Chapter 47: A Plea for Freedom and a Spectral Encounter
1135words
Eki took a deep breath, feeling the heavy weight of ritual-pressing shoulders. Many doubts filled her mind. Would it work? Would the entity even appear? Her eyes quickly shifted to Ayo and Kunle, who were standing near the door. Their faces showed concern. To her, they seemed like a secure shelter, providing support and strength in these times of uncertainty.
Following what words were on the stone, Eki mixed dye and clay to create a thick paste. She moved with great care even though her hands trembled slightly. She put this paste on a rough stone slab that was in the middle of the altar. While doing so, she softly said the first part of a very old spell—a series of ancient sounds almost nobody remembers anymore. These sounds seemed to bounce back from inside and all around her within the room's walls.
The chanting filled the room, like a rhythm Eki could feel deep inside her soul. With each word spoken, she felt a strange energy growing stronger and connecting to something ancient and powerful. Goosebumps pricked her skin, and the air shimmered with a faint blue light.
Then, something unusual occurred. A quiet moan echoed in the room, carrying a sense of sorrow and despair with it. In the corner, where shadows move around, a small energy starts to appear. It comes together in a clear shape, looking somewhat like a person but always changing and not steady. Eki felt very much sadness, so strong it was like her heart was breaking into many pieces.
This was no big scary monster; it was a very sad soul, once part of something that was together in one piece. "Who are you?" Eki whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.
The figure does not talk, but the quick picture appears in Eki's mind – a busy market with bright colours and drum sounds. Suddenly, everything turns dark with screams and strong feelings of sadness. The image faded, leaving Eki with a sense of overwhelming loss.
She started to realize the truth. This was not merely an evil spirit; it belonged to an ancient civilization, a group of artists who had their creativity stolen from them by force. And the Moonlight Lease, she suddenly understood with surprise, was not just a simple agreement; it felt like a prison that trapped these artists' spirits and made them create art endlessly to satisfy the city's never-ending desire for creativity.
Eki's eyes filled with tears. This problem was not only about her freedom; it was also about allowing them to be free as well. With new determination, she spoke. Her voice was shaking but also firm. "I am understanding now," she says, and her words echo in the room. "Your pain, your anger." But your art… it shouldn't be a weapon. It should be a gift."
She opened the white cloth, and magical light from it made the dusty room brighter. "This is my promise," she said with much emotion in her voice. "If you let us end this agreement, I will always remember you. With my skill, I will make art that enchants and helps people while also revealing your hidden beauty again."
The ghostly figure looked like it was trembling, and the swirling blue light within started becoming more peaceful. Eki could almost sense that the intense sadness was beginning to lessen, with a tiny spark of hope appearing where there used to be only despair. The chanting grew louder and louder until the last words made the room shake like a big blast of sound.
The room shimmered, the air crackling with energy. Then, silence. The ghostly figure is gone, and only soft blue light stays for a short time before vanishing fully.
Eki stands there, her heart beating very fast, gripping the paintbrush tightly in her hand. Did it work? Had she broken the Moonlight Lease? Before she could celebrate, a new sound entered the room – a deep and rough laugh.
Out of the darkness, a figure appeared. He was tall and strong, with eyes that shone a strange blue light. It was not like the same being before; now it is something very different. He wore a flowing black robe, his face hidden beneath a hood.
"So," he says loudly, his voice coming with very scary power. "You think you win, kid?" You've only set the true game in motion."
Eki's heart sank. Who was this? Another entity? And what did he mean by the "true game"? Fear twisted in her stomach, taking away the happiness she had just a moment before. The ritual may let one trapped soul go free, but it also opens a door. Through this door came something much more evil.
"You see," the figure said, his voice cold like a winter wind whispering, "the Moonlight Lease was only a fake front. Like puppets moving to hide the truth from real people." Now, the curtain is pulled away."
He pointed a skinny finger at Eki, his blue eyes full of strong feelings. "You, always being so stubborn and holding that favourite paintbrush of yours, have by mistake awakened something much older and far stronger than the art you made."
Eki felt a sudden wave of fear. She realized she was involved in something much larger than she had thought, a massive cosmic struggle for control happening right here in Lagos. The entity might go away but then a new scary figure. This one is like a puppet master and secretly controls everything from behind the curtain.
"And who are you?" Kunle managed to stammer, his voice shaky but defiant.
The figure took off his hood, showing a face that looked both old and young. His eyes had a cold blue fire inside them, and they stared straight at Eki. "I," he said with a mischievous grin forming on his lips, "am a true collector. And you, young one, have now become my most interesting discovery."
The room turned completely dark, only a small light came from the scary smile of the figure. Eki felt panic rising fast inside him. She had escaped from one contract, but now she was trapped in an even scarier one. The city lights outside flickered and made the dusty walls glow with a spooky light. The fight for the soul of Lagos just started, and Eki, having only her paintbrush as a weapon, found herself in the middle of trouble much more dangerous than she thought.
