IDC Abuja – Third Floor Cafeteria – 08:47 A.M.
The elevator dings.
Doors slide open.
Every head turns.
Silence drops like a stone.
David steps out first, grey Scorpio jumpsuit still crisp, purple tattoo faint on his right palm.
Favour right behind him, Prince on the left.
Ojo leans against a pillar, arms folded, flame tattoos flickering under rolled sleeves.
He sizes David up, disgusting grin spreading.
Ojo (loud enough for the whole hall):
"So you're supposed to be the guy everyone's talking about…
Hmmmm.
You no look strong at all. You be like lizard to me."
Laughter ripples from Ojo's corner table.
Ojo (smirking):
"I myself don reach the stage of connecting with my zodiac sign.
So you and me? We no be mate."
David stops walking.
Eyes narrow.
Voice calm, deadly quiet:
David:
"So why you no defeat Skorn?"
Silence.
Ojo's grin freezes.
Face turns red.
Ojo (stammering):
"I… I no want show my true skill that time.
I just dey test you. To see if you get wetin e take."
Favour (in her mind, rolling eyes):
"What a liar."
Prince steps forward, hand on David's shoulder.
"David, come. Make we take food."
David doesn't move yet.
He stares straight at Ojo.
David (soft, but everyone hears):
"Next time you wan test person…
use your full power.
So nobody dies."
Ojo swallows hard.
No comeback.
David turns, walks to the serving line.
Prince follows, shaking his head, smiling.
Ojo (under his breath, Quiet):
"Hmph. You be nobody, Scorpio."
David doesn't look back.
Purple glow flickers once on his palm, then fades.
Favour catches up, whispering:
"Ignore him. He's been like that since day one."
David (small smile):
"I fit handle lizard talk."
IDC Abuja – Cafeteria – 09:02 A.M.**
David sits** between **Prince** and Favour**.
Plate: **mountain of jollof**, **thick stew**, **two pieces of meat**, **bottle of cold water**.
He scoops the first spoon.
**Flavor explodes** — **perfect pepper, perfect palm oil**.
**Memory hits.**
The **silver spoon** at Chika's mansion **twirling**, **"More fish, Master Scorpio?"**
**David's spoon stops halfway to his mouth.**
**Eyes glisten.**
*"What go happen to that mansion now…? I miss that food… I miss him."*
**Sad look.**
**Then — RAGE.**
**Mind:**
*"Arrghh… I swear I go kill every fucking demon wey dey exist."*
He **attacks** the plate like it owes him money.
**Agent Vision** appears — **chrome face reflecting lights**, **blue optic scanning**.
**Vision:**
"Hey, **Scorpio**. We have a Mission for you. Finish eating, then come to the Training Hall**."
**David** (mouth full):
"Wha' ki' o' missio'?"
**Vision:**
"Details when you're done. Come to the Training Hall, Don't be late."
**Vision turns** — **mechanical stride**, **walks away**.
**Prince** leans in.
"Hmm… wetin this one wan use you do again?"
One hour later – Training Hall Entrance**
**Prince escorts David** down a long corridor.
**Doors HISSS open.**
**Agent Vision** waits — **arms folded**, **optic glowing**.
**David** (wide-eyed):
"Wait — you be **robot** or **human**?"
**Vision** (deadpan):
"**Technologically advanced cyborg**. Not like any robot you've seen."
**David:**
"Wooooaaah… so cool…"
**Vision:**
"The mission is in the Northern Front**. Kaduna State. Demon infestation escalating. You're going in."
**David:**
"Fight demons…?"
**Vision nods.**
"Tomorrow dawn"
CUT TO – KADUNA CITY – SAME MORNING**
**Rubble.**
**Smoke.**
**Dead bodies** in the streets.
**Buildings collapsed** like broken toys.
A lone girl walks through the destruction.
**Aliyah** — **17**, **long braids flowing to her chin**, **grey blackish gown torn at the sleeves.
**Eyes sharp, focused.**
A **Class-4 demon** — **horned, shadow-flesh** — **roars**, **charging**.
**Aliyah raises both hands.**
AIR ERUPTS.
**Cars LIFT** — spinning like toys.**
**Massive concrete chunks** from collapsed buildings **rip free**.
**She clenches fists.**
**Everything FLIES — hurricane of metal and stone.**
**Demon tries to dodge** — **too slow**.
**CRUNCH.**
**Pinned under a **bus** and three boulders**.
**Aliyah lowers hands.**
**Wind dies.**
**Debris drops.**
She whispers to the demon's twitching body:
"I hate you!"
**Libra sigil GLOWS** on her palm.
**She looks north** — **eyes harden**.
**"More coming…"
(Chapter 15.5)
KADUNA – 04:17 A.M.
The city is a graveyard of concrete and smoke.
Aliyah — Libra — — stands in the middle of a shattered intersection, chest heaving, blood running from her mouth.
Her air currents are weak now, barely lifting dust.
Five Class-5 demons circle her, tendrils of black energy latched to her arms, legs, and chest.
They are sucking.
Pure-white light — her zodiac energy — streams out of her body like smoke from a dying fire.
Aliyah tries one last push.
Hands tremble — air blade forms, shatters instantly.
A demon hisses:
"Balance… ends."
She drops to her knees.
Vision blurs.
Morning sun begins to creep over the horizon, but she won't live to see it fully rise.
Last thought:
"Somebody… please…"
Her Libra sigil on her palm fades to grey.
IDC ABUJA – ZODIAC DORM WING – 05:30 A.M.
ALARM BLARES — red lights flashing.
David jolts awake in his bunk.
Prince already pulling on boots.
Ojo cursing.
Favour slamming her locker.
Doors slide open automatically.
Agent Vision stands in the corridor, optic glowing urgent red.
"No time to lose. We found another Zodiac Warrior in Kaduna. Demons are draining her zodiac energy. We move NOW."
Ojo smirks, but voice tight:
"Hmmm… it's a she."
Prince punches his fist into his palm, lion tattoo flaring.
"Another warrior… Alright. Let's go."
David — still in yesterday's grief in his eyes — grabs his jumpsuit.
Scorpio emblem pulses purple.
"I'm ready."
05:42 A.M. – HELIPAD
Black IDC helicopter — rotors already spinning.
Eight warriors board:
David, Prince, Favour, Ojo, Gabriel, Emmanuella, Paul & Peter, Tijani.
Agent Vision at the controls.
"ETA Kaduna: 18 minutes. She's got maybe 10."
David stares out the window as Abuja shrinking below.
Mind:
" *sighs* Hold on… we're coming."
Helicopter banks north — engines roaring toward the rising sun.