Ochieng sat in the darkness of his room, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the edges of the black card on his desk.
The weight of it was unbearable.
It wasn't just a card.
It was a command. A reminder of who he really was.
And no matter how much he had tried to live an ordinary life, the past had finally found him.
They had found him.
---
The Call That Couldn't Be Ignored
His phone vibrated.
Ochieng didn't have to look at the screen to know who it was.
With a sigh, he picked it up and answered.
A deep voice spoke.
"I assume you've received the message."
Silence.
Ochieng closed his eyes.
"I'm not coming back."
A low chuckle echoed through the speaker.
"You think you have a choice?"
His grip on the phone tightened.
"I left that life behind."
The voice remained calm, but there was something unsettling about it.
"You don't just 'leave,' Ochieng. You were never ordinary, and you never will be."
A pause.
"Come back willingly… or we'll come for you."
Click.
The call ended.
But the words lingered.
--
The next day, Ochieng walked into school as if nothing had changed.
But in reality—everything had changed.
He could feel eyes on him.
Watching. Waiting.
Were they already here?
Had they sent people to make sure he didn't run?
His instincts told him yes.
Still, he kept walking.
He had spent years blending in.
He could do it for a little longer.
But as he stepped into class, he realized—
He wasn't the only one being watched.
--
Zariah was seated at her usual spot, reading a book.
But something was off.
Her usual calmness was gone.
Her fingers were gripping the pages too tightly.
As if she was forcing herself to look normal.
Ochieng's eyes narrowed.
Had she noticed the same thing he had?
Did she also feel the unseen presence lurking around them?
Or worse—
Had she already become a target because of her connection to him?
His chest tightened.
If that was the case…
Then he had just dragged her into something she couldn't escape.
---
At the front of the class, Brian was watching them.
Again.
His usual smirk was absent today.
Instead, there was a different look in his eyes.
Something sharper.
Something darker.
Ochieng already knew what was going through his mind.
Brian had spent years controlling the school's social hierarchy.
And yet—Zariah had chosen to talk to Ochieng instead.
It was unacceptable in Brian's eyes.
He wouldn't let it slide.
He was planning something.
Ochieng could feel it.
But what Brian didn't know was this—
There were far worse people watching than him.
And if he stepped out of line…
He wouldn't just be dealing with schoolyard jealousy.
He'd be stepping into a war he couldn't even begin to understand.
---
As the day ended, Ochieng walked past the school gates when he felt it.
A presence.
It was subtle. Almost unnoticeable.
But for someone like him…
It was as clear as day.
Someone was following him.
Testing him.
Seeing if he had forgotten his past.
Ochieng smirked to himself.
If they wanted to test him…
Then he would remind them exactly who he was.
---