman he had lost, alongside his family.
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Back home, Koa sat motionless, utterly listless. Kira's lifeless body lay beside him, her face still pale as marble. He couldn't bring himself to part from her, the very thought unbearable. His heart felt hollow, a gaping void where his beloved sister had once filled his world. The grief was suffocating, and the weight of it crushed him with every passing second. How could he live in a world where she no longer existed?
For what felt like hours, he remained there, his hand gently resting on hers, hoping somehow that warmth would return to her cold skin. Eventually, he forced himself to move, his body heavy with sorrow. He pulled himself to his feet and stumbled to the kitchen, his hands shaking as he grabbed a bowl of water. He couldn't bring her back to life, but he could at least make sure she looked her best—even in death.
With the bowl in hand, Koa made his way back to their room. But when he entered, his heart stopped. The bed where Kira's body had lain was now empty. She was gone.
Panic surged through him like fire. He dropped the bowl, water splashing across the floor as he frantically searched the room. "Kira?" he called out, his voice cracking with desperation. He tore through the house, running from room to room, his pulse racing. "Kira!"
He finally reached the smaller living room, breathless and on the verge of collapse. But there, standing before the bookshelf, was Kira—alive. She was breathing, her fingers gently caressing the old tin box where Frost's diary was kept. The same diary her Grandmother had given to Koa all those years ago.
Koa's heart nearly stopped. "Kira!" he cried, his voice a mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy. He ran to her, scooping her up in his arms and holding her as tightly as he could, afraid she might vanish again if he let go. Tears streamed down his face as he buried his head in her shoulder, his emotions finally breaking free. "Thank God! You're back... You're back! Don't you ever leave me again!"
Kira wrapped her arms around her brother just as tightly, her own voice shaky and soft. "I promise," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "Never again."
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Oke burst into the station, his breath short, and a photo clutched tightly in his hands. "Chief, we have him!" His voice echoed through the room as he strode into the investigation office. "Shadow. We know who Shadow is. He was a doctor at Hope General Hosp—"
But his words trailed off, cut short by the heavy silence that blanketed the room. The atmosphere was thick, sombre, and unsettling. Ibe and Nonso stood near the chief, their heads hung low. Beside them was an unfamiliar man, his face pale, his expression empty.
The chief looked up, his voice heavy with grief. "We lost Detective Frost," he said quietly, the news crashing into Oke like a tidal wave. "But his sacrifice wasn't in vain. Ibe and Nonso managed to catch Shadow."
Oke's eyes darted to the unfamiliar face, staring back at him with a hollow gaze. He raised the photo in his hands, glancing between the picture and the man before him. His heart pounded as the truth hit him hard.
It was Shadow. The same man who had caused so much pain.
Oke's eyes widened in disbelief, shock rippling through him. "It's really him," he whispered, this time, he had truly lost.