**Chapter 1: Rage and Redemption**

The summer sun beat down on Nigee's skin as he walked down the street, his eyes fixed on the cracked pavement beneath his feet. It had been two months since graduation, and he was still trying to come to terms with the fact that his high school sweetheart, Sakiyah, was gone. They had broken up in a fiery explosion of anger and hurtful words, and Nigee couldn't shake the feeling that he was to blame. He had always had a short temper, and it had cost him the one person he truly cared about. The memory of their fights still lingered, a burning ember of rage that threatened to consume him at any moment. But Nigee was determined to change. He had enrolled in anger management classes, where he learned to recognize the warning signs of his anger and channel it into something more productive. As he turned the corner onto his street, Nigee caught sight of the local hardware store where he worked. It was a small, mundane job, but it was a start, and Nigee was determined to make a new life for himself. He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of resolve wash over him. He was going to get his life back on track, no matter what it took. The anger management classes were helping, too. Nigee had learned to recognize the physical symptoms of his anger – the tightness in his chest, the heat in his face, the urge to lash out. He had even started to develop some techniques to calm himself down, like deep breathing and visualization. It was a work in progress, but Nigee felt like he was making progress. Just as he was about to enter the store, Nigee's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, expecting a text from one of his friends or family members. But instead, he saw a cryptic message from an unknown number: "Sakiyah is gone." Nigee's heart skipped a beat as he read the words. What did they mean? Where was Sakiyah? He quickly typed out a response, but the message was met with silence. A sense of panic began to set in, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. He burst into the hardware store, demanding to speak to his boss. "I need to take a break," he said, his voice shaking with urgency. "It's an emergency." His boss, a gruff but kind man named Mike, looked up from the counter. "What's going on, kid?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Nigee hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "I just need to go," he said, grabbing his backpack and rushing out of the store. As he emerged onto the sidewalk, Nigee felt a familiar surge of anger and frustration. Who had taken Sakiyah? And why? He gripped his trusty steel bat, a gift from his father, tightly in his hand. It was time to find out. With a newfound sense of purpose, Nigee set off into the unknown, ready to face whatever lay ahead. He was determined to rescue Sakiyah, no matter what it took. The rage that had once consumed him was still there, but this time, it was directed outward, toward the person responsible for Sakiyah's disappearance. As he walked, Nigee felt a sense of clarity wash over him. He knew what he had to do. He would find Sakiyah, and he would make whoever had taken her pay. The question was, where was he going to start?