Betrayed by her best friend. Destroyed by the fashion world. Reborn by fire. In the quiet hills of Ilodé, a young orphan named Adura dreams of changing the world through fashion. But when her closest friend steals everything and disappears, Adura's life crumbles. Just when all hope is lost, she discovers a burning truth - she is a descendant of the Eyan Inu Ina, a forgotten tribe blessed with fire in their blood. From the ashes of betrayal, Adura rises - not for revenge, but for rebirth. Ashes of the Phoenix is a heart-wrenching, fantasy-inspired story of pain, power, and purpose. Set in a mythical Nigerian world where tradition meets magic, this tale will ignite your soul and remind you: "You weren't meant to burn. You were meant to rise."
The sun rose slowly over Ilodé, casting warm light on the red roofs of the quiet town nestled between old hills and whispering forests. To outsiders, Ilodé was just another sleepy Yoruba village in Oyo State. But for those who knew the hidden truths of the land, Ilodé held the secret flame of an ancient tribe - the Eyan Inu Ina, the People of the Inner Fire.
In the heart of this forgotten town lived Adura Adebayo, a 22-year-old orphan who never quite fit in. Raised by her grandmother until she died, Adura grew up with strange dreams - visions of flames dancing in her palms and voices calling her "Ọmọ Ina" - child of fire. She never told anyone. Not even Tolani, her best friend since childhood.
Adura and Tolani were inseparable. They laughed together, hustled together, and suffered together. After WAEC, when university admission failed to show, they took their destinies into their own hands - learning fashion design from old tailors and working late into the night under candlelight.
But Adura was different. While Tolani sewed with talent, Adura sewed with something else... something extra. Her fingers moved faster, her thread never tangled, and sometimes - just sometimes - the fabric seemed to warm under her touch. She chalked it up to imagination. Magic didn't exist. At least, not anymore.
Still, their bond was strong. They pooled their savings, borrowed from a local cooperative, and finally opened their small fashion studio: T&A Styles. Business was slow at first, but Adura's designs began to draw attention - especially her fire-themed collection: red silks with glowing seams, golden embroidery that shimmered like embers.
But success breeds envy. And envy, when mixed with greed, becomes betrayal.
What Adura didn't know was that Tolani had been meeting secretly with a Lagos-based designer - the infamous Mistress Olohun - known for stealing fresh talent and silencing those who resisted. Tolani, frustrated by being "the sidekick," believed she deserved more. When Mistress Olohun promised her a better life, all she had to do was deliver Adura's designs.
The deal was set. The betrayal was near.
Adura, meanwhile, was preparing for their first big fashion show in Abuja. She didn't sleep for days, dreaming of the runway, the applause, the success. She had no idea that her world was about to catch fire.
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