Book 1: Chapter 15 – Jabari Vs The Enforcer

"Even if you don't plan to stick with us from now on, you could at least walk this old lady back to the main settlement," Makena said with a playful huff as she stood from her seat and stretched her back.

Jabari chuckled softly as he rose to follow her to the door. "Sorry, Miss Makena, but I've got one more stop to make before I head back." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "By the way, you don't know what happened to old man Thabo, do you?"

Makena's brow furrowed. "I don't know how true this is, but one of the enforcers told me he simply got bored of the monotony. Apparently, he closed up shop and decided to wander Ulo as a nomad." She gave a dismissive shrug. "Everyone's saying he finally went senile in his old age."

Jabari's expression darkened as he processed the news.

"Ah, sorry, I forgot you two were close," Makena said quickly, guilt flashing across her face. "I'm sure he's fine. He's a tough old goat!"

"It's okay," Jabari said with a heavy sigh. "Something tells me the old man's just fine wherever he is. I just wish I'd at least gotten to say goodbye.

Anyway," Jabari added, forcing a smile as he stepped outside. "I'll see you later, Miss Makena. Tell Luna congrats from me."

"I will," Makena said, pulling him into a warm hug. "Take care of yourself, Jabari – and that little sister of yours too."

The moment he turned the corner and was out of her line of sight, Jabari broke into a sprint. His smile evaporated. His breathing quickened.

He'd lied about having another stop to make. Ever since he'd re-entered the slums, a sick, heavy feeling had settled in his stomach. An eerie sense of being watched clung to him like a shadow. The wary glances, the fearful avoidance – they weren't just about his meeting with Heba. Something else was going on. And whatever it was, it sent a chill down his spine.

Jabari's feet pounded the ground as he raced toward the safety of Heba's residence. The further he got from the slums, the harder his heart hammered against his ribs. The air itself felt thicker, charged with a tension he couldn't shake. Then it hit him.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A prickling sensation flooded his skin, a silent scream from his instincts.

Without thinking, Jabari dove forward.

SHHHNK!

A rusted sword whistled through the air where his neck had been just a heartbeat before.

Jabari hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from his lungs. He rolled instinctively, scrambled to his feet, and spun toward his attacker.

Recognition hit him like a blow to the gut.

"You?!"

The man standing before him was the same enforcer who'd broken up the fight outside the tavern the night before Inayah's aptitude test. His uniform, though just as filthy and rusty as before, seemed more sinister now. In his hand was a chipped, rust-speckled blade, its jagged edge still trembling from the force of the swing.

"Why are you attacking me?" Jabari demanded, his voice cracking as he backed away. His legs trembled beneath him despite his efforts to stay calm. "What did I do to offend you?"

The enforcer's lips curled into a humourless grin as he advanced slowly, step by measured step. "To me?" He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Then why?"

"The people you offended this time..." the man said, voice dripping with disdain. "ain't from the slums."

Jabari's heart skipped a beat. "People?" he echoed in confusion. He thought back to the aptitude test. He knew he'd upset Lady Hadiza, but she couldn't possibly care enough to send someone after him. Could she?

Not that it mattered now.

His eyes flicked past the enforcer, gauging the distance to the main settlement. It was too far. But staying here was certain death.

Jabari tensed, muscles coiled, and took a cautious step backward. The enforcer noticed. His grin widened and-

Without warning, the man lunged.

He charged with the brute force of a rampaging bull, blade raised high.

Jabari spun on his heel and ran. His legs burned as he pushed his body to its limits, desperate to put distance between himself and the relentless footsteps pounding behind him.

But the enforcer was faster.

Jabari had barely covered five metres when that familiar tingling sensation surged through his body again.

His eyes widened in terror. It was happening again. He didn't understand it completely, but he could feel his Spirit warning him of impending danger.

Jabari flung himself to the ground just in time, the enforcer's rusted blade hissing through the air above him. The metal screeched as it grazed a nearby rock, missing its intended target but leaving a searing line of pain across Jabari's left cheek.

Warm blood trickled down his face as he rolled to his feet, panting. His eyes locked onto the guard, who advanced with slow, methodical steps. That was when Jabari remembered the ability he'd awakened.

Without hesitation, he channelled his spirit to his brain, then directed it toward his eyes.

The moment the mist-like energy flowed into his vision, the enforcer's movements seemed to slow to half-speed. Each shift of muscle, each twitch of his opponent's blade arm became visible, allowing Jabari to read the attack patterns before they fully formed.

But there was a catch.

Although the world around him appeared slower, his own body remained frustratingly sluggish. The power didn't make him faster – it only heightened his perception. Still, that was enough.

Jabari braced himself, dodging the next downward slash with a clumsy sidestep. The motion lacked grace, but it was effective. The enforcer snarled, growing more aggressive as Jabari ducked and weaved past strike after strike.

Frustration contorted the guard's features. With a guttural growl, he feinted left before driving his fist into Jabari's stomach.

The impact stole the air from Jabari's lungs. His body folded around the punch as he was launched backward, crashing into the thick trunk of a tree with a dull thud. Bark splintered beneath his weight. Pain exploded through his ribs as he slid to the ground, gasping for air.

He forced himself upright, clutching his abdomen. The gates of the main settlement were visible in the distance, but his legs trembled with exhaustion. Running was no longer an option.

'I have to fight…

Or I'll die here.'

Inayah's face appeared in his mind – pale, fragile, lying alone on her bed, her strength ebbing away. If he died here, she would be left alone. She needed him.

He clenched his jaw, took a deep breath to steady his resolve, and reached into his pocket. His fingers wrapped around the worn handle of his hunting knife.

The weapon was rusted, its edge dulled from overuse, but it was all he had. The knife wouldn't stand a chance against someone like Heba or her guards – but against this enforcer? Maybe, just maybe, it would give him a fighting chance.

The guard slowed, eyeing the knife with mild amusement. "Do you really think that little toy will change how this ends?" he sneered, tapping the length of his metre-long sword against his thigh.

Jabari didn't respond. His mind had already shifted into survival mode. The fear that had gripped his heart earlier melted away, replaced by cold, unyielding focus.

'I never thought I'd have to fight one of the slum enforcers so soon,' he thought, shifting into a cautious stance.

What surprised him most wasn't the desperation of his situation – it was the eerie calm that settled over him. His breathing slowed. His surroundings sharpened as his spirit-enhanced eyes tracked the guard's every move.

Knife in hand, Jabari surged forward.

The enforcer's lips twisted into a feral grin at the sight of the scrawny teenager charging toward him. He adjusted his grip, raised his sword high, and drove it down in a vicious thrust, aiming to skewer Jabari's skull.

But Jabari saw it coming.

Shifting his weight mid-stride, he twisted his body just enough for the blade to graze his shoulder instead of piercing his head. The sword sliced through flesh, and pain flared through his upper arm, but Jabari paid it no mind.

Instead, he used the momentum of his dodge to swing his knife toward the guard's exposed neck.

The enforcer's eyes widened in shock.

Survival instincts kicked in. The man abandoned his attack, yanking his sword across his body to parry the rusted knife at the last possible second. Steel met steel with a jarring clang.

Jabari staggered but didn't retreat. He gritted his teeth and lunged again.

The enforcer slashed wildly, trying to force distance between them. Jabari twisted his torso, letting the blade bite into his ribs – painful but not fatal. At the same time, he jabbed his knife toward the man's abdomen.

The enforcer scrambled back, blocking again with a desperate swing. His feet slipped in the dirt as panic seeped into his movements.

Jabari's relentless attacks shattered the man's composure. The guard had size, reach, and strength, but Jabari's unpredictable, self-sacrificial tactics unnerved him. The boy wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to survive, and that made him dangerous.

"Get back!" the enforcer roared in frustration, planting his boot squarely in Jabari's chest.

The kick sent Jabari flying backward. He hit the ground hard, coughing as his vision swam from the impact. His spirit-enhanced senses flickered under the strain, but he forced himself to stay alert.

The enforcer stood several paces away, panting heavily. His face, which had initially worn a mask of amused superiority, was now contorted with wary disbelief.

"This kid's a damn lunatic," the man muttered to himself.

Then his expression hardened.

He tightened his grip on his sword and raised it above his head, grasping the hilt with both hands. "Alright, brat. Playtime's over."

With a guttural roar, the enforcer charged, blade poised to cleave Jabari in two.

Jabari, chest heaving, gripped his knife tighter and braced himself for the next collision.

Even before the enforcer's sword descended, Jabari felt the shift.

This strike was different.

The blade tore through the air with a speed and weight that dwarfed the previous attacks. Even with his spirit-enhanced vision, Jabari struggled to track the trajectory. His instincts screamed in warning – he couldn't fully evade this one.

There wasn't enough time to counter either. If he tried, he'd die.

Instead, he braced himself and shifted his body just enough to avoid a fatal blow.

The blade bit into his chest with a sickening sound. Pain lanced through his torso as a deep, crimson line opened from his shoulder to his ribs. Blood soaked his shirt and dripped to the ground. The wound burned with each breath, but Jabari gritted his teeth and forced the agony into the background. He couldn't afford to falter now.

The enforcer pressed the attack, hacking and slashing with relentless ferocity. Jabari dodged each strike by a hair's breadth, twisting and contorting his body to avoid vital areas. His skin was soon marred by dozens of shallow cuts. Blood coated his arms, legs, and torso, but the injuries – while painful – weren't crippling.

To an outsider, he looked like a walking corpse. But Jabari knew appearances were deceiving.

"JUST DIEEE!" the enforcer bellowed, voice raw with rage.

The man lunged forward, raising his sword high and driving it down with all his strength. The blow whistled through the air, aimed directly at Jabari's head.

With no other option, Jabari jumped backward, gripping his knife with both hands to block the descending strike.

CLANG!

The impact reverberated through his arms. His knees buckled, and the force sent him stumbling several steps backward. His forearms throbbed from the strain, and the knife trembled in his numb fingers.

The enforcer sneered and surged forward, preparing to finish the job. But as he raised his weapon, his eyes widened in confusion.

Jabari had turned and bolted.

"GET BACK HERE!" the man roared, launching into pursuit.

He'd barely taken two steps when a glint of metal flashed through the air toward his face.

By the time his brain registered the threat, it was too late.

THUNK!

The rusted knife embedded itself in his chest, just inches from his heart. The enforcer's sword slipped from his grasp as his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto his back, gasping for air as blood pooled beneath him.

Jabari skidded to a halt and turned around, panting heavily. His heart raced as he watched the enforcer writhe on the ground. Blood leaked from the man's mouth as he clutched the handle protruding from his chest.

Jabari didn't hesitate. He sprinted back to the fallen man and snatched the sword from the dirt. The weapon was heavier than his knife, its edge jagged and uneven, but it would do.

He stood over the enforcer, the sword raised high. His arms shook from exertion, and his chest burned with every breath, but his grip didn't waver.

The enforcer coughed, crimson staining his lips. His eyes – wild and desperate – locked onto Jabari's.

"Ple…

Please..." he rasped. "I'm begging you…

Don't kill me."

Jabari's face remained impassive.

He knew the truth: if their positions were reversed, this man wouldn't offer mercy. He wouldn't pause. Wouldn't hesitate. Jabari would already be dead.

His fingers tightened around the sword hilt. The blade hovered above the man's neck, trembling slightly as Jabari prepared to deliver the killing blow.

But then, unbidden, a memory surfaced.

The scene of the crimson-haired breathing his last breath replayed in his mind. The sorrow he felt as his life slipped away. The pain Jabari was forced to endure every night as a consequence.

All of it made his stomach churn.

"Fuck it!" Jabari growled, his voice raw with frustration. He let the sword fall from his hands with a heavy clang.

The enforcer sagged with relief, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.

Jabari turned away, fists clenched, and started walking. His legs felt like lead, and his body screamed for rest, but he refused to stop.

Only time would tell if his decision to spare the enforcer was a mistake, but what he did know was that, despite the odds, he had survived. And surviving was what he would continue to do. For Inayah. For himself. For their future!