Tunde stood frozen, his heart pounding.
The Guardian's glowing eyes locked onto him.
"You seek knowledge," the Guardian said. "But power without wisdom is destruction. Your first trial is of the mind."
Adanna shifted beside him. "A riddle?"
The Guardian nodded. "A riddle of the gods."
Tunde clenched his fists. He had faced warriors, spirits, and dark magic. But riddles? That was a different kind of battle.
The Guardian raised a hand.
The air around them shimmered and suddenly, they were no longer in the temple.
They stood inside a vast chamber.
Stone walls stretched endlessly, covered in ancient carvings.
In the center of the room was a giant stone door, sealed shut.
Above it, glowing golden letters formed a question:
The Riddle
The Guardian's voice echoed through the chamber:
"I am not alive, yet I grow.
I do not breathe, yet the wind makes me stronger.
I do not have a mouth, yet I devour all in my path.
What am I?"
The Test Begins
Tunde felt his mind race.
The answer had to be something… paradoxical.
Something that matched all the clues.
Not alive, but it grows.
Does not breathe, but the wind strengthens it.
Does not have a mouth, but devours everything.
Adanna frowned. "A spirit?"
Tunde shook his head. "No… spirits don't 'grow.'"
He looked at the ancient carvings on the walls images of warriors, storms, and great fires.
Fire.
Tunde's eyes widened.
The Answer
"Fire," Tunde said. "The answer is fire."
The Guardian remained silent.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then the stone door rumbled.
The golden letters flashed brightly.
And then, the door split open.
The Guardian Speaks
The Guardian nodded approvingly.
"You have wisdom, Tunde Adeyemi. You understand that knowledge is the greatest weapon."
Tunde exhaled, relief flooding through him.
But the Guardian wasn't finished.
"Now," he said, "you must prove you can handle the truth."
The air shifted again.
Tunde felt a sudden pull like the masks were calling to him.
And before he could react, the second trial began.
The Truth of the Masks
The chamber began to change.
The stone walls faded, replaced by swirling mist. Tunde felt weightless, as if the world itself had vanished.
The Guardian's voice echoed from the void.
"You seek the truth of the masks. But truth is heavy. It changes the bearer. Are you ready to carry such weight, Tunde Adeyemi?"
Tunde swallowed hard. "Yes."
The mist parted.
Suddenly, Tunde was no longer in the temple. He stood in a different time a time long before his own.
The Vision of the Past
Before him stretched a vast kingdom ancient, mighty, and thriving.
It was not Nri, nor any kingdom he had ever heard of. Its great walls were carved with symbols of power.
And at its center stood two figures.
Both wore masks.
One mask glowed golden, radiating wisdom and balance.
The other pulsed with dark energy, chaotic and untamed.
The Guardian's voice whispered:
"Long ago, two brothers ruled a kingdom of unmatched greatness. One sought wisdom; the other sought strength. To keep peace, the gods gave them masks one to guide, one to protect."
Tunde watched as the vision unfolded.
At first, the brothers ruled as equals. But soon, the brother with the second mask changed.
He became consumed by its power.
He raised armies. Started wars.
And soon, the land was swallowed in darkness.
The golden-masked brother tried to stop him but it was too late.
The Guardian's voice deepened. "The kingdom fell. The people vanished. Only the masks remained."
Tunde's blood ran cold.
The masks were not just relics.
They were the last remnants of a destroyed civilization.
And now, he held them in his hands.
The Warning
The vision faded.
Tunde found himself back in the temple, his breath ragged.
The Guardian stepped forward. "Now you understand. The masks are not gifts. They are burdens. One will guide you. The other will consume you."
Tunde clenched his fists.
"Then why do I have them? Why me?"
The Guardian's glowing eyes softened. "Because history repeats itself. And the masks have chosen you to decide their fate."
Adanna grabbed Tunde's arm. "We have to destroy the second mask."
The Guardian shook his head. "That is impossible."
Tunde looked down at the masks in his hands.
He had seen what they could do. He had seen what happened to those who let their power consume them.
And now…
He had to make a choice.
The Burden of Power
Tunde's fingers tightened around the masks.
He could feel their power thrumming beneath his skin one pulsing with balance and wisdom, the other with untamed chaos.
Adanna's voice was urgent. "Tunde, we have to bury it. The second mask, it's dangerous!"
The Guardian's gaze remained steady. "Power does not disappear. You can bury the mask, but it will not remain hidden forever."
Tunde exhaled. If he buried it, someone else could find it.
But if he tried to control it… would he become like the fallen brother?
The weight of the past pressed on him.
He closed his eyes. What should he do?
The Decision
Tunde raised the second mask.
Its dark energy coiled around his fingers like a living thing.
For a moment, the temple chamber dimmed shadows flickering on the walls.
A voice whispered in his mind.
"You are strong enough. Take me. Use me."
His breath hitched. It was tempting.
But he remembered the vision the devastation that followed when power was left unchecked.
Tunde's grip tightened.
"No."
The mask pulsed angrily, as if resisting.
But Tunde was firm.
"I won't let history repeat itself."
He turned to the Guardian. "Is there a place where this mask can never be found?"
The Guardian studied him, then slowly nodded.
"There is one place. But it is not easily reached."
Tunde met his gaze. "Tell me."
The Guardian lifted his staff.
A faint golden glow lit the room as an ancient map etched itself into the temple floor.
Tunde and Adanna leaned in.
At the edge of the map was a place marked in deep red symbols.
The Forbidden Abyss.
The Guardian spoke. "The Abyss lies beyond the seven rivers of Igbo Nnukwu. It is a place untouched by man, where the spirits of the lost roam."
Tunde swallowed. He had heard whispers of the Abyss before.
No one who had ventured there had ever returned.
Adanna looked at him, worried. "Tunde, you don't have to do this."
He clenched his fists.
"I do. If this mask is as dangerous as we think, I have to make sure no one ever finds it."
The Guardian nodded solemnly. "Then you must leave at once. The mask is growing restless."
Tunde took a deep breath.
A new journey had begun.
And this time, he wasn't sure if he would return.
Tunde's jaw tightened. There was no time to waste.
The mask in his hand grew heavier, its energy pulsing.
If they delayed any longer, it might take control.
"We leave now," Tunde said firmly.
Adanna hesitated. "Without seeking guidance from the Elders?"
Tunde shook his head. "The more we wait, the stronger the mask's power becomes. We have to move before it corrupts anyone including me."
Adanna took a deep breath, then nodded. "Then let's go."
The Guardian watched them in silence. "Beware, Tunde Adeyemi. The Abyss does not welcome travelers."
With that warning, the temple doors creaked open.
The journey had begun.