As Akeh's boat drifted closer, Segun stood on the water with a barely contained anger. His voice cut through the silence, sharp and accusing.
"I saw you coming out of the chiefs' house. What the hell were you doing there?"
Akeh didn't respond. His silence was deliberate, a refusal to engage.
He let the boat glide right past Segun, brushing against him, the current carrying Akeh farther downstream.
Segun's face twisted with rage at the blatant disregard.
"I'm talking to you! Can't you hear me?"
With a sudden, forceful move, Segun grabbed the tail of the boat, halting it.
The boat jerked to a stop, the water rippling around them. Akeh turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder at Segun. Without a word, he pried Segun's hand off the boat using his paddle, the movement calm and decisive.
Segun stared at Akeh, shocked at his defiance. Fury flared within him. Without thinking, he lashed out, kicking the side of the boat with all his strength.
The wooden craft tilted violently, throwing Akeh into the dark river with a loud splash. The boat floated, upside down, as Akeh scrambled to hold on to it, his breath ragged from the sudden cold.
Segun, his rage bubbling over, squatted on the water's surface near Akeh, glaring down at him.
"You have no idea what you're playing with," he growled.
"The chiefs' house is only for those who earned the purist title. Do you even know what would happen if the other students found out? You, wandering in and out like it's nothing...especially at this hour?"
Akeh clung to the overturned boat, listening, but saying nothing.
Segun continued, his tone growing darker.
"Do you think you can become the next chief purist of Makoko just because of some favoritism? The students here, they train every day, working to increase their soul mastery, and you think you can just slide into that role? No one's going to let that happen. Over their dead bodies."
His voice was a low, dangerous whisper as he leaned closer.
"I hope I've made myself clear."
Akeh, still gripping the edge of the boat, turned his head slightly, his voice calm, almost absent-minded.
"What just hit my boat over? I'm sure the water was clear."
Segun froze, confused by Akeh's words.
"What?"
His mind reeled. Did I really…? Have I enteredl the ethereal realm without realizing it? For a brief moment, doubt crept in. Is he messing with me right now?
But the moment passed, and Segun's anger surged again. He raised his hand to strike Akeh, but as his eyes fell on Akeh's bandaged body...his injuries, still fresh...he hesitated. His hand hung in the air, trembling with restrained fury.
With a sharp breath, Segun pulled back, shaking his head.
"I tried to warn you,"
He muttered, his voice cold as he stepped away, his figure disappearing into the darkness, leaving Akeh alone in the river.
Akeh watched him go, then slowly made his way to the river's edge. His muscles ached from the cold and the strain, but he dragged himself up onto the wooden platform of a nearby house.
He climbed onto the narrow, worn corridor, the wood creaking softly under his weight. Exhausted, he lay flat on the wooden planks, staring up at the midnight sky.
The air was still, the only sounds coming from the soft chorus of crickets hidden in the darkness. The village was quiet, the lights long turned off, and the scent of the river's briny water mixed with the earthy smell of the damp wood. The night held a strange peace, a calm that settled in after the chaos.
The cool breeze rustled through the trees, and Akeh closed his eyes, listening to the stillness around him, his body heavy with fatigue.
"I think I'll just lay here for a while," he whispered to himself.
"I'm so stressed."
The quiet night wrapped around him like a blanket, and for a moment, all of Makoko seemed to breathe in unison, as if the world itself was giving him a rare moment of rest.
To be continued...