Kola leaned back in his chair, eyeing Bayo with suspicion. The man was broken, fragile—teetering on the edge of telling the truth. Kola could see the guilt and fear in Bayo's eyes, but something was holding him back.
"I told you everything," Bayo muttered, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the edge of his seat. "I'm just a farmer. I saw it all happen, but there's nothing more I can say. I... I didn't start the fire."
Kola remained silent, letting the weight of his gaze press down on Bayo. Tomi shifted uncomfortably next to him, but Kola held his ground.
"You're lying," Kola said simply, voice sharp. "You know more than you're telling us. You don't just watch a village burn down and walk away without a reason. There's more to this. And you will tell us."
Bayo's eyes darted nervously between Kola and Tomi, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. He opened his mouth to protest, but his words caught in his throat. The fear was palpable, as though whatever he was hiding was too dangerous to speak aloud.
Finally, he broke. His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke.
"It started months ago," Bayo began, his eyes distant as though recalling a haunting memory. "I was out in the forest near my farm—about a two-day walk from the village. It was just another routine trip, hauling firewood. But that day... I came across something I shouldn't have."
Kola leaned in, focusing intently on Bayo's words.
"I was passing through an old, abandoned clearing," Bayo continued, his voice low and shaken. "The kind of place you don't usually venture into. But I heard something... voices. I thought it was just animals or maybe some hunters. So I went closer. That's when I saw them. The men."
Tomi raised an eyebrow. "What men?"
"The men in black," Bayo said, his voice trembling now. "They were all dressed in dark clothes—like monks, but not. There was something... different about them. And they were standing in a circle, like they were in the middle of some kind of... ritual. I stayed hidden behind a tree, just watching. I didn't want them to see me. I couldn't risk it."
Bayo's eyes glazed over as if he was reliving that moment.
"The strangest part was the symbols," he continued, his voice barely audible. "I didn't recognize them at first, but they were carved into their clothes. And when I came back to the village, I started seeing the same symbols on the walls of houses, in the fields, even on the trees. I thought I was going crazy... but I wasn't. It's the same symbols."
Kola's mind raced. This was the breakthrough they needed, but there was something about the way Bayo spoke that still didn't add up. He glanced at Tomi, then back at Bayo.
"You're telling me," Kola said slowly, "you saw these men... and just left without them noticing?"
Bayo nodded vigorously, his face pale. "I ran. I didn't want them to see me. I just... I don't know what they were doing, but it wasn't right. It was like they were summoning something. I don't know. I'm telling you the truth!"
Tomi stepped forward, her voice soft. "Where did you see them, Bayo? Take us to the place. We need to see it for ourselves."
Bayo hesitated. "I... I can't. It's too dangerous. They're still out there."
Kola stood up, his voice firm. "Take us there. Now."
---
Kola, Tomi, and Bayo trekked through the dense forest, the path winding deeper into the wilderness. Bayo was on edge, glancing over his shoulder every few steps. The tension in the air was palpable as they ventured farther away from the village.
"This is it," Bayo said, stopping in front of a thick cluster of trees. His voice was barely above a whisper. "This is the place."
Kola surveyed the clearing. It looked like any other part of the forest, with trees casting long shadows over the ground. There were no signs of recent activity, no footprints, no symbols carved into the trees, at least not that he could see.
"We're not going to find anything here," Kola muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"No," Bayo replied quickly, his eyes darting nervously. "It was here! I swear it. I saw them. I don't know how they left without a trace, but they were here. I promise."
Tomi knelt down, running her fingers through the dirt. "There's nothing here," she said, standing up. "Nothing but old, dried leaves. No signs of anyone being here recently."
Kola's sharp eyes scanned the area. "There's something we're missing. Maybe the location isn't what's important. Maybe it's something else. Something they didn't want the outside world to know about."
"Like what?" Tomi asked, skeptical.
Kola ran a hand through his hair, frustration building. "I don't know yet, but I think these men—and whatever they're doing—are connected to something much bigger than just Odo Aso. We're not dealing with just a fire here. There's a bigger plan at play, and it's tied to something ancient."
---
As they prepared to leave, Kola's mind was racing. There was something deeper to this mystery. Bayo's confession about the men in black and the symbols was just the beginning, but the forest clearing had been a dead end. They couldn't ignore the other details—things didn't add up.
"Bayo," Kola said as they began walking back, "I'm not convinced you're telling the full truth, but I think you're caught up in something bigger than you realize."
Bayo didn't respond, his head down.
Tomi glanced at Kola, sensing the shift in focus. "What now, Kola?"
"We keep digging," Kola replied, determination in his voice. "But this isn't just about Bayo anymore. It's about the bigger picture. These men in black, the symbols, the ritual—it's all connected. And if we don't uncover the truth now, there's no telling how far this thing goes."
---
To Be Continued...