Kit Mi Kai's heart pounded in his chest as he and Jajwok continued running. Behind them, the sounds of his grandmother's pursuit grew louder. She was relentless, her energy seemingly limitless. The crow wasn't too far behind either, its piercing caws echoing through the forest. It seemed like he was running from every force of nature today.
"I have to think of something quick before these two monsters catch up!" Kit Mi Kai thought, feeling the burn in his legs. "Hey, Jajwok, where's the bag I gave you?" he asked urgently.
Jajwok, with his usual carefree attitude, handed over the bag without hesitation. Kit Mi Kai rummaged through it, pulling out another pair of shorts. He quickly put them on and tossed the bag aside, rocks and all. The rocks were a sign of his previous weakness, and he had no need for them now. He had grown a little stronger since the switch with his other personality.
"I have an idea," Kit Mi Kai said aloud, thinking on the run. "Jajwok, why don't you carry me on your back? With your speed, we can escape from here!"
"Okay," Jajwok replied without question.
Kit Mi Kai went in for the climb, but as soon as his hand touched Jajwok's skin, a jolt of electricity surged through his body. Kit Mi Kai yelped, quickly retracting his hand. "What the hell was that?" he shouted, staring at his trembling hand in shock.
Jajwok looked equally confused. "I... I don't know," he said, blinking as if trying to understand the sensation himself.
Kit Mi Kai's mind raced. "Who the hell is this guy? A random man just running around naked in this forest, acting like he has memory loss… Something's off."
But there was no time to think about it now. Kit Mi Kai glanced over his shoulder, and to his horror, his grandmother and the crow were closing in. They were moving faster than he had expected.
"Ah, screw it!" Kit Mi Kai muttered. He jumped onto Jajwok's back anyway, electricity be damned. But the moment he landed, everything around him changed. The forest, the sounds of his grandmother, the crow—it all vanished.
Kit Mi Kai was soaring through the air, his body light as a feather. Below him was a landscape unlike anything he had ever seen. Vast plains, towering mountains, and ancient rivers stretched out as far as the eye could see. The sky above shimmered with strange lights, and the air buzzed with energy. This was no ordinary place. He had been transported to another realm—the realm of the African gods.
As Kit Mi Kai hovered in the air, awe overtook his confusion. In the distance, he saw a massive figure. Its legs were so large that its upper body disappeared into the clouds above. The very air around the giant hummed with divine power.
Jajwok appeared next to him, floating as casually as if he were standing on solid ground. "That god is called Enkai," Jajwok said, pointing at the towering figure.
"What?!" Kit Mi Kai yelled, still trying to comprehend what was happening. "When did you get here? And wasn't I just on your back? Did we get caught and die?"
Jajwok shook his head. "No, we didn't die, silly. I'm still running—fast, in fact. I've already escaped."
"Then where are we?!" Kit Mi Kai asked, bewildered.
"I don't know," Jajwok replied with a shrug, as if being transported to another dimension was a regular occurrence.
Before Kit Mi Kai could process this, another voice boomed from the mountains. "You nightrunner! Didn't I warn you never to set foot in this dimension again? Haven't you traumatized us enough?"
Kit Mi Kai whipped his head around. The voice came from deep within a mountain, and the ground trembled at its words. It was the voice of Ngai, another god—one not pleased with Jajwok's presence.
"Shit!" Jajwok hissed. "We need to get out of here! That god hates me for some reason."
Before Kit Mi Kai could respond, Jajwok grabbed his hand, and everything went black.
"AAAAHHHH!" Kit Mi Kai gasped as he snapped back to reality, taking in a desperate gulp of air. His body was drenched in sweat, and the world around him returned—the familiar dark trees of the Evil Forest, and the ever-present danger lurking behind every shadow.
He glared at Jajwok. "Don't touch me—never touch me again!" he barked, still shaken from the surreal experience. His stomach churned, and nausea overwhelmed him. He bent over and vomited on the ground.
Jajwok stood there, unfazed. "Nyonyonyo..." A strange sucking sound echoed nearby, drawing their attention away from Kit Mi Kai's discomfort.
Both of them turned their heads toward the noise. A figure—human in shape but monstrous in behavior—stood over one of the Evil Forest's creatures. It was hunched over, seemingly sucking the life force out of the beast. The figure's dreadlocked hair swayed with each movement, and his sharp canines gleamed in the dim light. His teeth were golden, and his nails were long, curved like claws.
The boy noticed them watching and casually straightened up, picking his teeth with his long pinky finger. "Who might you guys be?" he asked, as if they had interrupted his afternoon snack.
Kit Mi Kai narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that? And why are you sucking the life out of that thing?"
The man grinned, flashing those golden incisors. "Oh, no, no, no. You've got it wrong. I'm not sucking its blood; I'm draining its energy. It's one of my abilities."
Kit Mi Kai raised an eyebrow, unsure if this made the situation better or worse.
The man wiped his hands on his pants his left hand holding on to his Katana sword. "Name's Kipkemboi. I'm a hero, of sorts."
"A hero?" Kit Mi Kai's skepticism deepened. "What kind of hero goes around sucking energy out of monsters?"
Kipkemboi smirked, unfazed by the question. "The kind that stays alive in this forsaken place. You've gotta use everything at your disposal if you want to survive in the Evil Forest."
Kit Mi Kai rolled his eyes. "Great. Another weirdo." He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of the increasingly bizarre situation. His grandmother was chasing him, Jajwok was a living enigma, and now this guy was draining monsters' energy for fun.
Jajwok, always clueless, asked, "Can I play with your powers?"
Kipkemboi laughed. "I wouldn't recommend it, mate. But you two seem lost. What's your story?"
Kit Mi Kai sighed. "It's a long one. But the short version? My grandmother wants to turn me into a demigod—by killing me. And I'm not exactly eager to die."
Kipkemboi's grin widened. "Your grandmother sounds like a tough one. I like her already."
"Yeah, well, I don't!" Kit Mi Kai snapped.
"So, what are you two planning to do next?" Kipkemboi asked, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
Kit Mi Kai thought for a moment. "Right now? Survive. But if you're as strong as you seem, maybe we could use some help. You seem to know your way around this forest."
Kipkemboi considered the offer, tapping his chin. "Hmm… You know what? Why not? I could use a little company. But no promises—I'm not here to babysit."
"Deal," Kit Mi Kai replied, standing up. "Let's just hope we don't die in the process."