Lekki
"An unbelievable story has just broken," the anchor said on NTA. "The supposed Red Devil, Adam of the Red Bandits, has appeared again. Not only does he look the same age he was when declared dead, witnesses also claim he displayed powers that look like something out of movies. Nigerians are asking one question—what is he?"
The screen switched.
Blurry clips. People screaming. Uniforms. A red suit moving through a line like it wasn’t there. Metal bending. Bodies flying. A voice shouting orders.
"Here are the visuals from Eko Hotels," the anchor continued. "We advise viewers at home—"
The volume dropped as the school switched the TV low, but the whole class still watched like their eyes were glued.
Annabeth sat with her book open.
She wasn’t reading.
Her eyes were on the screen.
That face.
She had seen it too many times in old pictures, in old videos, in her mother’s phone, in stories told late at night when the generator went off and the house was quiet.
That wasn’t her father.
That was his brother.
Adam.
The Red Devil.
Her mother used to say Alex respected only a few people in his whole life.
She said Adam was one of them.
She also said Adam was the only person who ever made Alex stop pretending the world was fair.
The only person who pulled him out of that soft, calm life he tried to live.
Then Alex blew up Aso Rock.
And the country never forgot.
And her mother never recovered.
Annabeth swallowed and forced her eyes back to her notes.
WAEC didn’t care about ghosts.
But her mind didn’t obey her.
Her father was dead.
Her mother was dead.
And now the devil from the stories was alive on TV, still young, still looking like time had never touched him.
She didn’t even notice the boy leaning over until he spoke.
"Annabeth," he said, voice excited, trying to be quiet but failing. "Is it true you’re related to him?"
She didn’t answer.
He kept going, words tumbling out like he’d been saving them.
"Does that mean you have powers too? Like him? You’ve been hiding it, abi? Are vampires real? Demons? Are you even human? Your family is wild. Maybe you’re an alien. Or—"
BAM.
Annabeth slammed her book on the desk so hard the whole class jumped.
Even the teacher paused.
Annabeth turned slowly and stared at him like he had just stepped on something sacred.
The boy froze.
He had been pestering her since her first term in the school, like he couldn’t help himself. Not because he hated her. More like he thought annoying her was flirting.
His name was David.
Everybody called him David Junior because of his father.
And yes, his father was Davido.
That was the whole reason most students even tolerated David’s mouth.
But David wasn’t like the other rich kids. He didn’t move like a spoiled prince. He didn’t have that soft arrogance.
He just talked too much.
Annabeth’s voice came out calm.
"David Junior."
His face tightened. "David is fine."
Annabeth leaned back slightly, still staring him down.
"Whatever," she said. "You’ve been disturbing me since I entered this school, and now my uncle shows up on national TV looking like a nightmare... and you think this is the time to test your mouth."
David tried to laugh, but it didn’t land.
Annabeth’s lips curled.
"You know his history," she said. "Not school gossip. Real history. Bodies. War with government. Fear. And now you’re here asking me if I’m an alien."
David shifted back a bit.
"Please," he muttered. "Move back small."
Annabeth laughed, short and sharp, then tapped his shoulder like she was letting him breathe again.
"Relax," she said. "I’m human. As human as you."
David looked at her like he didn’t fully believe it.
Annabeth’s face sobered.
"I just don’t know what happened to him," she said quietly. "I don’t know why he’s still young. I don’t know where those powers came from."
David glanced at the TV again. The clips were looping.
"He’s mad," David said under his breath. "Like... mad mad."
Annabeth didn’t reply. She just closed her book properly, stacked her papers, and slid everything into her bag with that slow, neat anger she always had when she’d already decided something.
David watched her.
"Where are you going?"
Annabeth stood up.
David stood up too.
"Don’t tell me you want to go there," he said, voice dropping. "Eko Hotels."
Annabeth slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Yes."
David stared at her like she’d just said she wanted to walk into a lion cage.
"You’re serious."
Annabeth looked at him with a flat expression.
"He’s my uncle," she said. "He survived a nuclear blast. He came back years later like time doesn’t touch him. And now he’s on TV bending soldiers like paper."
Her voice tightened.
"If he’s alive, then there’s a chance my father is alive somewhere too."
David’s mouth opened, then shut again.
Annabeth kept walking.
"And if my father is alive," she said, "then why didn’t he come back?"
She didn’t look at David when she said it.
"Why didn’t he save my mother?"
David followed her into the corridor.
"Annabeth," he called, trying to slow her down. "This thing is bigger than family drama. That man is not normal. If he sees you, he might—"
"Might what?" Annabeth cut in, turning her head a little. "Kill me?"
David hesitated.
Annabeth’s eyes narrowed. "He’s not going to kill me. He’s my blood. And if he’s a monster, then I want to hear it from his mouth."
David shook his head. "You don’t know him."
"I know what people say," Annabeth replied. "And I know what my mother said. She never lied to me about him."
They reached outside.
The whole school felt different the moment Annabeth stepped out.
People were already talking.
Not small talk. Not rumors.
That hungry kind of talk.
Phones were up. Eyes were following her like she was a headline walking on two legs.
"Na she be that girl."
"Her family get connection with Red Devil."
"That’s why she dey stubborn like that."
"She fit actually get powers."
Annabeth ignored them.
She always ignored them.
But today, they weren’t just whispering because she was hard-headed or because she didn’t fear seniors.
Today they were whispering because fear had finally given her a crown.
Even people who used to challenge her stepped out of her way.
Not because she threatened them.
Because they didn’t want to be remembered by a devil.
David walked beside her, trying to act normal, but his eyes were scanning like he expected trouble to jump out.
"You’re moving like you want war," he muttered.
Annabeth snorted. "You think I want war? I want answers."
David scoffed. "Same thing."
Annabeth stopped walking and faced him fully.
"David," she said, voice low, "if you’re scared, go back."
David frowned. "I’m not scared."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow.
David sighed hard. "Okay, I’m scared. But I’m still going."
Annabeth stared at him for a second, then nodded once.
"Don’t slow me down," she said.
"I won’t," David replied quickly. "But you too... don’t do that thing you do."
"What thing?"
"That thing where you act like you can’t die."
Annabeth’s smile came back, small and sharp.
"Maybe I can’t," she said.
David rolled his eyes. "See."
Annabeth started walking again.
David followed.
Behind them, the whispers grew louder, like the whole school had turned into one long mouth.
And somewhere in Lagos, a red suit was already turning the world upside down.
Annabeth didn’t know yet that she had already become a name on someone’s list.
She only knew one thing.
If Adam was back, then the past wasn’t buried.
It was awake.
And it was calling her.