Chapter Four: The First Agent
The campus was quiet, yet the night air carried a tension Stephen could feel pressing against his skin. Each step he took toward the fellowship hall felt heavier than the last, as though invisible eyes were counting them. KOA had been patient, biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike. And now, the first human agent had been sent.
Stephen had felt the stirring before he ever saw her. A subtle unease, a prickling at the base of his neck, the sensation that someone, or something, was walking the path of his life long before he reached it. He brushed it off as nerves, but deep inside, he knew better. Darkness never approached lightly—it came with precision.
The Girl Named Risi
Her name was Risi, a new student whose transfer to the university had seemed coincidental. She was attractive, charming, and quick to make friends, and she had taken a particular interest in Stephen. At first, it seemed innocent—a budding friendship, the natural course of meeting someone in a new environment.
But Stephen noticed small inconsistencies: the way her eyes sometimes glinted with something unreadable, the subtle probing questions she asked about his life, his faith, his family. Something was off. Yet, she smiled, laughed, and drew him into conversations, and for a moment, Stephen allowed himself to relax.
KOA had instructed her carefully. She was to befriend Stephen, gain his trust, and implant darkness in the form of temptation and disease—a test, a shadowed knife hidden in the guise of companionship.
Stephen, oblivious to her mission, was simply drawn to her presence. But the spiritual realm had already labeled her as a weapon. Stephen would learn soon enough that darkness often walks in beauty and charm, disguised to deceive even the strongest hearts.
Favour's Warning
Favour sensed it immediately.
"I don't like her," she said one evening as the three sat under a large mahogany tree. "There's something… off. She's too curious, too interested. It's not normal."
Stephen shook his head. "You're being paranoid. She's just… friendly. That's all."
"Friendly doesn't follow you into your dorm at night, Stephen. Watch closely. Pray constantly. Don't let anything slip."
Her words, though cautious, carried a weight that Stephen could not ignore. The spiritual battle was not always loud; often, it came wrapped in whispers and smiles.
The First Temptation
Risi's influence began subtly. She asked to study with him late into the night, sharing dormitory snacks, casual touches on the arm, laughter that seemed to pull him closer. Stephen, though aware of the spiritual tension, found himself drawn—curiosity, loneliness, and the natural human desire for friendship created cracks in his defenses.
KOA's plan was meticulous. They had waited years for this moment, and now, the charm around his neck pulsed faintly, nudging him toward submission. Stephen felt a strange heaviness, an almost invisible weight pushing him toward choices he had vowed to avoid.
But he remembered Favour's words. He remembered the visions he had seen, the attacks he had survived. And, above all, he remembered God's presence, the light that had already saved him.
Prayer became his shield. Each night, as Risi's influence drew closer, he whispered silently, "Lord, protect me. Strengthen me. Let Your light drive back the darkness that seeks to claim me."
The First Spiritual Confrontation
One evening, after the library had emptied, Stephen felt the presence of KOA pressing against the walls, moving through the corridors like smoke. He could almost see them—dark figures with burning eyes, lurking, waiting, watching.
Risi approached him then, smiling, holding books. "I thought we could study together," she said, her voice sweet yet laced with an undertone of authority.
Stephen's heart raced, not because of fear of her, but because he sensed the force behind her. He looked into her eyes and whispered a prayer. Light flared from his chest, illuminating the darkened hallway, and the shadows recoiled.
"You cannot deceive me," he said aloud, voice steady. "Not with words, not with charm. God sees all, and He protects me."
Risi blinked, startled for the first time. Her demeanor faltered. The light she had not expected from him forced KOA's influence to retreat. But the battle was far from over. Stephen had won a small victory, yet KOA was patient, and Risi's mission was ongoing.
A Lesson in Vigilance
Favour met Stephen the next morning under the same mahogany tree. Her expression was grave.
"You saw it, didn't you?" she asked.
"I… I felt it. I don't know what it is exactly, but it's powerful."
"Powerful, yes. Evil, yes. KOA does not strike by accident. They strike where they can exploit weakness. Tonight, you resisted. But next time, it will be more subtle. More personal. More dangerous."
Stephen nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility. He realized that being chosen by God did not exempt him from struggle—it made him a target. And KOA, his father's dark creation, would stop at nothing to claim him.
"Always pray," Favour said. "Always be vigilant. Darkness can wear any face, speak any word, appear as any friend. But light will always reveal it. Remember, Stephen, God's power is stronger than theirs, but you must choose it constantly. Do not waver."
The First Seed of Corruption
Despite his prayers, Stephen could feel the influence seeping into his world. Risi's friendship grew closer, and with each laugh, each shared secret, the faint pulse of darkness from the charm tugged at his resolve. He sensed an unseen hand pushing him toward choices he had sworn to avoid.
He did not understand fully that KOA's agents were trained to attack not just the body, but the spirit. Seduction, temptation, emotional manipulation, and even illness were tools used to test, corrupt, and destroy. And Stephen, as his father's chosen, was the most valuable target they had ever encountered.
Yet, in these moments, he also felt God's presence more strongly. Every prayer became a sword, every act of obedience a shield. The darkness might press, but it could not dominate unless he allowed it. And he would not allow it—not yet, not ever.
The Weight of Destiny
Stephen began to understand the burden he carried. KOA was no ordinary enemy. It was a network of darkness, reaching across the spiritual and physical realms, guided by the obsession of a man who had once been a friend, a father, and a strategist of evil.
The stakes were higher than friendship, university success, or even personal happiness. His life had been claimed by a destiny far larger than he could comprehend, and yet, for the first time, he felt the possibility of reclaiming it through faith, prayer, and obedience to God.
He knelt by his bed that night, whispering prayers that rose like incense into the darkened corners of the campus. "Lord, I do not understand everything. I do not see the end of this battle. But I know You are stronger than them. Protect me, guide me, and let Your light shine through me, even in the darkness that surrounds me."
The charm pulsed faintly once more, then lay still, as if recognizing the authority of the One Stephen had chosen.
A Warning in the Spirit Realm
Far beyond the mortal world, KOA convened. Baba Dagunduro's voice was harsh, sharp as iron striking stone.
"The boy grows stronger," he said, pacing. "He is resisting the first tests. Risi has failed to weaken him fully. We must act with precision. His soul is slipping from our grasp."
Another elder hissed, "We will not fail again. We will send a greater agent. The boy cannot escape his destiny forever. Ogundare… he will kneel, or he will burn."
The council of darkness spread their strategy like a net, weaving influence into every corner of the mortal realm. KOA's patience was infinite, their cruelty methodical, and their resolve unshakable. The first test had failed, but the war had only begun.
The End of Chapter Four
Stephen lay in bed, exhausted but vigilant. He understood now that every day, every choice, every prayer mattered. KOA's first human agent had been a warning, a test, and he had survived. But the real battles, he knew, were still coming. The war between light and darkness was intensifying, and he was standing at the front line.
And yet, even in the darkness, Stephen could feel the warmth of God's light, a guiding flame that promised hope, protection, and eventual victory.
He was chosen. He was a soldier in a spiritual war. And he would not fall.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." — Matthew 26:41