Ochieng's breath was ragged, his heart hammering against his ribs. His body throbbed from the weight of the chains, but that was nothing compared to the shock freezing his veins.
The man standing before him—the man cloaked in shadows—was supposed to be dead.
Jared.
Ochieng's throat felt dry. His voice came out hoarse. "You… I saw you die."
Jared stepped closer, his movements eerily calm. The flickering lanterns illuminated the sharp angles of his face, untouched by time. His lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Did you?"
Ochieng gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He had seen Jared's body. Had buried him with his own hands. Had mourned him.
And yet, here he was—standing, breathing, alive.
The chains rattled as Ochieng tried to move, but they held firm. He forced himself to focus. The air here was thick with something unnatural. Magic? A trap?
Jared crouched before him, his eyes gleaming with something unknowable. "You always believed what you saw, Ochieng. That was your greatest flaw."
Ochieng's fists clenched. "What is this? Some kind of trick?"
Jared chuckled, standing again. "A trick?" He gestured around the dimly lit chamber. "Does this feel like a trick?"
Ochieng inhaled deeply. The scent of damp stone. The taste of iron in the air. The lingering weight of betrayal.
No. This was real.
But that only made it worse.
Jared tilted his head. "Did you ever wonder why everything kept leading you here? Why every step you took, every battle you fought, every truth you uncovered, always brought you closer to this place?"
Ochieng's jaw tightened.
Because someone had been pulling the strings.
Jared smiled. "You were never hunting the truth, Ochieng. You were being led to it."
A chill ran down Ochieng's spine. "By who?"
Jared took a step closer.
"By me."
The words sank like lead in Ochieng's stomach.
His mind fought against them, tried to deny them, but deep down… he knew.
Everything—the whispers, the illusions, the battles that had felt orchestrated, the doors that had mysteriously opened and closed—all of it had been leading him to this very moment.
Jared's voice lowered, almost gentle. "It was always meant to be you, Ochieng."
Ochieng's breath hitched.
Because suddenly, he understood.
This wasn't just about revenge. Or power.
It was about fate.
And somehow… he had been part of it all along.