Chapter 61 The Void and the Legacy

Chapter 61 The Void and the Legacy
I pushed myself up from my seat, steadying slightly as the private jet hummed beneath my feet, and for a moment, every conversation faded as the hunters noticed me standing.

The passenger cabin wasn’t large, but it carried presence. Overhead lights cast a dim golden glow, reflecting off metallic edges and weapon cases strapped down beside some of the hunters. A few of them held blades across their laps, others cleaned guns with quiet focus, and some simply leaned back with their eyes closed.

I looked around at all of them, letting the silence settle before I spoke.

“We’re not heading somewhere easy,” I began, my voice cutting cleanly through the cabin. “We’re going to Antarctica.”

A few of them shifted in their seats, exchanging glances, but no one interrupted.

“Not for survival. Not for exploration,” I continued. “We’re going there for them… the powerful ones. The kind of vampires most people don’t even believe exist.”

That got their full attention.

“I won’t lie to you — this isn’t going to be clean. It won’t be fair. And some of them…” I paused briefly, my eyes scanning the room, “…some of them will make everything you’ve faced before look like nothing.”

The cabin grew heavier.

“So if you’re here,” I went on, my tone sharpening, “you need to be vigilant. Every second. Every breath. No mistakes. No hesitation. You give your best… or you don’t come back.”

For a moment, there was silence.

Then one of them smirked.

Another chuckled.

And suddenly, the tension broke.

A loud cheer erupted across the cabin — boots tapping against the floor, fists hitting armrests, a wave of adrenaline spreading like fire. They weren’t afraid.

They were ready.

I gave a small nod, then lowered myself back into my seat.

Beside me, Tobi leaned closer, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

“I still can’t believe the minister just handed you his private plane like that,” he said. “Do you know how crazy that is?”

I leaned back, crossing my arms, my gaze fixed ahead.

“He had to,” I said calmly. “He owes me… more than a few favors.”

Tobi let out a quiet laugh, about to respond — but as he started speaking, his voice began to fade into the background, like it was being pulled away from me.

The hum of the engine grew louder.

Too loud.

The cabin lights dimmed slightly, or maybe my vision was—

Something wasn’t right.

Tobi’s voice started to fade slowly, like it was being pulled away from me by something I couldn’t see. At first, I thought he had just lowered his tone, but then I looked at him properly — his lips were still moving, yet I could barely hear anything.

A strange ringing crept into my ears.

I blinked.

His face… it started to blur.

Not just his — everything.

The edges of the cabin softened, the sharp lines of the seats melting into shadows. I turned my head forward, trying to steady myself, and saw a flight attendant walking down the aisle — but even she was distorted, her figure stretching and fading like smoke in the wind.

“What…” I muttered under my breath.

I pushed myself up from my seat, my legs unsteady.

Then suddenly—

Everything was gone.

No plane. No hunters. No sound.

Just darkness.

Complete. Suffocating darkness.

My heart slammed violently against my chest as I looked around, but there was nothing to see — not even my own hands.

And then—

I started falling.

Fast.

The air rushed past me like a violent current, pulling a scream out of my throat before I could stop it. My body twisted helplessly as I dropped deeper into the void, the darkness swallowing me whole.

Then—

Impact.

I hit the ground hard on my back, the force knocking the air out of my lungs. Pain shot through my body as I gasped, struggling to breathe.

For a moment, I just lay there, trying to gather myself.

Then I slowly pushed myself up.

It was still completely dark.

I couldn’t see anything.

“Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing strangely into the emptiness.

Then I heard it.

A female voice.

Soft… but powerful. Ancient.

“Ishola it’s been quite some time.”

My breath caught in my throat.

I knew that voice.

"I go by Jonas now"

A huge laughter echoed all around me

“Osoronga…” I said slowly, my eyes scanning the darkness. “Is that you?”

Before I could hear a response, another voice came from behind me — colder, sharper, cutting through the silence like a blade.

“You are growing weaker each day.”

I turned quickly, my senses sharpening.

“Aje?” I said, narrowing my eyes into the darkness. “Why don’t you come out?”

For a brief moment, everything went silent again.

Then both voices spoke at once, calm and unsettling.

“We are right here.”

I turned again—

And this time, I saw them.

At first, they were only outlines… faint shapes forming within the darkness. But slowly, they became clearer, stepping just enough into whatever dim light existed in that void.

They stood side by side.

Both of them looked elderly — not weak, but ancient in a way that went beyond time itself. Their skin carried deep lines, like stories carved into flesh, and their presence alone made the air feel heavier, older.

Osoronga stood on the left, draped in deep red attire that flowed down her body like liquid blood. The fabric was traditional, wrapped elegantly around her, layered with beads and ornaments that seemed to whisper with every slight movement. Her head was tied with a matching red gele, tall and proud, and her eyes… they glowed faintly, watching me with a knowing, almost maternal intensity.

Beside her stood Aje.

She wore black — not just dark, but consuming. Her attire was similar in form, traditional and regal, but heavier, adorned with darker beads and charms that seemed to absorb the little light around them. Her presence felt colder, more severe. Her gaze was sharp, piercing straight through me like she could see everything I was… and everything I was becoming.

They didn’t move.

They didn’t need to.

The space itself felt like it belonged to them.

And I realized—

This wasn’t just darkness.

This was theirs.

I steadied myself, my eyes moving between them as the weight of their presence pressed down on me.

“Why did you summon me?” I asked, my voice firm, though something deep inside me felt… unsettled.

They didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, they both glanced at each other — a silent understanding passing between them — and then, without a word, they began to move.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

They walked apart, their feet making no sound against the unseen ground, circling me from opposite directions. Their garments flowed with each step — Osoronga’s red trailing like liquid fire, Aje’s black dragging like a shadow that refused to let go.

I turned slightly, keeping both of them in view as best as I could.

Aje spoke first, her voice low and sharp.

“We are worried… you can no longer lead the hunters.”

Her words landed heavy.

Then Osoronga’s voice followed, softer but far more final.

“You have grown weak,” she said. “And it is not your fault. You have lived… too long. You have become too much. Now, nature demands balance.”

My jaw tightened.

“But the prophecy isn’t fulfilled yet,” I said quickly. “The pure-bloods are still alive. Everything is still in motion.”

Aje let out a faint, knowing breath. “Not for long.”

I frowned. “How do you know that?”

Osoronga’s lips curved slightly. “We know everything. You should have realized that by now.”

Their circling didn’t stop.

Round and round.

Like I was the center of something ancient… something already decided.

Aje continued, “You have done enough. More than enough… after all these years.”

“And perhaps,” Osoronga added gently, “it is time for you to rest. To go to the afterlife… and be with your wife.”

That made something in my chest tighten.

Suddenly—

They stopped.

Both of them.

Their steps aligned as they came face to face with me, standing directly ahead. The invisible circle they had been drawing closed between them, and now all of their attention was fixed on me.

Waiting.

Watching.

Judging.

I looked at them, searching their faces.

“So this is it?” I asked quietly. “You’re finally going to let me die?”

For a brief moment—

They smiled.

Not warmly.

Not cruelly.

Just… knowingly.

Then, without breaking eye contact, they began to move again, stepping apart once more, continuing their slow circle around me.

Something about it felt ritualistic.

Final.

“Answer me!” I shouted, my voice echoing into the endless darkness.

Aje’s voice came again, calm and absolute.

“When the right time comes… you will meet your successor.”

My breathing slowed, my focus sharpening.

“And when you do,” she continued, “you will cut him.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand—

And a knife appeared.

It wasn’t ordinary.

The blade was long, slightly curved, its surface dark but glinting with a faint, unnatural sheen. Strange markings ran along its edge, symbols that seemed to shift if you looked at them for too long. The handle was wrapped in worn leather, aged but firm, as if it had existed for centuries.

She pointed it directly at me.

“With this.”

“And everything you possess,” Aje continued, her voice steady as the blade remained pointed at me, “will belong to him.”

The weight of that settled deep in my chest.

I frowned slightly. “So I have to choose him myself? My successor?”

Osoronga’s voice came, calm and certain. “You have already met him yet anyway.”

Her red garments shifted softly as she moved past me again.

“When the time comes,” she added, “you will know.”

I swallowed, my mind racing, trying to piece together something—anything—that made sense.

Then I asked the question that had been sitting at the edge of everything.

“Will our mission be successful?”

For the first time, Aje paused before answering.

Then she said, “You will get your wish.”

That was all.

Not a yes.

Not a no.

Something… in between.

Something worse.

They continued moving, their slow, deliberate circling finally coming to completion for the second time. The invisible path they had drawn around me closed once again, and as it did, they both stopped.

Side by side.

Exactly as they had been when I first saw them.

Still.

Watching.

Waiting.

I looked between them, uneasy now. “What does that mean?”

They didn’t answer the question.

Instead, both of them spoke at once, their voices overlapping, echoing into the void.

“It is time for you to leave.”

I blinked—

And in that single moment—

Aje was standing right in front of me.

No movement.

No warning.

Just there.

Her face inches from mine.

Before I could react, her hands shot up and gripped my face tightly, her fingers cold and firm against my skin.

A sharp, overwhelming force surged through me.

I screamed.

The darkness shattered—

And I was back.

The hum of the plane slammed into my ears, loud and real. The lights burned into my eyes. My body jerked forward in my seat, breath ragged, heart pounding violently like it was trying to escape my chest.

Every single hunter in the cabin was staring at me.

Silent.

Alert.

Confused.

Tobi was right beside me, his hand halfway raised like he didn’t know whether to grab me or not.

“Hey…” he said, his voice cautious. “Are you okay?”

Before I could even respond to Tobi, I felt something… off.

A weight.

Inside my jacket.

My brows tightened as I slowly slipped my hand into the inner pocket, my fingers brushing against something solid, cold… unfamiliar. I pulled it out carefully—

A knife.

It was short, but not ordinary in any sense. The blade sat snug in a fitted sheath, the handle crafted with a level of detail that immediately set it apart. Subtle carvings lined the handle, symbols etched so precisely they almost seemed alive, shifting slightly depending on how the light hit them.

Even without unsheathing it, I could feel it.

Power.

Not loud. Not wild.

Controlled.

Waiting.

Slowly, I pulled the blade free from its sheath.

The metal caught the cabin light instantly, reflecting a dull, almost eerie shine. The blade itself was narrow and slightly curved, designed not for display—but for purpose. Along one side of it, faint engravings ran across the steel.

I tilted it slightly to read.

Ikú ń bẹ lọ́wọ́ ẹni, ẹni ń bẹ lọ́wọ́ ikú.

The words settled into my mind like something I already understood, even without translating it out loud.

Death is in the hands of man… and man is in the hands of death.

I exhaled slowly, then slid the knife back into its sheath, the soft click sounding louder than it should have.

Beside me, Tobi leaned closer, eyes fixed on the weapon. “Where did you get that?”

I turned to him, my expression calm but distant. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

He stared at me for a second longer, searching my face, but I didn’t say anything else.

Carefully, I tucked the knife back into my jacket.

Then I leaned my head slightly toward the window.

Outside—

Darkness.

Endless.

I frowned slightly. “How long have we been flying?”

Tobi stretched a bit before answering. “Almost fourteen hours now.”

My eyes narrowed. “I was out for that long?”

“Yeah,” he said. “You didn’t move. Thought you were just sleeping or something.”

He glanced out the window briefly, then back at me.

“We’re in Antarctica.”

I leaned back into
my seat slowly, letting that sink in.

Antarctica.

The mission.

The hunters.

And now… this.

My hand instinctively brushed against the knife hidden in my jacket.

Aje’s words echoed in my head.

When the time comes… you will meet your successor.

You will cut him.

My jaw tightened slightly as I stared ahead, my thoughts growing heavier with each passing second.

So this was it.

After everything… after all these years…

They were done with me.

All that was left now—

Was to find him.

The one who would take everything from me.

The one who would carry this burden… when my time will be up.