Chapter 3: The Secret of the Shrine
Tunde did not wait for morning.
The moment the first light touched the sky, he was already on the path leading out of Abeokuta toward the abandoned shrine.
What he saw the previous night refused to leave his mind.
And the way thunder answered his presence.
Even the birds seemed to avoid that part of the town.
As Tunde stepped deeper into the narrow path surrounded by thick trees, the air grew heavier. The sunlight struggled to pass through the branches above, casting strange shadows on the ground.
It stood like a forgotten memory broken walls, cracked stones, and ancient carvings worn down by time.
Tunde moved slowly inside.
His footsteps echoed softly as he approached the center of the shrine.
A large stone, darkened as if it had been burned over and over again. The surface was marked with strange symbols deep, jagged carvings that looked almost alive.
He recognized one of the symbols.
In his grandmother’s room.
“Then you already know this is not a place for you.”
The voice came from behind him.
An old man stood at the entrance of the shrine, leaning on a carved wooden staff. His eyes were fixed on Tunde not with surprise, but with something deeper.
“You shouldn’t have come,” the old man said.
Tunde swallowed. “What is this place?”
The old man ignored the question.
Instead, he pointed at the altar.
“That mark, do you know what it means?”
“I’ve seen it in my grandmother’s room.”
The old man’s grip on his staff tightened.
Then he said something that made Tunde’s chest feel cold.
“Then it is worse than I feared.”
Before Tunde could speak, the old man stepped forward.
“That mark belongs to a bloodline,” he said slowly. “A dangerous one.”
Tunde’s voice dropped. “What are you talking about?”
The old man looked directly into his eyes.
Silence fell over the shrine.
The Bloodline Revealed 👁️ (Within the Story)
That evening, Tunde did not waste time.
He went straight to his grandmother.
She was sitting quietly, as if she already knew why he had come.
“Grandma,” he said, his voice unsteady, “what is the mark of the shrine?”
For a long time, she said nothing.
“I prayed this day would never come.”
Tunde stepped closer. “Tell me the truth.”
Her eyes lifted to meet his.
“Our family was once chosen,” she began.
“Chosen to guard the shrine, and the power tied to it.”
Tunde felt a chill run through him.
She whispered the answer.
She explained everything.
Long ago, their ancestors were not ordinary people. They were keepers of balance, standing between the human world and something far older.
But greed destroyed everything.
Some of them tried to control the power instead of guarding it.
“They wanted to become like Sango,” she said.
Tunde’s voice trembled. “And what happened?”
Her eyes filled with fear.
“The power rejected them.”
“And it cursed our blood.”
She reached for his hand.
“For generations, the mark has remained silent,”
“But now, it has chosen you.”
The Hidden Cult Appears 🔥 (Story Continues)
That same night, something changed in Abeokuta.
Far from his home, in a hidden place deep within the town, a group gathered in silence.
Men and women dressed in dark robes formed a circle around a burning flame.
At the center stood a man with a scar running across his face.
“The sign has appeared,” one of them said.
“The bloodline has awakened.”
The leader stepped forward.
“After all these years,” he whispered.
The Children of the Storm
A secret cult that had existed for generations.
“The boy must be found,” another voice said.
“What if he refuses?” someone asked.
The leader’s expression darkened.
“He will not refuse,” he said calmly.
The fire suddenly rose higher, as if responding to his words.
“Then the storm will force him.”
Back in his room, Tunde sat in silence.
His mind was overwhelmed.
And yet, he could feel something inside him.
A loud knock hit his door.
Tunde stood up slowly and walked toward it.
Thunder roared across the skies of Abeokuta.
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