The First Attack
584 Words
Evening settled gently over Amazu Kingdom. The sky blushed orange and purple. Smoke from cooking fires curled upward like soft ribbons, carrying the smell of roasted yam and pepper soup. Women pounded fufu in rhythm, children chased each other with carved wooden toys, and men shared stories of old battles near the marketplace.
The kingdom breathed peace — unaware of the storm creeping toward it.
Zuri sat alone at the quiet edge of the river. The water shimmered, reflecting the crescent moon above her. Her glowing bracelet pulsed gently, as though breathing with her. She lifted her arm, watching the light dance across her skin.
“Why me?” she whispered, a heaviness in her chest.
“I don’t want to be chosen… I’m just Zuri.”
But destiny does not ask permission.
And danger does not wait.
A scream shattered the night.
High, sharp, filled with terror.
Zuri jumped to her feet.
More screams followed—children crying, mothers calling for their sons, warriors shouting commands. The peaceful evening turned into chaos within seconds.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The palace drums thundered across the kingdom, sending a wave of fear through every hut and market stall.
The warning signal.
Shadow creatures had entered Amazu.
They appeared at the edge of the village like living nightmares—hundreds of them. Their bodies swirled like black smoke held together by bone. Their red eyes glowed with hunger. They crawled over rooftops, slithered across the ground, and leaped with unnatural speed.
People ran. Pots fell. Fires were kicked over. Mothers grabbed their children and hid behind huts, shaking.
“DEFEND THE KINGDOM!” the warriors shouted as they rushed forward with spears, cutlasses, and shields.
But the shadows were not like any enemy they had faced.
A warrior thrust his spear into one creature… and the blade passed through it like air.
Another swung a sword, but it sliced nothing but smoke.
The creatures were laughing—silent, mocking, terrifying.
The warriors’ courage began to fade. Fear crept into their hearts.
One shadow creature broke away from the group and spotted a small boy standing alone near a fallen basket of peppers. The child froze, trembling as the creature lowered its head and charged toward him.
The boy screamed.
“NO!” Zuri cried.
She didn’t think.
She didn’t plan.
She just reacted.
A burning heat spread through her veins. Her bracelet exploded with golden light. Her eyes blazed like small suns.
She raised her hand.
FWOOOOOM!!!
A beam of powerful golden fire shot from her palm, cutting through the darkness like lightning. It struck the shadow creature directly. The beast screamed silently and disintegrated into black dust that blew away with the wind.
The kingdom fell silent.
Everyone—children, mothers, warriors—stared at Zuri in disbelief.
She stood at the center of the chaos, chest rising and falling rapidly, the light from her bracelet still glowing fiercely. The fire around her made her look like a goddess, like the sun had descended and wrapped itself around her small frame.
Slowly, the villagers began to bow.
Warriors lowered their weapons, eyes wide with awe.
They whispered:
“Sun-Blessed…”
“She is real…”
“The prophecy…”
“The chosen child…”
Zuri’s heart pounded.
She had wished for a quiet life.
She had wished to be normal.
But the truth stood before her like a giant she couldn’t escape.
Her power was real.
Her destiny was calling.
And Amazu Kingdom needed her more than ever.
- Writer
