chapter 63
Kevwe looked at Adunni carefully, studying her, then spoke in Pidgin English:
"Blessing, where you take come from?"
Adunni froze, unsure what to say. No lie came to her mind. She stammered, but Kevwe continued without waiting:
"Because as I dey look you so, you no be like person wey know wetin sup. But anyhow, eat finish go wash your plate."
Saying that, Kevwe took a plate and went to the kitchen.
Adunni struggled with her thoughts — should she run or stay? Before she could decide, Kevwe came back with a cup of water and sat opposite her.
Suddenly, without warning, Kevwe threw the water at Adunni.
Adunni reacted quickly, freezing the water mid-air before it could touch her.
Kevwe stood up and said sharply,
"I talk am , I talk am say I don see you before?"
Adunni quickly dropped her spoon and raised both hands in apology. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to lie. I wasn't sure who I was to people in this time… if I was dangerous or something. I had to be careful."
Kevwe didn't even look offended. She leaned back and snorted softly, replying in Pidgin. "You think say I vex? Nah. That one wey you do make sense. Sharp girl. E mean say you get sense."
Adunni let out a breath of relief.
"But," Kevwe continued, her tone shifting slightly, "the real question be say—how person go dey for her own future?"
Adunni shifted in her seat. "I… don't know exactly. I was just sitting with my uncle. Everything was normal. Then my body just—glitched. Like I was a video game or something. Next thing I know, I'm here."
Kevwe watched her quietly, eyes narrowing like she was piecing something together she'd already half-suspected.
"I think… my future self is in 2024," Adunni added. "That's the only explanation. Like, maybe I glitched because we both existed in the same time. And the timeline couldn't handle that."
Kevwe tilted her head, something unreadable flickering in her expression.
"Sounds about right," she muttered, almost like she was confirming it for herself.
Adunni leaned forward, desperation creeping into her voice. "Please. Tell me. What happened to the world? Why is everything like this? And why would my future self go back?"
Kevwe didn't answer. Instead, she stood up, walked to the small window, and pushed aside the curtain just enough to look out at the night creeping in.
"I no go tell you," she said finally.
Adunni's heart dropped.
"Not because I don't want to. But if I tell you too much, you fit scatter everything. Time no dey play like that."
Adunni looked down at her food, appetite gone.
"But," Kevwe added, "I fit show you something. Tonight. Later. When it's dark."
She turned back and gave Adunni a look that was both warning and promise.
"Get ready. Na your eye go clear small-small."
As night fell, Kevwe and Adunni mounted the bike and took off into the shadows of what was once Lagos.
Adunni held tight as they sped through the ghost of the city. The streets were still somewhat familiar—landmarks she knew were still standing—but their essence had vanished. Everything looked like it had been swallowed by something dark, something that stripped the soul from even concrete and glass. Prominent structures leaned like tired bones, windows shattered, signs broken. It wasn't just decay.
It was suffocation.
And then they arrived.
Adunni's breath caught in her throat.
It was Crown's College.
At least… what was left of it.
The gates were twisted, hanging off rusted hinges. The school building stood tall but hollow, like something out of a nightmare. Paint peeled in long strips. Windows were either shattered or blacked out. The entire place looked like it had been dipped in shadow.
Even the air felt wrong—heavy and thick, like breathing through smoke.
But Kevwe? She just hopped off the bike and strode in like she walked through haunted places every day.
Adunni hesitated, heart pounding, before running after her.
The inside was even worse.
Walls burned and scorched. Desks cracked, papers strewn across the floor like ghosts of the past. Every step echoed louder than it should've, like the building itself was listening.
Kevwe led her to a classroom—room 3B, or what used to be.
And in the middle of it, like something sacred and terrifying, sat a stone coffin.
Not just placed there.
It was built into the floor.
Its surface was marked with strange carvings. Symbols that pulsed faintly with a dull light, as if breathing. The stone looked ancient, like it had no business being in a secondary school. And yet—it was there.
Adunni's knees weakened.
"What… what is this?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Kevwe's body glowed faintly as she stepped closer to the coffin. In the dim light, Adunni noticed what she hadn't before—tattoos etched across Kevwe's skin, glowing softly like they were alive, ancient symbols crawling over her arms and neck like living ink.
Then, without strain, Kevwe pushed the coffin lid open.
Adunni flinched.
Inside lay a man.
Or what was left of one.
His body was sunken, like his soul had been sucked out but his flesh refused to let go. Dark veins pulsed visibly under his skin, like black vines twisting across his frame, alive and writhing. His eyes were closed, his face pale—but somehow still… aware.
Adunni stepped back, hands over her mouth.
"What happened to him?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Who is this?"
Before Kevwe could answer, the air changed.
It thickened. Like something ancient had just entered the room. Then—flap. Flap. Flap.
A murder of crows burst through the shattered windows, swirling around the room in chaotic unison before collapsing into a human form.
Christopher.
He landed on the floor like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Hey, cuz," he said casually, pulling Kevwe into a half-hug. She barely reacted—like she'd been expecting him.
Adunni blinked, stunned. Of course they're related, she thought, rolling her eyes. That explains a lot.
Christopher turned to her, that signature smirk on his face.
"I see you found Past Adunni."
Then his eyes drifted to the coffin, and his expression darkened. He nodded toward the broken man inside.
"Well," he said quietly, "that's Moses."
Adunni's mind reeled. That couldn't be. Moses? The Moses? Sure, they were never close, but she knew him—quiet, strange, always observing.
Now… this?
Her chest tightened. "How?" she breathed. "What happened to him?"
Christopher sighed. "That's a long story. But here's the short version."
He stepped closer to the coffin, eyes focused on Moses like he was staring into memory.
"Moses was the only one powerful enough to trap the Darkness. That made him a threat. So they tried to stop him before he could make his move. Before he could become... what he was meant to be."
Adunni's heart thudded. "They tried to kill him?"
Christopher nodded. "They nearly succeeded. But Moses had a plan. One even we didn't fully understand."
Adunni's mouth was dry. "What happened? I know I'm not supposed to know too much, but please—what happened to Moses?"
Christopher's expression darkened. "Moses is the Pandora Box. His very existence is a threat to the Darkness. He didn't know that at first. His parents kept it from him—to protect him. They thought if he never knew, the Darkness would never find him. But it always finds what it needs."
He paced slowly, his boots echoing against the cracked tiles.
"Moses figured it out too late. So, he sent Tiara back in time to warn his present self. To tell him the truth. Because once he knew, everything changed. The Darkness went after him. Hard."
Adunni swallowed. "So… that's why one of the Darkness' vessels went back in time? To get him?"
Christopher nodded. "To get him—and to make sure the other vessel receives the Darkness."
Adunni's voice barely held together. "Who is the vessel?"
Christopher paused. "I can't tell you that, Adunni. Not now. The more you know, the more danger you're in. If the Darkness even senses that you're aware… it will come for you. And we can't afford to lose the last free Time Avatar."
Adunni's breath caught. "Me?"
He looked at her, serious now. "Yes. You're the only one left untouched by the timeline traps. If everything collapses, you're our only shot at fixing it."
Adunni stumbled backward, trying to understand. "Then… why is my future self in 2024?"
Christopher sighed deeply, his voice softer. "She's not there on some grand mission. She's watching someone."
"Who?"
"Mirabel."
Adunni's heart skipped. "What? Why?"
"The Darkness needed a Time Avatar to travel. It couldn't travel through time by itself. So… it came for you. But Mirabel—she gave herself up to save you. It was either her or you, and she chose you. She let them take her, let them use her as their vessel."
"No… Mirabel…"
"She didn't just vanish, Adunni. She's trapped. Bound to them. Your future self is back in 2024 because she's watching over Mirabel in secret. Making sure they don't destroy her completely. It's the only way she could protect her without risking your future."
Adunni's voice broke. "Is there anything left to save?"
"That's why she went back. Because she believes there is. And so do I."
Adunni's tears brimmed. "You said the Darkness has two vessels. If one of them went back to 2024 ... Then who's the other?"
Christopher hesitated. Then finally, "My fiancée."
Adunni looked at him, stunned. "wait, what ?"
"It's complicated," he muttered. "The Darkness chose him. Possessed him . That's why I'm close to him —I need to keep watch. If he slips too far, we lose everything."
Adunni's voice grew sharp. "So that's why he hates me?"