The message hung in the air like a dare. _"Come alone, Naia. Trade secrets for Tyra. The Oriri want you."_ Adebayo's silence was a warning; the others exchanged uneasy glances. Outside, night pressed against the tunnel, as if the shadows themselves awaited Naia's decision.
"The Oriri don't negotiate," Adebayo whispered, voice like dry leaves. "They take. You're not a bargaining chip—you're a key."
Naia's fingers tightened around the dagger. "Tyra's alive because of me. I'll go."
Jax stepped forward, jaw set. "Not alone. We're in this."
Lara shook her head, eyes determined. "They said _you_, Naia. If they want leverage, we're leverage. We hide. You go."
Mina scribbled hastily in her notebook. "We can track you—leave a path. But if they see us… we can't risk Tyra."
Adebayo intervened, voice low but firm. "The iboligwe have hidden exits. Mina, create a diversion at the old clock tower. Jax, Lara—get to the forest fringe. If Naia isn't back by dawn, assume the worst."
Naia glanced at the group, resolve hardening. "I'll meet them. Where?"
The old man's eyes clouded. "Abandoned windmill, north edge of Azuji. Midnight. Go in silence. Don't speak unless spoken to. And Naia…" He gripped her shoulder. "Don't trust what they show you."
At 11:45 PM, Naia slipped into shadows, Adebayo's parting words echoing: _"The Oriri deal in debts. Don't owe what you can't repay."_ The windmill loomed ahead, blades frozen like skeletal fingers. A hooded figure waited, back to her.
"Come," it said—a woman's voice, not Tyra's. No scent, no sound beyond her words.
Naia entered. The door creaked shut, swallowing moonlight. A lantern flared, revealing a masked figure in black, Tyra bound and gagged on a chair. Kofi stood beside her, eyes hollow, a knife at his throat.
"Naia," he whispered, lips barely moving. _"Don't trust… me."_
The woman tilted her head, voice like smoke. "Welcome, Naia. I'm Ayo—voice of the Oriri. You've impressed."
Naia's pulse pounded. "Release them. I'm here."
Ayo trailed a finger down Tyra's cheek. "Oh, they're insurance. You see, Azuji's balance is a lie. The Dweller wasn't the problem—it's a sentinel. *You are the key.*"
"Key to what?" Naia's voice stayed steady, though fear crawled.
"Your bloodline," Ayo said, circling. "Shamans, healers… carriers of _ukazi_—the hidden thread. Your ancestors bound the Dweller to protect something deeper: *the Fracture.*"
Ayo gestured, and the air shimmered. A chasm appeared in the floor, swirling darkness that seemed to _pull_. Naia felt it—a void hungry for something.
"Azuji sits on a nexus," Ayo explained. "A crack in reality. The Dweller kept it sealed… until now. The Fracture's waking. If it breaks, chaos bleeds through. But if harnessed…" Ayo smiled, showing teeth. "The Oriri can reshape worlds. With you, we control it."
Kofi's eyes flickered, warning in them. Naia's thoughts raced—what did the Oriri want?
"What do you want me to do?" Naia asked, feigning curiosity.
"Bind the Fracture," Ayo said. "Channel your _ukazi_ into it. The Dweller will obey us. Azuji will thrive… under our design."
Tyra's muffled struggle broke the tension. Naia's instincts screamed _no_—but Tyra's life hung on a thread.
"If I do," Naia stalled, "let them go. Now."
Ayo chuckled low. "Not yet. First, prove trust. The Fracture's pull grows. Do it… or they die."
Naia's gaze locked on Kofi. His expression twisted—a silent plea: _"Don't."_ But Tyra's terrified eyes decided.
Naia raised her hands, feeling a hum beneath her skin—the _ukazi_, a power she'd never dared touch. The Fracture pulsed, as if recognizing her. Energy crackled, and the room darkened, shadows swirling inward.
Ayo's smile grew. "Good. Now, focus. Channel it—"
Suddenly, Kofi lunged, knife slicing his palm. Blood splattered the symbol on the floor—a counter-curse. The windmill shuddered. Ayo cursed, yanked backward by an unseen force.
The bindings on Tyra snapped. Jax and Lara burst in, Mina covering the rear, faces set.
"It's a hidden trap!" Naia shouted, grabbing Tyra.
Kofi sprinted to Ayo, now pinned by shimmering chains. "Run!" he yelled. "They'll use you—"
Ayo vanished, Fracture energy surging wildly. The windmill collapsed. Naia dragged Tyra clear, debris crashing as they hit earth.
Outside, chaos erupted. The stars blurred, as if reality thinned. A howl echoed—not the Dweller, something hungrier.
Adebayo met them, breathless. "Get to the safehouse. The Oriri won't stop. Kofi—"
Kofi stumbled out, eyes wild, avoiding Naia's gaze. "I had to… They took me. Lied. The Fracture's waking faster."
Naia grabbed his arm. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because," he whispered, "I didn't know if I'd survive. You have to stop it. Alone."
Ayo's voice cut through the night, amplified by shadows: _"You can't hide, Naia. The Oriri always collect debts. Come… or Azuji pays."_
The group fled, Azuji's lights flickering as the Fracture's pull intensified. Naia knew: they'd gone from defending against a monster to playing a game with rules she barely understood.
Adebayo led them to a hidden bunker beneath his hut. "You're not alone," he said, handing Naia an ancient leather pouch. "Your mother left this. The _ukazi_ is a key… but it's also a warning."
Inside the pouch: a note, and a crystal attuned to the Fracture's frequency.
*Mother's words:* _"Balance isn't control, Naia. Protect what breaks free."_
Kofi leaned close, voice haunted. "I'm sorry. I'll help fix this. But if they catch you…"
Naia's resolve sharpened. "We'll stop them. But Kofi?"
"Yeah?"
"Trust has a cost. Pay it wisely."
The bunker sealed shut. Outside, Azuji trembled. The Fracture pulsed, sensing its architect.
The game had changed. Naia wasn't just a key—she was the main weapon.