PROLOGUE

In the west of Africa lives a great and industrious tribe called the Igbos.

Long before the spread of Christianity in Africa, the Igbos worshipped the Supreme God, Chukwu, through their deities.

These deities were just and compassionate, uplifting the good and punishing the wicked. The Igbos enjoyed a beneficial relationship with these deities and went out of their way to please them.

Like all good things, the relationship didn't last forever. One of the more powerful deities, Dike Igwe, who was known to envisage the future, saw the people deserting them for foreign gods. He raised the alarm to his fellow gods, advising them to abandon the people for the treachery they were inevitably going to commit.

The other gods did not listen to him. Instead, they explained to Dike Igwe that abandoning the people would do nothing but encourage the people to run to the foreign gods.

But Dike Igwe would not listen. He sought to punish the people for a crime they were yet to commit.

He surreptitiously cast a plague and pestilence upon the people, killing off their crops, drying up their rivers and streams, and causing the death of thousands through hunger and sickness.

The people, unaware of what sins they had committed, sent up burnt offerings to the gods, asking for their forgiveness and aid.

When the gods realized Dike Igwe was behind the havoc that had been wreaked upon the people, they unanimously decided to strip him of his god status and banish him from the heavens.

Dike Igwe fought the gods, but he was no match for them. Amadioha, the god of thunder, struck him with lightning, effectively evicting him from the heavens.

Dike Igwe descended to earth and became a man. Even as one of them, he still felt distaste for human beings. He continued killing and poisoning them, fueled by the humans who ignorantly worshipped him thinking he still had their best interests at heart.

When the gods learned that Dike Igwe was still committing his atrocious acts, they cast a sleeping spell on the populace, and while everyone slept, they descended to earth and fought him again.

This time, Ala, the earth goddess, opened up the ground and buried him in Ala Mmuo, the underworld, where demons and spirits were imprisoned. The gods also destroyed the shrines dedicated to him so that none would ever pray to him.

The people learned of Dike Igwe's wickedness and began to call him Dike Aru, an abominable entity.

Down in the underworld, Dike Aru became the king of its residents, who deferred to his immense power.

He vowed revenge on the gods and the people and rallied his subjects to wage war on earth.

The demons escaped the underworld, and once on earth, they began to possess humans, making them commit all sorts of heinous and horrendous acts. People began to kill and butcher others for no reason, children were beaten to death, and the elderly were killed for sport.

Ala decided that she'd had enough of Dike Aru and his never-ending schemes for revenge. She instructed her chief priestess to form a group of strong and enduring women whose divine mandate would be to do whatever was necessary to drive the demons back into the underworld and prevent them from escaping again. They were called Ndi Nche, the Gate Keepers.

The Gate Keepers excelled at their duty, and soon the earth was free of the demons.

Dike Aru was finally vanquished, and peace returned to earth.

As time passed and colonialism brought Christianity to the land, the people were convinced by the missionaries that their gods were false. Most of them converted to the new religion and stopped worshipping their old gods. They burnt their shrines and stopped offering sacrifices.

Dike Aru's vision had come to pass.

Even now, it is said that Dike Aru is the king of the underworld and is looking for a chance to get his revenge.

* * *

Thousands of years later, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Ejike Uwakwe looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, “I look dapper if I do say so myself.”

And that he did in his designer suit. His shoes were made of patent leather and shone in the light, and a real Rolex sat on his left wrist.

“Demon chaser, the car is waiting,” came a voice from outside the room.

Ejike spared his reflection one last look before he sauntered out of the room.

Just beside the door, his loyal assistant, Julius Eke, waited with a bottle of water.

Ejike took the bottle but then tossed it back to him. “This isn't even cold! What do I pay you for if not to get me a cold bottle of water? Must you be so incompetent?” he asked Julius harshly.

Julius cowered as he apologized profusely. Not that it was his fault that the water wasn't cold. He had been holding the bottle of water, waiting for Ejike to step out of the room, for almost thirty minutes.

“I'll get you another one,” he said fearfully.

“Don't bother,” Ejike waved it off, “Let's go.”

They walked out of Ejike's stately mansion and into the waiting SUV.

The driver drove off as soon as the duo had settled in the back.

“Who's our client?” Ejike asked, checking his cufflinks.

“Thomas Okwudili,” Julius replied immediately.

“Good. Good. Ekere did well,” Ejike said, satisfied.

“Yes, he did,” Julius echoed, looking at his boss with eyes full of hero worship. He'd always admired his boss, ever since the time he'd seen the man on television.

Ejike had been an actor at the time, famous for the Demon Chaser franchise, in which he played an exorcist.

After the series ended, Ejike had tried some other acting gigs, but all the new movies he appeared in underperformed at the box office. After that, directors and studios alike began to avoid Ejike, labeling him bad luck.

Ejike had been forced to pursue another occupation. Not knowing how to do anything except act, Ejike had started his own church, thrilling people with his theatrical preaching, but there were already many established churches, so he didn't attract many members.

Ejike sought a way to get people to flock to his church. He noticed that the more miracles a pastor performed, the more people attended his services.

He searched far and wide and acquired the power to exorcise demons. After that, his church began to flood with people looking for deliverance from various demons, both real and imagined, but it still was not enough for Ejike.

He wanted more. More fame. More money.

He learned how to conjure demons from the underworld and drive them into people. He struck bargains with the demons, allowing them to inhabit the body of a human for a short time. In return, they'd leave when he commanded them to.

Ejike smiled as the car stopped at the house where the governor of the state resided. Ejike had perfected his game. He sent the demons to possess the relatives of influential people, knowing it would garner more fame and goodwill.

Their car was thoroughly checked by unsmiling and heavily armed policemen. After the search, they were allowed to go in.

The governor's mansion was the tallest and the largest in the state. A fleet of vintage cars was parked around the house to reinforce its opulence.

When Ejike climbed out of his car, he pulled out his phone and took a few selfies.

“For the gram,” he said to Julius.

The governor and his wife were on hand to welcome them.

They looked haunted and haggard.

“Thank you for making time to see us, Mr. Uwakwe,” the governor's wife said with heartfelt gratitude.

“You're our only hope. We've taken him to various places, but it's only gotten worse,” The governor added.

Ejike nodded. “Don't worry, I'll banish that demon far away! But first, let's take a picture.”

He wedged himself in between the bewildered couple and gave a toothy grin as Julius clicked away on his smart phone.

“Now that we've gotten that out of the way, please lead me to him,” Ejike said, smoothing a non-existent wrinkle from his suit.

The couple led the duo to a room that looked more like a pigsty. Books and clothes had been ripped apart and littered on the floor, stuffing from pillows was everywhere, and the bed was a mess.

Sitting patiently on the bed was Thomas Okwudili, the governor's only child. He was in his twenties and was known as a womanizer who lived off his parents' wealth.

Thomas had a huge bruise on his forehead and scratches on his cheek. They were self-inflicted, which was probably why his hands and feet were bound.

When Thomas saw Ejike and Julius, he began to laugh maniacally.

“Cease, demon!” Ejike commanded, and Thomas instantly froze.

The Okwudilis looked on, convinced they'd made the right choice in contacting Ejike.

“Demon, you've had your fun!” Ejike said, “It's time to go and let the boy have his body back!”

Thomas opened his mouth and roared, “No! This body is mine!”

Ejike moved closer to Thomas, sitting beside him on the stinking bed. From the acrid scent emanating from it, Ejike deduced that Thomas must have peed on it. He sighed in disgust. He'd have to burn the suit he was wearing.

“Listen to me, you ungainly demon! You've had your fun! You don't belong here! Don't test my temper!” Ejike said fiercely before leaning in to whisper into Thomas' ear, “Ekere, it's time to go. Remember our bargain.”

Thomas laughed and shoved Ejike roughly with his shoulder. “You fool! You thought to bargain with me? Don't you know who I am? I am Ekere, head servant of Dike Aru, sovereign ruler of the underworld!”

“What does he mean by that?” asked a confused Mr. Okwudili.

“Uh...Ejike is trying to bargain with the demon to leave,” Julius said, covering up for Ejike.

Mrs. Okwudili frowned. “Is he supposed to be doing that? I thought his powerful presence alone would scare them.”

“Yes, madam,” Julius answered quickly, “but this is not just any demon we're talking about. Ekere is one of the strongest demons there is.”

The couple nodded in understanding and looked on with apprehension as Ejike pulled himself up and whispered to Thomas again.

“Please, Ekere, you have to go. If you don't, I'll lose everything,” he cajoled, sweating at the possibility.

Thomas shifted away from him and shouted loudly, “You put me in this body! I love this body! You can't tell me to give it up!”

Mr. Okwudili became enraged. “You put this demon in my boy?!”

“No, sir,” Ejike stammered uncomfortably, “It's lying, sir. It's a demon; that's what they do best!”

Suddenly, Thomas gritted his teeth and strained against his bonds, tearing them with the effort he exerted.

Before anyone could think to stop him, he vaulted from his bed and out the window.

His mother screamed as they heard a sickening crash and the sound of glass shattering.

The four of them rushed to the window and stared down on the gruesome sight: Thomas' bleeding and broken body lying on Ejike's SUV.

That was just the first thing of his to be ruined.