Opening: The Flames Rise
The sun had barely risen when the drums of alarm echoed across the kingdom of Ayo. Tunde's pride was shattered. The rebel legion had infiltrated his stronghold—again. His fury was unmatched.
"They think they can mock the house of Ojora?" he roared. "I will turn their bones to dust!"
With his blade drawn and a company of elite guards at his back, he stormed toward the palace gates. His orders were clear: no one leaves the kingdom alive.
---
The Clash: Blood for Blood
POV: Adeola
Amid the chaos, Adeola came face-to-face with the man who haunted his dreams—Tunde.
"You murdered my father," Adeola snarled, his voice like a blade.
Tunde smirked, "That old fool? He died begging. Just like you will."
Their swords clashed under a burning sky. The rage in Adeola's heart guided his hands, but Tunde's experience made him dangerous. They fought like fire and thunder until the noise of flames overwhelmed them.
From behind, Wale had set an imperial storehouse ablaze. The fire surged through the compound like ancestral wrath. Using the panic, Ayomide, Moremi, and the others regrouped with Adeola.
"Now!" Yemi shouted. "We flee!"
---
Femi's Moment
POV: Femi
Cornered by two imperial guards, Femi froze. His body trembled—but then he remembered Damilola's bloodied face, her soft words of thanks, and Moremi's proud gaze.
"I won't run," he whispered.
With raw instinct, he struck one down and tackled the other off the ledge of the courtyard. It was messy. It was brutal. But it was his moment.
When he returned to the others, everyone stared in silence.
"You did that?" Ayomide asked.
Femi simply nodded. Even Damilola offered a brief, rare smile.
---
Return to Akinwumi: Scars and Silence
The rebel legion returned to Akinwumi battered but alive. The village erupted in quiet cheers. Femi was hailed as a new warrior. Damilola said little, but placed a hand on his shoulder that spoke louder than words.
Meanwhile, Adeola remained distant.
The old man's voice echoed in his mind:
"You carry the eyes of a king."
What king? What truth had been hidden in the ashes of his past?
---
Moremi's Reckoning
POV: Moremi
That night, Moremi confronted Yemi and Chief Alade.
"Wale… he's alive. You knew?"
Chief Alade sighed deeply. "He swore us to silence. He believed it was the only way to protect you."
"Protect me?" she whispered. "Or protect your war?"
Yemi lowered his gaze. "He never stopped loving you, Moremi. But the empire would've killed him the moment they knew."
Tears streamed down her face—tears of betrayal and longing. "He's not the only one who bleeds for this war."
---
In the Palace: The Tension Grows
Tunde returned in disgrace. His robes were stained, his pride in shambles.
"You let rats dance in my halls," Adekunle Ojora thundered. "Wale will lead the next campaign."
Tunde clenched his jaw. "He's not who he says he is."
But the emperor silenced him. "Then prove it. Or step aside."
In private, Tunde lashed out—blaming Durojaiye, cursing the rebels, and vowing revenge not just on Adeola… but on Wale.
---
Closing: A Voice in the Woods
POV: Adeola
In the forest outside Akinwumi, Adeola wandered, drawn by dreams and whispers. The trees parted to reveal a glowing woman clad in white, her feet hovering above the earth.
"You do not know your name," she said.
"I'm Adeola," he replied.
She shook her head slowly. "That was the name given to hide you. But the blood of kings flows in your veins."
Flashes of fire. A woman's scream. A child taken beneath smoke.
His breath caught.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Her voice echoed like wind through ancient shrines:
"I am the Watcher… and I have come to awaken your memory."
Fade to black.
> The Lost King © 2025 by (Idris Bilal Adavize).
This is an original work protected by copyright. No part of this story may be reproduced or used in any form without the author's written.