The Outcast's Rebirth

CHAPTER 10: The Unbearable Cost

  Kyzzu's hands trembled as he looked from his mother to the priestess, the weight of their expectations pressing heavily upon him. His chest tightened, his throat dry and tight as he struggled to form the words that would lay bare the truth he had been avoiding.

  "It... it was nothing like that, mama," he began, his voice barely more than a whisper. The room seemed to hold its breath, every eye fixed on him, waiting for the revelation that would shatter the silence.

  "I have made a grave mistake, it was of my consent." He paused, his tear filled eyes darting to the floor, unable to meet their gazes. "Winston, one of the pale men who came to our village. He... he was with me. We talked, I... I told him everything about our t-tribe and..."

  Nlanweh's grip tightened on his hands, her face a mask of anguish and disbelief. Her voice came out in a choked whisper, "Kyzzu, how could you?... "

  "I'm sorry mama... I'm so sorry." Kyzzu continued, his voice breaking. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he faced the intensity of their gazes. "I am ashamed. I have betrayed our customs, our people's trust. I am willing to face the consequences."

____

  Kyzzu sat alone in the dimly lit hut, his mind a whirl of turmoil. The weight of his confession hung heavily over him, a stark reminder of the shame he felt. The knowledge that he carried the child of a foreigner, a painful echo of a life he had tried to leave behind, filled him with an overwhelming sense of guilt.

His mother, Nlanweh, had been devastated. The moment he had confessed, her face had turned ashen, and her wails of sorrow had pierced the silence. Her grief was palpable, a raw and uncontrollable wave of emotion that he could do nothing to stem. Kyzzu had reached out to her, hoping to offer comfort, but she had pushed him away, her eyes brimming with tears of betrayal.

  "No," she had cried, her voice breaking. "How could you, Kyzzu? How could you betray us like this? Do you know what your father would do if he hears of this?!"

  She tried to steady herself through the anguish but the weight of the situation looked over like an impenetrable shadow. This was her first son, the apple of her eye since in the womb.
 
   " Do you know what your father would do if he hears his first son slept with a male foreigner and now has his seed?! He would kill you and the child without thought! And that's not even the worst part!"
  
She tried up, trying to wipe the gushing tears and looked at him one more time before leaving.
  "You are to stay with Mmah till that 'thing' is born. Your father must never find out, nobody should ever know."

With that, she left.

  Kyzzu's heart had shattered at her words. He had never imagined causing her such pain, and the sight of her fleeing from him had left him feeling more isolated than ever. The hut, once a place of hope, now felt like a prison of despair.

The priestess, witnessing the scene with a somber expression, had been the only one to remain. Her eyes had held a mix of sadness and understanding as she watched the painful exchange.

"You must understand the gravity of your situation." she had said gently, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "This is a rare and troubling circumstance, but that child within you must not be lost."

Kyzzu had nodded, feeling the full weight of his actions pressing down on him. As the days passed, the only people who knew of his condition were his mother and the priestess. The secrecy of his situation made the burden heavier, amplifying his loneliness and despair.