The activities of the big factions in the underworld had decreased a lot in recent weeks. This alerted the police authorities. Ojwang requested a special military operation to investigate possible links between the gangs and the Ilu Nla National Liberation Movement.

  Medium prisoners were interrogated once again, the streets were taken over by police raids, the issuing of passports was paralyzed for sixty days and the curfew was increased for civilians who were not civil servants or had special permission to move around.

  The number of deportees to the slums outside the walls and self-exiles increased in the weeks following the State of Defense. Ilu Nla quickly turned into a police state. The lack of civil liberties and fear gave rise to anti-military sentiment. It was what Azakel and Feruzi had hoped for, and both didn't waste the opportunity.

  The rebel leaders began a massive campaign to encourage demonstrations against the government in cyberspace. The state limited the population's access to the internet, which further increased the outcry in the streets. Groups of demonstrators began holding marches, and conflicts with the military police led to a greater commitment to the cause by those sympathetic to the mediums.

  At rebel headquarters, all this was celebrated as a great victory. The only one who didn't join in the celebrations was Akachi.

  “They shouldn't be celebrating like this. Innocent people are being arrested, injured and some even killed, while we're here preparing for a war.”

  Everyone looked at him. There was a mixture of surprise and dissatisfaction. Some read it as hesitation, dangerous on the eve of battle.

  Ekundayo understood the young man's questions. He too was a victim of circumstance, and being raised away from it all, he had a more empathetic view of the matter. But by then, mediums and rebels had gone too far. The bottom of the well had a dungeon. Everyone was digging in.

  “Listen, Akachi, there's really nothing to celebrate, but nothing to be sad about either.”

  “I won't be able to sleep tonight knowing everything that will happen tomorrow.”

  “No one will sleep peacefully, no one. But tomorrow belongs to Fante Obataiye.”

  Akachi punched the wall, which showed that reality was too harsh to be absorbed by someone so young. Ekundayo asked him to go to sleep. The operation to infiltrate the underground laboratories would take place before sunrise.

  The teenager lay down on his bed. He closed his eyes, but couldn't sleep properly. He had fought until then to protect himself and prevent the death of his friends and family. It was very different from using his powers intentionally to kill someone. His hands were stained with blood.

  “Fenyang, are you there? I can't sleep.”

  The spirit appeared floating over the bed with its legs crossed in a Buddhic position.

  “Count sheep, bro, it always works.”

  “What?”

  “Go with me, bro, it always works for me.”

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  “But you're already dead, you don't need to sleep!”

  “Damn! You're taking it hard today, huh? What are you doing?”

  “I'm scared...”

  “Of dying?”

  “No...”

  “Look, bro, I know it's hard for you to have to do this. It would be nice for you to lead a quiet life and all that, but it's not possible right now. Sometimes you have to go through the stormy night to see the dawn.”

  That's not calming me down.

  Akachi asked the Entities who governed him for wisdom and wished for a peaceful night's sleep. His mind needed lightness.

  His sleep was uneasy. Bad dreams hung over him all night. His grandfather Azekel's hands woke him up. It was the day and the hour that the many hands of fate had woven into his existence.

  “Sorry, but you have to wake up. Get up, we need to meet.”

  “All right, Grandpa.”

  In the living room, everyone was already gathered and fed. Volunteers from the camp would be joining them shortly. Azekel and Adisa would remain, their choice. Adisa would use the terminal to spread the virus in the Ilu Nla Cyber Troops' cybertech system.

  “Bless my father, and my father's father.”

  His father and grandfather hugged him fraternally. It would be his last, he had to make the most of every millisecond.

  “Fante Obataiye bless you today.”

  Azekel approached his old friend Azekel and gave him a hug. They both smiled and teased each other:

  “Don't die, you old fox, hohohoho.”

  “Azekel, you know my plan is to die long after you, hohohoho.”

  “I'll plant a jackfruit tree when you get back and I'll live until its roots dry up, hohohoho.”

  Spin Bomb heard those laughs and knew they were trying to hide their anguish.

  Old men and their bad jokes, hunf!

  “Let's go!”

  “To my disciple, you still haven't understood the meaning of patience, have you?”

  Spin Bomb replied, sticking his tongue out at Feruzi, which made everyone burst out laughing.

  After saying goodbye, everyone headed outside the house. The volunteers joined the group, and through an abandoned sewage system, they reached the old abandoned subway lines.

  A small group of criminal faction fighters greeted them with disdain. One of the leaders, under a brown balaclava, looked on with disdain:

  “Wow, I was expecting a revolutionary army, but you're all we need.”

  Hakim twitched the muscles in his hand. A bead of sweat ran down his face. Grumpy, he growled between his teeth:

  “Can I knead that one?”

  “No, we need them all, Hakim.”

  “Just this one, Mr. Feruzi, I promise.”

  “No, no casualties until we get in there.”

  The group continued their march to a subway line that led to a false wall. Spin Bomb made mention of setting off her explosives to bring down the wall, but Hakim gestured for her to get out of the way.

  “Oh, okay, sorry!”

  “Leave it to the professionals.”

  Using one of his Ofó, the wall melted until it ceased to exist, which left the combatants wide-eyed.

  A long, aseptic-colored corridor with active monitoring systems appeared in front of them. Feruzi looked at Spin Bomb and signaled. He activated the telecom and said:

  “Mr. Adisa, we're ready.”

  “Positive, Mr. Feruzi. We're going to synchronize the insertion of the virus with the chain explosions of the bombs planted in the government buildings.”

  “Understood, let's count from one to three.”

  Spin Bomb couldn't contain his anxiety. He pulled the paper with the detonation sigil out of his bag. There was a specific zimba. When she touched the sigil, it would burn instantly and all the bombs with the same zimba would detonate at the same speed, no matter how far away they were. Proudly, Spin Bomb said:

  “One.”

  Feruzi raised an eyebrow. He could hear the scientist gasp on the other end of the communicator.

  “Two.”

  Everyone in unison said the word that would be the trigger for Ilu Nla's greatest devastation:

  “Three.”

  At first, there was only a deafening silence, until the earth shook slightly. In the corridor, sounds and lights indicated that the facility was in alarm.

  “Let's go, said Adisa, the virus has already been installed in the Cyber Troops system.”