THE NIGHT THE SKY BLED
EXT. UMUIKE VILLAGE – NIGHT
The night is unusually quiet. No crickets. No frogs. The forest surrounding Umuike village looks darker than usual.
A thick red moon hangs above the sky like a warning from the gods.
Suddenly, a violent wind begins to move through the palm trees.
Women quickly pull their children inside their huts.
Dogs begin to howl.
Inside the sacred shrine of Ala Nnukwu, the goddess of the earth, an old priest kneels beside burning incense.
This is DIBIA OKEKE, the oldest priest in the region.
His eyes are closed.
He whispers ancient prayers.
"Great mother Ala… protector of the land… keeper of the sacred laws… may your children walk in peace tonight."
The wind suddenly becomes stronger.
The shrine door bursts open.
The fire inside the shrine begins to flicker violently.
Dibia Okeke slowly opens his eyes.
Something feels terribly wrong.
Outside, thunder rumbles across the sky.
But the sky is clear.
No rain.
Just thunder.
The old priest whispers nervously.
"Amadioha…?"
Another thunder crashes.
The ground shakes slightly.
Suddenly the fire in the shrine grows taller.
Much taller.
Then a powerful voice echoes from the flames.
"Okeke… son of the earth."
The priest immediately falls flat on the ground.
Trembling.
"Great Amadioha! Forgive your servant!"
The flames form the image of a giant figure surrounded by lightning.
The god AMADIOHA has appeared.
His voice shakes the shrine.
"Rise, priest of the earth. There is no time for fear."
Dibia Okeke slowly lifts his head.
But when he looks behind Amadioha, his blood runs cold.
There is another shadow standing behind the thunder god.
A darker presence.
Something ancient.
Something dangerous.
The priest whispers in terror.
"Who… who stands behind you, great Amadioha?"
For a moment, Amadioha says nothing.
Then the thunder god speaks slowly.
"War is coming."
Lightning explodes across the sky.
The entire village wakes up in panic.
Villagers run outside.
Children cry.
Men shout.
One elder screams.
"The sky is bleeding! Look at the moon!"
The moon has turned deep crimson.
Inside the shrine, the second shadow finally speaks.
Its voice is deep.
Cold.
Ancient.
"You have ruled long enough, Amadioha."
The flames suddenly go out.
Darkness fills the shrine.
Dibia Okeke screams.
"No! This cannot be happening! The gods must never fight!"
But outside the shrine, the sky erupts with the loudest thunder the land has ever heard.
The war of the gods has begun.