With a shiver of dread, Eze turned his head slowly, beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. There, on the other side of the room, stood the same accursed black, blue-veined spider that had entangled him in this bewildering mess in the first place.

"JESUS!" he exclaimed, catapulting out of the bed with a speed that defied reason. "I'm not Him either, you know. I'll give you a few more guesses," the spider said calmly.

Eze's mind whirred like gears in a rusty clock as he stammered, "B-Buddha?"

"Nope," the spider responded coolly. "Mother Nature?" Eze ventured weakly. "Yeah, right." "Z-ZEUS?" he tried again, geniune confusion edging his voice. The spider scoffed. "I wish."

"Then what... why... and who are you?" Eze stammered, attempting to maintain a cautious distance between them.

The Spider shook its head in dismay. "You really don't know, huh? Does Anansi ring a bell?"

A burst of realization erupted in Eze's mind. "Anansi? Anansi? The trickster god? That Anansi?"

"There we go," the Spider confirmed.

"Please, PLEASE, abeg, don't kill me!" Eze pleaded, his voice quivering with fear.

"WHY SHOULDN'T I?" the spider suddenly thundered, its voice reverberating with a depth that shook the very room. Simultaneously, it grew in size, looming menacingly over Eze. The room would start to fill up with complete and utter darkness, only illuminated by blue veins.

"PLEASE!" Eze begged, his terror now palpable.

"Abeg e, calm down," the spider said, its tone softening as it gradually shrank back to its original size.

"Why are you here? Here in Lagos, Nigeria of all places?" Eze questioned, his voice finally steadying, albeit still laced with apprehension.

"Trust me, I would've preferred to go to Ghana as well. But I'm here because of reasons beyond your understanding. I deem you as a worthy host for me, Eze Adi," the spider explained cryptically.

"Host? Host for what?" Eze pressed, his curiosity mingling with his fear.

"I am a weaver of tales, a spinner of destinies, and the keeper of all stories. I require a vessel in this world to carry out my divine duties. You, Eze, you shall become a conduit for my stories, the one who will protect this cluster with me, like my own mini adventurer. You are my chosen one," Anansi explained, his voice resonating with a strange mixture of authority and amusement.

"Chosen... One," Eze repeated, the weight of the words sinking in. This was all moving too fast for him, the reality of his situation unfathomable.

Anansi tilted his head, the blue veins on his jet-black body pulsating with an otherworldly glow. "Yes, chosen one. If that's what you want to call it."

"But what about my dreams? My ambitions? Everything I set out to do with my life? I don't want to just throw everything away!" Eze protested, his voice tinged with desperation.

The spider perked up, almost baffled at Eze's words. Eze hesitated, his mind caught between fear and fascination. The prospect of being part of something grander than himself was both alluring and terrifying. "What if I refuse?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Anansi's eyes softened, and for a moment, he seemed almost paternal. "Look at you. A pathetic and worthless specimen. No life, passable academics, and no real family to speak of," the spider's words dripped with a peculiar mix of contempt and pity, emphasizing Eze's perceived shortcomings.

"You are the first useless mortal to even consider rejection for a normal life. WHAT NORMAL LIFE? YOU HAVE NO NORMAL LIFE TO FALL BACK ON, YOU FATHERLESS, MOTHERLESS MORSEL!" Anansi's voice rose, his words cutting deep, finding their mark in the softest parts of Eze's heart.

Tears welled in Eze's eyes as the brutal words pierced him, striking his deepest insecurities.

"Refusal, my dear Eze Adi, is a luxury you no longer possess. A luxury that I no longer possess. Fate has woven our threads together, and now, we embark on a journey that transcends mortal comprehension. Embrace the power of stories, for they are the essence of existence," Anansi declared, his voice now resonating with a somber, ancient wisdom, as if imploring Eze to understand the weight of his newfound destiny.

"Think of it this way, Eze, you're like a superhero now," the spider said, scurrying closer towards him, its eyes glittering with an odd mixture of kindness and mischief. "And everyone likes to be a hero... right?"

But rather than feeling excited, Eze was saddened by the spider's words. Even a literal god found his position hilarious. He had slumped down, sitting with his hands around his knees, and his head buried deep inside them, consumed by a profound sense of hopelessness.

As the spider stamped the bed, veins traveled from it towards Eze, snaking upwards to his eyes, forcing his head up and drying the tears almost instantly.

"Was what I said truly that impactful to you? Humans these days and their lack of emotional resolve. Come on, be excited or something," Anansi urged, attempting to infuse some enthusiasm into Eze.

"If you're really going to be stuck with me for eternity or something, this is not a good first impression, Anansi," Eze retorted, his voice laced with a mix of sadness and frustration.

"There we go! So, should I wipe your brain and start over?" Anansi teased, a mischievous glint in its eyes.

"W- What?!? NO!" Eze exclaimed, his fear returning in full force, his heart pounding in his chest. His body tensed up, and he involuntarily shuddered at the thought of losing his memories.

"Then STOP THE INSOLENCE!" Anansi's voice boomed, its echo bouncing off the walls of the cave.

"Fine, fine, I will," Eze mumbled, his defiance evaporating in the face of the spider god's power.

"Now finally, Eze Adi, are you ready?" Anansi's tone softened, a strange blend of eagerness and patience. "Eze Adi," Anansi said, its voice creating a tapestry of doom and destiny. "As my chosen vessel, your existence will be interwoven with purpose and pain." Even with its grandeur, your divine vocation has a price. You will carry the weight of folktales from long ago, the anguish of unrealized dreams, and the tragedies of lost souls. The cries of the oppressed will resound in your heart, and the tragedies of the world will haunt your dreams. You will bear the weight of all of humanity's stories together, a thick shroud of grief over your shoulders. You will experience the entire range of human emotion in its most unadulterated form, seeing the heights of happiness and the depths of despair. Your own being will become infused with other people's pain, transforming you into a sympathetic and perceptive being. Trials will plague your path, and sacrifices necessary to achieve your mission will be made. But through it all, you will shine like a lighthouse of hope, shedding light on the shadows with the knowledge of old folktales, and you will find strength in your pain."

"Ok..., so what is this divine duty that you spoke about?" Eze questioned, his curiosity piqued despite his lingering fear.

"Is it because I calmed down that you want to ask me silly questions suddenly?" he added, suspicious of the sudden change in his own demeanour.

"Why do I suddenly feel better? Like I don't know, I feel a whole lot more confident suddenly," Eze confessed, surprised by his newfound assurance.

"Well? What could be so important that you make such a song and dance about?" Eze asked, his voice steadier now, a mix of determination and curiosity in his eyes.

"Hmph, aren't you an inquisitive one? Well, here's a twist you didn't expect," the spider said with a mischievous glint in its eyes. "The duty is simple. There is no duty! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What? So what was the long speech for?" Eze asked, feeling a mix of relief and confusion.

"It's not too late for me to recreate your memories, you know," Anansi teased, his laughter echoing eerily in the room.

"Sorry," Eze stammered, realizing he had been played.

He continued to laugh at his not-so-funny joke until suddenly, the door creaked open slightly. Anansi vanished, taking the black and blue illumination with him, leaving the room in its ordinary, dim hospital light.

In walked Obinna, then Chinwe.

"See? I told you!" Obinna said, his chest puffed out with confidence.

"EZE!" Chinwe exclaimed with a wondrous, childlike scream, almost knee sliding to the floor to give him a comforting hug around his neck.

"I thought you were dying!" she said, her eyes misty with tears.

"Seems like a thought you would think, Chinwe," Eze quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

"Could you skip the sass for just a few seconds, Eze?" Obinna said, his arms crossed, a mix of worry and annoyance on his face.

Eze smiled finally. "I'll consider it."

"So what was that about being a vessel for Anansi?" Obinna said, his curiosity piqued.

"H-huh?" Eze stammered, his surprise evident.

"Don't worry, Eze." Obinna reassured him with a knowing smile.

"I heard everything."