CHAPTER 17

Two nights after the tragic event, Luke stood in the bloody crypt at Lafayette Cemetery, lighting up candles and torches, in preparation for a spell.

In the pool of blood at the crypt, there was a body floating on it. Luke cut his hand with a dagger and placed it inside the pool of blood, the body immediately sank into the pool of blood, as Luke started to chant. The whole place started to shake, the light from the torches flickered, as the wind blew around the area almost putting out the flames.

Luke stopped chanting with his eyes closed and hands still immersed in the pool. The flames immediately became intense as the body rose from beneath the pool.

Luke walked into the pool, close to the body, as he stared at it. Muejiz opened his eyes suddenly and shockingly, as it was his body Luke was reviving all along.

Inside the University teaching hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Muejiz dizzily opened his eyes. His first sight was a blurry vision of someone in blonde hair sitting beside him. He blinked his eyes to get a better view, only to his surprise, it was no other person but Luke. In fear, he tried to get up to defend himself but could barely move.

Luke, pretending to be busy with a magazine, spat, "I wouldn't move if I were you. You just went through a major rebirth ritual and you're just like a newborn."

He dropped the magazine, stood up and walked towards Muejiz, "It will take you weeks, maybe months to fully recover to your old self." He completed.

Muejiz shivered in fear as Luke stood next to his head.

"Relax!" Luke said, bending to adjust the pillow under Muejiz to a more comfortable position. "You know if I want you dead we wouldn't be here having this conversation. I did the rebirth ritual on you after your death." He continued.

"Even as hard as I want you dead, I can't even bring myself to see you die. And besides, you know all this is far from over." He revealed, his face now very close to Muejiz. "Hell! You look ravishing no matter the body you are in." He praised, looking lustfully at Muejiz. "I just can't believe all this while you've been alive and you never seek to find me." He completed.

Muejiz stared into Luke's eyes, yet he used his hand to find some sort of weapon, in fear, as his mind made up various options on how to put luke down.

"You still hate me that much, don't you? Thinking of ways to put me down." Luke said, knowing what Muejiz motives were. "I wouldn't blame you. I mean, after what I did to you and your unborn child." He added, now rising to his feet and moving back to his seat.

"Our unborn child you mean?" Muejiz cut in as though something came over him.

"What?!" Luke asked, turning in shock at the revelation.

"Eons and you still haven't figured it out?" Muejiz spat, laughing mockingly. "The child was ours. And to free your guilt, nothing happened to the child. Thanks to the coven you and I created..." He explained.

"God! Why am I saying these things that I know nothing of?" Muejiz, now back to himself, asked.

Luke drew his chair and sat very close to Muejiz in admiration. "Huh! I can't believe, I..." He stuttered, caressing Muejiz on the head, then moved close to him as though wanting to kiss him, but then stopped. He looked towards the door and sighed, "Your boyfriend and your friends are here." He revealed as he rose and stood beside Muejiz.

"My friends? Where exactly am I?" Muejiz asked, surprised.

"Oh! I brought you back to your country. Close to your school? Your family too are on their way here." Luke revealed.

"What?!" Muejiz exclaimed.

Immediately, the door to the room opened, as King, Tomi and a lady from their class, badged into the room. Tomi rushed and pressed Muejiz down the bed in a huge, friendly hug.

Muejiz ignoring Tomi's weight on him turned to the side where Luke was standing but he was not there. Muejiz tried to look round the room for any sign of him but it seemed he had vanished into thin air.

"Omo mi (in Yoruba, meaning 'My child). I can't believe the next time I'm seeing you will be in a hospital!" She lamented as she burst into tears.

Muejiz, now brought back to the room by Tomi's sob, "Hey ma'am chill. At least I'm not dead." He professed.

"Well, That's the real shock. Seven days ago, I called your home on your birthday and someone told me you died early that morning. My heart was torn to shreds I felt I was also going to die. Losing you too after.. after..." She lamented as she burst into tears.

"Wait, that incident was on the 15th of July?" Muejiz asked, surprised. "Wow! How iconic." He thought out loud. "Well, I'm okay love, it was just a minor accident." He dismissed.

"By the way how is Fred?" He asked trying to change the subject. Only for Tomi to burst into uncontrollable tears.

"He's dead!" King, who had been watching all the while, finally spoke. "He died two months back, from the plaque." He revealed.

"Muejiz! They wouldn't even let me see his body before they cremate it. They didn't even..." Tomi stuttered in sobs, as she couldn't hold back her pain. "Where were you all this while? Why weren't you there when I needed you the most?" She asked, still crying.

"We lost a lot of friends. The last six months was hell for all of us..." King revealed. "Obviously, it was hell for you too. You're a shadow of yourself Zhan!" He said, referring to Muejiz.

"Tomi, I can't promise you it will be better from here on. But I know we'll all smile in the end. I believe we'll all be fine..." Muejiz consoled, ignoring King.

The door opened wide as Lieutenant Ali, led four military men in. Shortly after, Milli, Abubak'r, Katie and Prissila burst into the room and was startled with shock. Echoes of screams and cries filled the air. Prissila, Milli, Abubak'r, Lieutenant Ali and Katie rushed towards Muejiz, all giving him a big family hug while crying. Everyone in the room was filled with tears and praises.

"My boy! My boy!" Abubak'r kept chanting in tears, as he hugged Muejiz from different angles.

A nurse walked into the full room and politely asked everyone to leave the room, for the patient to rest and be comfortable.

"I will like to see the doctor in charge." Abubak'r requested as he stood up to meet the nurse.

Lt. Ali gestured to the four military personnel, including Muejiz friends to follow him out.

Muejiz asked for King to stay back as everyone started to move out of the room. Milli didn't make a move as Tomi looked at him sternly, went back, gripped his hand, dragging him out.

King, sitting close to Muejiz, in the chair Luke just stood up from. "Hey! How are you? That's a stupid question, you're hospitalized..." He stuttered

"Hmmmmmn!" Muejiz hummed.

"Look! Nothing happened that night you called. I swear I don't know what came upon me that made me call up my ex-girlfriend that night, but after I talked to you I couldn't do anything. I promise you nothing happened that night and nights after that and..." King explained emotionally.

"I know," Muejiz confirmed. "It's why I wanna talk to you, to clear your guilt..." He expressed.

King sighed, hugged Muejiz and whisper in his ears, "I love you!"

"I know," Muejiz replied, smiling

King breaking the hug and giving Muejiz a funny look, "Huhn?!" He responded as that was not the reply he was expecting from Muejiz.

"I love you too!" Muejiz, understanding the misconception, replied and they both laughed.

In the hospital corridor, outside Muejiz ward, Milli and everyone sat in the waiting room as Abubak'r and Katie went to meet the head doctor to inform him of their plans to move Muejiz back to a hospital in Abuja.

"So pretty girl," Milli said to Tomi in his Mexican accent. "How do you get to know my soul sibling?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Tomi looked at him in confusion, not getting his question.

Milli, on realizing her confusion, clarified. "Oh! I'm talking about Muejiz. He never mentioned he has a beautiful friend like you." He said as he consumed her with his eyes.

"Are you normal?" Tomi asked, looking at him strangely.

"Common ma'am it's nothing personal. I just want to know you. What's that phrase again? I'm a friend to my friend's friend..." Milli pushed

"A friend of my friend is also my friend, you mean?" Tomi corrected.

"That's it!" Milli confirmed. "So?" He inquired.

"Well..." Tomi, now in a friendly mood as she narrated her friendship with Muejiz.

Abubak'r, Katie and the doctor, in his mid-forties, came out of an office, smiling.

"We will be discharging him tomorrow. We've examined him and found nothing wrong with him. He's just drained of energy and needs to rest seriously. Besides that, nothing else is wrong with your son. So when you take him home by tomorrow you must allow him to rest well. It might take a while before he gets back to his old self." The doctor explained.

"Thank you very much, doctor. We appreciate everything you've done so far." Katie thanked.

"Oh! We did nothing really. Thank God and the young man who brought him here at the right time." The doctor expressed, appreciating Luke's effort.

"The man didn't leave any details as to how to get in touch with him?" Abubak'r asked, concerned.

"Not at all. But he paid all the bills and has been here since the day he brought your son in, five days ago. Didn't you meet him inside?" The doctor revealed.

"Hmmmmm?" Abubak'r murmured, confused as to who that could be.

"Sure! Sure I, I mean, we did!" Katie dismissed, to avoid raising questions. "Thanks once again." She added, thanking the doctor.

"It's nothing. We are only doing our job." The doctor declared.

"Thank you still, for everything. I will ensure to see you before leaving." Abubak'r said, as he and Katie, now left the doctor's presence.

"No problem General. My office is always open." The doctor concluded.

Abubak'r and Katie exchange further pleasantries with the doctor as they leave to join Milli and the others.

"So, can I have your number before I forget?" Milli inquired, engrossed with an interesting conversation with Tomi, as they were both lost in laughter

"Sure! Why not? So long it's not personal." Tomi said. Smiling.

'"Oh! This is..." Milli confessed. Tomi burst into another laughter again, as Milli smiled at her saying, "Seriously, I won't lie it is personal this time..." he begged as their laughter filled the air.

Two nights after the tragic event, Luke stood in the bloody crypt at Lafayette Cemetery, lighting up candles and torches, in preparation for a spell. In the pool of blood at the crypt, there was a body floating on it. Luke cut his hand with a dagger and placed it inside the pool of blood, the body immediately sank into the pool of blood, as Luke started to chant. The whole place started to shake, the light from the torches flickered, as the wind blew around the area almost putting out the flames.

Luke stopped chanting with his eyes closed and hands still immersed in the pool. The flames immediately became intense as the body rose from beneath the pool. He walked into the pool, close to the body, as he stared at it. Muejiz opened his eyes suddenly and shockingly, as it was his body Luke was reviving all along.

Inside the University teaching hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Muejiz dizzily opened his eyes. His first sight was a blurry vision of someone in blonde hair sitting beside him. He blinked his eyes to get a better view, only to his surprise, it was no other person but Luke. In fear, he tried to get up to defend himself but could barely move.

Luke, pretending to be busy with a magazine, spat, "I wouldn't move if I were you. You just went through a major rebirth ritual and you're just like a newborn."

He dropped the magazine, stood up and walked towards Muejiz, "It will take you weeks, maybe months to fully recover to your old self." He completed.

Muejiz shivered in fear as Luke stood next to his head.

"Relax!" Luke said, bending to adjust the pillow under Muejiz to a more comfortable position. "You know if I want you dead we wouldn't be here having this conversation. I did the rebirth ritual on you after your death." He continued.

"Even as hard as I want you dead, I can't even bring myself to see you die. And besides, you know all this is far from over." He revealed, his face now very close to Muejiz. "Hell! You look ravishing no matter the body you are in." He praised, looking lustfully at Muejiz. "I just can't believe all this while you've been alive and you never seek to find me." He completed.

Muejiz stared into Luke's eyes, yet he used his hand to find some sort of weapon, in fear, as his mind made up various options on how to put luke down.

"You still hate me that much, don't you? Thinking of ways to put me down." Luke said, knowing what Muejiz motives were. "I wouldn't blame you. I mean, after what I did to you and your unborn child." He added, now rising to his feet and moving back to his seat.

"Our unborn child you mean?" Muejiz cut in as though something came over him.

"What?!" Luke asked, turning in shock at the revelation.

"Eons and you still haven't figured it out?" Muejiz spat, laughing mockingly. "The child was ours. And to free your guilt, nothing happened to the child. Thanks to the coven you and I created..." He explained.

"God! Why am I saying these things that I know nothing of?" Muejiz, now back to himself, asked.

Luke drew his chair and sat very close to Muejiz in admiration. "Huh! I can't believe, I..." He stuttered, caressing Muejiz on the head, then moved close to him as though wanting to kiss him, but then stopped. He looked towards the door and sighed, "Your boyfriend and your friends are here." He revealed as he rose and stood beside Muejiz.

"My friends? Where exactly am I?" Muejiz asked, surprised.

"Oh! I brought you back to your country. Close to your school? Your family too are on their way here." Luke revealed.

"What?!" Muejiz exclaimed.

Immediately, the door to the room opened, as King, Tomi and a lady from their class, badged into the room. Tomi rushed and pressed Muejiz down the bed in a huge, friendly hug.

Muejiz ignoring Tomi's weight on him turned to the side where Luke was standing but he was not there. Muejiz tried to look round the room for any sign of him but it seemed he had vanished into thin air.

"Omo mi (in Yoruba, meaning 'My child). I can't believe the next time I'm seeing you will be in a hospital!" She lamented as she burst into tears.

Muejiz, now brought back to the room by Tomi's sob, "Hey ma'am chill. At least I'm not dead." He professed.

"Well, That's the real shock. Seven days ago, I called your home on your birthday and someone told me you died early that morning. My heart was torn to shreds I felt I was also going to die. Losing you too after.. after..." She lamented as she burst into tears.

"Wait, that incident was on the 15th of July?" Muejiz asked, surprised. "Wow! How iconic." He thought out loud. "Well, I'm okay love, it was just a minor accident." He dismissed.

"By the way how is Fred?" He asked trying to change the subject. Only for Tomi to burst into uncontrollable tears.

"He's dead!" King, who had been watching all the while, finally spoke. "He died two months back, from the plaque." He revealed.

"Muejiz! They wouldn't even let me see his body before they cremate it. They didn't even..." Tomi stuttered in sobs, as she couldn't hold back her pain. "Where were you all this while? Why weren't you there when I needed you the most?" She asked, still crying.

"We lost a lot of friends. The last six months was hell for all of us..." King revealed. "Obviously, it was hell for you too. You're a shadow of yourself Zhan!" He said, referring to Muejiz.

"Tomi, I can't promise you it will be better from here on. But I know we'll all smile in the end. I believe we'll all be fine..." Muejiz consoled, ignoring King.

The door opened wide as Lieutenant Ali, led four military men in. Shortly after, Milli, Abubak'r, Katie and Prissila burst into the room and was startled with shock. Echoes of screams and cries filled the air. Prissila, Milli, Abubak'r, Lieutenant Ali and Katie rushed towards Muejiz, all giving him a big family hug while crying. Everyone in the room was filled with tears and praises.

"My boy! My boy!" Abubak'r kept chanting in tears, as he hugged Muejiz from different angles.

A nurse walked into the full room and politely asked everyone to leave the room, for the patient to rest and be comfortable.

"I will like to see the doctor in charge." Abubak'r requested as he stood up to meet the nurse.

Lt. Ali gestured to the four military personnel, including Muejiz friends to follow him out.

Muejiz asked for King to stay back as everyone started to move out of the room. Milli didn't make a move as Tomi looked at him sternly, went back, gripped his hand, dragging him out.

King, sitting close to Muejiz, in the chair Luke just stood up from. "Hey! How are you? That's a stupid question, you're hospitalized..." He stuttered

"Hmmmmmn!" Muejiz hummed.

"Look! Nothing happened that night you called. I swear I don't know what came upon me that made me call up my ex-girlfriend that night, but after I talked to you I couldn't do anything. I promise you nothing happened that night and nights after that and..." King explained emotionally.

"I know," Muejiz confirmed. "It's why I wanna talk to you, to clear your guilt..." He expressed.

King sighed, hugged Muejiz and whisper in his ears, "I love you!"

"I know," Muejiz replied, smiling

King breaking the hug and giving Muejiz a funny look, "Huhn?!" He responded as that was not the reply he was expecting from Muejiz.

"I love you too!" Muejiz, understanding the misconception, replied and they both laughed.

In the hospital corridor, outside Muejiz ward, Milli and everyone sat in the waiting room as Abubak'r and Katie went to meet the head doctor to inform him of their plans to move Muejiz back to a hospital in Abuja.

"So pretty girl," Milli said to Tomi in his Mexican accent. "How do you get to know my soul sibling?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Tomi looked at him in confusion, not getting his question.

Milli, on realizing her confusion, clarified. "Oh! I'm talking about Muejiz. He never mentioned he has a beautiful friend like you." He said as he consumed her with his eyes.

"Are you normal?" Tomi asked, looking at him strangely.

"Common ma'am it's nothing personal. I just want to know you. What's that phrase again? I'm a friend to my friend's friend..." Milli pushed

"A friend of my friend is also my friend, you mean?" Tomi corrected.

"That's it!" Milli confirmed. "So?" He inquired.

"Well..." Tomi, now in a friendly mood as she narrated her friendship with Muejiz.

Abubak'r, Katie and the doctor, in his mid-forties, came out of an office, smiling.

"We will be discharging him tomorrow. We've examined him and found nothing wrong with him. He's just drained of energy and needs to rest seriously. Besides that, nothing else is wrong with your son. So when you take him home by tomorrow you must allow him to rest well. It might take a while before he gets back to his old self." The doctor explained.

"Thank you very much, doctor. We appreciate everything you've done so far." Katie thanked.

"Oh! We did nothing really. Thank God and the young man who brought him here at the right time." The doctor expressed, appreciating Luke's effort.

"The man didn't leave any details as to how to get in touch with him?" Abubak'r asked, concerned.

"Not at all. But he paid all the bills and has been here since the day he brought your son in, five days ago. Didn't you meet him inside?" The doctor revealed.

"Hmmmmm?" Abubak'r murmured, confused as to who that could be.

"Sure! Sure I, I mean, we did!" Katie dismissed, to avoid raising questions. "Thanks once again." She added, thanking the doctor.

"It's nothing. We are only doing our job." The doctor declared.

"Thank you still, for everything. I will ensure to see you before leaving." Abubak'r said, as he and Katie, now left the doctor's presence.

"No problem General. My office is always open." The doctor concluded.

Abubak'r and Katie exchange further pleasantries with the doctor as they leave to join Milli and the others.

"So, can I have your number before I forget?" Milli inquired, engrossed with an interesting conversation with Tomi, as they were both lost in laughter

"Sure! Why not? So long it's not personal." Tomi said. Smiling.

'"Oh! This is..." Milli confessed. Tomi burst into another laughter again, as Milli smiled at her saying, "Seriously, I won't lie it is personal this time..." he begged as their laughter filled the air.