Tunde had no choice. The Shadow King was here, his presence turning the air thick and suffocating. If they tried to run, they wouldn't make it.
He had to fight.
Tunde tightened his grip on the Mask of Omenka. The power inside it hummed like a living thing.
The Shadow King smiled coldly. "You are the boy they speak of… the one who carries the mask." His voice was deep, almost hypnotic. "Do you truly believe you can stand against me?"
Tunde refused to answer. Instead, he took a deep breath and did the only thing he could.
He put on the mask.
The Power Unleashed
The moment the mask settled on his face, a surge of energy exploded through him.
Tunde's body felt weightless, yet powerful. His senses sharpened he could feel the flow of energy around him.
The Nsibidi symbols on the tomb walls flared with golden light.
The Shadow King's expression darkened. "So, you have accepted its power."
With a flick of his hand, he sent a wave of black fire toward Tunde.
Tunde raised his staff instinctively and the energy bent around him, deflected as if by an invisible shield.
Tunde's eyes widened. He understood now.
The mask wasn't just power it was knowledge.
He could see the Shadow King's weaknesses.
The Battle Begins
Tunde moved faster than he ever had before. He dodged the next attack, spinning his staff in a glowing arc.
The air crackled as his magic struck back. The Shadow King staggered, his cloak burning where Tunde's power had touched it.
For the first time, the Shadow King's cold confidence faltered.
Adanna fired an arrow, aiming for the king's heart but he caught it mid-air.
With a flick of his wrist, dark energy shot toward Adanna.
Tunde reacted without thinking.
He raised his hand, and a golden shield appeared in front of her, absorbing the blast.
Adanna's eyes widened. "Tunde, your magic…!"
Tunde didn't have time to respond.
The Shadow King was furious now.
The ground split open beneath them.
Dark energy poured from the cracks, twisting into monstrous shapes.
Tunde gritted his teeth. The mask had made him stronger, but was it enough?
He had one last chance to end this.
The Final Strike
Tunde focused all his power into his staff.
The Nsibidi symbols glowed brighter, forming a circle around him.
The Shadow King realized too late Tunde wasn't just fighting him.
He was sealing him away.
Tunde slammed his staff into the ground.
Golden light exploded outward, wrapping around the Shadow King like chains of fire.
The king screamed, his form twisting, trying to escape.
But it was too late.
With a final pulse of magic, Tunde banished him into the void.
The tomb fell silent.
The Shadow King was gone.
Tunde staggered back, gasping. The mask felt heavier now.
Adanna ran to him. "Tunde! Are you okay?"
He nodded slowly. But something felt… different.
The power of the mask hadn't left him.
And in the depths of his mind, he could still hear the Shadow King's voice.
"This is not the end…"
Tunde knew this was only the beginning.
New Journey Begins
Tunde stood in the ruined tomb, his breath heavy, his body tingling with power. The Shadow King was gone for now.
But deep inside, he could still hear the king's voice.
"This is not the end…"
The Mask of Omenka pulsed in his hand, its golden surface warm against his skin. He knew the truth: the battle might be over, but the war was just beginning.
Adanna touched his arm. "Tunde, we need to go."
He turned to her, nodding. "Yes. But first, we need answers."
They had two choices. Seek the Elders or return to the village.
Tunde knew the power of the mask was growing inside him. He needed to understand it.
They had to find the Elders.
The Journey to Nri
For three days, Tunde and Adanna traveled through dense forests, across rivers, and over rocky hills.
The path to Nri, the ancient city of wisdom was long and treacherous.
Legends spoke of the Nri Elders as keepers of ancient knowledge. If anyone could explain the mask's power, it was them.
But something felt… wrong.
The world was changing.
As they moved deeper into the lands, they saw villages abandoned, crops burned, and strange shadows moving through the trees.
Adanna frowned. "This is bad. The Shadow King's magic hasn't faded."
Tunde clenched his fists. Had he really defeated him? Or had he only made things worse?
The Village of Spirits
On the fourth night, they reached a village unlike any they had seen before.
The air was thick with mist. The houses were silent.
And yet, Tunde felt eyes watching them.
Adanna's voice was barely a whisper. "Tunde… I don't think we're alone."
Suddenly a flicker of movement.
A woman in white robes stepped from the mist. Her skin was pale, her eyes glowing.
She looked at Tunde as if she knew him.
"You carry the Mask of Omenka," she said. "Come. The spirits have been waiting for you."
Tunde and Adanna exchanged a glance. This was no ordinary village.
The spirits knew about the mask.
And they were ready to reveal secrets that could change everything.
The Spirits' Warning
Tunde met the woman's glowing gaze. The mist swirled around her like an unseen force, whispering through the empty village.
Adanna shifted uneasily beside him. "Tunde, are you sure about this?"
He wasn't. But the mask in his hand hummed with strange energy, urging him forward.
Tunde nodded. "We follow her."
The woman turned silently, leading them deeper into the mist.
The Ghostly Village
The village felt frozen in time. The houses stood intact, but there were no people only shadows moving through the fog.
Tunde's heart pounded. He could feel them watching.
The woman stopped before a massive tree at the center of the village. Ancient Nsibidi symbols were carved into its bark.
She placed her hand against it, and the ground beneath them trembled.
Golden light seeped from the carvings.
A deep voice echoed from the tree, surrounding them like the wind.
"You have awakened the mask, child of fate."
Tunde's breath caught in his throat. The tree was speaking.
The Truth of the Mask
Tunde stepped closer. "Who are you?"
The tree's voice rumbled. "We are the spirits of the lost guardians, those who once wielded the Mask of Omenka."
Tunde's hands tightened around the mask.
"Then tell me, what is this power inside me?"
"What does the Shadow King want?"
A low sigh rolled through the air like a distant storm.
"The mask is more than power, young one. It is a key. And the Shadow King seeks the door it can unlock."
Adanna tensed. "What door?"
The spirits hesitated, as if afraid.
Then, in a whisper, the answer came:
"The door to the Forgotten Realm, the prison of the Dark Gods."
Tunde's blood ran cold.
If the Shadow King wanted the mask, it meant he was trying to break the seal.
Trying to free something even more dangerous than himself.
A Deadly Choice
The mist grew thicker. The spirits' whispers turned into warnings.
"You must not fail, Tunde Adeyemi."
"If the mask falls into the wrong hands, the world will burn."
Tunde swallowed hard. He wasn't just fighting the Shadow King anymore.
He was holding the key to the fate of the world.
The tree's light began to fade. The spirits' time was running out.
Then came the final warning.
"The Shadow King is not alone. There are others… already hunting you."
The mist around them shifted.
Tunde's body tensed.
Adanna gripped his arm. "We're not alone anymore."
A dark figure stepped from the mist, his eyes glowing red.
They had been followed.
And now, the battle was about to begin again.