POV: Zainab_
Nairobi smelled like rain and diesel.
We came in through the back. No van this time. We took a pandora dynamics dropship we "borrowed" in the Sahara.
Kwesi repainted it. Now it says "TOME EXPRESS - FREE DELIVERY OF JUSTICE" on the side.
"Subtle," Dele said.
"Effective," Kwesi said.
Pod 04 was in the Nairobi National Museum. Of all places.
Pandora was hiding it behind a "new exhibit: Ancient African Artifacts."
Translation: They put a demigod in a glass box next to pottery.
"Who puts a weapon in a museum?" Iyanu asked.
"Pandora," Kunle said. "Because they think no one would look there."
We were 7 now. Plus Ogbene in chains, plus Old Taju who insisted on coming "for the gift shop."
The plan was simple:
1. Get in.
2. Get Pod 04.
3. Get out.
4. Don't fight an army in a public place.
Plan lasted 4 minutes.
The exhibit was packed. School kids. Tourists. Security.
And in the center: a black pod. 3 meters tall. Covered in pandora runes.
A plaque read: `ARTIFACT 04: "THE SLEEPING GUARDIAN"`
Inside: a boy. Maybe 17. Dreadlocks. Scar over his eye. Asleep.
"That's him," I said. "Pod 04. Inheritor of Ọ̀rúnmìlà. Path of Wisdom and Fate."
Kwesi was already moving. "I love libraries. And museums. So many things to borrow."
He walked up to the guard. "Hi! I'm here for a field trip. Can I touch the exhibit?"
The guard opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then handed Kwesi the keys.
"Of course. Have fun."
Dele blinked. "Did he just—"
"Anansi," I said. "Trickster Path. Don't ask."
Kwesi opened the pod.
The boy's eyes snapped open. Gold. Like mine. But older. Tired.
"Finally," he said. "I was dreaming about this moment for 2 years."
He stepped out. Looked at us.
"Who are you?"
"The Tome of Ascendant," I said. "We're here to get you out."
He smiled. Sharp. "Took you long enough. I'm Juma. And we have 30 seconds before the alarms go off."
He was right.
Red lights. Sirens.
Pandora security poured in from every door. 40 of them. With guns. With mechs.
"Plan B?" Amina asked.
"Plan B is fight," Kunle said. Gauntlet up.
We tried not to break things.
We failed.
Juma didn't fight.
He spoke
"That man's gun will jam."
It did.
"That woman will trip."
She did.
"That ceiling will fall."
It did.
"Ọ̀rúnmìlà," I whispered. "He sees fate lines."
Juma looked at me. "Zainab. Gold Path. You're good at this. But you're looking at the wrong threads."
He touched my temple.
For 1 second I saw it.
Thousands of threads. Every person. Every choice.
And 3 thick black threads all leading to one place: Under the museum.
"There's something under us," I said.
"Yeah," Juma said. "Pandora didn't put me here for the art. They put me here because I'm sitting on a ruin."
The floor shook.
*THE RUIN*
A wall collapsed.
Not from us. From below.
Stairs. Old. Stone. Covered in Yoruba markings and... other markings.
Chinese. Egyptian. Norse. All mixed.
"Ancient Ruin," Juma said. "Pre-earth,Pre-everything. The first Gate."
Pandora soldiers stopped shooting. Even they looked scared.
From the dark: a roar.
Not human.
Not animal.
Something in between.
A shape moved up the stairs. 4 meters tall.
Lion body. Human torso. Six arms. Eyes like fire.
And on its chest: a symbol. Half animal,Half something older.
"Pandora was drilling here too," Juma said. "And they woke it up."
The creature looked at us. At the soldiers.
Then it spoke. In every language at once.
"WHO DISTURBS THE THRESHOLD."
*THE LION*
"Pandora did," Dele said. And threw lightning.
What a dumbo i thought silently to my self
The lion caught it. Ate it.
"Not helpful," Juma said.
Kunle stepped forward. "We're not here to fight you. We're here to stop Pandora."
The lion tilted its head. "Pandora THIEVES. LIARS. THEY OPENED THE DOORS."
Old Taju walked between us. Hands in pockets.
"Hey big cat. Remember me?"
The lion froze.
"OLD ONE."
Old Taju grinned. "Yeah. It's me. Still not paying you back for that bet in 1542."
The lion sat down. Like a house cat.
"YOU OWE ME 3 GOATS AND A STORY."
"I'll pay later," Old Taju said. "Right now, can you not eat my kids?"
The lion looked at us. At Juma.
"THESE ARE THE NEW ONES. THE ASCENDANTS."
"You know about us?" I asked.
The lion laughed. Sounded like rocks falling.
"I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THIS RUIN. I HAVE WATCHED 12 CYCLES.pandora IS THE 13TH. THEY ALWAYS FAIL."
It stood. Walked to the pod. Sniffed it.
"YOU ARE FREE NOW, CHILD OF ORUNMILA."
Juma bowed. "Thank you, Guardian."
The lion turned to us. "YOU WANT POWER? YOU WANT TO FIGHT Pandora? THEN YOU MUST PASS THE TRIALS OF THE RUIN."
Kwesi raised his hand. "Do the trials come with snacks?"
The lion stared at him.
"...YES."
"Then I'm in," Kwesi said.
*THE DEAL*
The fight stopped. Pandora retreated. Even they knew not to mess with a 6-armed lion god.
We followed the Guardian down.
The ruin was huge. Bigger than the museum. Bigger than a city block.
Rooms. Murals. Weapons. And in the center: 5 doors.
"Each door is a trial," the Guardian said. "Strength. Mind. Heart. Trick. Fate. Pass them, you get stronger. Fail them, you die."
"Cool," Dele said. "No pressure."
Juma walked to the Fate door. It opened for him.
"I'll take this one," he said. "I've been practicing."
He looked back at us. "Meet you on the other side."
One by one, we chose.
Kunle: Strength.
Iyanu: Mind.
Dele: Heart.
Zainab: Trick.
Amina: Heart.
Chike: Mind.
Fatima: Strength.
Kwesi: Trick.
Old Taju didn't choose.
He just sat on the steps. "I'll wait here. And watch the door."
*INSIDE THE TRIAL*
My door was mirrors.
Every mirror showed a different me.
One where I joined Wosam.
One where I died in Lagos.
One where I ruled the world.
A voice: "WHICH ONE IS REAL."
"None," I said. "And all. I make my own."
The mirrors shattered. Gold poured out.
I felt stronger. Faster. Clearer.
When I came out, everyone else was there.
Burned. Bruised. Grinning.
Kunle had new metal on his arm.
Dele had a scar shaped like lightning.
Iyanu's eyes were silver now.
Kwesi had 2 more drones.
Amina glowed.
Chike smelled like medicine.
Fatima had a small water serpent around her wrist.
And Juma.
Juma had a staff. And his eyes were completely white.
"I saw it," he said. "The Gate. The Other. And something bigger behind it."
"What?" Kunle asked.
Juma looked at Old Taju.
"The one who's been pulling the strings. The one Wosam works for."
Old Taju was eating peanuts. "Don't look at me."
"Not you," Juma said. "Bigger."
The Guardian stood. "YOU PASSED. TAKE THIS."
It gave each of us a token. Mine was a gold coin. Hot.
"WITH THESE YOU CAN ENTER OTHER RUINS. OTHER WORLDS. GROW STRONGER."
Kwesi held his up. "Does it work on vending machines?"
The Guardian threw him out of the ruin.
We left Nairobi with 8 demigods now.
Wosam lost a museum and a secret ruin.
The Crimson Sky Sect sent a message: "We are watching. Do not die yet."
On the dropship back to the Sahara, Juma sat quietly.
"There are more ruins," he said. "All over the world. All over other worlds. Wosam is looking for them too."
"Then we find them first," Kunle said.
Zainab pulled up the map. 4 pods left.
"Next: Addis Ababa. Pod 05."
Old Taju looked out the window. "Addis, huh. Tell the Queen I said the goats are coming."
No one asked what he meant.
That night, in the Tome, we placed our tokens on the table.
They hummed. Together.
Like they were calling to something.
Outside, the sky had 3 scars now.
And one of them was getting bigger.
Kwesi broke the tension. "So! 8 demigods. 1 lion friend. 1 creepy old man. We're basically an Avengers movie now."
Dele threw a pillow at him.
"Better," Kwesi said, dodging. "We're the Tome."