Episode 2 — Shrine Lesson and Protocol

Episode 6 — Market Circuits

The market moves in circuits—fast inner lanes, slow outer loops, and a strip for talk. Errands become a test: balancing sacks, dodging cones, and ignoring glitches that bend into strange shapes. When a watcher lingers by the neem stump, Nnennaya keeps pace ordinary. In Arochukwu, the smallest carry is letting the city fix itself.

Episode 5 — First Signs

During a plain evening meal, the city begins to falter. The radio cuts mid-sentence, drones hover too long, and the alley screen bends into shapes not meant for advisories. Chisom sees it. Nnennaya feels it. But only restraint keeps the mark quiet. In Arochukwu, even noticing can be dangerous.

Episode 4 — Gate Checkpoint

At the school gate, order is survival. Nnennaya navigates scanners, careless guards, and random depth sweeps that widen without warning. One breath too sharp could expose her coal to the city’s eyes. But the checkpoint isn’t only about passing through—it’s about staying ordinary enough that no one remembers her name.

Episode 3 — Stairwell Test

In a crowded school stairwell, one jammed scanner turns routine into risk. Nnennaya steadies the flow, corrects the drift, and hides the push of her coal before the city notices. But when screens announce random depth scans and devices lag a half-beat late, she realizes: the scanners are watching, and the pattern is shifting.

Episode 2 — Shrine Lesson and Protocol

Inside their apartment shrine, Ngozi teaches Nnennaya the First Grammar of Nsibidi: River Path, Palm Bridge, Ritual Device. The lesson is simple—stop before the mark starts. But outside, drones hum, screens flicker, and even the tools on the shelf whisper for attention. In a world where machines try to lead, Nnennaya must learn humility: the hand follows breath, and tools follow the hand.