Chapter 1: Enter Ife—Love or Die

I don enter battle royale game.

As I dey look around, my mind dey run scatter-scatter, like fowl wey just escape market pot. The air inside the room cold, like say harmattan just enter Lagos—e be like dem wan freeze my blood. This kind wahala, my eye never see before, but for Naija, when life don corner you, anything fit happen. The only small hope wey dey my chest na say maybe, just maybe, I fit use this chance change my destiny.

Winner go carry one hundred million cash, or make any wish wey worth that kind money.

If you see the kind hunger wey dey Naija, you go understand why people fit risk neck for this kind game. Even government no fit dash you ordinary twenty kobo.

"Welcome to the gentlest battle royale game in history."

The host begin announce the rules for the first round.

E voice deep, e echo for the room like mosque call for Friday morning. Even the sharpest agbero go humble when e hear am. Na the type of voice wey fit remind person say e no dey for house.

The name of the first round na Ife (Love). As long as you fit show love and kindness, you fit move go next stage.

The thing shock me. For where we dey, na survival of the sharpest, but here dem dey talk Ife as if na Valentine show. One woman for corner just hiss, “Na love go save person for Naija? Abeg!”

How dem go take know say you get love? For example, you fit use your own life make another person pass.

People dey whisper, dey reason how person go do that kind thing. For Naija, to trust person reach that level na wahala.

I dey press my right hand for my temple, dey try clear my head.

Sweat dey my palm even though AC dey blast, and my chest dey rise and fall as if I run from Area Boys for Oshodi. I try blink away the confusion.

The whole place dey shake for my eye, but e later clear small. Wetin I see na pure white ceiling.

I feel like say I dey inside one private hospital for Lekki or one big politician house, but this one too clean pass any general hospital. I dey wonder which kind people fit arrange this kind setting.

I look side: na white room, big one sef.

Even the light dey shine like NEPA wire wey just restore after one week of darkness.

Everything for the room na white—white wall, white light, the thing bright sotay e dey pain my eye.

If not for the wahala wey carry me come, I for dey enjoy this kind hotel treatment.

For ground, iron bunk beds just dey everywhere, all of dem white. People dey lie down for top, all of dem wear plain white clothes.

I check myself, me too dey wear white.

I touch the material, e soft like say dem use original cotton, no be Aba made. I even check if my phone dey with me, nothing.

For my right wrist, dem sew number with black thread: 15.

I reason say na my number be that.

As I look the number, I dey think whether na sign say I go chop better luck or wahala. You know for Naija, people dey fear number like 13, but 15 get its own wahala.

People begin wake up one by one. Some bold ones don already come down from bed, dey look the room anyhow.

Me, I no rush. I just dey try remember wetin happen before I faint.

No time to do anyhow for this kind place. I dey watch people dey yarn among themselves, some dey pray under breath, some dey look ceiling as if dem dey see vision.

One month ago, card just appear for my wallet like magic.

E shock me, because na only N500 dey my wallet before. The way the card show ehn, I nearly think say na Yahoo boys dey play trick.

E talk say I dey invited to join battle royale game. Winner fit get one hundred million cash, or wish wey worth the money.

For this country, hundred million fit make person governor if e get sense.

But if you fail, na die be that.

I reason am say na prank, just throw the card for dustbin.

Na that day I dey reason whether village people dey follow me. After all, this kind invitation no be normal thing.

But doctor tell me say my babe no go ever wake up—she don turn vegetable.

The pain choke me, e choke pass as NEPA take cut light for night. I just dey look my babe for hospital bed, dey beg God.

The medical bill na wah.

I fit sell my papa house, e no go reach the bill. Na so I begin dey think anyhow.

I think am well, go dig the card from inside indomie wrapper for my dustbin.

That card dey smell Maggi and old oil, but I no send. I just dey hope say e no be scam.

I waka go the address wey dem write for am.

The place na one corner for town, no signboard, just black gate. As I knock, dem open sharp-sharp like say dem dey wait me.

The person wey I meet for there, as e hear say I serious, e just smile—after that, I no remember anything again.

The smile e give me cold pass harmattan breeze. Before I fit say Jack, na blackout.

As I wake for this strange place, nothing dey with me again, na only these clothes and this cold number remain.

I touch my chest, check pocket—wallet, phone, everything don vanish. I dey naked pass church rat except this white cloth.

Everybody—

Noise just hush, tension hang for air like rainy season cloud. Na so eyes dey shine dey wait who go first talk.

One strange person, mask for face, black agbada, waka enter the room.

If you see the agbada, na original, no be those ones wey tailor go sew for 10k. The embroidery dey shine like real gold. E step dey heavy, like person wey dem born for chieftaincy house.

Both sleeves get round gold pattern, e dey shine, na big man style.

As e move, the agbada dey flow like river for rainy season. Nobody fit talk.

The mask cover almost all e face, na only mouth and chin show. From the voice, na man.

You know Naija people, some go say na masquerade, but for here, everybody just dey reason quietly.

"Welcome to the gentlest battle royale game in history."

E voice get power, like pastor for crusade.

Everywhere quiet, everybody focus on the man in black.

Even fly no fit buzz for that moment. Na so everybody mouth seal tight.

"I be the host for this game. My main work na to talk rules and make sure everywhere dey orderly.

Winner go collect one hundred million. If you fail, na die. All of una know this one already.

Before I talk the rules, anybody get question? You fit ask."

As e finish, na so people look each other like say nobody wan collect first bullet. But one small girl, e never reach sixteen, shakily raise hand.

One small girl raise hand, fear dey her body.

Her voice dey tremble like generator wey no get fuel. You fit see say e no wan wahala.

"I... I get question..."

"Talk."

"Um... fit we quit?"

You know say for Naija, some people dey believe say if game no sweet, dem fit just waka go. She hope say this one fit be like that.

"Yes."

E answer sharp, like principal wey dey catch latecomer for gate.

The girl breathe relief. "Thank you. Abeg, how person fit quit?"

Hope just flash for the girl face, her body relax small as she talk.

The man in black wave hand.

Bang—

For Naija, gunshot dey sound different. The thing loud, everybody freeze. The kind fear wey hold us na the type wey you go feel for checkpoint if SARS stop you. Somebody even shout, “Blood of Jesus!” and another person begin speak in tongues.

Gunshot sound. Blood just rush from the girl head. She fall back, shake small, then stop to move.

You go think say na Nollywood, but this one real. Blood just dey pump like sachet water wey burst.

"Ah—" person scream, everywhere scatter.

Some people jump under bed, some just dey shout 'Jesu!' up and down. Na pure panic.

"No move! No move—!"

The man in black shout tire, e no work.

If you see as people scatter, you go think say na police raid. The man voice even crack.

Gunshot dey ring, each one collect life.

As each shot sound, person dey drop. My own leg just dey shake anyhow.

Until nobody dey move again—everybody just dey tremble, freeze for where dem dey.

That white room don turn red, blood just dey everywhere like say hibiscus flower dey grow for snow.

You no go believe say na just one minute e take change from peace to warzone.

"Anybody still wan quit?"

Nobody talk, nobody raise hand.

You fit hear pin drop. Even the people wey stubborn before, na so dem humble.

The man in black clear throat.

E begin talk the rules for the first round.

As e clear throat, na so my own mind clear too. This one no be play.

"The name of the first round na Ife (Love). As long as you fit show love and kindness, you fit move go next stage.

How dem go take know? For example, you fit use your own life make another person pass."

Na so fear run for my body. The thing pain me say na so easy to end person for here.

E remove black leather glove, beckon the person wey near am.

"Come, no fear. Come, e no go do you anything."

Even the way e talk 'no fear' get one kind coldness.

The person dey shake like say cold dey catch am. Ten steps take am three minutes.

If you see as e dey waka, you go pity am. The floor even dey vibrate under the shakiness of the leg.

"For example, if you tell the host, 'I ready use my life make him pass,' then the person fit pass first round."

The wahala be say, how you go trust say dem go really let the other person go? For this country, trust dey scarce like fuel during scarcity.

As e talk, the mouth under the mask just bend small, like say e dey smile.

The smile wicked, no be better smile. Na smile wey dey make person remember old witches for village.

"And my price be..."

Before e finish, e pull one thin dagger, stab am for e own belle.

Everybody jump, some even close eye. The sight no be small thing.

Then e pull the dagger out, blood just spray enter the man wey follow am do demo.

Blood soak the man white cloth, show how serious the man in black dey. The smell of fresh blood mix with AC, dey make person belly turn.

People wey near am begin shift back. Nobody wan chop stray blood.

"If one stab no kill, I go stab again, and again."

No be small threat. Na so e look everybody, eye dey cold.

"Game na two hours. After two hours, anybody wey never advance... go die."

Even the way e talk two hours, e be like say e dey dash us life.

"Game, start."