Ekenma

The bus rattled along the winding road toward Onitsha, the sound of the tires on the uneven ground a steady rhythm. Victory and Destiny sat side by side in the middle row, their suitcases tucked beneath their feet. Their uncle, Michael Kanu, was seated a few rows ahead, his head bobbing as he dozed lightly.

The other passengers chattered among themselves, their voices blending with the hum of the bus engine.Victory leaned in closer to his brother, his voice low enough to ensure no one else could hear. "Have you noticed anything strange about that woman to our left? I swear she’s been staring at us for a while now."Destiny, who had been resting his head against the window, stiffened but didn’t look in the direction Victory mentioned.

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, his tone careful. “But don’t say anything. Just act like you haven’t noticed, okay?”Victory glanced toward the woman again. She was seated across the aisle, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her expression calm.

But there was something unnerving about her , her gaze felt too intense, too piercing, as though she could see right through him.The woman tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a faint smile as though she had overheard their whispered conversation. Victory shivered and quickly looked away, his heart pounding.The air inside the bus seemed to shift, growing heavier.

Victory could feel it, and judging by the way Destiny fidgeted in his seat, he wasn’t the only one.“She’s still staring,” Victory muttered under his breath.“The aura coming from them is strange,” the woman murmured, her voice soft but audible, as if she were speaking directly into their ears. “But they look human... mmm.”Victory and Destiny exchanged a nervous glance. Before they could react, the woman spoke louder, addressing them directly.“Hello, boys,” she said, her voice smooth and melodic. “May I know where you are headed?”The question froze them in place.

It wasn’t just the words that terrified them—it was the underlying sound, a sinister hissing like a snake slithering through dry grass, layered beneath her voice.Victory gripped Destiny’s arm tightly. “What’s going on?” he whispered, his voice trembling.Destiny shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”The woman smiled, her teeth unnervingly sharp. Her gaze seemed to glow faintly under the dim bus lights. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Scared? There’s no need for that.”Suddenly, the air around them shimmered, and the ordinary scene inside the bus dissolved into something entirely otherworldly. The woman’s form shifted, her lower half elongating and transforming into the coiled body of a massive python. Her scales glimmered in hues of green and silver, and her eyes glowed like twin orbs of molten gold.“Scared?” she repeated, her voice echoing with power.

“The patronus moons greet Lord!”Victory and Destiny pressed their hands together instinctively, a gesture of unity born out of sheer desperation. To their shock, a faint glow emanated from their clasped hands, and an invisible force pulsed outward, creating a brief barrier between them and the creature before them.The woman—no, the serpent—paused, her golden eyes narrowing. “Ah,” she said, her voice tinged with amusement. “You’ve begun to awaken. Fascinating.”

“Who are you?” Destiny demanded, his voice shaking but defiant.She smiled, a chilling expression that sent shivers down their spines. “I am Ekenma,” she declared. “The Beautiful Python, at your service.”The brothers glanced around the bus, expecting the other passengers to be in a panic, but to their astonishment, everyone else seemed completely unaware of what was happening. The chatter continued, and no one reacted to the glowing scales or the snake-like form in their midst.Ekenma noticed their confusion and chuckled.

“You see, boys, humans and supernaturals coexist in this world, but most humans are blind to the truth. What they see is an illusion. To them, I am just a woman sitting quietly on this bus. But you...” She leaned closer, her forked tongue flicking out briefly. “You see the reality beneath the shroud.”

“What do you want from us?” Victory asked, his voice barely a whisper.Ekenma tilted her head thoughtfully. “Want? Oh, my dear boys, it is not what I want but what you are destined for. You carry something within you, something powerful. And whether you like it or not, the world will come for it.”Destiny clenched his fists, his fear giving way to anger. “Leave us alone.”Ekenma laughed, a sound that sent chills down their spines. “Oh, sweet child,” she said. “I am not your enemy. If anything, I am here to guide you. But whether you heed my guidance is entirely up to you.”With that, she straightened, her serpentine form fading back into her human disguise.

The strange light around them dimmed, and the bus returned to normal.Victory and Destiny sat frozen in their seats, their breaths coming in shallow gasps. When they dared to look again, Ekenma was gone, leaving behind an empty seat where she had been moments before.Michael stirred in his seat ahead and turned to check on them.

“You boys okay?” he asked, noticing their pale faces.Victory and Destiny nodded quickly, not daring to speak of what they had just witnessed.As the bus continued its journey toward Onitsha, the brothers exchanged a silent glance. They didn’t trust Ekenma, but her words lingered in their minds. What did she mean by destiny? And what was the power she claimed they carried?The questions swirled in their thoughts as the road stretched ahead, winding toward a future more uncertain than they had ever imagined.