The morning after the ambush felt unreal.
Muzi and Sphilile sat quietly in the backroom of an abandoned butcher shop, deep in the outskirts of Nhlangano. The meat hooks still hung from the ceiling, swaying gently with the wind slipping through broken windows. The floor reeked of old blood and rust, but for now — it was safe.
Sphilile dozed lightly, curled beneath a torn coat. Muzi, however, couldn't sleep. His body was still, but inside, everything churned.
> [Spiritual Flow: 9% Stable] [Bangani Link – Sphilile: Holding]
He sat cross-legged on the cracked tile floor and closed his eyes.
> [System Detected: Host in Contemplative State] [Access Point – Inner Domain Initiated] [Would you like to enter the Ancestral Gate?] [Y/N]
Muzi exhaled. "Yes."
---
The shift was instant.
One moment he was in a filthy backroom, the next — standing in a vast, open plain beneath a black sun. Winds howled, thick with ancestral whispers.
In front of him stood a circle of stones, each glowing with a faint, flickering flame. Two figures emerged from the mist.
One was tall and built like a mountain, wearing a leopard-skin cloak and wielding a carved knobkerrie. His presence screamed authority.
The other was shorter, older, eyes sharp and bright with mischief. He carried no weapon — only a calabash and a sly smile.
> "You've come," the larger man said. "At last."
> [Identities Verified – Ancestors Jobe and Manana] [Role: Combat Guidance – Foundational Discipline Initiation]
Muzi bowed his head instinctively.
"I… I don't know what I'm doing."
Manana chuckled, stepping closer. "Then you're ready to begin. Power without direction is chaos. You seek strength — we'll teach you control."
Jobe raised his weapon. "Your enemies move in packs. Guns. Fear. Trained killers. But they lack something greater — instinct. Purpose. You will train with us. Here. Every day."
> [New Training Module Unlocked – Ancestral Combat Form I] [Bonus Trait: Reflex Foundation +5% | Next Milestone: Physical Echo Memory]
Muzi stood firm. "I accept."
The wind howled again, but this time it carried something deeper — a rhythm. A call to fight. To grow.
---
He awoke suddenly, breath steady. Sphilile stirred beside him.
"You okay?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
Muzi nodded. "Yeah. Just needed to talk to someone."
She gave him a look but didn't pry.
Outside, the world hadn't changed — still dangerous, still cruel. But Muzi had changed. And the ancestors were watching.
> [Next Objective: Survive – Train – Rebuild]
And he would.
---
What do you think Sphilile role will play in Muzi's life. Reveal your thoughts in the comments