Throne or love?

The vision

"How long have you been here?" Bola asked, widening her eyes in fury.

Bello glanced at her, reassuringly saying, "I'm just coming."

"What's happening there?" Amid shouted from the room upon hearing voices coming from the corridor.

"Nothing, dad," Bola reassured him. "You can keep your apologies to yourself." She gave Bello a mocking glance while walking out of his presence, feeling accomplished.

Bello stood at Amid's door for some minutes, debating whether he should enter or not.

He couldn't muster enough courage to face Amid upon overhearing what Bola had said earlier in the room, as he was standing right in front of the door, eavesdropping. Wait, could this be the reason why Bola and Mishell, my immediate elder brother, are already calling me an orphan? Was my memory truly erased when I was eight? But why would Dad erase my memory to forget anything about my real parents? The thought weighed heavily on him, weakening him from head to toe, leaving him eager to find answers.

As the brightness lingered through the blue silky curtains, a gentle breeze blew on Bello's face as he lay cocooned within the opulent layers of the splendid bed, with his curtains and window slightly shut.

A heavy knock sounded at his door. "Bello, it's after seven.

"One of the maids came to rouse him as usual to begin preparing for school.

Bello was a senior student at Lead City University. He didn't feel weary since the school was nearby, else he would have board like other students.

"Oh no, why now," he muttered to himself. Barely four hours ago, he had drifted off to sleep. He couldn't sleep all night, pondering what his life looked like when his parents were alive and why his supposed father, Amid, wiped his memories. The fact that they chose to keep it a clandestine secret from him made him even more eager to know every detail.

"I don't think I'm going to school today," he winced, curling up in bed and wrapping himself in a duvet.

"What if Dad inquires about my reasons for not going to school?" He leaped up promptly at the thought. The last thing he desired right now was to confront Amid.He shuffled to the bathroom to swiftly take a shower and slide into a pair of denim trousers with a red round-neck polo, paired with casual sneakers.

Bola was lounging in the parlor watching a movie. "Shameless p********e," Bello muttered in his thoughts after greeting Bola. She sighed in response to his greetings. "Ungrateful orphan get ready to start begging in the streets of Lagos," she murmured in her thoughts, eyeing Bello as he walked towards the doorway heading out.

Upon reaching the garage, the driver promptly rose to hand him the car keys since he had entrusted them to him to clean the car upon returning home from school yesterday.

While driving to school, the words he heard Bola utter last night and how Amid silenced her from mentioning it kept replaying in his mind.

"Why is she gazing at me so awkwardly?" Bello wondered silently.

Noticing a slim chocolate skin color girl starring at him, she's of an average height suitable for a lady with a girl with a diamond shaped face, her sharp brown eye balls that captivates.

Typically, he is the object of affection for many due to his attractive appearance and radiant dark complexion. One aspect that captivates many hearts is his plump pink lips and composed speaking voice. Without a doubt, Bello embodies beauty. He's tall and well-built. It didn't surprise him that a girl was staring at him, as that was typical. However, Emily is the least likely person he expected to have a crush on him this early, as she's the type of girl who doesn't care about appearances or social status, perhaps because she lacks a keen sense of fashion or doesn't mingle in the elite circles. What truly distinguishes her in the Faculty of Management Science is her intelligence. However, just like in any other university, if you lack refinement, you can't compete with the big boys. Perhaps that's why she has chosen to maintain her distance.

He scrutinized himself from head to toe once more to ensure he wasn't wearing torn trousers or a stained shirt, as that look was uncommon.

Bello glanced at Emily again to confirm she was still gazing at him awkwardly, but she quickly averted her gaze when she realized he had noticed. Exiting the campus garage, he shot a furious glance, "I'm not really up for this nonsense," he muttered calmly, as if speaking to himself.

"Oh no, I can't even face him, let alone talk to him," Emily started ranting nervously. "Wait, what am I even supposed to say to him? 'Hey Bello, I had a dream about you, but sadly you died in my dream.' Silly me," she chuckled at her bizarre thought, walking to class dejectedly.

"Hi," Emily gave Bello one of the most awkward smirks he had seen for a long time in the school cafeteria. Bello sighed irritably at the smirk, completely ignoring her. This made Emily feel so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear instantly.

She began hearing people mock her. "Ahhhh, even Emily has started crushing on Bello," another person chimed in. "It's okay to take a chance, girl. Rejection shouldn't deter you. Even the least attractive person can marry a charming prince," they all jeered mockingly.

Emily shamefully returned to her seat. She couldn't eat the meal she had taken from the food court due to a lack of appetite.

At this point, Emily contemplated abandoning the vision she had of Bello.

Undoubtedly, Bello was the last person on Emily's mind to ever have a crush on. He is the leader of the bullies in the department and the most renowned on campus. Even the student body president wasn't as famous and adored as Bello was on campus.

What irked her the most about him is how he boasts about his intelligence and attractiveness to other students, as if it's a major achievement. However, she had to acknowledge to herself that Bello doesn't deserve to die prematurely, as according to her vision, Bello has less than a year to live on this earth if nothing changes swiftly. It terrifies her immensely, as a clairvoyant, she has never had a vision that didn't come to fruition.

Two years ago, when they were in their second year, she had a dream about one of the most brilliant girls in their department. In her dreams, the girl's boyfriend exploited her for a money ritual. She attempted to persuade her to break up with him, informing her that his intentions were insincere. However, instead of considering it, the girl warned Emily never to meddle in her personal affairs again, hurling insults at her. What caused Emily extreme distress, vowing never to interfere again, was the fact that the girl accused her of jealousy and covetousness. A few months after their conversation, the girl perished. After her demise, Emily blamed herself, believing that if only she had persisted and continued urging her to break up with him, she wouldn't have died. The burden of guilt for another person's death weighed on her for years.

Recalling this, Emily felt a moral obligation that prompted her to glance at Bello, who was seated not too far from her, absentmindedly pushing his fork around the Jollof rice in front of him, pondering what had transpired the previous night, as the words kept echoing in his mind. "I'm saving you whether you like it or not," Emily muttered in her thoughts, leaving the cafeteria angrily."

Bello couldn't contain his anger upon noticing how Emily had been hovering around him all day.

He sat at the back of the seminar room, where the rows of seats and tables were arranged facing the front. He patiently waited for everyone to leave the lecture hall so he could have a conversation with Emily. He was certain she wouldn't leave, otherwise, he would have to leave because she had been stalking him all day.

Finally, Emily breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Bello walking towards her. She quickly stood up from her seat and walked towards him.

"Why have you been following me around?" Bello asked, raising his eyebrow and speaking in a deep voice that frightened Emily.

She took a step back, silently panicking as anxiety washed over her, noticing the negative energy Bello had brought.

"Calm down, Bello. We need to talk," Emily said, lowering her tone. "I know I've been following you around, which can be annoying, but it's not what you think. It's about..."

"Listen," Bello interrupted her furiously, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine.

"Don't push me to unleash my anger on you, because it won't end well. I have a lot on my mind right now, so don't add to my frustration or you'll regret it," Bello warned, pointing his index finger directly at Emily's face, closing the distance between them. "Stay away from me. Avoid me as much as possible. You're not my type, and you never will be, not even in another lifetime."

Emily stood in stunned silence for over five seconds. She had always known that Bello had a lot of pride, but she never realized it was this extreme. Despite his harsh words, she could sense a hint of frustration and sadness in his eyes.

Finally gathering her composure, Emily's voice trembled with a mix of shame and fury as she managed to utter, "Who do you think you are?" She glanced around and noticed a few of their classmates at the window, spying and laughing at her discomfort.

Bello turned towards the exit of the hall, his expression unreadable. "If you really want to know who I am, try me next time," he said, his voice tinged with a sense of finality.