by Tony Koepko

In an ancient kingdom of West Africa, where traditions and the laws of the gods shaped every aspect of life, there lived a young man named Adéwalé. Born into a lineage of prosperous merchants, he was determined to expand his wealth beyond the borders of his village. But in these mystical lands, all fortune had to be granted with the blessing of the deities, and every divine favor came at a price.

The Pact with the Deities

One day, Adéwalé stood before the high priest of the deity Ayanwù, guardian of fortune and destiny. He participated in a ceremony, offering white goats, palm wine, and precious pearls. In a trance, he received a vision:

“Your future will be filled with gold and abundance, but in return, your body will become a sanctuary. No one must see your nakedness except your wife. For whoever sees you unclothed must be bound to you in the sacred act, or you will invoke the wrath of the spirits.”

Adéwalé accepted the pact without hesitation. After all, he controlled who could see his body. In the following years, he used his power and wealth to seduce the women he desired, choosing them at will and breaking the taboo in his own way. As long as he respected the terms of the pact, he feared nothing.

The Forbidden Gaze and a Tragic Fate

But destiny is a web woven by the gods themselves. One night, after an evening of drinking and dancing, he returned home with his childhood friend, Kwame. Kwame, having retrieved Adéwalé’s forgotten phone, entered his room just as he was removing his last garment to step under the cool water of his bath.

Their eyes met—an accident, a mere second.

A heavy silence fell. A chilling sensation swept through the room. Kwame, realizing the taboo he had just violated, took a step back, his eyes wide with horror. Adéwalé immediately felt the weight of the curse descend upon him. His breath became shallow, his skin turned cold, and in the depths of his soul, he knew that the gods had come to collect their due.

Breaking the Curse: An Impossible Choice

The sacred oath dictated only one way out: he had to unite physically with the person who had seen him naked. But this time, it wasn’t a woman he had seduced—it was his own friend. A man.

The horror of the situation overwhelmed him. In mystical traditions, such an act was not just forbidden; it was seen as a rupture in the cosmic order, the ultimate offense to ancestors and the deities themselves.

But refusing meant condemning his soul to an even greater punishment. Already, he could feel the effects of the curse: dark spots appeared on his skin, symbols of spiritual rejection; his breath grew heavy, his wealth began to wither. Markets turned their backs on him, his businesses collapsed, and even his servants fled his household.

The high priest, consulted in urgency, confirmed the divine sentence:

“The pact must be honored, or your entire lineage will bear this burden.”

But Adéwalé was trapped between two fates. To go through with the act and break the curse would mean eternal disgrace in the eyes of his people. To refuse meant that the curse would spread to his descendants for generations.

The Last Resort: The Ritual of Redemption

In the farthest reaches of the kingdom, there existed an ancient ritual known only to the wisest elders. It was meant for souls caught in the contradictions of the gods. To be freed, Adéwalé had to make the ultimate sacrifice:

• He had to fast for seven days, without water or food.

• He had to walk barefoot over the ashes of sacred wood, symbolizing the purification of his soul.

• Finally, he had to sacrifice a black ram under the full moon, invoking the forgiveness of the deities.

But this ritual carried a risk: if he failed to complete each step with unwavering faith, his punishment would become irreversible.

The Judgment of the Gods

The fateful night arrived. Before the sacred altar, under the watchful eyes of the elders and spirits, Adéwalé performed each step with religious precision. The fire of purification burned within him, and when the black ram’s blood touched the earth, a violent wind swept through the temple.

A silence followed. Then, a voice from beyond resonated:

“You have defied the laws, but your heart has acknowledged its error. The gods accept your repentance, but your power shall be diminished. From now on, your shadow will forever bear the mark of your broken oath.”

Adéwalé was saved, but he was no longer the same man. His once confident gaze now carried the weight of a haunted past. Wealth still flowed through his life, but never again did he make a pact with the deities without considering the consequences.

For he had learned one undeniable truth: What the gods give, they can also take away.