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

Night fell hard on the stash house.

There were no jokes around the fire tonight. No laughter. Only tension, thick as smoke. Everyone felt it—Mazwi's presence had stirred something primal. Even the wind seemed hesitant now, moving only when the world wasn't watching.

Muzi sat alone at the edge of the training yard, a shallow bowl of water in front of him. Manana had given no instructions—just a warning.

"Shadow Step isn't about disappearing. It's about becoming what they fear in the dark."

His reflection wavered, then split.

> [Shadow Step Training – Phase Two Initiated] [Objective: Learn to Split Presence and Perceive Dual Planes]

Jobe's voice echoed from behind. "To master the second phase, you must see two realities at once—the world of light, and the world of shadow."

Muzi closed his eyes. The air chilled.

When he opened them, the world had changed.

The night was still there—but layered. The second layer shimmered like black oil, and through it he saw movement. Flickers. Trails. Shadows that didn't belong to anything.

One of the trails led back to the compound.

Muzi descended through the stash house, tracing the path. Past the weapons room. Past the sleeping quarters. Past the old cement wall no one touched.

Sphilile appeared behind him, quiet. "You feel it too?"

Muzi nodded. "There's something down here. And I think it's been here longer than all of us."

Together, they worked the wall loose. Behind it, a narrow tunnel sloped into the dark.

The air grew damp, musty. The walls pulsed faintly with old energy. Along the tunnel walls were carvings—symbols Muzi didn't recognize.

A chamber. Circular. Empty… at first glance.

On it: a blade. Black. Curved. Sleeping.

> [System Alert: Artifact Detected – "Umkhonto "] [Binding Requirement: Shadow Step Phase Two – 80% Mastery] [Current: 61%]

Muzi stepped forward. The blade pulsed faintly.

Sphilile grabbed his arm. "We're not supposed to be here yet."

Muzi nodded, backing away. The blade's hunger receded.

As they exited the tunnel, Muzi glanced back once.

> [System Note: Artifact Recognized – Linked to Mazwi]

Chapter 26 – Beneath the Surface