Emerald City was restless. The whispers had turned into full-blown rumors. The name that had been buried, erased from existence, was now being spoken in hushed voices.
Ochieng.
The son of a forgotten legend.
The heir to a legacy feared by even the wealthiest families.
And now, he was back.
The city's elite held their breath, waiting, watching.
Would he reclaim what was his? Or would he burn everything to the ground?
---
In a dimly lit bar, hidden behind layers of secrecy, Ochieng sat with his glass of whiskey untouched.
Across from him, a woman draped in red silk leaned closer. Her voice was a melody of temptation.
"You could have anything, Ochieng. Any kingdom, any empire… any woman."
Her fingers traced his wrist, her lips close to his ear.
"Tell me… who do you desire?"
For a second, silence. Then, a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Desire?" He leaned in just enough to make her breath hitch. "I don't chase. I conquer."
The woman's eyes darkened with something dangerous. "Then conquer me."
But he only chuckled.
Because there were more important things than seduction.
Tonight, he was playing a different game.
---
At a high-rise office that overlooked the city, Kieran Blackwood, the head of the Blackwood Conglomerate, stood by the window, his fists clenched.
His younger brother, Lucas, sat lazily in a leather chair.
"He's back, isn't he?" Lucas said, smirking.
Kieran didn't turn. "It doesn't matter."
Lucas chuckled. "Oh, but it does. Because the moment Ochieng steps into the ring, we're all just players in his game."
Kieran finally turned, his eyes cold. "Then let's make sure he never plays."
Lucas only laughed. "You don't stop a storm, brother. You survive it."
And they both knew—
Ochieng wasn't a man to be stopped.
---
At the university, Serena couldn't focus. Her professor, the man who made her heart race and her thoughts spiral, had been missing from class.
Ochieng.
She had spent nights dreaming of him, of what it would be like to cross the forbidden line.
And now, she felt his absence like a wound.
But then—
She felt it.
A presence behind her.
Slowly, she turned.
And there he was.
Their eyes met, and the world tilted.
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered.
But Ochieng only smirked. "Then tell me to leave."
Her lips parted… but no words came.
Because she didn't want him to go.
And they both knew it.
---
At an underground fight club, men placed bets with shaking hands.
Because tonight, the undefeated champion would finally have a challenger.
A challenger who had once ruled these rings before vanishing into legend.
And as Ochieng stepped into the cage, rolling his wrists, his opponent paled.
Because he had just realized—
The King had returned.
---