From above, the Central Confluence looked like the hub of a giant wheel — five major roads stretching out from a single circular point, slicing across the landscape like spokes. Each road represented a cardinal direction and beyond: West, South, East, North, and the ever-contentious Central Reach.
The terrain itself was deceptively peaceful. A vast open field rested at the foot of a gentle sloping highland, golden with sun-scorched grass and split by aged cobblestone paths. No trees, no ruins. Just flat land, the kind that made ambushes feel impossible… which was exactly why the attacks were so troubling.
Four obsidian watchtowers stood like sentinels at each edge of the field — north, south, east, and west. Narrow and dark as the void, they pierced the sky with reinforced platforms, signal fires crackling at their peaks. Defensive Divine Crafts rested inside, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice — though lately, even that readiness had done little against the kind of enemies that now plagued the Confluence.
Scattered across the edges were smaller but fortified guard posts — checkpoint stations built for Divine patrols and merchant traffic. Under normal circumstances, the Confluence would be flooded with activity. Caravans. Hunters. Nomads. Pilgrims. Traders hawking wares while Ashtaris kicked up dust. But the area had been evacuated on order of the Central Authority.
Too many Fallen attacks.
For now, the center was still. Empty.
Until the Divines began to arrive.
The Udoka family had arrived first — not surprising. Their territory bordered the Central Reach from the east. Two Majors led the charge. With them were three Upper Hands and a set of five sharp-eyed Eastern Madarikans who had already begun securing the outer field.
Second to arrive were the Husafi family from the North. Only five in number: one Major, four Hands — two Uppers and two Lessers. The Husafi unit was small but precise, and their formation said everything.
Third came the Tari family from the South. Only four of them: One Major, her two Upper Hands, and a single Lesser Hand. Their numbers were light, but that didn't matter. Their presence felt like a scalpel in a field of hammers.
And lastly, like a closing note to a silent drumroll, the Adesinas rode in.
Seven in number — the largest contribution by far. Two Majors: Adeshola and Deji. Five Hands beneath them: Simi, Alade Tor, Ajani, and the silent outlier, Akenzua.
Some may wonder why the Adesinas, of all families, had the largest contribution. The answer wasn't pride. It was strategy. Deji brought what he had because he could afford to — most of his Hands were Lesser-ranked, still building their contract numbers. It was a gamble. But so far, they'd survived every fire they stepped into. That counted for something.
The other families? Busy. The West wasn't the only place in chaos. The North had its border sieges. The South was dealing with ethereal poisoning along the delta. The East was constantly handling Fallen creatures across their region. The Confluence was just one of many battles.
***
We had finally arrived at the Central Confluence.
It wasn't what I expected.
For a place said to be the very heart of the continent — where roads from every major region spiraled into one vast intersection — it felt… still.
Not peaceful.
Still.
The field stretched wide at the base of a sloping highland, surrounded by crisscrossing cobbled paths that looked like veins converging to one singular point. The ground was dry, cracked in some places, yet firm — as if the land had learned to endure years of pressure. On a normal day, this place would be overflowing with life. But not today.
Today, it was hollow. Hollow in a way that made your instincts twitch. Like something had emptied the land of its breath.
Apparently, we were the last to arrive. Of course we were.
If we hadn't stopped so many times on the road — or had that incident not slowed us down — we might've arrived earlier. Still, we made it within the typical four-day window. Not late. Just… last.
As we dismounted from our Ashataris and adjusted to the flat terrain, we were directed to a central guard post already buzzing with movement. That's where the others were. The Udokas. The Husafi brothers. The Taris. You could already tell which unit belonged to which family — the attires and badges, the posture, the aura, the silence between glances. Some looked curious when we walked in, others indifferent.
But none of that mattered.
We gathered as instructed.
The Udokas, being the custodians of this region, were expected to lead the contract. And the one chosen to brief us… was a close friend of Major Deji, someone he had already informed me about before we even got off our beasts.
Major Obika Nnamdi.
But no one here called him that. Not really.
They called him Black Bow.
A title so ingrained in his identity that even saying his real name felt like reading from a forgotten chapter. He stood tall, lean, composed — the type whose quiet steps were louder than most people's shouting. And slung across his back was the reason for the name: the infamous Divine Craft known as Black Bow.
Deji had said he was "one with his weapon."
Looking at him now, I understood why.
Once we were settled — everyone quiet, alert — Major Obika stepped forward. His voice was calm, like stone speaking.
"Welcome, all of you. I'll start by saying — apologies for the disruption this contract has brought to your regional assignments. I understand timing isn't ideal."
Before the silence could get awkward, a man from the Husafi side — tall, with a trimmed beard and arms crossed like a gate — spoke.
"No need to apologize, Major. This is like any other joint assignment. You called, and we came."— Major Hassan Husafi.
Major Obika nodded in acceptance. "Then let's get to it."
Most of us had already been briefed before leaving our various regions, but this wasn't a mere rehash of information. He went deeper.
"The creatures plaguing the Confluence are called the Voros. Roughly human-sized. Skin like bark stretched over muscle. Moss-like hair. Eyes that glow faint green. Their mouths are... vertical slits. From jaw to chest. Hook teeth."
Someone in the back shifted uncomfortably.
"They crawl in packs. 8 to 12. Fragile alone — but when grouped, they swarm. Overwhelm. Strip a patrol down to nothing in minutes. Most of our Madarikan scouts didn't even have time to react."
It sounded bad.
But then it got worse.
"There are more advanced forms. We call them the Uro-Voro. Larger. Broader. Their chests are armored like stone. Limbs longer — sharper. One of their eyes migrates to their chest. That eye pulses when it senses Divine Essence."
I frowned slightly. That meant they'd target us before we even noticed them.
"They travel in smaller units. Three or four. But they're deadlier. They release spores from their backs that paralyze on contact. If you see mist — move. Don't breathe it in."
This was no small infestation.
It was a war zone.
Obika continued, now gesturing to a rough, hand-sketched map of the terrain.
"At the center of this is the Lubara Shrine — or rather, several of them. We believe these shrines are summoning something far more dangerous: Portals of Birth. As I am sure you all know, These are rifts between the Fallen Realm and our world. Each shrine is like a seed, summoning more creatures into our realm."
They'd destroyed two already. But new portals kept opening, which meant either:
There were more shrines.
Someone was actively creating new ones.
"The Uro-Voro are concentrated near the shrines. Getting to them means walking through the heart of the storm."
And that was why we were all here.
That was why so many of us had been pulled from our regions. This wasn't a minor contract.
This was containment.
And as I stood there, still silent, listening to the others ask questions or whisper strategies, I realized something:
I could feel the fallen energy around, I doubt the others could feel it as well. It was immense.
Major Obika didn't waste time.
"We'll be executing this contract by splitting into eight groups," he continued.
He turned toward the guard post wall. There, mounted behind him, was a large board — aged, scratched, but still detailed enough to serve its purpose. A map of the Central Confluence.
I stepped a bit closer, eyes narrowing at the structure of the terrain.
"As you can all see," Obika continued, pointing with a carved stick, "there are four primary forest zones surrounding this Confluence: North-East (NE), North-West (NW), South-East (SE), and South-West (SW). Each one is dense, irregular, and prone to Fallen activity."
His stick tapped the bottom edge of the map.
"We'll enter these zones in teams — two groups per zone. South-East and South-West units will infiltrate their zones and meet at South-South (SS). North-East and North-West units will rendezvous at North-North (NN). After clearing the targeted zones, all groups will reconvene back at the center."
He struck the middle of the map, the intersection point — the "hub" of the entire continent. The Central Confluence.
Simple plan on paper. But I knew better.Clear paths are always deceptive in contracts. Especially ones involving portals.
The next step was familiar. Strategizing the teams.
To maintain balance, all Majors and Upper Hands were pulled aside — separated from the rest of us: the Lesser Hands and Madarikan. The groups would be distributed carefully, ensuring every unit had strength, awareness, and versatility.
After a few rotations, adjustments, and suggestions from other Majors… the groupings were finalized:
SOUTH-EAST ZONE (SE) GROUP 1a — My Unit (3 members)
Akenzua (Lesser, Adesina)
Major Obika Udoka — The Black Bow himself.
DaraTari(Lesser Hand)
GROUP 1b — Deji's Unit (3 members)
Major Deji Adesina
Ajani Adesina(Lesser Hand)
Idris Husafi(Lesser Hand)
Deji's unit looked solid. I felt a strange comfort knowing we'd be infiltrating from the same direction.
SOUTH-WEST ZONE (SW) GROUP 2a (4 members)
Major Hassan Husafi
Nura Husafi(Lesser Hand)
Ifeanyi Mba (Madarikan)
Amaka Udoka(Upper Hand)
GROUP 2b (3 members)
Chizoba Duru (Madarikan)
Ikenna Udoka(Upper Hand)
Alade Adesina(Lesser Hand)
NORTH-EAST ZONE (NE) GROUP 3a (4 members)
Major Kosiso Udoka
Onyeka Uzoma (Madarikan)
Tor Adesina(Lesser Hand)
Ebube (Madarikan)
GROUP 3b (3 members)
Samir Husafi(Upper Hand)
Muktar Husafi(Lesser, Hand)
Hema Tari(Upper Hand)
NORTH-WEST ZONE (NW) GROUP 4a (3 members)
Major Adeshola Adesina
Simi Adesina(Lesser Hand)
Chika Udoka(Upper Hand)
GROUP 4b (3 members)
Major Alero Tari
Abiye Tari(Upper Hand)
Amarachi Eze (Madarikan)
Once the board was filled, Obika stepped aside slightly and spoke again, more direct this time.
"For the sake of coordination, you'll all be referred to by your family names throughout the contract. Stay alert, follow your group leader's commands, and stick to your zones."