Chapter 9: Awakening to Chaos

Káòṣù woke up suddenly, shouting and covered in sweat. The vividness of his nightmare lingered, making it hard to distinguish dream from reality. He was disoriented, struggling to understand what had just happened. The weight of the nightmare seemed to press down on him, affecting him both physically and emotionally. His body ached, and his mind was in turmoil. "What's happening to me?" he muttered, feeling lost and bewildered, as if the lines between his dreams and the real world had blurred beyond recognition.

He glanced down at his wrists, noticing the burns etched into his skin, a stark reminder of the dream. The figure from his nightmare, a malevolent doppelgänger, had used chains to burn his wrists. The confusion deepened—how could injuries from a dream manifest physically? The memory of the smirking figure intensified his headache, a throbbing pain that radiated through his entire body as he hears "Do you still believe I am merely a nightmare?" He cried out, the anguish overwhelming him.

As he recalled the voices of the children from his nightmare, his headache worsened. "These things are not real," he whispered to himself, yet the tears flowed freely. The emotions, the pain—it all felt too real to dismiss.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. The sound of people coming closer snapped him back to his surroundings. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was in a royal room, the opulence evident in the golden door and luxurious decor. Panic surged through him. "Am I not supposed to be dead? Where am I?" he thought, trying to make sense of his situation.

Unable to scan the room thoroughly due to the approaching voices, he quickly decided to feign sleep. He closed his eyes just as he heard a woman commanding, "ṣí ilẹ̀kùn" which means open the door. Therefore he steeled himself, pretending to be unconscious; awaiting whatever fate awaited him beyond that golden door.

As the door opened, a woman entered examining his body, speaking a language he barely understands, while the guards spoke another language entirely, adding to his more to his confusion, he has not gotten used to this new way of conversation.

Woman: (confused) "Ẹ sọ pé ó ń kígbe gbogbo oru. Kí ni ẹ̀ kò lọ́ láti tọ́jú rẹ̀?"

(Translation: "You said he was screaming all night. Why didn't you check on him?")

First Guard: (Polite) "Anyị enyerịghị anyị iwu ka anyị lelee ya, nwanyi nne."

(Translation: "We were not given orders to check on him, ma'am,")

Woman: (annoyed) "Nitorinaa, kí ló dé tí ẹ̀yin aṣiwèrè wà ní ilẹ̀kùn?"

(Translation: "Then why are you fools at the door?")

Second Guard: (Polite) "Don mu san ko wani abu ya same shi,"

(Translation: "So we can know if anything goes wrong with him,")

Woman: (more annoyed) "Níbẹ̀ tí ẹ máa ní ìṣẹ́ nípa ìtàn rẹ, kí ló wà láti bá tọ̀jú rẹ̀ nígbà tí ó ń kígbe gbogbo oru, kó rí pé ọ̀kan lórí tó lè bá kọ̀ rẹ. Àwọn aláàyè!

(Translation: Since it is your job to know what is wrong with him, is screaming in the middle of the night not evidence that something is wrong with him, you bunch of fools!)

First Guard: (stammers) E...… ji m aka, ọ bụ...…..ghị ihe mere gị n'i...…..me.

(Translation: I...….. assure you, it's no...….t what you thi.....nk.)

Woman: (interrupted) Ẹ máa pa àwọn ọmọ àlè, àmútẹ̀kun bí ọwọ̀. Ẹ ṣe máa ṣe ìṣẹ́ rẹ̀ nípa ìtàn rẹ, bí wọn ti fi owo sọ́dọ̀ rẹ̀ tún rìn! Kò ni wà lọ́ láti bá tọ́jú rẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ bí wọn ti fi ènìyàn jẹ́, ẹ má pa àwọn ọmọ àlè rẹ!

(Translation: You fools, imbeciles, senseless watch dogs! You cannot do your job right; you are only perfect with pursuing women! Stop defending yourselves! You were not doing your job properly, fools!)

She hissed in frustration and resumed examining Káòṣù.

She noticed his high temperature, shaking fingertips, and the scars on his wrists. "Well, that's new," she remarked in English, hoping for a reaction from Káòṣù, but he stayed silent. Aware that he was pretending to sleep, she smiled. "Thank the gods you're alive. After all the stress you caused me, I thought you wouldn't make it."

Káòṣù wondered why she was speaking as though he had been asleep for ages when it had only been a day. The memories of the hall flooded back, filling him with regret, yet he kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep, eager for them to leave so he could strategize his escape. His mind raced, plotting each step carefully, hoping to slip away unnoticed once they believed he was truly asleep.

"Káòṣùn, you better stand up. I do not have time for your nonsense," the woman insisted, but Káòṣù remained silent. She chuckled and left the room, warning in Yoruba, "Ó dára, mò ń padà wá fún ọ."meaning "Okay, I am coming back for you." Her words unsettled the guards. Despite keeping his eyes closed, Káòṣù sensed their unease and pondered about the woman's identity. Her voice was distinct from the women he encountered in the hall, leaving him curious and wary of what might unfold next.

As he wondered who she might be, he heard her rushing back, clearly furious. "I've been waiting for this moment you this stupid boy," she muttered. Suddenly, he felt a chilling sensation wash over him, like an icy shock piercing through his veins, making his entire body shiver involuntarily. The cold water hit him like a blast of Arctic wind, It was as if icy claws gripped his entire body sending a shiver down his spine like nothing he'd felt in ages.

"Woman, are you out of your mind?" he yelled, his anger boiling over.

As he seethed with anger, purple flames erupted from Káòṣù's hands, but the woman remained unperturbed, her laughter echoing dramatically in the room. The white beads on his wrists began to glow red, and just as swiftly as they appeared, the flames vanished. In that moment, Káòṣù realized he was in serious trouble as he saw the woman wielding a stick. She was strikingly beautiful, mature enough to be his mother yet possessing the vitality of youth. His initial astonishment turned swiftly to dread as she approached him with ominous intent.

She swung the stick towards his head, threatening, "I will kill you, Káòṣùn. Thank the gods you're alive." Before the blow could land, the guards intervened, rushing to restrain her. Despite their size and strength, they struggled to hold her back as she fought fiercely, sinking her teeth into their arms and yelling in Yoruba, "Kí ló dé tí o fi ń dáàbò bò ó jẹ́ kí n pa òmùgọ̀ ìdajì yìí"

Confusion clouded Káòṣù's mind. Wasn't this the same woman who had shown concern for him earlier? More guards and attendants flooded into the room, finally managing to drag her outside while closing the door behind them. Alone once more, Káòṣù found himself in the midst of the most bewildering moment of his life.

"What in the world is happening?" he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of the chaotic scene that had just unfolded. The encounter had left him shaken and questioning everything he thought he knew about the woman's motives and his own safety.

Before he could process the confusion further, Káòṣù's tiredness swept over him like a heavy blanket. Overwhelmed by the day's events and the sudden rush of emotions, he drifted into sleep almost instantly his mind, still reeling from the chaotic encounter, slowly quieted as he slipped into a deep and much-needed rest.