The children would cry. Sometimes they wouldn't eat. And it they manage to eat at times they'd vomit everything. When they suck breasts at times they'd vomit the water messing everywhere. Their mother knew they were going through hell. She knew the battle was far beyond what they could handle. Mr Ayo's business partner and a few that came to visit them in their house told them that they should involve their pastor in the case that he could miraculously heal them.

Fast-forward to when they took the children to church, their pastor, Mr. Oyem, prayed for them and advised the couple to keep the children out of the house for a week. He warned that the children should not sleep at home for seven nights but instead stay under his care, as witches were determined to take their lives by any means necessary.

Bamidele was deeply troubled. She lamented that she had never harmed anyone and wondered who could possibly wish such evil upon her children when her hands were clean. But the pastor reassured her that one does not need to offend witchès for them to strike. Trusting his words, she and her husband decided to follów his instructions, allowing the children to spend their nights at the pastor’s house for the time being.

The pastor also instructed them to be active in church services and participate in evangelism. Before they left, he gave them a final warning—to keep everything about the children's welfare strictly confidential, as prying eyes and ears were everywhere.

Two days after the arrangement began, the strange cries lessened, and the children finally started nursing properly without spitting out Bamidele’s brèast milk as they usually did. Since that was their only source of nourishment, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Each evening, after brèastfeeding them, she would leave them in the care of Mr. Oyem’s wife before she and her husband drove home. Meanwhile, Itoro and her crew noticed something unsettling—they could no longer access the children. Since the children had been moved to the pastor’s house, the mirror could no longer locate them. Instead, it only showed Bamidele and her husband sleeping as usual. All the rituals she often perform in her room at night were all halted.

Determined to find answers, Itoro decided to ask around about the children during the day, but most people had no idea what she was talking about. Four days after the children’s absence, on a Saturday afternoon, she arrived at Bamidele’s house. There, she found Bamidele’s husband washing his car, unaware that his wife had stepped out to visit a friend.

She greeted Ayo cheerfully, and he responded with a polite nod. She was only two years older than him. Glancing around, she casually asked about his wife and children. Ayo immediately stopped washing the car and turned fully to face her.

SILENT BETRAYAL [5️⃣]
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As she carefully tried to squeeze every last drop of liquid from the small bottle into their mouths, she suddenly heard approaching footsteps. Panic surged through her, and she hastily shoved everything into her bag, zipped it shut, and rushed outside. Just as she stepped out, adjusting her gown to appear as though she had just emerged from the bathroom, she unexpectedly ran into Bamidele on the walkway.

Bamidele muttered worriedly, "Your friend said he's leaving... I thought both of you came together. I even assumed you'd be done by now, sis. You took so long."

She quickly composed herself, speaking rapidly as if nothing had happened. "Oh, um, yes. Someone called me while I was in the bathroom, and we talked for a while. Are you done washing?"

"Not really. I also came to pick up some of my bra and underwear that I've left here for a while. Since I have the chance, it's best I just wash everything to avoid procrastination."

As they spoke, the children's cries suddenly erupted—from a soft cough to full-blown wailing. Their mother hurried over to the bed to pat them and even breastfeed them until their wailing reduced. Itoro later left, telling her sister to take her time and tend to the kids. Despite her still breastfeeding, she managed to give Itoro a warm hug before leaving.

Itoro felt relieved, having completed nearly 90% of what had brought her there. Every time she thought about her sister and the comfortable life she was living, a deep pang of envy and resentment gnawed at her. She called Chidi on her small tecno phone and he told her that he had left to attend to something else.

That same night, follõwing her queen’s instructions, she lit one of the red candles and let it burn down completely. She scattered some fetish stuffs around the small room she was living. She repeated the rituals for three consecutive nights. Once the task was completed, she returned to the coven to report to her queen that it had been done. The queen nodded in approval and told her to be patient, that the charm would soon begin to manifest in the children, just as planned.

Two weeks later, strange things began happening to the children. The eldest, Tommy, started bloating. At first, they assumed it was just trapped air and dismissed it as nothing serious. However, what initially seemed like a minor issue quickly escalated within days, fõrcing them to seek for an urgent solution. While the eldest Tommy was bloating, the other one grew alarmingly thin, resembling a child suffering from kwashiõrkor. Not like they weren't feeding them well.

Mr. Ayo, her husband, had to skip many important meetings and business trips just to focus on the children. Children that were not even up to two months old. Bamidele began crying and asking God for forgiveness if she had offended Him. She pleaded for His mercy and for healing over her children. She had no clue who to pass the blame on, considering the fact that her sister had left her place two weeks earlier. And random visitors whom she trust wouldn't think of harming her children.

Bamidele and her husband grew increasingly worried. They turned to intense prayers, but it seemed their efforts yielded no results. Desperate, they decided to take the children to the hospital. Doctors ran multiple tests, but the results showed nothing abnormal. They were unable to determine the cause of the children's condition. Meanwhile back at the coven at night, their queen and Itoro watched closely, monitoring the children’s suffering from their mirror, satisfied that their plan was unfolding as intended.

SILENT BETRAYAL [4️⃣]
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"Oh, they're sleeping, sis. As soon as I finished breastfeeding them, they dozed off. That's why I even have time to do some chores. The slightest thing upsets them, and they start crying—you know how children are."

Itoro glanced around awkwardly, scratching her head as she searched for the right words to convince her sister without sounding desperate.

"But can I at least see them? Even if it's just to say a prayer and bless them in my own way?"

"Sis, I would love that, but they're asleep. No visitors today so they have time to rest. My husband is not still around and I have things to do. If they're awake I won't really have time. I completely understand how you feel, trust me. Unless you'll be staying a bit longer? That way, you can see them when they wake up."

Itoro hesitated but eventually agreed to extend her stay. She hadn’t planned to stay long—her focus was on accomplishing her goal. Bamidele, who had been standing with them, excused herself and went back to washing the clothes. Before leaving, she told them to let her know if they needed anything.

She had a brief conversation with Chidi before standing up and stepping out to lîe to her sister that she needed to use the bathroom, exactly how she had planned. As someone that was filled with compassion, bamidele nodded and gave her permission.

Having visited the house a few times, she was already familiar with its layout. As she walked toward the bathroom with her bag in hand, she was carefully scanning the area. One of the room she saw was locked. Her eyes later caught sight of a slightly open room door. The curtains were neatly folded and hung on the curtain rod. Curious, Itoro carefully peeked inside and saw the twins lying side by side on the bed, facing the ceiling, their tiny hands resting on top of each other.

Itoro’s heart pounded violently in her chest. She knew that if her sister walked in and found her there, questions would follõw. Questions she wasn’t prepared to answer. Holding her breath, she carefully placed the bag on the bed, pulled down the curtain and left the door slightly ajar. She circled a wooden fetish cross, wrapped entirely in red, three times over their heads while muttering incantations, then blew a handful of ashes from the bag into the air.

She gazed around and noticed everywhere was quiet. Her hands trembled as she reached for the babies. One by one, she pried their tiny mouths open and they jolted awake in the process. Their innocent eyes locking onto hers. But they were too young to understand. Too young to question.

She continued.

With a steady but anxious hand, Itoro poured some of the dark liquid into her palm, then pressed her thumb against their lips, letting the substance drip into their mõuths, smiling evîly. It tasted like water to them—harmless, familiar. But Itoro knew better. What she held was far from ordinary. It was one of the disguised gift her queen had given her in the cõven. The children swallowed continuõusly. Their wide, unblinking eyes never leaving her face.

SILENT BETRAYAL [3️⃣]
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