The man who was once General Kwame now wore the skin of **Dante "Maloso" Rivera**, leader of the Latin Kings' occult branch. His rebirth terms were far sweeter than Adjo's:
- **Full memory retention**
- **Demon pact allowing soul-stealing**
- **A direct line to the Eternal True God**
*"That bastard Scorpio thinks he's hidden?"* Dante laughed, crushing a cockroach in his palm. *"His *cleft lip* glows in the spirit world like a fucking neon sign."*
His gang initiates **chained a homeless man** to a pentagram.
*"Time to send my old boss a welcome gift."*
---
**Adjo's 7th Birthday – The Ambush**
The Latin Kings hit Adjo's party with:
- **7 shooters** (each bullet carved with Adjo's true name)
- **Holy water grenades** (blessed by the Eternal True God's priests)
- **A vial of Dante's blood** (to disrupt astral projection)
**The Critical Shot**
A **gold-tipped bullet** grazed Adjo's temple—and the Eternal True God's power **flooded his synapses**:
*First to Burn**: The memory of his father's first cigarette (the scent unraveling like burnt film)
*Then**: Grandma Ama's face blurred into static
*Finally**: His own name **shattered** into syllables he couldn't reassemble
**Side Effect**: Every human who ever knew Adjo **lost 37 seconds of memory involving him** per hour.
By dawn, his own mother **forgot his weird child birth
The memory wipe **corrupted Kwabena's addiction circuits**:
- **Cigarettes now tasted like venom** (Adjo's subconscious revenge)
- **His reflection showed a golden noose tightening**
- **Every liquor bottle bore a label**: *"Drink me, coward"* in Twi
**The Final Betrayal**
Desperate, Kwabena **sold Adjo's location** to Dante for:
- **One clean hit of heroin** (untainted by Adjo's glitching aura)
- **A promise**: *"I'll make him forget you too."*
He overdosed **before the exchange**—but not before Adjo's **sealed Heart Chakra** flickered awake just long enough to *feel* it.
---
. The Scorpion's Broken Visions**
Adjo's dreams now came in **corrupted fragments**:
- **Mythic Memory**: The Golden Dunes battle **plays in reverse**
- **Modern Glitch**: His astral form **teleports randomly** (once materializing in a NYPD evidence locker)
- **Eternal True God's Tampering**: Every nightmare ends with **a static-filled figure** whispering:
*"You are an error. You will be deleted."*
**Grandma Ama's Counter-Ritual**
She **stitched Adinkra symbols** into his scalp with scorpion venom:
- *"Fawohodie" (Independence)* – Slows memory loss
- *"Duafe" (Wooden Comb)* – Untangles dream chaos
**Cost**: Each symbol burned away **one year of her life**.
---
### **II. Dante's Spiritual Warfare**
The ex-General turned **Adjo's glitches into traps**:
Soul Bait**: Used Adjo's "lost" memories to **craft fake parents** in the astral plane
*Venom Theft**: Syphoned Adjo's sealed poison to **boost his own demonic strength**
**The 7th Soul Sabotage**: Made Kwabena's soul **uncollectable** by binding it to a **cursed Newport pack**
**Adjo's Low Point**
By age 9, he:
- **Forgot his first kill** (Auntie Mercy)
- **Couldn't recognize Grandma Ama** for 3 hours/day
- **Mistook Dante for a childhood friend** twice
### **I. The Solar Plexus Awakens**
During a eclipse, Adjo **accidentally unlocked 5% of his strength seal** by:
- **Punching a hole through a moving Cadillac** (rage at forgetting his father's face)
- **The backlash**: His bones **glowed red-hot** for 7 minutes
**New Ability**:
- **"Venom Recall"**: Can now **taste memories** in blood (licks his own wounds to remember)
### **II. Grandma's Ultimate Sacrifice**
She **bartered her voice** to the Goddess of Reincarnation for:
- **One perfect memory crystal** (the day Adjo was born)
- **A time loop**: Replays those **37 seconds when he was dead** to study the contract's fine print
**What She Discovered**:
The Eternal True God **never signed the pact**—he's an **unauthorized meddler**.
### **III. Dante's Mistake**
He stole **too much venom**. Now his body:
- **Grows chitin plates**
- **Sees through Adjo's eyes** during eclipses
- **Involuntarily whispers in ancient Twi**
**Adjo's Epiphany**
During a seizure-like glitch, he **bit his own arm**—and the pain **temporarily restored his true name**.
**Last Line**:
*"I remember. I am Adjo the Unbroken. And I eat gods for breakfast