CLAWS AND LAWS

The dimly lit interrogation room was suffocating, the air thick with tension. Akintola sat slumped in the metal chair, his hands tied tightly to the armrests, his wrists raw from the restraints. A single bulb flickered above him, casting harsh shadows on the cracked concrete walls.

Two officers loomed over him, their expressions hard and unforgiving.

Officer 1: "This is your last chance, Akintola. Confess now, and we'll make sure your punishment is quick."

Officer 2: (sneering) "Keep lying, and you'll rot in here long enough to wish you were dead."

Akintola raised his head slowly, his lips split and bleeding but his resolve unbroken.

Akintola: (firmly) "I didn't kill anyone. Sade is the murderer, not me. She's playing you all like puppets."

The officers exchanged a look before Officer 1 leaned down, his face inches from Akintola's.

Officer 1: "Sade? Framing you? She's the one demanding justice for her father's murder. She's practically untouchable. And you? You're just a disgraced forensic scientist clinging to excuses."

Akintola's jaw clenched. He wanted to shout the truth, but he knew the game was rigged against him. He'd seen how far Sade was willing to go—how much power she wielded over the system.

A strange heat surged through his chest, cutting through his despair like a blade. It started faintly, like a whisper in his bloodstream, but quickly grew into a roaring fire. He gasped, his head swimming as the sensations overwhelmed him.

And then, as if summoned by his anguish, he heard it: Owuye's voice. Gravelly and resolute, it echoed in his mind like a distant memory.

Owuye's voice: "You can't run from it forever, Akintola. The beast inside you is your only hope. Accept it, or let it consume you."

His breathing grew shallow. His pulse thundered in his ears. A cold sweat broke out on his brow as his body trembled violently.

Officer 2: (stepping back, alarmed) "Hey, what's wrong with him?"

Akintola gritted his teeth as his nails began to grow, black and razor-sharp. His muscles expanded, straining against the confines of his shirt, and his eyes glowed an unnatural yellow.

Officer 1: (wide-eyed) "What the—?!"

Before they could react, Akintola let out a guttural growl and snapped the restraints like they were made of paper. He lunged forward with speed and strength that defied logic, sending the officers crashing to the floor.

As the two men groaned in pain, Akintola glanced at his reflection in the room's broken glass. His transformation wasn't complete, but it was enough to make him realize the truth: he was no ordinary man.

Without another moment's hesitation, he bolted out of the room, his heightened senses guiding him through the maze-like corridors of the station.

 The Escape 

Ajoke sat on the cold floor of her cell, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and the distant murmur of voices only added to her growing sense of isolation.

She couldn't stop replaying the events that had led her here. Sade's betrayal felt like a knife to the heart. How could her own sister frame her—and Akintola—for crimes they didn't commit?

A sudden crash jolted her from her thoughts. She scrambled to her feet as the sound of heavy footsteps drew closer. Her heart pounded.

Then, the door to her cell was wrenched off its hinges with a deafening clang. Through the dust and shadows, she saw him: Akintola, his figure partially transformed. His glowing yellow eyes and clawed hands made him look more beast than man, but the determination in his expression was unmistakable.

Ajoke: (stammering) "Akintola? What… what's happening to you?"

Akintola: (gruffly) "There's no time to explain. We have to leave. Now."

Ajoke hesitated, her mind racing with questions, but she trusted him. She grabbed his outstretched hand, and they ran.

The hallways of the station were eerily quiet at first, but it didn't take long for guards to appear, shouting orders and raising their weapons.

Guard: "Stop them!"

Akintola moved like lightning. He incapacitated the guards with calculated precision, never delivering more force than necessary. Ajoke watched in awe as he cleared a path for them, his movements a blur of strength and agility.

Finally, they reached the station's back exit. Ajoke turned to him, her voice trembling.

Ajoke: "What are we going to do now? Sade controls everything. She'll hunt us down."

Akintola: (determined) "Then we'll expose her for what she is. But first, we need to stay alive."

: The Public Show

Outside the station, the courtyard was packed with reporters and flashing cameras. The press conference was in full swing, with Sade standing at the podium. Dressed in an elegant black gown and a matching veil, she looked every bit the grieving daughter.

Sade: "Today, we mourn the loss of my beloved father, Chief Ajumobi, and the brave officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. But we will not rest until justice is served."

Her voice cracked ever so slightly, a calculated move that drew sympathetic murmurs from the crowd.

Reporter 1: "Madam Sade, is it true that Akintola has been officially charged with the murders?"

Sade: (nodding solemnly) "Yes. The evidence is irrefutable. Akintola betrayed my father's trust, and he will face the full weight of the law."

As the cameras clicked and journalists scribbled down her words, a sudden commotion erupted behind her.

The sound of shattering glass drew everyone's attention to the station's second floor. Gasps filled the air as Akintola, still partially transformed, leapt from a broken window with Ajoke in his arms.

Reporter 2: "Is that Akintola?! What's happening?!"

Cameras turned to capture the chaos. Akintola landed gracefully, his sharp claws visible as he set Ajoke down. They disappeared into the shadows before anyone could react.

Sade's calm mask faltered for a split second, but she quickly composed herself, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

Sade: (quietly to herself) "So, you've embraced it after all. This should be fun."

The crowd erupted into chaos, with reporters shouting questions and snapping photos. As Sade retreated from the podium, her expression darkened. This was far from over.

The Journalist's Obsession

Among the crowd of reporters stood Femi Adekunle, a seasoned investigative journalist with a reputation for sniffing out corruption and conspiracies where no one else dared to look. He wasn't like the others, content with soundbites and sensational headlines. Femi had made his career digging into stories that powerful people wanted to bury.

As chaos erupted at the press conference, Femi's sharp eyes followed Akintola's escape. The sight of a man leaping from a second-story window, partially transformed into something that wasn't entirely human, stirred a familiar itch in his gut—the one that told him this story was far bigger than anyone realized.

Femi's Editor, Kola: (through Femi's earpiece) "Did you get that shot, Femi? That'll be on every front page tomorrow!"

Femi: (ignoring the noise) "This isn't just about Akintola, Kola. Sade's hiding something. That wasn't a man they're chasing—it was something else entirely."

Kola: "You're chasing shadows again, Femi. Stick to the facts."

But Femi had already lowered his camera and was pushing through the throng of reporters. He needed to get closer. Something about Sade's demeanor—the slight smirk that broke through her grief—told him she knew far more than she was letting on.

 Sade's Secret Meeting

Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Femi found himself perched on a rooftop overlooking a luxurious estate—Sade's private mansion. He'd followed her here after the press conference, his instincts screaming that she wasn't heading home to mourn.

Peering through his long-range lens, he spotted Sade entering the grand foyer. She wasn't alone. A group of shadowy figures, their faces obscured by cloaks, emerged from the darkness to greet her.

Femi: (whispering to himself) "What is this… some kind of cult?"

He adjusted his camera and began snapping photos, his heart racing as the scene unfolded.

Inside, Sade stood at the center of the group, her commanding presence undeniable.

Sade: "The plan is proceeding as expected. Akintola has embraced his true nature, and the public already sees him as a monster. It won't be long before he comes for me—and when he does, we'll be ready."

One of the cloaked figures stepped forward.

Cloaked Figure: "And the girl? Ajoke?"

Sade's smirk returned.

Sade: "She's just a pawn, like the rest. Keep the police occupied with their manhunt. I want Akintola to suffer before the end."

Femi's hands trembled as he snapped another photo. His gut was right—this wasn't just about murder or corruption. There was something far darker at play.

 Femi Confronts Akintola

Hours later, Femi found himself in a rundown part of the city, following a lead he'd pieced together from years of investigative work. If anyone knew where Akintola might be hiding, it was Owuye, the disgraced former officer who had vanished after his dismissal.

Femi knocked on the door of a dilapidated shack, his nerves on edge. The door creaked open, and there stood Owuye, his piercing eyes narrowing at the sight of the journalist.

Owuye: (gruffly) "What do you want?"

Femi: "I know you've been tracking Akintola. I need to find him."

Owuye studied him for a moment before stepping aside.

Owuye: "If you've come this far, you must already know the danger you're walking into."

Inside the shack, Femi laid out the photos he'd taken at Sade's mansion. Owuye's expression darkened as he examined them.

Owuye: (grimly) "You don't know the half of it. Sade isn't just a murderer—she's something worse. And Akintola… he's the only one who can stop her."

Femi: "Then tell me where he is. I want the truth out there, but I can't do it without him."

Owuye hesitated, but something in Femi's eyes convinced him. With a nod, he gave the journalist the location of Akintola's safehouse.

Scene: Back to Akintola and Ajoke

Akintola and Ajoke sat in the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, their breathing heavy from the escape.

Ajoke: (softly) "What's happening to us, Akintola? First you, and now me… I can feel it inside me, too."

Akintola turned to her, his expression weary but determined.

Akintola: "Sade's been hiding the truth about our family. About everything. We need to find out what she's planning before it's too late."

Before Ajoke could respond, the door creaked open, and both of them tensed. Akintola's claws extended instinctively, but he relaxed slightly when he saw Femi step inside, his hands raised.

Femi: "I'm not here to fight. My name is Femi Adekunle. I'm a journalist, and I think we can help each other."

Akintola's eyes narrowed.

Akintola: "Why should I trust you?"

Femi stepped closer, pulling out the photos he'd taken at Sade's mansion.

Femi: "Because Sade isn't just after you. She's planning something far bigger—and I think she's been doing it for a long time."

Ajoke leaned forward, her eyes scanning the images.

Ajoke: "What are these? Who are those people with her?"

Femi: "That's what we need to figure out. But whatever it is, Sade wants you out of the picture because you're the only ones who can stop her."

Akintola exchanged a glance with Ajoke. For the first time since their escape, he felt a spark of hope.

Akintola: (to Femi) "Alright. If you want to help, then start talking. What else do you know?"