THE CHALLENGE
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE SQUARE – NIGHT
A ring forms in the village square.
Torches cast long shadows. The air is thick with tension.
Akin stands in the center, rolling his shoulders.
Across from him, Tade stretches his arms, a smirk on his lips.
TADE
"Last time we stood in this square, I was blessed. You were… forgotten."
Akin's fingers flex.
He ignores the whispers from the crowd.
AKIN
(steady)
"Then show me what the gods gave you."
Tade's grin widens.
TADE
"Gladly."
A drum booms.
The duel begins.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE SQUARE – FIGHT RING – NIGHT
Tade moves first.
A blur of muscle and speed, his blessed strength surging through his body.
He lunges.
Akin barely ducks in time—Tade's fist slams into the ground, cracking the earth.
Gasps from the crowd.
Akin exhales, shifting his stance.
"He's fast."
Tade doesn't wait. He swings again—Akin dodges, weaving like a shadow.
The villagers cheer for Tade.
But Akin hears something else.
A deep hum. A pulse in his chest.
His mark glows faintly.
"What is this?"
Tade steps forward, feinting left—then strikes right.
Akin doesn't think.
He moves.
Faster than before.
Tade's punch whistles past his ear.
Akin's eyes widen.
The world feels… slower.
Tade swings again—this time Akin doesn't dodge.
He catches the punch.
Silence.
Tade's eyes go wide.
The villagers gasp.
AKIN
(low, surprised)
"I… caught it?"
Tade snarls and pulls back, shaking his fist.
TADE
"You think that was my best?"
He charges again.
Akin's mark burns.
A heat floods his veins.
And suddenly—he knows.
He doesn't dodge.
He doesn't run.
He steps forward.
Their bodies collide.
Akin's palm presses against Tade's chest—and Tade is sent flying backward.
Dust erupts.
The villagers gasp.
Ogunlaja's eyes narrow.
Tade lands hard, coughing.
He pushes himself up, eyes flashing with anger.
TADE
"That's not possible…"
Akin looks at his hands.
The mark pulses.
He clenches his fingers.
"This power… it's waking up."
---
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE SQUARE – NIGHT
The crowd erupts.
Some cheer. Others murmur.
VILLAGER 1
"Did you see that?"
VILLAGER 2
"He knocked Tade back?!"
VILLAGER 3
"But he has no blessing…"
Ogunlaja steps forward, his voice like steel.
OGUNLAJA
"Enough."
Silence falls.
Akin turns to his father.
Ogunlaja studies him, eyes unreadable.
OGUNLAJA
"This fight is over."
TADE
(struggling up)
"But—"
Ogunlaja raises a hand.
OGUNLAJA
"The spirits have spoken."
His gaze locks onto Akin.
OGUNLAJA
"Come with me."
Akin's chest tightens.
His father is calling him… not as a failure.
But as something else.
He nods.
And follows.
INT. CHAMBER OF TRIALS – NIGHT
Akin steps into the sacred Chamber of Trials, a stone-walled hall deep beneath Ajilomi.
Torches flicker, casting eerie shadows on the ancient carvings.
At the center of the room stands Ogunlaja, his massive frame rigid, his eyes sharp.
Beside him, the High Priest and three Elders sit cross-legged.
Their expressions are unreadable.
This is no ordinary test.
Akin's heart pounds as Ogunlaja gestures to a circle drawn in white chalk.
OGUNLAJA
"Step inside."
Akin obeys.
The High Priest leans forward. His milky white eyes seem to pierce through Akin's soul.
HIGH PRIEST
"You wield something… strange."
Akin remains silent.
HIGH PRIEST
"It is neither a blessing… nor a curse. But it is waking up."
Akin clenches his fists.
AKIN
"What does that mean?"
The High Priest ignores the question.
He motions to one of the Elders—who rises and claps his hands.
A hidden door rumbles open.
A second figure steps forward.
Akin tenses.
It is Abegunde, one of Ajilomi's fiercest warriors. A veteran of many battles.
And he looks… eager.
ELDER 1
"Your trial is simple. Defend yourself."
Akin's breath hitches.
He isn't ready for this.
OGUNLAJA
"If you truly possess power, you will survive."
Akin's blood turns cold.
This is not a test. It's a judgment.
Abegunde grins, cracking his knuckles.
ABEGUNDE
"Let's see what you are, boy."
He lunges.
INT. CHAMBER OF TRIALS – BATTLE CIRCLE
Abegunde is fast.
Faster than Tade.
Akin barely dodges the first punch—it shatters the stone floor.
He stumbles back, heart pounding.
"He's not holding back!"
The Elders watch in silence.
Ogunlaja does not move.
Abegunde attacks again—a spinning kick.
Akin ducks, feeling the air whistle past his ear.
Then—he feels it again.
That pulse.
The world slows.
Abegunde swings his fist—Akin moves before he can think.
He sidesteps.
He counters.
His palm slams into Abegunde's chest.
The warrior flies back.
Crashes against the wall.
Dust rises.
A stunned silence.
Akin stares at his hand.
It glows faintly.
The Elders murmur.
HIGH PRIEST
"Fascinating."
Abegunde coughs, rising to his feet.
His expression has changed.
No more amusement.
Just caution.
ABEGUNDE
(serious)
"Again."
He charges.
Akin braces.
But something feels… different.
His vision flickers.
The moment shatters.
And suddenly—his body locks up.
His strength disappears.
"What's happening?"
Abegunde's punch connects.
Pain explodes through Akin's ribs.
He stumbles.
A second strike—his knee buckles.
His vision blurs.
His power is… gone?
The Elders watch closely.
HIGH PRIEST
(softly)
"It fades… like a passing shadow."
Ogunlaja remains still.
Abegunde moves for the final blow.
Akin tries to stand.
His body won't move.
He is going to lose.
INT. CHAMBER OF TRIALS – MOMENTS LATER
Akin lies on the ground, breathing heavily.
Abegunde steps back.
ABEGUNDE
"He lost."
Silence.
Then—Ogunlaja speaks.
OGUNLAJA
"He is not weak."
Abegunde frowns.
ABEGUNDE
"His power vanished. He couldn't even stand."
Ogunlaja turns to the High Priest.
OGUNLAJA
"Tell me what you saw."
The High Priest strokes his beard.
HIGH PRIEST
"It is… uncertain. His power is fleeting. Unstable. It comes in bursts, then disappears."
ELDER 2
"Like something… incomplete."
ELDER 3
"Or something… unawakened."
Ogunlaja's gaze darkens.
OGUNLAJA
"Then he is unfinished."
Akin struggles to sit up.
AKIN
"I can still—"
OGUNLAJA
"Enough."
His voice is cold.
OGUNLAJA
"You have potential, but potential means nothing if you cannot control it."
His next words are like stone.
OGUNLAJA
"Until you prove mastery over your strength, you are not a warrior of Ajilomi."
Akin's stomach drops.
He failed.
INT. OGUNLAJA'S HUT – LATER
Ogunlaja sits by the fire, sharpening his blade.
Akin stands at the entrance.
His father does not look at him.
OGUNLAJA
"If you leave Ajilomi now, you may find answers elsewhere."
Akin swallows.
AKIN
"You're… sending me away?"
Ogunlaja finally meets his gaze.
OGUNLAJA
"You are not ready. But perhaps, beyond these walls, you will find what you lack."
Akin's fists tighten.
His father still does not believe in him.
Fine.
Then he will prove himself on his own.
He bows his head, voice steady.
AKIN
"Then I will go."
Ogunlaja does not respond.
The fire crackles between them.
Akin turns and steps into the night.
He does not know where he will go.
But one thing is certain.
"I will return stronger."Can youCan you