Ochieng leaned back against his chair, staring at the ceiling of his small apartment.
The room was dimly lit, with only a flickering lamp casting long shadows along the walls.
The call from earlier still echoed in his mind.
"It's been a long time, Ochieng."
He hadn't replied.
He had simply ended the call.
But that voice…
It was a voice from a past he had tried to bury.
And now, it was clawing its way back.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
Like a ghost that refused to stay dead.
---
Sleep didn't come easily that night.
Instead, Ochieng found himself trapped in memories.
Memories of a world far different from the one he lived in now.
A world of power, betrayal, and blood.
He had been someone else before.
Someone feared.
Someone respected.
And then—
He had disappeared.
Erased himself.
Started over.
As just an ordinary student.
But deep down, he always knew…
The past never truly lets go.
And now, it was coming for him.
---
Ochieng arrived at school earlier than usual.
He needed time to think.
To prepare.
But as soon as he stepped onto the school grounds—
He realized something was different.
There was a hushed tension in the air.
Students were whispering.
Pointing.
Glancing at him.
Ochieng frowned.
He hadn't done anything.
Hadn't exposed himself.
So why…?
Then he saw it.
At the entrance of the school, pinned to the notice board—
A single sheet of paper.
With his name on it.
Ochieng walked up to it, his heartbeat steady.
His name was written boldly at the top.
And beneath it—
A single line.
"Who really is Ochieng?"
--
It wasn't a question.
It was a challenge.
Someone was digging.
Someone wanted to know.
Ochieng remained calm.
On the surface, this looked like a meaningless rumor.
But he knew better.
It was a warning.
Someone was watching him.
Testing him.
And soon—they would strike.
He turned away from the notice board and headed to class.
It was time to find out who was behind this.
And deal with them.
For good.
---