Lusimba shimmered in the morning light—its red-brick homes and clean roads alive with movement. Children played in wide courtyards, kicking hand-stitched balls and chasing each other around makeshift goalposts. Women laid out vibrant fabrics to dry under the sun, while smiths clanged away in open-air workshops. The scent of fried maize and sweet fermented milk drifted from household hearths. Lusimba was no longer a prototype village. It had become the heart of Nuri's promise, a living testament to what a united people could build.
Khisa stood at the edge of the newly built town square, overlooking the eastern road. He was restless. It had been nearly three months since he left Abyssinia. He had thrown himself into projects since his return, but now the stillness of waiting left him uneasy.
A messenger, breathless and flushed, approached. "A delegation from Abyssinia has arrived. They are being escorted by the Watchers from the north barracks."
