Ade felt his heart break. The woman in front of him looked exactly like his mother, but everything else was off—her eyes had this chilling, empty glow, and her smile was twisted, all wrong, completely cold.
"Mama…" Ade managed, his voice thin and shaky.
Around them, hooded figures started chanting, their voices weaving together in this eerie, rhythmic wave. "Oru… Oru… Oru…"
Baba Ikuomola stepped closer, clutching his bow tight. "That's not your mother, Ade," he said. "They've taken her spirit."
Ade shook his head, desperate. "No… she's still in there. I can feel it."
The tall figure, eyes glowing red, moved forward. "You're clinging to hope. That's what makes you human."
Ade's anger snapped. "What do you want from us? Why are you doing this?"
The figure tilted its head, almost bored. "We're restoring balance. Your village betrayed us long ago. Your father tried to stop what was meant to happen."
Ade froze. "My father…"
"Yes." The figure's voice was cold. "He learned about our return. Tried to ruin the ritual. So we ruined him."
Ade's hands shook with rage. "You killed him…"
The figure nodded slowly. "And now, we finish what your father tried to end."
The chanting rose, louder, swirling around them. Ade looked back at his mother. "Mama! Fight it! I know you can hear me!"
For a heartbeat, her mask slipped. Her smile faded. "A… Ade…" she whispered, barely there.
Hope flared in his chest. "Yes! I'm here! I'm going to take you home!"
She jerked suddenly, as if something was wrestling inside her. Her head snapped up. That smile came back, darker than before.
"She's weak," the red-eyed figure said. "But soon, she won't be."
Baba leaned close, urgent. "We don't have time. If they finish the ritual, she's gone for good."
Ade swallowed, scared. "What do we do?"
Baba scanned the clearing. "The circle—that's their power. Break it, and you break the ritual."
Ade nodded. "I'll distract them."
He stepped forward before Baba could pull him back. "HEY!"
The chanting stopped. Every head turned his way. "You want me?" Ade yelled. "Leave her alone!"
The red-eyed figure let out a low, amused laugh. "You're already part of this, Adegboyega. Your blood makes you special."
Ade frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The figure stretched its arms wide. "Your lineage. Your father wasn't just some curious man… he was one of us."
Ade felt the ground shift beneath him. "No... that's not true."
"It is," the figure insisted. "He tried to run from his fate, but he couldn't."
Ade's chest felt tight, hard to breathe. "You're lying!"
The figure pressed him. "How else did you cross the River of Shadows so easily? Why does the forest call you?"
Ade hesitated. "I don't care. I choose my own path."
The figure's smile twisted. "Then prove it."
Suddenly, Baba shot an arrow straight at one of the cloaked figures—it hit, and the figure exploded into smoke.
Everything fell apart at once. The chant stopped. The circle scattered.
"NOW, ADE!" Baba shouted.
Ade ran, adrenaline flooding his body. One hooded figure lunged at him; he dodged, just barely. Another appeared, face warped and inhuman—he threw a punch, but his fist sailed right through, like mist.
"What—?!"
"They're not fully human!" Baba yelled. "Go for the circle!"
Ade reached the center. Under his mother, the ground had a bizarre symbol—three circles, a jagged line.
He didn't think. He just stomped on it. The earth shook. A crack roared through the clearing. The symbol flared, split apart.
A horrible scream ripped through the air. His mother convulsed, the darkness in her eyes flickered.
"Mama!" Ade screamed.
The red-eyed figure bellowed, furious. "STOP HIM!"
Shadows rushed at Ade. He clutched the charm Baba gave him, begging. "Just a little longer…"
A burst of light exploded from the charm, throwing the shadow figures back. The charm splintered. Ade stared at it, terrified. "One shot," he whispered.
The light died. The charm broke. Silence slammed down. Ade looked up. The figure with red eyes stood there, untouched. No, even stronger.
"You've spent your protection," it said. "Now you belong to us."
Behind him, Ade's mother collapsed, motionless.
Ade's heart pounded. "Mama…?"
But before he could reach her, dark hands burst from the ground, grabbed his legs, and dragged him down—into the shadows.