The crowd moves like a current, vendors shouting, horns blaring. Tolu and Amara walk side by side, sweat still on their skin from training. She's swinging her bag lazily.
> Tolu: "You've been doing well these past few weeks. I think you're done with training."
Amara: "Finally. I'm tired of lying to my parents that I'm studying with friends. I'm behind on schoolwork."
Tolu chuckles, looking ahead—then pauses. Two familiar faces stand near a parked black SUV.
> Tolu: "...Tade. Ige."
---
Inside a restaurant in the evening
The four sit around a small table in a corner booth. The noise of the street fades. Ige slides a sleek brown envelope toward Tolu.
Tolu opens it—bank statements, titles, and a thick notebook filled with profiles.
> Ige: "Potential recruits. Selected for character. Some are terminally ill—turning them could save them.
"If you don't pick them, let us know. We'll turn them instead. Saves lives, gains loyalty."
He places another envelope on the table. Tolu opens it to see a deed—500 acres of land.
> Ige: "Use it as a base. We'll help fund construction if needed."
Tolu blinks, shocked. Amara's eyes widen.
> Tolu: "That's... too much. What do you want in return?"
Ige: "An alliance. If anything threatens this city, we face it together."
Tolu: "And if it's something I don't want to risk my life for?"
Ige: "Then don't. We're not asking for obedience—just cooperation."
Tade nods in agreement. Tolu studies them for a moment, then nods slowly.
When they leave, Tolu and Amara step into the cool night air.
> Tolu: "What do you think?"
Amara: "I don't care. But I want new shoes. And we need to brainstorm a business."
Tolu laughs softly. Over the weeks, their bond has shifted—less student and teacher, more like siblings.
---
As they walked back through the busy evening street, weaving between food stalls and passing cars, Amara kicked a small stone ahead of her and sighed loudly.
"Honestly," she said, shaking her head, "I still can't believe those guys gave you land, money, and a whole file of recruits. I thought we would have to rob somebody to even start."
Tolu chuckled under his breath. "It's too much. Which means there's something they're not saying. But… it's useful. I just need somewhere simple to begin. Maybe a small place in town. Something normal. A food joint or arcade."
"So fries, games, and noise," Amara said with a grin. "That actually sounds fun."
Tolu shrugged. "Somewhere people can come and go without noticing anything strange. A kind of cover."
Amara walked a little faster, turning so she was walking backward while facing him. "Then call it T-Hub."
"T-Hub?" he repeated.
"Yes," she said, smiling. "T for Tolu… or Tribe… or Training. And Hub because it'll be your base. Your center. Everything will start from there."
Tolu laughed quietly. "You just named my first business."
Amara nudged his shoulder. "Our business. You'll need someone to manage customers while you're off doing wolf drama. And I want a staff discount."
He shook his head, still smiling. "T-Hub… sounds right, though."
They continued down the street together, the city lights reflecting off the pavement, and Tolu couldn't help thinking that maybe this was the first real piece of his future finally taking shape.
--
Tolu's room was small, warm, and cluttered with papers he'd been too anxious to sort himself. Amara sat on the floor beside his bed, crossing her legs as she pulled the first folder closer. Tolu hovered for a moment, unsure whether to sit or pace.
"Sit down," Amara said without looking up. "You're making the room nervous."
He sat.
She opened the first folder and read aloud, her voice calm and steady. "Candidate one: Sandra Ajayi. Sixteen. Debate club. Prefect. Top of her class."
Tolu frowned. "Sounds like she'd argue with me every day."
Amara glanced at him. "You need someone confident, not someone who'll hide behind you. But…" She tapped the page. "She might be too sharp. You already overthink things—you don't need someone who'll add more pressure."
Tolu exhaled, relieved she said it first. "So… maybe not her."
Amara slid the file aside and opened the next. "Candidate two: Bisola Adeyemi. Fifteen. Quiet. Photography club. Teachers describe her as 'creative but withdrawn.'"
He hesitated. "That doesn't sound bad."
"Except you," Amara said gently, "need someone who can speak up when things get dangerous. Someone who won't freeze." She looked at him fully now. "Turning someone means trusting them with your life. Not just your powers."
Tolu swallowed. "Right. Okay. Next."
Amara opened the third file. "Iniobong Effiong. Sixteen. Basketball team. Hot-headed. Loyal. Two fights this term—both defending other people."
Tolu blinked. "Defending?"
"Mhm." She flipped to the next page. "Teachers say she's impulsive but not cruel. She reacts fast. Acts faster."
He thought about that for a moment. "That sounds… useful. Maybe too useful."
Amara smiled faintly. "You're worried she'll be hard to control."
"I'm not trying to control anyone," he muttered.
"I know," she said. "But whoever you choose will be bonded to you. That connection can tilt things. You need someone balanced."
Tolu nodded slowly.
Amara closed the folder and rested her hands on it. "Tolu… you only turned one person before, and that wasn't exactly planned. This time you're choosing on purpose. It's normal to feel unsure."
He lowered his eyes. "What if I pick wrong?"
"Then we deal with it together," she said simply. "But you won't. I trust your instinct when you're not panicking."
He looked up sharply at that. "You trust me?"
"More than you trust yourself," she said with a small smile. "Now… ready for the fourth candidate?"
Tolu drew in a steady breath. "Yeah. Read it."
Amara opened the next folder.
Amara picked up the next file and opened it casually, but her expression shifted the more she read.
Tolu noticed. "Another problem case?"
"Actually… no," she said. "This one is… normal. Like, properly normal."
Tolu leaned closer as she read aloud:
"Candidate four: Adanna Chukwu, sixteen. Quiet type. Average grades — not failing, not exceptional. Plays football sometimes but not on any team. Works part-time at her aunt's small shop after school."
Tolu nodded slowly. "Okay… seems fine."
Amara flipped the page. "She lost her mom when she was thirteen. Dad is alive, but he's a driver who travels, so she's mostly taking care of herself with the aunt. Not tragic, not perfect. Just… life."
"Hmm."
"She's described as 'kind but stubborn.' Got into one fight last year defending a classmate." Amara smirked. "Didn't win, but she stood her ground."
Tolu chuckled. "That's something."
"And look at this," Amara tapped the form. "No chronic illness. No emotional instability. But she's not some ideal golden child either. She's… stable. Balanced."
Tolu took the picture from the folder. A girl with soft eyes and braids, expression serious but not harsh. Someone who looked like she'd been handling life on her own terms for a while.
"Feels real," he murmured.
"Exactly," Amara said. "Not too good to be true… not a disaster case. If you turn her, she's the type who'll grow steadily. Loyal because she chooses to be, not because life forced her."
Tolu nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah… she's a good fit."
Amara placed the folder aside gently. "So far, she's the most reasonable choice."