Living Sacrifice

Ude, a wealthy and ruthless member of the Sacred Brotherhood known as Abani, orders the abduction and ritual sacrifice of Chisom, a young herbalist known for spiritual healing powers and virginity. The ritual appears successful but the next morning Chisom reappears at Ude's mansion alive. She reveals she died but was sent back by her ancestors because it is not yet her time. She warns that the ancestors are furious with Ude and he must apologize or face destruction. Ude dismisses her but she refuses to leave. She moves through his house with eerie calm while serving food and sleeping in his room which drives him to paranoia and sleepless nights. As Ude's business fails and his health deteriorates and he is physically beaten by Chisom's spirit the Brotherhood convenes in emergency session. Their leader Kusasa reveals Chisom's sacrifice was rejected because Ude violated guidelines which stripped the members of divine protection. The gods demand a new sacrifice of a virgin in her thirties which is a near impossible find in the Gen-Z era. Ude's aide Ebuka realizes Chisom herself fits the description perfectly. Chisom's spirit, identified as the powerful Agbarawine and daughter of a chief priest, intensifies her attacks by flogging Ude publicly and disrupting Brotherhood rituals. The cult's high priest flees and Kusasa gives Ude twenty-four hours to appease Chisom or face execution by the Brotherhood. Desperate Ude consults a Wise One who is also a Chief Priest and he lays out the terrible price of peace. Ude must denounce the cult and forfeit all his ill-gotten wealth and sacrifice his manhood. The Wise One reveals Chisom allowed herself to be killed so she could return and destroy Ude and the Brotherhood for their atrocities. Ude recoils at the cost and argues with Ebuka who refuses to share in the poverty that would follow the cult's destruction.