Ochieng sat alone in his dimly lit room, the only sound being the faint hum of the ceiling fan above.
His conversation with Zariah Wanjiru replayed in his mind.
"I just want to know the truth."
Her words had been simple.
But their weight was far heavier than she realized.
The truth?
The truth wasn't something he could share.
Not with her.
Not with anyone.
Because the moment the truth surfaced, everything he had built here—
This quiet life. This normal existence.
It would all be gone.
And yet…
Why did a part of him want to tell her?
A sudden knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
His body tensed.
He wasn't expecting visitors.
Slowly, he got up and approached the door.
Another knock.
This time, more urgent.
Ochieng hesitated, then finally unlocked it.
The moment he did, a man stepped inside without invitation.
Tall.
Well-dressed.
And unmistakably dangerous.
His past had come knocking.
---
"It's Time to Return."
The man studied Ochieng with sharp eyes before speaking.
"You've been hiding for a long time."
Ochieng's expression remained unreadable.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The man smirked.
"Still pretending, huh? I expected that."
He took a slow step forward.
"But let me make this simple."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black card.
And the moment Ochieng saw it—
His heartbeat stopped.
Because that wasn't just any card.
It was a symbol.
A key.
A summon.
From the people he had abandoned.
From the world he had turned his back on.
The man's voice was calm but firm.
"It's time to return."
--
Ochieng clenched his fists.
He had expected this.
Sooner or later, they would come looking for him.
But he had hoped for more time.
More time to be normal.
More time to be free.
He looked at the man.
At the card.
And for the first time in a long time—
He felt trapped.
He only had two choices.
To refuse… and risk everything.
Or to go back… and lose everything.
The weight of his past pressed down on him.
But before he could decide, the man spoke again.
"You have until tomorrow."
Then, without another word, he turned and left.
Leaving Ochieng standing there.
With the past clawing at his heels.
And the future waiting to swallow him whole.