Chapter 4: The Valley of Shadowed Corrosion

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Him words scatter my mind.

I dey wonder how person fit dey wicked like this. I never even get chance near that palm, but na me dem dey blame. Spirit wahala no dey ever finish.

I know say the Sevenfold Radiance Palm na big thing, but I no even know wetin he dey talk.

My mind dey blank. All my memory dey swim like fish for muddy water. I dey try remember, but nothing clear.

I no fit stand by myself, so I just slump for wall, struggle small but e no work.

The pain for my back dey hold me down. My leg dey shake. I dey beg for small mercy, but none dey.

At the end, I stop to fight, just dey wait make him fingers tight reach finish. If I die for land of the living, na to enter reincarnation cycle again be that.

I dey think say maybe this time, I go lucky, get better life, meet person wey go treat me well. But even as I dey think, fear still dey catch me.

Compared to all the wahala Obinna give me, I prefer make I start again.

Better to forget all these spirit wahala, start as pikin, maybe for small village where love no dey bring curse.

I just dey wait, till finally Obinna leave me.

He just loose hand, his eyes still red, then waka stand for corner. Na so he dey always do, hurt person, then dey act like nothing happen.

I open eye, look am.

For one moment, my throat lock, I almost think say maybe Obinna still get small feeling for me.

E get as his eyes soft for just one second. I dey see old Obinna—the one wey go laugh for market, wey go hold my hand. But sharp sharp, e vanish.

"Obinna, I never touch that Sevenfold Radiance Palm…"

I try make my voice no break. The truth choke me, but nobody wan hear.

My chest dey pain, I no fit hold the tears. "Even if I wan do am, look me—this my body don scatter, you think say I fit try?"

The words just fall from my mouth. E dey pain me say na me dey beg for pity wey I no suppose beg for. My tears dey soak my face, my spirit dey tremble.

As I talk finish, Obinna just clench him fist, knock am for wall.

The sound loud, echo for room. Small dust fall from ceiling. The anger for his body fit melt iron.

"So Nkechi talk true—you really wan destroy the Sevenfold Radiance Palm."

Him voice carry accusation wey dey heavy like stone. E no even ask, na just conclusion. My heart break small again.

"Amarachi, I tell you say I go find another one for you. But Nkechi no fit wait—her body dey rot, I no even fit pass immortal energy give am."

I dey hear the frustration for his voice, but e no move me. All na talk, no action. Nkechi na him world, me na just shadow.

"Why? Why you come dey so wicked now?"

His words dey cut like knife. I dey look am, dey wonder wetin turn his heart to stone.

"You no be my Amarachi again."

That line finish me. I no fit breathe. My spirit dey float. I dey ask myself—who I be, if I no be Amarachi again?

For a while, I no fit understand the meaning of him talk. I turn my head look outside.

Outside, the sky dey dark, cold breeze dey blow. I dey see the world as if I no dey part of am again. Na only pain remain.

Nkechi dey hide for door, dey look us with wicked smile.

Her smile wicked, her eyes dey shine like person wey win lottery. E dey pain me say na me dey suffer, she dey rejoice.

Immediately I know say wahala dey—and true true…

Spirit house dey quiet, but I sabi say after this, nothing go remain the same. Some power dey for that room, e dey press my chest.

Obinna no send my pain, just carry me fly go Valley of Shadowed Corrosion.

As he grip me, my body cold. The speed wey he take carry me, na only spirit fit move like that. Everywhere turn black and blue; wind dey slap my face.

"Amarachi, as you destroy the Sevenfold Radiance Palm, you suppose know say you go pay price."

His voice na judgment, no pity inside. The valley smell like burnt hair and bitter leaf water. The valley smell like rotten wood and old tears. E get one darkness wey dey crawl for ground, dey hold my leg.

The poison for the valley dey wrap me, my bone and body dey pain like say dem dey tear me. I dey shake, I ask am, "Obinna… you even understand wetin you dey do…"

The pain na fire. My eyes dey hot, my body dey weak. I dey look am, still dey hope for small mercy.

"If you throw me inside this valley, I go finish. I be only spirit official, I no get power to protect myself."

I dey beg with last voice wey remain for me. I dey shake. My soul dey leak small small.

Obinna pull me near.

His face close, I fit see the old lines for his jaw. The man I love don turn stranger. My heart dey bleed.

I think say after all I don talk, maybe small pity go enter him mind.

Na hope make spirit dey survive. Even when all finish, na hope make person still dey look for small light.

But na cold words I hear.

"Amarachi, I just dey use the poison of this valley to force your power out, so I fit take am make spirit body for Nkechi. You no go die—my power fit keep you alive. But Nkechi different. She be mortal now, my power no reach am."

The words cold, as if say I no mean anything. My spirit dey tear inside.

"Amarachi, just endure small."

That word na old curse for my ear. Every time person tell you to endure, na so pain dey increase. I don tire to endure.

Endure.

How I go take endure this one?

I dey ask myself—spirit or human, how much pain dem expect from person?

If na so e be…

Na there my mind scatter. I just decide say if wahala dey, make all of us chop am together.

I just release all the strength for my body. As I lose control, I drag Obinna follow me, both of us fall inside the valley.

The shock for his face sweet me small. As poison dey catch both of us, I dey feel small peace. For once, I get power for my own story.

Inside all the poison, I just laugh small, whisper:

"Obinna, if na spirit body you wan do for Nkechi, abeg, go hell go find am yourself."

Na so darkness cover me. My laughter dey echo, even inside all the pain.