Joshua's heart pounded like a drumbeat in his ears. His eyes flicked toward the door. His body screamed at him to move. To get out. Now. He took one step back, then another. The darkness around Saponu thickened, pressing into the room like invisible hands trying to trap him.
Then—movement.
A cold, iron grip clamped around his wrist before he could bolt. Saponu Sebastian's hand, strong and unshakable, tightened like a trap. Joshua froze. The old man's eyes locked onto his, calm but full of power.
"You're not going anywhere, boy," Saponu said, voice deep and deliberate. "You think you can run from fate?"
Joshua's instincts flared. He twisted, yanked, but the grip only got stronger. Pain shot up his arm like fire. He gritted his teeth, felt panic take hold. Without thinking, he threw his head backward.
Crack!
The back of his skull smacked into Saponu's chin. The old man let out a low grunt, and his grip weakened—just for a second.
That was all Joshua needed.
He tore free, stumbled back, and bolted. The door flew open as he sprinted into the corridor. Candle flames flickered violently as he raced past, the cold stone floor echoing with every desperate footstep.
Behind him, Saponu wiped a smear of blood from his lip. His expression was unreadable.
"Follow him," he said flatly. "Don't let him escape."
David looked uncertain for a moment. "I'll bring him back."
As he turned, Saponu added quietly, "You want to be an ancestor, don't you? I can help with that too."
David hesitated mid-step, his shoulders stiffening. But he said nothing and took off after Joshua.
---
Joshua's lungs burned. He didn't know where he was going—just away. Away from the house. Away from the voices. Away from him.
The corridor twisted like a snake, each turn unfamiliar. His heart thumped like thunder in his chest. Behind him, footsteps. Steady. Getting louder.
"Joshua!" David's voice echoed. "Wait! Just stop and listen!"
"No!" Joshua shouted back, pushing harder.
The walls felt closer now, the air colder. It was like running through a nightmare. Joshua turned sharply into another hallway—only to find more stone, more shadows.
He could hear David gaining. The footsteps behind him were fast and controlled, not frantic like his own.
"Joshua, please!" David's voice rang again. "You don't understand what you're doing!"
Joshua skidded to a stop at a dead end. Panic rose in his throat. He turned—David was already there, blocking the only way out. His chest rose and fell with calm breaths. He didn't look angry. He looked… conflicted.
"Let me go," Joshua said, backing up until he hit the wall. "I'm not staying here."
David's hands were open, not raised to fight. "I don't want to hurt you. I just need you to listen."
"You're helping him," Joshua spat. "You're helping a monster!"
"It's not what you think—"
Joshua didn't let him finish. He dashed to the side, feinting right before cutting left. David reached out—missed. Joshua darted past, sprinting through another hallway. David gave chase, faster now.
The corridors blurred. A turn here, a sharp sprint there. Every candle cast eerie shadows. Joshua's breath came in ragged gasps, but David's was steady.
He couldn't outrun him.
Joshua ducked into a narrow hallway, slammed a door behind him, and locked it. He turned—another door. He burst through it, climbing stairs two at a time. Somewhere above had to be a way out.
He heard the door behind splinter.
David was still chasing him.
Joshua kept going. Another floor. Another hall. A torch on the wall flickered beside him. He snatched it. His chest heaved, sweat running down his face. He spotted a window—a large one. No bars.
Then—
David appeared at the end of the hall. No longer calm.
"Don't make me force you!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
Joshua raised the torch. "Stay back!"
"You think that's going to stop me?"
"No," Joshua said. "But this will."
He hurled the torch. David ducked, but it hit the wall behind him and exploded in a burst of flames. It didn't hit him, but it slowed him just enough.
Joshua turned, backed up two steps—then leaped.
The window shattered.
Glass sliced his arms, his shoulders, his side. He screamed mid-air before crashing into the ground outside. He rolled across the dirt and mud, finally stopping near the edge of the forest.
His whole body ached. Blood ran down his arms, but he forced himself up.
He ran.
Into the woods.
Away.
---
The forest was cold and alive with sounds—leaves rustling, distant howls. Branches clawed at his skin, mud sucked at his feet. He didn't care.
He ran until the night began to fade. Until the horizon turned grey-blue.
He reached the outskirts of the village just as the first light of dawn touched the sky. His body trembled, his steps uneven.
But he made it.
He burst into the village square, startling the early risers. People turned, mouths open in shock. He ran to the elder's house and banged on the door.
When the old man opened it, Joshua nearly collapsed into him.
"I found them," Joshua gasped. "The missing people. They're in a house. In the forest. Saponu... David... everything. Please. I'll show you."
---
By midday, the villagers followed him into the forest.
They walked in tense silence, armed with sticks, cutlasses, and torches. The air felt heavy. When they arrived, the house was just as Joshua remembered—but quieter.
Too quiet.
Inside, the bodies were still there.
Cold. Lifeless. Arranged like offerings.
And Baba.
Still sitting.
Still smiling.
But Saponu was gone.
And so was David.
The villagers stared in silence at the horror. One man fell to his knees beside a corpse.
"They'll pay for what they did to my son!" he screamed.
Others joined him—some crying, others shouting. Grief and rage spread like wildfire. Some covered their mouths. Others turned away.
The elder stepped forward, his face solemn. "Pick up the bodies. We'll bring them home. We'll bury them with dignity."
Men moved forward with quiet purpose. Joshua stood at the doorway, staring into the room, numb.
This was far from over.