Shedah_Maphanga

Betrayed. Stabbed. Left to die in the alleys of Sdwashini. 
Zeldras was just another gangster trying to survive in Mbabane-until his own crew turned on him. But death wasn't the end. It was tha beginning.  
Awaked by an ancient system and guided by the spirit of a warrior ancester, Zeldras adopts a new name Muzi and flees to Nhlangano, where the streets are ruled by the deadly Red Knives gang.
But this isn't just about revenge. It's about bloodlines, lost powers and a clan name buried by history.
Now, Muzi must rise through the underworld, master ancestral cultivation and make the world remember the name: UMNYAMA

Rise of Umnyama

Since Muzi's return from the ancestral realm, the survivors had been on edge. No one spoke unless necessary. Eyes scanned corners. Shadows felt heavier.

Inside the main stash room, the flickering overhead bulb swung gently. Sbonelo leaned against the wall, arms folded, while Shlelelwe traced something on a notepad.

"Another burst," she muttered. "Encrypted again. Same frequency as before."

Muzi stepped in, Sphilile close behind. His presence, calmer now—more grounded—made some of the others shift uncomfortably. He had changed. They could feel it.

"Coordinates," Shlelelwe said. "Same as the last… but this time there was something else. A signature tag."

Sbonelo frowned. "You think it's a name?"

"No," she said. "Worse. It was a taunt."

She flipped the page around. On it was a single word, burned into the message:

> [System Ping: Threat-Level Surge Detected] [Name Tag Trace: MAZWI – Confirmed Presence Within Region]

Sphilile glanced at Muzi. "It's him."

Sbonelo growled, "He's not just taunting us. He wants us to react. Split. Doubt each other."

Muzi narrowed his eyes. "Or test how far we've come. And how far we'll fall."

That night, the stash house seemed even colder.

Muzi couldn't sleep. Instead, he sat on the roof, staring out into the Mbabane hills. The wind howled through the trees like it carried voices from the past.

Behind him, Banele climbed up slowly, holding a makeshift rifle.

"What?" Muzi asked, not turning around.

"This calm. It's smoke without flame. He's here already. Watching us."

Muzi's fingers flexed against the rooftop.

"I know," he said. "I can feel him."

> [Bangani Link – Sphilile: Stable] [New Link Detected – Banele: Initiating Bond Calibration…]

Suddenly, a low whistle echoed from the treeline.

Down below, one of the outer patrols let out a strangled shout—then silence.

Muzi and Banele leapt from the roof and rushed down, shadows twisting as they moved. The training kicked in. Their steps were nearly soundless. Muzi's hand hovered over the edge of his shadow—ready to vanish into it.

But when they reached the edge of the compound…

Just a message, carved into the wall in jagged lines:

"ONE OF YOU IS ALREADY MINE."

> [New Mission: Survive the Games of Mazwi] [Objective 1: Secure the Compound Perimeter] [Objective 2: Investigate Suspected Infiltration] [Optional: Discover Mazwi's True Goal] [Reward: ???]

Muzi stared at the words, the blood on the wall still fresh.

Sphilile stepped up behind him, her voice low. "He's not playing anymore."

Muzi's eyes were hard as stone. "Neither are we."

Chapter 24 – Smoke Without Flame