CHAPTER 2: THE LURE OF FALSE SECURITY

Tunde tried to focus on his studies, but Tosin's words lingered in his mind like a shadow. He began to notice strange symbols etched into the walls, and whispers of secret societies seemed to follow him everywhere. One night, as he walked back to his dorm, Tosin appeared out of the darkness, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity.

"Come on, Tunde, don't be naive", Tosin sneered.

"You think God's protection is enough? This campus is a jungle, and only the strongest survive. Join us and we'll make sure you are safe".

Tunde stood firm, his heart racing. "I don't need your protection, Tosin, I trust in God's plan for me".

Tosin snorted. "Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you."

As Tosin disappeared into the night, Tunde felt a chill run down his spine. He knew he had to be careful, but he refused to let fear dictate his path. Little did he know, Tosin's influence was just beginning to spread its root.

Meanwhile, another gang were lurking somewhere ready to initiate Tunde into their midst by hook or crook means. They were plotting something dangerous for him, hellbent on taking control of his his being. Not to get him killed but to lure him to join them.

Tosin's nitwit caught a wind of the rumbling storm ready to devour and destroy whosoever tries to come their way in having Tunde, they also want to win the battle, that's yet to begin.

It's survival of the fittest indeed!

Tunde has no idea of the wars existence.

Every word uttered by Tosin to Tunde one chilly night, whose weather has not been friendly few days back, when he appeared to him like a smoke was met with utmost silence from the side of side.

As Tosin was beginning to entwine itself around Tunde's life, slowly suffocating his sense of security. At first, it was just a faint of whisper in his ear, a subtle suggestion that made him question sophia's intentions. Then, it was a faint of shadow in the corner of his eye, a presence that lurked just out of sight

Tunde's first day of classes was a whirlwind of new faces, lectures, and notes. As he rushed to his next class, he accidentally bumped into a girl with piercing green eyes and longs curly brown hair.

"Sorry, I'm so clumsy!" Tunde apologized, as he helped her gather her scattered books.

"It's okay, I'm not broken", she replied with a smile. "I'm Sophia, by the way.

Tunde's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met.

I'm tunde. Nice to meet you, Sophia".

Little did he know, this chance encounter would lead to a friendship that would change the course of his life forever.

As Tunde and Sophia walked together to their next class, he felt a sense of ease he hadn't experienced before. Sophia's warm smile and infectious laugh made him feel like he'd found a long-lost friend.

As they settled into their seats. Tunde couldn't help but notice the eerie feeling that something was off. The professor's words seemed to fade into the background as he caught snippets of hushed conversations around him.

"...don't go there alone at night...."

"...heard strange noises in the dorms..."

"...something's not right on this campus..."

Tunde brushed it off as mere rumors, but Sophia's knowing glance made him wonder if there was more to the story.

"Hey, tunde, want to grab coffee with me after class?" Sophia asked, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.

Tunde nodded, feeling a sense of excitement and belonging. But as they walked out of the lecture hall, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was stepping into a web of secrets and lies.