NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 21: THE HERALD OF DESTRUCTION
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE GATES – MIDNIGHT
The sky is pitch black.
A cold wind howls through the village.
The stranger stands tall, his red eyes glowing like embers in the dark.
He smirks, watching the warriors of Ajilomi tense in fear.
Akin grips his fists.
His body feels the power surging through the air.
But this—
This is something else.
Something ancient.
Something deadly.
Ogunlaja steps forward.
His voice is firm.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"Who are you?"
The stranger chuckles.
STRANGER
"A question unworthy of a king."
(beat)
"You should be asking—why am I here?"
Ogunlaja narrows his eyes.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"Then answer it."
The stranger lifts a hand.
A gust of wind sweeps through the village, shaking huts.
Flames flicker.
The warriors step back.
Then—
The earth cracks beneath their feet.
A deep, booming voice fills the air—
Not from the stranger—
But from the sky itself.
???
"He is the Herald."
Akin's eyes widen.
Ogunlaja clenches his jaw.
The Chief Elder's staff trembles.
The Herald smiles.
HERALD
"Now you understand."
The ground rumbles again.
Cracks spread like veins across the soil.
And from the depths—
Something begins to rise.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE – MOMENTS LATER
The villagers gather in fear.
They feel it.
The presence.
The doom.
Akin breathes heavily.
His heart pounds.
He doesn't know what is rising.
But he knows one thing—
It wants to destroy everything.
The Herald turns to him.
HERALD
"You feel it, don't you?"
(beat)
"The blood in your veins. The power in your bones."
Akin stares at him.
Then—
The Herald smirks.
And vanishes in a flash of dark mist.
The ground stops shaking.
The silence is worse than the chaos.
Ogunlaja exhales.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"What just happened?"
Akin clenches his fists.
His power flares inside him.
He knows what happened.
A warning.
A war is coming.
And he is at the center of it.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE – MIDNIGHT
The night is unnaturally quiet.
Akin stares at the cracked earth.
His breathing is heavy.
His heart pounds like a war drum.
The Herald is gone.
But his presence lingers like a curse.
Ogunlaja turns to the Chief Elder.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"Elder, what does this mean?"
The Chief Elder grips his staff tightly.
CHIEF ELDER
(grimly)
"A war is coming."
Ogunlaja's expression hardens.
He turns to his warriors.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"Prepare the defenses."
The warriors nod and move swiftly.
Akin, still staring at the cracks, feels a deep pull in his soul.
Like something is awakening.
Or something is calling him.
EXT. AJILOMI FOREST – NIGHT
The wind whispers through the trees.
Akin walks alone, following an unknown force.
His feet move without thought.
Then—
A soft glow.
Ahead, a small clearing.
In the center—
A figure.
Akin's breath catches.
It is not human.
The figure is tall and ethereal.
Eyes like burning suns.
Skin like molten bronze.
Akin feels his knees weaken.
The figure speaks.
???
"You are not ready."
Akin swallows.
AKIN
"Who… are you?"
The figure's eyes pierce into his soul.
???
"I am the one who chose you."
Akin's heart stops.
Then—
The figure raises a hand.
And Akin's world turns to fire.
INT. UNKNOWN REALM – TIMELESS
Akin gasps.
He is no longer in the forest.
He stands on a vast battlefield.
The sky burns red.
The ground is littered with bodies of warriors.
And in the distance—
Two gods battle.
One wields lightning.
The other—
A blade of darkness.
The force of their strikes shatters mountains.
Akin stumbles forward, overwhelmed.
Then—
The molten-skinned figure appears beside him.
???
"This is the war you were born into."
Akin's chest tightens.
AKIN
"I don't understand."
The figure places a hand on his shoulder.
???
"You will."
And suddenly—
Akin is thrust back into reality.
EXT. AJILOMI FOREST – NIGHT
Akin jerks awake.
His body trembles.
Sweat drips from his forehead.
He is back in the forest.
The figure is gone.
But his words remain.
"You will."
Akin clenches his fists.
Something is coming.
And he must be ready.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE – DAWN
The sky is blood-red.
The sun struggles to rise, hidden behind dark clouds.
A sense of doom hangs in the air.
The villagers prepare.
Men sharpen their weapons.
Women and children gather supplies.
Ogunlaja stands on the highest tower, watching.
He knows what is coming.
And he knows Ajilomi is not ready.
Then—
A horn sounds.
Deep. Powerful. Ominous.
A warrior runs toward the palace.
WARRIOR
"They are here!"
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – MORNING
A massive army stands at the horizon.
Their banners flutter in the wind.
At the front, on a black warhorse—
GENERAL ADETORO.
A man of giant stature.
Armor drenched in old blood.
Eyes filled with hate.
He raises a massive spear.
GENERAL ADETORO
"Ajilomi will fall today!"
Behind him, thousands of warriors scream in unison.
The ground trembles beneath their march.
Ajilomi's warriors tighten their grip on their weapons.
The moment has arrived.
The war has begun.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE GATES – MOMENTS LATER
Ogunlaja steps forward.
His warriors stand behind him.
Among them—
Akin.
His hands burn with hidden power.
But he does not understand it yet.
Ogunlaja glares at Adetoro.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"You attack a kingdom protected by the gods."
Adetoro laughs.
GENERAL ADETORO
"Then let your gods save you."
With that—
He raises his spear—
And hurls it.
A massive shockwave erupts.
The battle begins.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – TOTAL WAR
Swords clash.
Arrows rain.
Blood soaks the earth.
Akin fights with newfound speed.
He dodges blades.
He shatters shields.
But then—
A dark figure emerges.
Akin's eyes widen.
It is a masked warrior.
Faster than the others.
More dangerous.
Their weapons meet with a thunderous clash.
Akin realizes—
This warrior is different.
This warrior knows him.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – FINAL MOMENTS
The battle rages on.
But something shifts.
The sky darkens unnaturally.
A deep rumbling shakes the ground.
Akin feels it first.
Then—
The others stop fighting.
Even Adetoro looks confused.
Then—
A massive explosion of energy.
Something—
Or someone—
Has arrived.
And they are not human.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – DAY
The air crackles with power.
The battle stops.
Both Ajilomi warriors and Adetoro's army stare at the sky.
A dark figure descends.
His robe flows like shadows.
His eyes glow with an eerie light.
His presence alone shakes the earth.
Ogunlaja's face hardens.
He knows who this is.
OBA OGUNLAJA
(whispering)
"Orisa Esu..."
The god of trickery and chaos.
Akin feels a deep chill.
This is no ordinary enemy.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – MOMENTS LATER
Esu hovers above the battlefield.
His voice echoes like thunder.
ESU
"You fight over land."
"You fight over pride."
"But none of it will matter."
His hands rise.
The earth trembles.
The dead begin to move.
From both sides.
Fallen warriors rise again.
Their eyes empty.
Their bodies controlled by Esu's will.
The war is no longer between men.
It is between life and death.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE – SAME TIME
Women and children scream.
The ground cracks open.
Dark shadows slither into the village.
The dead warriors march forward.
Nothing stops them.
Not swords.
Not arrows.
Not even fire.
Ajilomi is no longer at war.
It is at the edge of destruction.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – FINAL MOMENTS
Akin watches in horror.
His hands burn with power.
Something inside him awakens.
But he doesn't know if he can control it.
Ogunlaja grips his sword tightly.
His voice is firm.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"We stand. We fight."
Adetoro, once his enemy, nods.
The warriors of both kingdoms unite.
For the first time—
They are not fighting against each other.
They are fighting for survival.
But against a god…
Can they win?
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – NIGHT
The sky is dark.
The ground trembles.
Esu floats above, laughing.
His undead army marches forward.
Akin clenches his fists.
His body hums with power.
He knows—
This is his fight.
But is he ready?
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – MOMENTS LATER
Ogunlaja steps forward.
His voice is strong.
OBA OGUNLAJA
"We do not bow to gods."
"We do not surrender!"
The warriors cheer.
Adetoro grips his spear.
His army stands beside him.
Enemies turned allies.
But Esu?
He only grins.
ESU
"You think you can stop me?"
"Very well…"
His hands rise.
The ground cracks open.
A giant shadow creature emerges.
Its eyes burn red.
Its claws gleam like blades.
It lets out a roar that shakes the heavens.
The warriors freeze in terror.
Esu laughs.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – AKIN'S DECISION
Akin steps forward.
His heart pounds.
His power grows.
He remembers…
The whispers in his dreams.
The visions of warriors before him.
His destiny.
This is what he was born for.
But to win…
He must embrace his true self.
He must become more than a man.
Akin takes a deep breath—
And lets go.
His body erupts with light.
His eyes glow golden.
The warriors stare in shock.
Even Esu pauses.
Something has changed.
Akin is no longer just Akin.
He is something greater.
Something divine
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – NIGHT
The air crackles with raw energy.
Akin floats above the battlefield, his body radiating golden light.
The warriors below shield their eyes from his brilliance.
Esu's grin falters.
For the first time, he looks… uncertain.
ESU
"What… are you?"
Akin's voice is deeper now, layered with something ancient.
AKIN
"I am the one who ends this."
With a wave of his hand, the ground trembles.
The undead warriors freeze in place.
Akin descends like lightning, slamming into the battlefield.
BOOM!
The impact shatters the ground.
Dust erupts.
When it clears—
Akin stands before Esu.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – THE FINAL FIGHT
Esu snarls.
His form twists, warping into a monstrous shadow.
His eyes burn red.
ESU
"You think you can kill a god?"
Akin doesn't answer.
He moves.
Faster than thought.
One moment, he's standing still—
The next—
His fist is buried in Esu's chest.
Esu screams.
Darkness pours from his wound.
Akin grabs Esu's face—
And slams him into the earth.
The battlefield shakes.
Esu tries to rise—
But Akin is already there.
He grabs the god's throat.
Lifts him into the air.
Esu claws at Akin's hand.
But he cannot break free.
For the first time—
Esu feels fear.
EXT. AJILOMI BATTLEFIELD – THE END OF ESU
Akin's hand glows.
Golden energy surges through Esu's body.
The god's screams echo through the night.
The darkness begins to unravel.
The undead warriors collapse.
The warriors of Ajilomi watch in awe.
Esu's form flickers.
He is fading.
He tries to speak—
But Akin tightens his grip.
And then—
He crushes Esu's essence in his palm.
A shockwave erupts.
Esu is gone.
Forever.
EXT. AJILOMI VILLAGE – DAWN
The battle is over.
The sun rises.
The people of Ajilomi kneel before Akin.
He has saved them.
But Akin does not feel victorious.
He looks at his hands.
At the power coursing through him.
And he wonders—
"Am I still human?"