Brevity Bard

Kemi gritted her teeth, the pain of the last 24 hours boiling in her chest. She had been a pawn in Akin’s elaborate scheme to eliminate his enemies, all while keeping her in the dark about her own life. Her family had been dangled as bait, and now she was finally free from the game, but at what cost? Did she truly win, or had she lost everything in the process? She was escorted back to the police car as Akin continued to scream her name, warning her that she would never find their daughter without him. Kemi refused to believe it. Somewhere deep down, she still felt the faint echo of a mother’s bond, a connection that no amount of manipulation could sever. As the police officer opened the door for her, she paused. “My daughter,” she whispered. “You said you located her. Where is she?” The officer’s face softened. “We found her at the location Akin mentioned—safe. She’s at the station waiting for you.” The relief hit Kemi like a wave. She hadn’t killed anyone, but the choices she had mad...

Kemi’s heart raced as Akin presented her with an impossible choice: kill him and risk losing her daughter forever, or let him walk free and continue his reign of terror. She was paralyzed, unsure of what was real, what was a lie, and whether she could trust her own instincts. Everything she thought she knew was shattered, and now she was left standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure whether to jump or retreat. Time was running out, and with it, her hope of saving the only family she had left. The room felt like it was closing in on her. The walls, once familiar, now seemed to pulse with the weight of Akin’s manipulations. She glanced down at the gun in her trembling hands, the cold metal sending a jolt of reality through her. Akin remained across from her, eerily calm, as though he knew she couldn’t pull the trigger. His eyes bore into her, filled with the twisted satisfaction of a man who believed he had already won. “You won’t do it,” Akin said, his voice a taunting whisper. “You can’...

Kemi drove through the empty streets, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, heart pounding in her chest. Bimpe’s dying words echoed in her mind: “Your husband… he’s the one.” Every instinct in her told her to run far away, but the voice on the phone had left her no choice. Her final task was to find Akin. The city lights grew distant in her rearview mirror as she headed toward the outskirts, to a place the voice had called “home.” Memories flashed in fragments—images of Akin laughing, then yelling, their house filled with warmth and then, suddenly, darkness. It was as if her mind was trying to stitch together the pieces of her past, but nothing made sense. Yet, despite the haziness, one thing was becoming clear: she couldn’t trust him. Her phone buzzed with a new message. Old Estate on Lekki-Epe Road. You know the one. Kemi didn’t remember it, but as she drove further, something tugged at the back of her mind. Her breath quickened as the road narrowed, leading her down a dirt...

The forest was dark, the trees looming over Kemi like ancient sentinels, their branches shifting ominously in the cold breeze. She had followed the coordinates sent to her phone, heart pounding in her chest, knowing this was her final target. The cabin came into view, barely visible in the moonlight—weathered, abandoned, and tucked away from prying eyes. Her head was still swimming from Felix’s last words back in the tech firm, his bloodied body slumped over the desk. “Trust no one... not even your own mind.” The words haunted her, looping endlessly in her thoughts. She still didn’t know who was orchestrating this nightmare or why. Every target she had encountered held a piece of the puzzle, but none had given her the full picture. And now, as she approached the wooden door of the cabin, her instincts screamed at her to turn back. The phone in her pocket vibrated, the countdown ticking down mercilessly. 13 hours left. Kemi entered cautiously, her senses heightened. The door creaked as...

Kemi stood at the entrance of Felix Ajayi’s tech firm, its towering glass windows reflecting the dying light of the evening. The building was sleek, modern, and utterly deserted. Her heart raced as she pushed the door open, the weight of Felix’s reputation hanging over her. He was a man known for his wealth and power, a tech mogul with connections in every corner of the city. Yet, in this moment, it seemed even he wasn’t safe from the deadly game she had been forced into. Inside, the office was eerily quiet. Rows of empty desks and flickering computer screens lined the open-plan workspace. Kemi moved quickly, her steps muffled by the plush carpet, her eyes scanning for any sign of Felix. The phone in her pocket vibrated, its timer ticking down: 15 hours left. Suddenly, she heard rapid typing coming from one of the offices at the far end of the hall. She quickened her pace, heart pounding, and quietly approached the door. Peering inside, she saw Felix, hunched over his computer, frantic...

Kemi’s legs felt like lead as she trudged through the desolate alleyways of the city, her mind racing and her heart thudding in her chest. Every noise made her jump—every shadow felt like it was watching her. She had barely made it out of the church alive, and the reality of what was happening to her was starting to sink in. She found herself drawn to an abandoned building, its crumbling façade hidden from the street by overgrown weeds. With no other choice, she slipped inside, her body screaming for rest. The room was musty, filled with the echoes of forgotten memories and dust that clung to everything. Just as she was about to collapse onto the floor, she heard footsteps approaching. Her hand instinctively went to the gun in her duffel bag, ready to defend herself. “Relax, I’m not here to hurt you,” a voice said from the shadows. Kemi spun around, her eyes narrowing as she saw a man step forward. He was tall, with dark eyes that seemed to know more than they should. “My name’s Kunle,...

The church stood on the outskirts of the city, isolated and shrouded in an unsettling stillness. Kemi parked a short distance away, her eyes scanning the desolate landscape for any signs of life. The phone’s timer continued its relentless countdown, a constant reminder that her time was slipping away. She didn’t know what to expect from Father Michael, but as she approached the church, the air felt heavier with each step. The creak of the old wooden door echoed through the empty halls as Kemi stepped inside. The church was dimly lit, with shafts of sunlight piercing through the stained glass windows, casting eerie, multicolored reflections on the stone floor. A few candles flickered near the altar, but the place felt abandoned—like a forgotten relic. Her fingers brushed against the gun inside her duffel bag. She wasn’t sure why she had brought it; she wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “Kemi,” a voice called out from the front of the church. She froze. Father Michael stood by the altar, ...

The towering office building loomed before Kemi, its gleaming glass façade reflecting the bustling city around her. This was where her second target, Chief Obiora, operated—a man deeply entrenched in the corrupt world of politics and money. The financial district was crawling with people, but her eyes were focused on the towering structure in front of her. She had to move carefully, as time was still slipping away. With a deep breath, Kemi entered the lobby, her heart pounding against her chest. She approached the front desk and, with as much composure as she could muster, claimed to be a visitor for one of the companies housed in the building. The receptionist barely glanced at her ID before waving her through. Kemi knew this was the easy part—getting past the first checkpoint. As she ascended in the elevator, her mind raced. She had no plan—no strategy, only the overwhelming pressure of the ticking clock and the knowledge that she was being hunted just as much as she was hunting. The...