The air around the village was heavy with anticipation as the ancestral gates neared their full opening. A golden light shimmered in the sky, growing stronger with each passing second. The villagers stood in solemn awe, their eyes reflecting both grief and reverence as they witnessed the sacred moment. The ancestors—figures of light and wisdom—began to take shape beyond the glowing gates, their forms shifting between the spiritual and the physical. Some villagers could already feel the presence of their departed loved ones, their whispers carried by the wind.
But elsewhere, unseen by the crowd, darkness stirred.
Deep within the forest surrounding the village, two shadowy figures lurked behind the trees, their eyes locked on the ancestral gates.
David Nyamewero and Saponu Sebastian had arrived.
David's breathing was heavy, his fists clenched. The plan was simple—he had only a few minutes to act before the Unknown World's gates would open in full. When they did, they would absorb him, no matter where he stood. His only way out… was through the ancestral gates.
Saponu turned to him, his voice a whisper yet sharp as a blade.
"It's almost time," he murmured. The moment the Unknown World's gates fully appear, you won't have much time before they pull you in. If you hesitate, it will be too late.
David nodded, his eyes fixated on the glowing entrance to the ancestral realm. He felt his heart pounding against his ribs. This was it—the moment he had been waiting for, the moment he had risked everything for. He had come too far to turn back now.
Saponu smirked, leaning against a tree. "Remember, once you enter, there's no turning back. You must play your role well. Otherwise…" He let the unspoken words linger in the air.
David didn't respond. His focus was on Joshua Destiny, standing just before the gates, surrounded by his family and the villagers. The man who had lived righteously, the man who was supposed to enter the ancestral world by divine right.
David's fingers twitched. If he was going to take Joshua's place, it had to be now.
A low hum echoed through the sky.
The Unknown World's gates were beginning to open.
A deep, unnatural darkness started spreading behind the ancestral gates, growing like a monstrous shadow, twisting and distorting the surrounding air. The atmosphere shifted, and an ominous wind blew through the village. The villagers shuddered as an unsettling presence loomed behind them.
Joshua took a slow step forward, his feet barely touching the ground as the golden light of the ancestral realm called him home. He exhaled deeply, ready to accept his fate.
And then—
A figure rushed toward him, fast and ghostlike.
The world seemed to slow as Joshua's eyes locked onto the approaching figure. At first, it was just a blur, but as it neared, the features became clear. The shape of a man. A familiar face.
It took him a moment, but realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
"David…?"
But before Joshua could react—before he could even fully register what was happening—David, who had seen the Unknown World approaching, crashed into him with full force.
The impact sent Joshua stumbling backward. His feet left the ground.
The last thing he saw was the sheer desperation in David's eyes before his world was swallowed by darkness.
Joshua Destiny fell into the Unknown World.
A heavy silence fell upon the village.
Gasps of horror echoed among the crowd as they watched their beloved Joshua disappear into the abyss. The ancestors, once calm and welcoming, suddenly moved with urgency. Realizing what had happened, they rushed back toward the ancestral realm, their figures flickering like candlelight in a storm.
The gates of the ancestral world, which had stood wide open only moments ago, began to close.
And standing at the threshold, in the place where Joshua should have been, was David Nyamewero.
He had made it.
The gates sealed behind him, the golden light vanishing in an instant.
The villagers stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
In the Shadows of the Forest
A soft chuckle broke the silence.
Saponu Sebastian, still concealed among the trees, watched everything unfold with a satisfied smirk. His arms crossed over his chest, and his golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
He had seen it all—the moment David struck, the look of shock on Joshua's face, and the triumphant way David had entered the ancestral world.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
Saponu let out a low, almost amused sigh.
"Well… that was easier than I expected," he muttered to himself. "To think, after all these years, it would come down to a single push."
He chuckled again, shaking his head.
"I hope he stays true to our deal," he mused, his voice carrying a mixture of amusement and warning. "After all… I didn't go through all this for nothing."
His gaze drifted back to the now-closed gates.
For the first time in centuries, someone had entered the ancestral world through deception.
And now, the real game would begin.
A stunned silence gripped the village. The golden glow that once bathed the town in warmth had vanished, replaced by a cold, creeping emptiness. The villagers stood frozen, their eyes locked on the spot where Joshua had been only moments ago.
It was unthinkable.
He was supposed to ascend. He was supposed to become an ancestor.
Instead, he was gone.
A broken wail shattered the silence.
Jennifer fell to her knees, her trembling hands clutching her chest as though she could pull back the breath that had escaped her lungs. "No… No, no, no…" The words came out in sobs, raw and broken. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the sky, as if pleading with the heavens to undo what had just happened.
Williams staggered forward, his face pale and void of expression. His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists as he struggled to comprehend what had just unfolded before their eyes. "This… This cannot be," he whispered.
Rachel stood frozen, her eyes filled with tears. "Why... why this?"
Around them, the villagers murmured in disbelief, their voices rising in panic. Mothers clutched their children, elders exchanged horrified glances, and warriors stood stiff with fists clenched, their bodies tense with helpless rage.
"He was chosen," an elder muttered, his voice trembling. He was meant to ascend. How… how did this happen?
"David," another villager whispered, her voice filled with disbelief and anger. "David Nyamewero… He did this."
The name alone sent a ripple of fury through the crowd. Murmurs turned to shouts.
"He took Joshua's place!"
"He betrayed his own friend!"
"This is a disaster! A curse upon us!"
Cries of outrage filled the air, but none could compare to the raw agony etched across Jennifer's face. She tried to rise, but her legs failed her. Her husband —her beloved —had been stolen away, and sent into the Unknown World where no light could reach him.
Williams placed a trembling hand on her shoulder, his own grief held back by the weight of duty. His voice was hoarse, barely beyond a whisper. "Mom, we cannot lose ourselves to despair… Not yet."
But how could they not? The man they had placed all their hopes in, the one destined to protect them in the ancestral realm, had been cast into the darkness. And in his place stood a traitor.
The villagers turned to the sealed ancestral gates, their eyes burning with grief and rage. They knew David was beyond their reach now, but the wound he had inflicted upon them would not be forgotten.
One of the village warriors stepped forward, his face twisted with fury. "We must do something! We cannot let this stand!"
But what could they do?
The gates had closed. The Unknown World had claimed Joshua. And the ancestors… they had vanished.
The village, once filled with joy and celebration, now stood in the shadow of betrayal........