chapter 62
SUPER SQUAD
As Ehimare's body stilled, the soft golden glow faded, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. But Moses's voice cut through the calm. "We can't rest now," he said firmly. "We've got bigger fish to fry."
Mirabel looked at him, confusion written across her face. "What do you mean?"
Moses glanced around before replying, "We need to make sure everyone forgets what they just saw, most especially Sunmi."
Tolu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you insane? Remember what happened the last time we tried to make her forget something?"
Moses nodded grimly. "We have no choice. We need to act fast. Mirabel and I will try to delete every video taken from all social media platforms, while you use magic to wipe everyone's memories."
Tolu hesitated at first, reluctant to agree, but eventually gave in. She instructed Emeka , "Make sure you go to the home Economics and the food and nutrition lab to collect as much salt as possible. We'll put it around the school to form a barrier so the spell doesn't go beyond the school and accidentally wipe everyone's memories in Lagos."
Mirabe's eyes widened. "Can you actually do that?"
Tolu nodded. "If I concentrate hard enough, I can wipe an entire city's memories."
Tolu darted out of the old school block, heading straight for the center of the school, hoping to cast her spell from there. She spotted Sunmi, fuming and glued to her phone, clearly she has seen the video. Knowing Sunmi's temper, Tolu quickly uttered the word "alaihan,"(invisible) vanishing just as Sunmi approached.
Once Sunmi passed, Tolu resumed walking, only to bump into someone. It was Eamon, rushing after Sunmi to calm her down. The unexpected collision left Tolu bewildered; Eamon looked directly at her, as if he could see her despite her invisibility. The moment of confusion was fleeting, as Eamon quickly brushed it off, walking past as if nothing happened. Yet, that initial look was enough to convince Tolu that he had seen her, even if he pretended otherwise. Shaking it off, she continued towards the middle of the school.
Tolu reached the very heart of the school grounds, the ancient, sprawling iroko tree that was rumored to be as old as the school itself. Sunlight dappled through its leaves, painting shifting patterns on the dusty earth. With a deep breath, she whispered "iranran," ( visible) and in a shimmer of golden light, her form solidified. She was back.
She approached the bubbling stone fountain, its water cool against her fingertips as she feigned a drink. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the swirling leaves carried by the gentle breeze. This was it. This was where the magic truly began. Closing her eyes, she began to chant, her voice low and resonant, carrying the ancient power of her lineage.
"Jẹ ki afẹfẹ gbọ ipe mi, ki o si gbe ọrọ mi lọ kaakiri ile-iwe." (Let the wind hear my calling and carry my words around the school.)
"Gbogbo ẹni ti o ri i yẹn, jẹ ki o gbagbe lẹsẹkẹsẹ!" (Everyone who saw that, let them forget immediately!)
As the last word left her lips, a ball of pure, shimmering golden light coalesced in her outstretched hand. It pulsed with an ethereal glow, warm and vibrant. With a determined push, she released it. The golden orb burst forth, not with a bang, but with a silent, benevolent expansion, dissolving into countless motes of light that danced on the wind.
The breeze, as if imbued with a will of its own, swirled and intensified, carrying the golden dust throughout the sprawling campus. It kissed every student, every teacher, every nook and cranny. A ripple of confusion spread through the school as memories, sharp and unpleasant just moments before, simply… faded. Sunmi, who had been pacing angrily, stopped abruptly, her brow furrowed in a mild puzzlement, "Why was I so worked up?" she muttered, glancing at her phone as if expecting an answer. Everywhere, students exchanged bewildered glances, shrugging off the lingering sense of unease they couldn't quite place.However, amidst the swirling chaos of forgotten memories, two figures remained untouched. Mirabel and Moses, forewarned and protected by a counter-spell woven by Moses himself, watched the golden dust swirl around them, their expressions a mixture of relief and concern. They exchanged a knowing glance, understanding the weight of what had just transpired.
As the benevolent magic washed over the school, Eamon, still at Sunmi's side, felt the subtle shift in the air. He didn't flinch, didn't react with the same confusion as the others. Instead, a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. Tolu, he thought, his gaze hardening, fixed on something unseen beyond the school gates. You're smarter than I thought. You might have made everyone forget, but I most definitely won't. The darkness is here, and it's coming. A shiver, unrelated to the cooling breeze, ran down Tolu's spine, even though she was too far to hear his internal warning. A new, unsettling chapter had just begun.
Lucy's eyes fluttered open, the sterile scent of antiseptic clinging to the air. Her vision swam for a moment, then sharpened, taking in the hospital room. Her breath hitched. Bodies. Everywhere. Lifeless forms slumped on chairs, sprawled on the floor, their skin ashen, shriveled as if their very essence had been violently siphoned away. A scream clawed at her throat, but no sound escaped.
She stumbled out of the room, her legs like lead, into the deserted hospital corridor. The silence was deafening, a hollow echo of terror. Then she saw him. Mr. Mark. He was slumped in a waiting room chair, his usually vibrant face now a gaunt mask, his eyes vacant. Just like the others.
A raw, guttural sob tore through her. She ran to him, shaking his lifeless form, her tears scalding her cheeks. "Mr. Mark! No! Please!" Her cries bounced off the empty walls, swallowed by the oppressive silence. The entire hospital felt like a tomb.
Trembling, she fumbled in his pocket, her fingers closing around his phone. With shaking hands, she dialed. "Mom," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "Come… come get me. Now."
Minutes later, she was in the car, the familiar hum of the engine a strange comfort in the surreal nightmare. Her mother, usually a whirlwind of questions, was unnervingly quiet. The silence in the car was thick, heavy with unspoken fears. Why wasn't Lucy in school? Why had she called from a clinic? A cold dread seeped into her mother's heart.
The moment they arrived home, Lucy bolted from the car, racing into her room, collapsing onto her bed in a storm of tears. Her mother followed, her face a mixture of worry and stern resolve. "Lucy, look at me," she pleaded, her voice firm but gentle. "What happened? You can tell me. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."
The words, coupled with her mother's unwavering presence, broke something inside Lucy. The dam burst. She poured out everything.
It had started subtly, when Mr. Mark transferred to their school. He had a way of looking at her, making her feel... special. One thing led to another, a confusing swirl of emotions she couldn't quite name until later. Then, her Uncle Bassy died. The night after his funeral,she began to feel unwell, a creeping nausea that wouldn't subside. Two weeks later, the horrifying truth dawned: she suspected she was pregnant.
When she told Mr. Mark, his reaction had been swift and cold. "Get rid of it," he'd insisted, his voice laced with urgency. "We have to protect our reputation."
"That's the last thing I remember, Mom," Lucy sobbed, clutching her mother's hand. "Waking up in the hospital, everyone... dead. I'm scared. I don't know what to do. Should I tell the family… they might understand these things. But I'm so scared." Her voice dissolved into raw, desperate wails.
After a series of cries and whispered reassurances, Lucy's mom finally left the room, her heart heavy with shared pain. Lucy, feeling a sudden, urgent need, headed to the bathroom. As she stepped onto the cool tiles, a strange, prickling sensation ran down her spine. It wasn't just the lingering trauma from the hospital; something else, something deeply unsettling, was off.
A sharp, coiling pain blossomed in her stomach, a bad ache that made her double over for a moment. Steadying herself, she lifted her gaze to the mirror, her eyes widening in horror. Across her pale skin, just beneath her belly button, dark, branching veins pulsed, snaking outwards like a network of inky black roots. They seemed to writhe, almost crawl, across her abdomen. Then, a distinct movement rippled beneath her skin, a shifting, alien sensation that sent a jolt of pure terror through her. This was definitely not normal. Fear, cold and absolute, gripped her, squeezing the air from her lungs.