Novels by Chris Ahafa

They followed the street deeper into the fort. Jonah noted the signage embedded in the asphalt: arrows, zones, markers for patrol coverage. Every inch of ground was accounted for. Even the ash was measured, engineered to fall evenly, creating visibility reduction without compromising surveillance optics.As they approached the central square, they passed a public punishment in progress. A young man knelt atop a steel platform, wrists bound. Soldiers circled him, conducting the procedure with methodical precision. A single stun round, delivered to the man’s side, caused him to convulse and howl briefly. His screams ended abruptly as the system calibrated the next pulse. The crowd of civilians around the square didn’t flinch, some murmured gratitude to the soldiers.Jonah’s teeth clenched. Kevin whispered, “They feel safer.”Jonah’s gaze swept over the square. “They feel owned,” he said, repeating the phrase like a mantra, but louder this time. His voice carried over the ash-thicken

The morning haze clung to Fort Ashfall like wet cloth. Ash drifted down from the nearby volcanic ridges, settling in gray layers over streets, rooftops, and watchtowers. Jonah stepped off the transport platform, the gravel crunching sharply beneath his boots. Every movement felt amplified in the silence of the compound. The hum of distant machinery under the ashstorm was the only constant, but even that pulsed irregularly, as if the fortress itself breathed.Jonah’s eyes scanned the surroundings. Soldiers moved in rigid formations, rifles slung low, boots hitting in perfect synchronization. Patrols flanked the wide avenues, each squad keeping a precise interval. The air smelled of metal and ash, mixed with something faintly acrid, stun residue from prior curfew enforcement.A loudspeaker crackled, the voice crisp and flat: “Curfew begins in fifteen minutes. All civilians must report to designated shelters. Noncompliance will be corrected immediately.”Jonah’s jaw tightened. He’d se

The ashstorm pressed against the walls of Fort Ashfall like a living thing. Jonah stepped through the main gate, the gray flakes falling in silent sheets around him. The ground underfoot was gritty, blackened, and uneven from years of volcanic ash and ruined infrastructure. Jonah’s boots scuffed against debris, sending tiny clouds spiraling upward. He walked with Kevin and Lisa, their steps measured. The loudspeakers overhead crackled with another repetition of the rules: “Discipline ensures survival. Obedience preserves life.” The words felt hollow here, but the cadence had weight, like the heartbeat of a machine.At the center of the courtyard, Colonel Rask awaited. He stood straight, his uniform sharp, black polished boots reflecting the dim ash-filtered sunlight. His face was calm, almost unnaturally so, every line precise. Jonah could see the glint of surveillance monitors behind his eyes, the way he surveyed not just the three of them but the courtyard itself. The patrols m

Jonah stopped at the ridge overlooking the ash-choked valley. The wind carried fine gray dust in constant waves, coating his boots, scratching at his eyelids, and settling into the folds of his coat. Below him, Fort Ashfall rose like a jagged crown on the edge of the volcanic plain. Concrete walls stretched high, reinforced with steel plates that gleamed dull silver under the pale light. Watchtowers jutted at uneven intervals, topped with spotlights that swept methodically, slicing through the falling ash like knives.He pulled the hood over his head and leaned forward, gripping the railing of the ridge. The perimeter below was alive with movement, though none of it felt spontaneous. Armed patrols marched in perfect intervals, synchronized to some unseen cadence. Every bootfall struck the ground with sharp precision, and the cadence carried through the crisp, ash-laden air. Jonah counted them once, twice, three times, then let the rhythm fade into the background.Civilians lined

The highway stretched out ahead, empty and cracked, vanishing into low, rolling fog. Jonah gripped the wheel of the armored truck, knuckles white. The cold morning air seeped through the cracked windshield, carrying the tang of distant smoke and something metallic, almost alive. Every mile they traveled left behind another burned-over settlement, another skeleton of the old world. The remnants of the Convoy Kings were far behind them now, yet Jonah felt their absence like a weight pressing against his chest, it was not freedom. The road had not ended; it had only become a test.Lisa crouched in the rear, rifle resting on her knees. Her eyes scanned the fog constantly, moving in slow arcs, noting shadows that might not be shadows at all. She fingered the magazine of the rifle, listening for the soft clicks and vibrations of the Tactical Grid feeding through Jonah’s HUD. The vehicle hummed beneath them, a low vibration that seemed to echo through the tires and into the seat. It wa

The road opened wide and empty. Jonah stood in the lead vehicle with one hand on the roll bar. The engine idled low. Heat shimmered above the asphalt. The highway ran straight ahead for miles, cracked but clear. No wrecks blocked it. No smoke rose in the distance. No movement crossed the lanes. “Slow it,” Jonah said.The driver eased off. Tires hummed. The sound carried too far. Lisa sat behind the dash, eyes flicking between external feeds. Her fingers tapped once, then stopped. She leaned closer to the screen as if it might move on its own.Kevin rode on the back step, rifle down, head tilted. He scanned the shoulder, then the overpass ahead, then the empty sky. He kept scanning. He did not settle.The convoy followed at a distance. Two trucks. One armored bus. Spacing was tight. No one spoke on the open channel.The Tactical Grid hovered across Jonah’s vision. Clear lanes. Zero hostiles. No heat spikes. No motion flags. No probability cones. Nothing.Jonah blinked once. The Grid

The world was gone. Riley felt nothing, no heat, no sound, no pain. Only emptiness. His body floated in a vast, silent void. There was no up or down, no sky or ground. Just endless gray light stretching forever. He tried to move, but his limbs didn’t respond. He wasn’t even sure he had a body anymore. “Where… am I?” he whispered.His voice didn’t echo. Silence, then, faintly, a sound, like a heartbeat. Slow. Heavy. Distant. Thump. Thump.With each beat, faint ripples spread across the emptiness, and pieces of memory flickered in front of him, flashes of faces, battles, laughter, screams.Akira. Hogan. Doyle. Alira. The Titan’s roar. The Shadow’s eyes, then, the explosion. Riley gasped, his body snapping upright.He was lying on cold ground. The air was damp and thick with mist. Shadows shifted around him like living things, whispering faintly.His head pounded. His body ached all over, burned and broken, but somehow he was alive.He looked down, his armor was cracked, his clothes tor

Riley felt the power drain from his body like someone had ripped his soul away. His sword shattered into fragments of fading light, scattering into the molten air. His system’s voice, the calm tone that had guided him through every battle, went silent. For the first time since it began, he felt truly alone.The Titan’s massive hand swung toward him, the heat like a storm of fire. Riley tried to move, but his limbs were heavy, unresponsive. The infection burned through him, black veins crawling up his face.He fell hard onto the crumbling bridge, his breath ragged and short. Alira screamed his name, her voice echoing across the cavern. “RILEY!”The Titan’s molten eyes gleamed. “It ends.”The world slowed. Riley looked up, the reflection of the Titan’s blazing hand filling his eyes. Time felt thick, heavy, like he was sinking through it. His thoughts drifted back to his team, to Akira’s worried face, to Hogan’s stubborn loyalty, to Alira’s voice telling him he was chosen.He wanted to

The cavern shook with the Titan’s laughter, deep and cruel. Lava spilled down the throne, dripping into the chasm below. The heat was unbearable.Riley stood at the edge, sweat streaming down his face, his chest heaving. His body trembled from exhaustion, his infection burning like fire under his skin.Behind him, Hogan, Doyle, Miller, and Akira stayed close. Their weapons were drawn, but their eyes showed fear.The Titan raised its massive blade of shadow and fire. The flames licked the cavern ceiling, sparks falling like meteors.“You are weak,” the Titan rumbled. “You crawl, you bleed, and yet you think you can take what belongs to me?”Its furnace eyes glowed brighter, fixed on Alira. “She was always mine.”Alira lifted her head slightly, her silver eyes faint but defiant. Her voice, weak but steady, cut through the heat. “No. I will never be yours again.”Riley’s chest tightened. He gripped his broken, flickering blade tighter, though it barely glowed now. He muttered under his b

The cavern shook as the Titan’s molten body retreated into the darkness. Its burning chains dragged Alira across the floor, her silver glow flickering as she struggled against them. Her voice echoed through the heat and ash.“Riley!”Her cry pierced his chest like a blade.He tried to move, but his legs buckled. His arms shook violently, his blade gone, his vision swimming in red haze. The infection inside him surged like fire, tearing through his veins. His system blinked in frantic warning.SYSTEM ALERT: Collapse Imminent.HP: 45/500.Infection Progress: 94%.“Not yet,” Riley whispered through bloodied lips. He planted his hand against the molten ground, forcing himself up inch by inch. His breath came in ragged gasps. “Not, yet.”But the Titan was already gone, vanishing into the glowing tunnels with Alira bound in its grasp. The last echo of her cry faded into silence.Riley collapsed again, coughing hard. His blood hit the black stone, sizzling on the heated ground. He clenched

The Titan’s roar shook the cavern walls. Lava dripped from its body, glowing rivers running across the floor. Its molten chains dug into Riley’s skin, each link burning like fire pressed into his flesh.He gritted his teeth, pulling against them with all his strength. His system blinked in his vision:ALERT: Shadow Bind, Escape Chance 5%.HP: 110/500.Not enough. He was trapped. Alira stepped forward, her silver glow faint but steady. Her eyes never left the Titan’s burning face. “You still live,” she whispered.The Titan’s voice rumbled like a grinding stone. “And you still run. But not this time, Alira.”Riley’s chest tightened. The Titan knew her. He forced the words out through clenched teeth. “What, what are you to him?”Alira’s gaze flickered briefly toward Riley, then back to the monster. Her voice was calm, too calm. “He was my creation’s first host.”Riley froze. His stomach dropped. “What?”Alira’s eyes darkened. “Before you, before me, the Titan bore the system.”The chamb

The valley was silent. The screaming mist had gone. The glowing moss no longer pulsed. The ground lay broken, ash from the fallen Guardians scattered like gray snow.Riley stood on shaky legs, breathing hard. His blade had dissolved, his energy almost gone. His arm still throbbed with black veins, faint but stubborn, crawling beneath his skin like poison that refused to leave.Alira stood a few paces away, her silver hair glowing faintly in the dim light. She seemed calm, too calm for the destruction around them.Riley forced himself to speak, though his voice was hoarse. “You said, my team. They’re alive?”Alira turned her glowing eyes on him. “Yes. Alive. But held in a place worse than death.”Riley’s chest tightened. “Where?”Her gaze shifted toward the distance. Beyond the shattered valley, the horizon burned faintly red. There, a mountain rose, black and jagged, glowing with cracks of molten fire. “The Titan’s lair,” she said softly. “They are trapped within.”The name itself m

A blast of white-silver light tore through the cavern. Xayn stumbled back, shielding his face as wind howled from the center of the chamber. Stones ripped from the walls, chains snapped, and the torches went out one by one. Dust filled the air until he could barely breathe. “Lia!” he shouted. “Stop!”But it wasn’t Lia anymore. The girl on the floor rose slowly, her hair floating around her as if underwater. The marks of the seal blazed across her skin like living fire. Her eyes glowed pure silver, no pupils, no warmth, just cold light. The ground trembled. Cracks raced across the floor, spreading like lightning.System: “Warning. Unknown energy detected. Intensity, catastrophic.”Xayn took a step forward, his voice trembling. “Lia, it’s me. It’s Xayn. You’re safe now.”Her gaze snapped toward him. The air shuddered. When she spoke, her voice was layered, two tones overlapping, Lia’s soft one and another deeper, older, filled with fury. “You should not have freed me.”The mask pulsed

The sky above the city was pale and gray, the first sign of dawn breaking through the night. A thin fog crawled across the streets, softening the edges of broken walls and burnt wood.Xayn’s footsteps echoed dully as he stumbled through the alleyway. His entire body throbbed with exhaustion. Dried blood streaked his arms. The Shadowglass still glowed faintly in his fist, pulsing like a dying heart. The mask was still on his face.No matter how many times he clawed at it, the iron refused to come off. The edges had fused to his skin, cold and hot all at once. He could feel it breathing, like something alive pressed against his soul.System: “Bond locked. Artifact stable at 99.9%. Warning: external removal impossible.”He ignored it. All he could think of was Lia. He had been gone for too long. Every second mattered.The streets looked different now. Quiet. Deserted. Even the stray market lights had gone out. He turned down the narrow road that led to the safe house, the one he and Ki

The world was black. Not silent, though. The mask laughed in the darkness, its voice echoing like a storm in his skull. “You’re mine now. All mine. No more pretending. No more fighting.”Xayn tried to speak, but his lips wouldn’t move. His body felt heavy, trapped, as if he had been chained in molten iron, then another voice cut through, smooth, steady, calm. “Not yet. He’s still useful.”Xayn’s eyes snapped open. He was no longer on the blood-soaked streets of the Black Market.Instead, he stood in a strange void. The ground was black stone, cracked with glowing veins of red. Shadows swirled like smoke, wrapping around him. Above, the sky was endless and empty, yet alive with whispers, and standing in front of him was the red-eyed man.The cloak around his body swayed though there was no wind. His hood shadowed his face, but his glowing eyes cut through the dark like twin blades.“You’ve walked far,” the man said softly. “Farther than I expected. Most who wear that mask don’t last a

The night was silent now. Too silent. The bodies of Sean’s soldiers littered the street, blood pooling around broken armor and twisted spears. The torches guttered in the breeze, their light flickering over the ruined stones. Xayn knelt in the center, his chest rising and falling heavily. The mask still clung to his face. It pulsed with heat, its hollow crimson eyes glowing faintly, each beat in rhythm with his racing heart.His hands trembled as he reached for the edges of the iron. He tried to rip it off, as he had before, but it didn’t move.His fingers scraped against the cold metal. His nails dug until they bled. Nothing.The mask laughed softly inside his mind. “I told you… this time, you don’t take me off.”The system’s voice crackled in his ear, weak but urgent.Warning: Host identity collapsing.Bond stabilizing at 99.6%.Immediate removal required.Xayn growled through clenched teeth. “Then help me! Tear it off!”Error: External override blocked. Artifact resistance too st

The stones cracked under Xayn’s feet as he lunged forward. The black iron mask clung to his face, burning hot, its hollow crimson eyes blazing with power. His blood-red vision tunneled onto Sean, every muscle surging with violent strength.Sean didn’t flinch. He didn’t raise his weapon. He simply stood there, smiling, and that smile made something deep inside Xayn shiver.The mask hissed in his mind. “Kill him. Crush his skull. Tear out his heart. He dares to laugh at you!”Xayn’s fist roared forward, the air splitting under its speed. At the last instant, Sean moved.Steel sang. Sean’s blade flashed like silver lightning, parrying Xayn’s punch with impossible precision. Sparks exploded as fist met steel, the shockwave rattling the buildings around them.Xayn staggered back a step, his crimson eyes narrowing. Sean had stopped him. The mask hissed with anger. “Impossible. No man can match this power.”Sean tilted his head, his smile never leaving. “So it’s true. The mask accepts you.

The night wind carried the faint smell of smoke and blood. Xayn stood at the end of the alley, his chest heaving, his body still trembling from the battle with the assassins. His hand clutched the Shadowglass tightly, while the satchel containing the cursed mask pulsed faintly at his side, and there, standing in the torchlight with his men, was Sean.Sean’s polished armor gleamed even in the dim night. His eyes were sharp, filled with amusement, as though the entire world was nothing but a game for him. His cruel smile widened when he saw Xayn’s bloodied form.“Well, well,” Sean drawled. “The rat returns from the gutter. I half-expected the Black Market to chew you up and spit out your bones. But here you are.”His soldiers chuckled behind him, the sound grating like metal scraping stone.Xayn’s jaw tightened. His body screamed at him to move, to fight, but exhaustion weighed on every limb.Sean’s eyes flicked to the satchel. “And look at that. You even brought me a gift. What’s in t