CHAPTER 1

"Ebuka run, Ebuka run for your life!"

Confused and frightened, Ebuka turned to see what was wrong, and that was when he saw it - a lion with a face that was half human, half lion, charging towards him with lightning speed.

Ebuka took off in a sprint, his heart racing with fear.

He could hear the lion's roar getting closer and closer, and he knew he had to keep running if he wanted to survive.

But no matter how fast he ran, the lion seemed to be gaining on him.

Just when Ebuka thought all was lost, he felt a searing pain in his side, and everything went black.

When he came to, he was lying on the forest floor, and the lion was standing over him, its half-human face twisted into a snarl.

Ebuka tried to scramble to his feet, but the lion was too quick.

With one swipe of its paw, Ebuka was knocked to the ground, and the lion's claws dug deep into his flesh.

Ebuka's vision began to blur, and he knew he was running out of time.

The lion's grip tightened, and Ebuka felt himself being lifted off the ground.

He was helpless as the lion carried him away, deeper into the forest. The last thing Ebuka saw on earth was the face of Sochima as he gently close his eyes.

And then, everything went black.

The lion took Ebuka's body away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest, leaving Chima to wonder what had become of the young boy.

Chima ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his heart pounding in his chest.

He burst through the palace gates, out of breath and frantic.

The guards at the entrance looked at him with concern, but Chima didn't stop to explain.

He kept running until he reached the throne room, where the king sat in his throne, surrounded by his advisors and guards.

"Your Majesty!" Chima cried, falling to his knees. "Ebuka, my friend, he's been taken by a monster! A lion with a half-human face! It chased him and killed him, and then took his body away!"

The king's expression turned from calm to concerned.

"What are you talking about, Chima?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle.

Chima explained what he had seen, and the king listened intently.

When Chima finished, the king turned to his advisors.

"Summon the royal guards.

We must find out what happened to Ebuka and bring the monster to justice."

The advisors nodded and quickly left the throne room to carry out the king's orders.

The king turned back to Chima.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Chima.

We will do everything in our power to find Ebuka and bring him home safely."

Chima nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

He knew the king would do everything he could to help, and he was grateful for that.

But deep down, Chima knew that Ebuka was gone, and nothing could bring him back. The thought filled him with a sense of sorrow and loss, and he wondered what the future held for their village.

Sochima walked alone in the forest, her footsteps quiet on the damp earth.

She had transformed back into a human being, but her eyes still blazed with a fierce intensity.

"My name is Sochima, and I will make you all pay for what you did to my mother, Ugochi.

You think you can just take her away from me and get away with it?

You think you can just kill her for your nonsense deity and I'll just forget about it?"

She paused, her chest heaving with anger.

"You're wrong. I won't forget.

I won't forgive.

And I'll make sure you all pay for what you did."

She walked for a while longer, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge and anger.

She shook her head.

"No, I won't spare any of you. You'll all pay for what you did."

And with that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving behind a trail of leaves and a sense of foreboding that settled over the forest like a shroud.

*

*

*

Sochima and her mother, Ugochi, had lived happily in the village of Ozumba for many years.

Ugochi was known for her wisdom and kindness.

But despite their happy life, a dark shadow loomed over the village.

Every year, the people of Ozumba would offer a human sacrifice to their deity, a brutal and ancient tradition that was said to ensure the village's prosperity and protection.

The villagers believed that the deity demanded this sacrifice, and that it was necessary to appease it.

Sochima and Ugochi had always known about the tradition, but they had never thought that they would be affected by it. They had assumed that the villagers would always choose someone else, someone they didn't know or love.

But one day, the villagers came for Ugochi.

They said that she had been chosen as the next human sacrifice, and that it was an honor to be selected.

Sochima was devastated.

She couldn't believe that the villagers she had grown up with, the people she had considered friends, could do such a thing.

She pleaded with them to spare her mother's life, but they just shook their heads and said that it was the will of the deity.

So, with a heavy heart, Sochima watched as the villagers took her mother away to the palace.

She knew that she would never see Ugochi again, and that her life would never be the same.

Ugochi fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with the king and his cabinets.

"Please, have mercy on me," she begged. "I am all my daughter Sochima has left.

If you take me away, she will be all alone in the world.

Who will care for her? Who will protect her?"

The king and his cabinets looked at her with cold, unyielding eyes.

They knew that Ugochi's husband had passed away, and that she had no one to speak for her.

They knew that she was vulnerable, and that no one would dare to challenge their decision.

"We are sorry, Ugochi," the king said, his voice devoid of empathy. "But the deity demands a sacrifice, and you have been chosen.

It is an honor to be selected, and you should be proud to give your life for the good of our village."

Ugochi shook her head, despair written across her face.

"Proud?" she repeated. "You want me to be proud to leave my daughter all alone in the world? You want me to be proud to give up my life for a cruel and senseless tradition?"

The king and his cabinets just shook their heads, unmoved by Ugochi's words.

They had made their decision, and they would not be swayed.

And with that, they took Ugochi away, leaving Sochima alone and adrift in the world.

Sochima's eyes were fixed on the scene before her, her heart heavy with grief and anger.

She had secretly followed the villagers to the deity's altar, hiding behind a tree to witness the unspeakable act.

The chief priest's hand rose and fell, striking her mother with a deadly blow.

Ugochi's cry of pain echoed through the forest, and Sochima felt a searing pain in her own soul.

Ugochi's words, spoken in her final moments, were etched in Sochima's memory forever:

"I will make sure you all suffer for what you have done to me.

You must pay for this."

As Ugochi's life slipped away, Sochima felt a surge of adrenaline and grief.

She turned and ran, fleeing the altar and the villagers, her heart pounding in her chest.

She knew that she would never forget this moment, this painful death.

The forest blurred around her as she ran, her tears streaming down her face.

Sochima didn't go to their house, she runs to the forest and stay as she is afraid that the elders might also come for her.

Sochima's days blended together in a haze of fear and survival.

She spent every night wide awake, her senses on high alert, listening for any sign of danger.

The forest was dark and mysterious, full of unknown threats that lurked just beyond her sight.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Sochima would finally allow herself to relax, her exhaustion momentarily overcome by her hunger.

She would venture out into the forest, searching for fruits and berries to sustain herself for another day.

Her diet was meager, but she had grown accustomed to the simple fare.

She knew which plants were safe to eat, and which ones to avoid.

She had learned to identify the sweetest fruits and the freshest water sources.

But despite her newfound skills, Sochima couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability that followed her everywhere.

The thought of her dead mother and her life in the forest made her to weep bitterly as she sing a sorrowful song.

"In the darkness of night,

they took you away

A sacrifice to their gods,

in a cruel,

cruel way

I was left alone,

with a heart full of pain

My mother,

my guiding light,

lost in the shadows of shame

Oh, mother,

my heart is crying

Your absence,

I can't deny

In the silence,

I hear your voice

Whispering strength, making me choose

Memories of your smile,

now taunt me

Echoes of your laughter,

haunt me

I'm left to wonder,

why they chose you

A innocent soul,

to pay for their truth

Oh, mother,

my heart is crying

Your absence,

I can't deny

In the silence,

I hear your voice

Whispering strength,

making me choose.

Now I walk alone,

in the shadows of night

With a heart full of sorrow,

and a soul on fire

But I won't let them win,

I'll rise above the pain

And make sure your sacrifice,

will not be in vain.

*

*

Sochima's heart raced as she saw the mighty lion approaching her.

She tried to run, but her legs were frozen with fear.

The lion's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and she could feel its hot breath on her skin.

She closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

But to her surprise, the lion didn't pounce.

Instead, it began to transform before her eyes.

Its body began to shift and contort, its fur receding and its features changing. Sochima opened her eyes to see a wise old man standing before her.

"Who are you?" Sochima asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

STORY CONTINUES.

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