In a small village where he's always been an outsider, seventeen-year-old Feji discovers a strange artifact that awakens something powerful-and dangerous-within him. As he struggles to understand his new abilities, shadows from the past begin to sti...
Feji couldn't ignore it anymore-something had changed within him, a shift he felt deeply. Waking up that morning, his mind was sharper, and the memories from the night before returned vividly. The idol, the glowing eyes, the strange trance-each detail came flooding back. He sensed that whatever had happened in that hidden part of the farmland was far from ordinary. Alone in the house, with his mother away gathering food, Feji crept to the corner where he'd hidden the idol.
Carefully, he unwrapped it and examined it closely, every curve and line of its intricate carvings. The idol felt familiar yet alien, like a piece of something he was only beginning to understand. Its energy seemed to radiate from it, and as he held it, he felt his own heartbeat synchronize with its mysterious rhythm. He couldn't say why, but he wanted to know more.
Just then, he heard footsteps outside. His mother, Ehru, had returned. Startled, he quickly rewrapped the idol and hid it back in its place, racing out to greet her.
As he reached her, he noticed she was squinting at him, an odd look of curiosity in her eyes.
"Feji, have you gotten taller?" she asked, almost to herself, as if measuring him with her gaze. She tilted her head, noting the subtle changes-his stance was oddly different, a brightness in his eyes.
He just laughed it off, shrugging as if it were nothing, though inside, he knew she was right. It wasn't just his height that had changed; his entire body felt stronger, like a weight had lifted, leaving him light and powerful. His mother handed him the bags, and without thinking, he lifted them effortlessly. Normally, he would have needed both hands, but now he barely felt their weight.
As they went inside, Feji kept smiled, he knew things were about to change for good.
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Feji's days had become a blend of secret strength and newfound confidence. Each morning, he'd sneak off to practice his abilities, testing the limits of his speed and power in the quiet, open spaces just beyond the village. With each passing day, he was faster, stronger, and a little bolder. And while he tried to act normal, Ehon, his best friend, had noticed something was off. Whenever Feji returned from his "walks," he seemed... different. Ehon tried to ask about it, but Feji would just laugh it off, saying he was just "working on the farm muscles."
As his power grew, Feji couldn't help but feel a new sense of pride. He'd been pushed around his whole life-laughed at, called names, his family mocked. Now, he finally had the means to get back at those who had hurt him and his mother. In the dead of night, he'd visit the farms of the families who had been the worst to them. He'd uproot crops, scatter seeds, and ruin their harvests. The villagers had no idea what was happening; they thought it was bad luck. But Feji knew-and he reveled in the feeling of payback.
One afternoon, as Feji was making his way back from the farmland with a hefty bundle of crops on his shoulder, he heard the familiar voices of the village boys echoing down the path. He knew those voices-the taunts, the sneers. This time, though, instead of slipping away or ignoring them, Feji felt a strange thrill. He decided to take a detour to where they usually lounged around, certain that they'd spot him and, as always, try to make his life miserable.
