Chapter 55 – A Deal Written in Red
Ravena didn't move.
Neither did Afre.
They stood exactly where the portal had closed behind them, backs nearly touching, eyes locked on the empty space where Papa Legba had last stood. The forest around them felt wrong—too quiet, too respectful, as if even the wind had decided not to test its luck.
Five minutes passed.
Ravena's fingers twitched around her staff. Purple energy pulsed faintly, then faded, then pulsed again. Her breathing was slow, controlled—but just barely.
Ten minutes.
Afre's jaw remained clenched. His red aura flickered once, then settled beneath his skin like a sleeping beast.
Twenty minutes.
Neither of them spoke.
The truth sat heavy between them: Papa Legba was not just powerful—he was ancient. A king who stood at every crossroads, a ruler whose influence reached across worlds. You didn't chase someone like that. You survived him—if he allowed it.
Thirty minutes.
Ravena swallowed. Her throat felt dry.
An hour.
Finally, the tension cracked.
"I think…" Ravena said slowly, her voice deeper than usual, strained, "I think we're safe."
She wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her robe clung to her skin, damp from both effort and fear.
"He would've come by now," she continued, forcing a laugh that sounded hollow even to her own ears. "If he wanted us dead, we'd already be fish food."
Afre exhaled through his nose. "Seems like it."
Ravena let out a shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her shoulders dropped. She rolled her neck once, then twice, trying to loosen the stiffness.
"Damn," she said, stepping behind Afre and slapping his back hard. "I thought we were goners for a second."
She laughed—loud, sharp, a little unhinged.
"You saw his eyes? I swear, my soul almost packed its bags."
Afre didn't laugh.
He turned.
Ravena frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
His face was calm. Too calm.
"I'm sorry," Afre said quietly.
Ravena blinked. "Sorry for wh—"
The punch landed.
It wasn't flashy. No aura explosion. No dramatic buildup.
Just raw, terrifying power.
His fist drove straight into her stomach.
The impact crushed the air from her lungs instantly. Ravena's eyes went wide as her body folded around the blow—then she was gone.
She flew.
Trees shattered as she tore through them, branches snapping like twigs. Her body slammed into a massive boulder with a deafening crack, stone exploding outward as she finally came to a stop in a cloud of dust and debris.
Silence followed.
For a long moment, nothing moved.
Then Ravena coughed.
Blood spilled from her mouth, dripping down her chin and staining her black robes. She forced herself upright, muscles screaming, one hand clutching her ribs as pain flared with every breath.
"What…" she rasped, eyes burning with fury and disbelief. "What the actual f— was that for, Afre?!"
No answer.
The dust slowly settled.
Her vision cleared just enough to see it—
A faint red glow.
A closed portal.
And then—
Nothing.
It vanished.
Ravena's mouth fell open.
"No. No, no, no—wait."
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
"What… what did you do?" she whispered.
Panic flooded her veins.
"We're dead," she said, voice cracking. "We're actually dead. Do you have any idea what you just did!? If they find out—if Makandal finds out—you think betraying me was the problem!?"
Her hands shook.
Afre was gone.
And whatever game he was playing… she had just been kicked out of it.
Far away, in Nan Bannan, the world felt blissfully normal.
Bega sat sprawled on his old couch, one leg hanging off the side, a plate balanced on his stomach. Rice and beans, stewed chicken, grease soaking into the edges. Beside him sat a large pitcher of passion fruit juice, beads of condensation running down its side.
He shoveled another mouthful in, groaning happily.
"Man," he said to no one in particular, "the lady across the street can cook."
He leaned back, chewing slowly.
"On top of that, she doubled my portion again," he added with a grin. "I swear, I'm never moving from this block."
He reached for the pitcher—
And froze.
A glowing red circle began forming in the middle of his living room.
The air warped. The walls vibrated.
Bega's eyes widened so fast it hurt.
"…Nah," he whispered. "Nah, nah, nah—this ain't happening."
The portal opened fully.
Afre stepped through.
Calm. Clean. Untouched.
Red light reflected in his eyes as he took in the room, the couch, the plate of food, the stunned gang leader frozen mid-bite.
Bega slowly set the spoon down.
"…Who the hell are you? Wait! No.. please! Not you again, what.. what do you want?" he asked carefully.
Afre smiled.
"I have an offer for you," he said smoothly, "that you can't refuse."
The portal snapped shut behind him.
The room suddenly felt much smaller.
And much more dangerous.
End of Chapter 55