KC struggled against the iron grip of the guard as they dragged him from the storeroom, his feet scraping against the rough ground. He glanced back at Nia's lifeless body, her eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. A wave of rage and grief washed over him, twisting his young face into a mask of anguish and fury.
The guard hauled him outside, the cool night air hitting his face like a slap. The compound was awash in flickering torchlight, casting eerie shadows on the faces of the assembled warlords. They stood in a semi-circle, their eyes glinting with a cruel anticipation, like vultures waiting to descend on a carcass. And there, standing beside them, was Uchenna, a ceremonial blade clutched in his hand. At the center of the gathering, a freshly dug grave yawned open, a gaping maw ready to swallow him whole.
The guards shoved KC to his knees beside the grave, the gravel biting into his skin. Uchenna stood across from him, a twisted smile playing on his lips.
"My brothers," Uchenna's voice boomed as he started walking towards KC. "Tonight, we witness a sacrifice that will cement my place among you. With the blood of my own son, I prove my loyalty, my devotion to our cause."
Uchenna paced before the assembled warlords, his eyes blazing with a fervent intensity. He stopped, his gaze sweeping over the gathering, his voice low and filled with a seething rage.
"The Gods threw us into poverty, death, and disease," he spat, his lips twisting into a sneer. "They cast us into the depths of misery, while others live lush, lavish lives. Lives of ease and comfort."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air, the tension palpable. “No more. I spit in the face of these Gods”. He paints the ground with thick saliva.
He turned, his eyes locking with each of the warlords in turn. “I will take what I want from this world. When I want it.”
His voice reached a crescendo, a roar of defiance. “WHATEVER I WANT!”
The warlords surged to their feet, their voices joining in a thunderous chant.
KC's heart pounded, his mind racing. He had to do something, had to find a way out. His hand inched towards the small of his back, towards the knife hidden there. But the guard held his arms in place.
"Please," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "You don't have to do this..."
The guard's fist slammed into the back of KC's head, snapping his head forward. Pain exploded behind his eyes, stars dancing in his vision.
Uchenna's laughter cut through the ringing in KC's ears as he began his approach. "Pathetic," he spat. "Just like your mother. Weak, worthless."
KC twisted, trying to wrench himself free from the guard's iron grip. But the man held fast, his fingers digging into KC's arms like claws. Panic rising, KC threw his weight to the side, trying to knock the guard off balance. But the man was unmovable.
Uchenna was getting closer, the blade glinting hungrily in his hand. KC's heart leapt into his throat, his fingers scrambling for the knife.
In a desperate move, KC kicked his legs back with all his might, his heel connecting with the guard's shin with a sickening thud. The man howled in agony, his grip loosening for a split second as he stumbled backward.
It was all KC needed. He wrenched free, his hand finding the knife, plunging it into the guard's groin. The man dropped to the ground, screaming.
KC lunged for the guards fallen AK-47, his fingers closing around the cold metal. He rolled, bringing the weapon up as Uchenna's eyes widened in shock.
He closed his eyes, his finger squeezing the trigger. The gun roared to life, the recoil slamming into his small body like a sledgehammer. The force of it nearly knocked him off his feet, but he held on, his hands shaking, his teeth rattling in his skull.
Bullets sprayed wildly, the muzzle flash blinding in the darkness. KC kept firing, the gun bucking and jumping in his hands. He could hear screams, the thud of bodies hitting the ground, but he didn't dare open his eyes, didn't dare stop firing until the magazine ran dry.
Silence fell, heavy and oppressive. KC stood amidst the carnage, chest heaving, the smoking gun still clutched in his hands. His arms ached, his shoulder throbbing from the recoil. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking away the spots that danced in his vision.
Uchenna lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. His eyes met KC's, hatred and disbelief etched into his dying face.
KC let the gun fall, the clatter of metal on stone echoing in the stillness. Without a word, he turned and ran away. Disappearing into the night, leaving behind the bloodshed, and the shattered remnants of his father's reign of terror.