A Light in the Ruins

Three days after leaving the guesthouse, Nia found herself at the banks of the Kaduwa River. Its waters glinted under the midday sun, winding through tall grasses and sparse trees. According to Dr. Ibekwe's notes, the old missionary post lay just beyond a bend in the river, hidden by a thicket of overgrown vines and ancient baobab trees.

She pressed on, the heat bearing down on her. Eventually, she spotted the remains of a stone chapel its roof collapsed, walls half-buried in creeping vegetation. A small bell tower stood crookedly at one corner, rusted metal clinging to splintered beams. Despite the ruin, there was a quiet dignity to the place, as though the land itself had chosen to preserve its secrets.

Heart pounding, Nia entered through a doorway that had lost its door long ago. Inside, shards of stained glass crunched beneath her feet, scattering colored light across the dusty floor. The spiral symbol she had traced so many times in the book appeared carved into one of the remaining walls. Beneath it, a narrow passage yawned open, beckoning her into the darkness.

A faint noise echoed from within—soft footsteps, or maybe just the wind. She followed it, every sense on high alert. The passage descended into cool earth, the smell of damp stone filling her lungs. Her fingers brushed the rough walls to keep her balance.

At the end, she emerged into a small chamber lit by flickering lanterns. Her gaze landed on a figure kneeling at the far side, hunched over a dusty table strewn with old maps and papers. His hair was longer now, and his frame leaner, but she recognized him instantly.

"Zeke," she whispered.

He looked up, eyes widening. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then he stood, crossing the distance between them. The years and lost memories melted away, replaced by the warmth of a long-lost friend.

"How" His voice faltered. "How did you find me?"

She managed a trembling smile. "You left me enough clues. Or maybe Dr. Ibekwe did."

At the mention of the doctor, Zeke's expression darkened. "They got to him, didn't they?"

Nia nodded, swallowing the knot in her throat. "He helped me escape. He… he didn't make it."

Zeke closed his eyes, grief etching lines into his features. "He was the last one protecting us."

"From what?" Nia asked.

Zeke reached behind the table, retrieving a weathered journal. Inside, sketches of the spiral symbol appeared over and over, accompanied by cryptic diagrams and references to an ancient civilization that once thrived in West Africa. "We stumbled on something powerful," he said. "A fragment of knowledge they don't want anyone to have. The Watchers made sure we forgot."

Nia's chest tightened. "They stole my memories… and yours?"

He nodded. "But I was able to recover some of mine first. I came here to uncover the rest hoping you'd remember too." His gaze flicked toward the passage behind her. "They'll come for us again."

She took a shaky breath. "Then we finish what Dr. Ibekwe started. We uncover the truth and make sure they can't bury it again."

Before Zeke could reply, footsteps sounded from the corridor. The Watchers had found them.

Zeke extinguished the lanterns, plunging the chamber into darkness. Nia's heart thundered in her ears. They pressed themselves against the cold stone, the only light now a faint glow from the distant entrance. A single silhouette appeared—tall, ominous. Others followed.

Zeke and Nia exchanged a silent look. They had no weapons, no plan but they had their memories, and they had each other. Sometimes, she realized, that was enough.

A sudden roar of collapsing rock shook the chamber. Stones rained from the ceiling, cutting off the passage. The Watchers shouted on the other side, trapped or retreating—she couldn't tell which. Dust choked the air.

Coughing, Nia clung to Zeke's arm as they navigated the rubble. A fresh shaft of sunlight pierced through a crack in the collapsed wall, revealing another path a hidden exit leading out onto the banks of the river.

They emerged, gasping for clean air. Behind them, the old chapel sagged further, half-swallowed by its own ruins. For now, at least, the Watchers were sealed away.

Zeke glanced at the journal, then at Nia. "What do we do now?"

She wiped sweat and dust from her brow, the adrenaline still pounding in her veins. "We keep going," she said. "We learn everything they tried to hide, and we make sure no one else has to lose their past."

Zeke's eyes flickered with resolve. "Together, then."

"Together."

Hand in hand, they set off along the river, guided by the notes, the journal, and the fragment of memory they still carried. Though danger lurked in every shadow, a new sense of purpose lit their path. They would reclaim not only their pasts but the future that had been stolen from them.

And for the first time in a very long while, Nia felt whole.