PORT HARCOURT — ETADAVE HOTEL — SAME NIGHT
Desire walked into the hotel room.
The lights were dim. Destiny sat by the window, his red glasses—Foresight— off, cleaning them with a white cloth. Three others were scattered around the room—Wisdom, Ade, Hope, Chi Chi. They looked up when Desire entered.
"You called?" Desire asked.
"Yes I did, Desire." Destiny put his glasses back on. "My apologies for disrupting your battle."
Wisdom leaned forward. His ginger hair was rough, uncombed, a sharp contrast to his pristine white suit. "How about Ivie? Did you fight her?"
"She didn't stay back."
Ade adjusted his blind man's glasses—dark lenses, completely opaque. He wasn't blind. He just liked the way they looked. "Pity."
Hope sat cross-legged on the bed, her white suit unbuttoned over a black tank top. Her hair was shaved on one side, long on the other. Chi Chi stood by the window, arms crossed, her face unreadable. She had a scar that ran from her temple to her jaw, pale against her dark skin.
Destiny stood.
"We'll meet the Vanguards again soon. They've already revealed who we're after. We just need to take them. Bring them to the Lord."
No one argued.
---
COVENANT BASE — PORT HARCOURT — SAME NIGHT
Marcel set down his Bible.
"The barrier is complete. Complete privacy. No one sees in. No one hears out."
Ezra stood by the window, looking out at nothing.
"Not yet," he said. "The seal renewal can wait."
Ivie leaned against the wall. "It's only a matter of time before they find us. Let's get this thing started."
The door opened. Ruth and Rachel walked out—not prisoners, not guests. Something in between.
Ruth's hands were shaking. "Who are you people? Return us. Now."
Rachel held her mother's arm. Her face was calmer. "Thank you for saving us. But... are you police?"
Ezra turned.
"I'm Ezra Uyiosa. You can call me what you like."
Ivie uncrossed her arms. "Ivie."
Marcel nodded. "Marcel."
The door opened again. David walked in, bruises blooming on his face, bandages wrapped around his knuckles. An ice pack pressed against his ribs.
Rachel's eyes widened.
"I remember you now. You're Jane's ex-boyfriend."
David blinked. "Oh. You know Jane?"
"We're in the same online poem group."
David wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Why are you doing this dangerous job?" Rachel asked. "You're so young."
David looked at her. Then at her mother. Then at Ezra.
"That doesn't really matter now. I'll ensure your safety."
Ruth wasn't listening. She was staring at Ezra.
---
OUTSIDE THE ROOM
Marcel closed the door behind them.
"She's starting to remember Joseph again. I wonder—"
"We can't mention Joseph in her presence," Ezra said. "It could prompt her to remember more."
"The loosening of the seal allowed the sorcerers to detect Ruth."
Ezra nodded. "Subconsciously, she has a strong bond with him. So strong that she's starting to break the seal with no clues."
"Then we'll need to prepare a stronger seal."
"This time," Ezra said, "she forgets Joseph completely."
Marcel looked at him. "You look doubtful."
Ezra was quiet for a moment.
"I took this mission because Ruth wanted to forget completely. The Vanguards. The Phobias. The Covenant. Joseph. She wanted a new life. For herself and her daughter. A daughter who doesn't even know her father's name."
"In 24 hours," Marcel said, "we'll prepare a stronger seal."
A voice came through the door.
"You know my father."
Rachel.
"Is he Joseph? How come my mother knows nothing about it?"
Marcel opened the door.
"You should calm down—"
"WHO IS JOSEPH?" Rachel's voice cracked. "I have the right to know what's going on. Even if my mom is clueless, you have to explain. Why are those people after us? I can't go back to my life like this. My mom doesn't know anything about my father. Like she forgot."
Ruth came out. Her face was pale. She tried to calm her daughter.
"Rachel—"
"No, Mom. I need to know."
David stepped out, bandages fresh, ice pack melting. Ivie followed. She didn't say anything.
Ezra looked at them.
"I manipulated your memories, Ruth. But somehow, your heart is trying to recover them."
Ruth stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you more. The memories won't be happy ones. Just try to relax. Tomorrow—or later today—all the discomfort will pass."
Ruth touched her chest. "So I'm better off forgetting?"
She looked at her daughter.
"I feel so empty inside. I don't even know the father of my child. For years now."
Ezra stepped out. Marcel followed. David and Ivie followed.
---
THE HALLWAY
Marcel spoke first.
"Ezra, if the seal gets broken at this point, as long as we're here, the barrier won't let the sorcerers detect us."
Ivie shook her head. "That's 50/50. Honestly."
Ezra nodded. "Yes."
David finally spoke.
"If we're here anyway—until the new seal is ready tomorrow, or today—why not tell her everything?"
They all looked at him.
"Mrs. Ruth is better off deciding if she wants to forget her husband. She should decide for herself."
"She did decide before," Ezra said.
"The daughter too," David said. "She should have a say."
"We could build a stronger seal from the ground up now Ezra." Marcel added.
Ezra was quiet.
Then he went back inside.
---
BACK IN THE ROOM
Ruth and Rachel sat on the couch. Mother and daughter, side by side, not touching.
Ezra stood across from them.
"I'll tell you everything."
Ivie leaned against the doorframe. "Whatever you decide after, we'll ensure your safety."
Rachel leaned forward.
"Who is Joseph to me?"
Ezra's voice was low.
"Your father."
He told them.
Eighteen years ago. Ruth was an Art lecturer in UNIBEN. A good one. She met Joseph. They fell in love. They had a daughter. Joseph sealed himself to contain Kanuel. He's been in the base ever since. Something that broke her so completely that she begged Ezra to make her forget. He put a seal on her memories. Faked her death. Hid her and Rachel from everyone who might look for them.
"The Vanguards," Ezra said. "The Phobias. The Covenant. Joseph. All of it. She wanted it gone."
Ruth was quiet.
Then:
"I think I remember now."
Rachel turned to her mother. Her eyes were wet.
"So my father is a hero."
She looked angry. Not at her mother. At the years she didn't know.
"Why did you forget mom? I deserved to know my father."
Ruth fainted.
"MOM? MOM!." Rachel screamed
Ezra caught her.
"It's up to her now," he said. "She'll need to process it. Again."
"Thank you Ezra." David said with a bit of awe in his eyes for ezra.
"Ha ha, David, what about me?." Marcel said chuckling.
"Omo, you too Mr Marcel." He replied while closing his eyes and ruffling his hair
Ivie uncrossed her arms. "Our job is to stand by."
Marcel picked up his Bible. "I'll be pulling an all-nighter on Psalms. We need a stronger seal."
He walked to the corner and began to read.
---
OUTSIDE — THE SAME NIGHT
The sorcerers arrived.
White suits. Silent. Destiny led them.
The barrier glowed faintly — invisible to most, but not to them.
"They're here," Destiny said.
He didn't smile.
He just waited.