Novels by Chris Ahafa

The chamber echoed with the sound of claws scraping stone, fire cracking like thunder, and Kevin’s strained breathing. Jonah stood bleeding, fire flickering weakly around him, while the Vessel loomed with its many arms stretching wide, claws dripping black slime that smoked when it hit the floor.The monster grinned, its red eye blazing. “Every strike you give me only feeds my form. You can fight forever, Jonah, but in the end, you’ll die, and the boy will be mine.”Jonah spat blood and raised his claws again. His legs shook, but his golden eyes never wavered. “Over my corpse.”The Vessel laughed, a deep, layered sound that shook the walls. Then it attacked.The beast came down like a hurricane, six massive claws slashing in arcs of black fire. Jonah met it head-on, his claws sparking gold against red, each strike echoing like steel against steel.The first blow drove Jonah to his knees. The second tore a gash across his arm, blood sizzling in his fire.Kevin cried out, pressing har

The cocoon shook like thunder. Every crack in its surface glowed with fire-red light, each pulse louder than the last. Jonah could feel the heat of it burning against his skin even from across the chamber. The floor vibrated under his boots, veins bursting with black fluid that hissed like acid when it touched the ground.Kevin clung tight to Jonah’s arm, his small body trembling. His glow flickered, faint and unsteady, but his eyes stayed locked on the cocoon. “Jonah…” His voice shook. “It’s waking up…”Jonah’s claws tightened, golden fire racing along his arms. His chest rose and fell, every breath heavy with rage and dread. He spread his wings wide, standing tall before the monstrous egg. “Then we kill it before it takes its first step.”The cocoon split wider with a deafening crack. A massive claw pushed through, dripping with black slime.Its talons dug into the ground, carving deep trenches. Another claw followed, then the cocoon burst apart with a sound like bone snapping.T

The chamber trembled as the Hive Heart thundered above them, its rhythm quickening, echoing like war drums through Jonah’s skull. Every beat sent another wave of red light through the veins in the walls. Every beat called more monsters.Jonah stood panting, claws burning bright, Kevin still clutching his sleeve. The boy’s glow flickered like a dying candle, but his eyes stayed fixed on Jonah’s. “Don’t let it win,” Kevin whispered. “Don’t let it turn you angry.”Jonah’s chest rose and fell. His claws trembled with rage, but slowly, he forced his fire to steady. His breath slowed. His eyes, though still glowing gold, sharpened with focus instead of blind fury. “You’re right,” Jonah said softly. “It wants me to lose control. If I do, we’re finished.”Kevin nodded weakly, clutching tighter to Jonah’s hand, but the Hive wasn’t finished.The walls bulged again, spilling out more of the sleek, sharp creatures. Dozens of them, their claws scraping the floor, their glowing red eyes fixed on

The chamber pulsed like it was alive. Jonah stood with his claws lit in golden fire, Kevin pressed tight against his side. The walls of flesh shuddered, glowing veins throbbing with every slow beat of the massive heart hanging above them. Each pulse made the ground ripple. Each sound echoed in Jonah’s chest like thunder.Kevin clutched his sleeve, eyes wide with terror. “It’s alive…” he whispered. “The whole place… it’s breathing.”Jonah said nothing. His teeth were clenched, his golden eyes locked on the monstrous heart. It was bigger than any building he had ever seen, hanging in the air by thick veins that pulsed like cables. Every beat sounded like a war drum.The Hive’s voice rumbled through the chamber. “You have come far, Jonah Crest.”The words didn’t come from one mouth. They came from everywhere, walls, floor, even the air. Faces bulged in the flesh around him, pressing outward, whispering his name. Jonah snarled. “Show yourself! No more tricks!”The voice answered calml

Jonah floated in silence. The white void stretched endlessly around him, calm and empty. No sea, no shadows, no whispers. Only stillness.His body trembled, his fire dim. He could feel every wound from the battle, every cut, every burn. But Kevin was safe in his arms, and that was enough.The boy’s small glow flickered faintly, warm against Jonah’s chest. Kevin looked up at him, weak but smiling. “We did it,” Kevin whispered. His voice was soft, almost fragile. “We beat it… didn’t we?”Jonah looked down at him, his golden eyes heavy. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell the boy it was over, that the nightmare had ended, but something deep in his chest told him otherwise.The silence was wrong. Too heavy. Too still. Jonah tightened his grip around Kevin. His voice came out rough. “Stay close. Don’t let go of me.”Kevin nodded, his small hands clutching Jonah’s torn shirt, then the first crack appeared.A thin black line split across the empty white, jagged and sharp. It spread slowl

Jonah floated in the endless abyss. The black sea pressed on him like chains. His golden fire flickered weakly, as if the weight of a whole world smothered it. The whispers were louder now, crawling inside his skull. “You can’t save him. You’ll fail him too. You belong here.”He shook his head, his claws trembling, his chest heaving. “No… no…” But deep inside, doubt gnawed at him.Below, Kevin’s glow was almost gone. The boy’s small body drifted downward, swallowed by the red eye in the abyss. His faint voice broke Jonah’s heart. “Jonah… don’t… leave me…”Jonah roared, thrashing against the sea. His golden fire surged, but every step forward felt heavier. The abyss tightened, pulling him back, and then Hive-Jonah’s voice rumbled, deep and sharp. “You already know the truth. To save him, you must give yourself to me. Stop fighting, Jonah. Let me take your place. Then the boy will live. You will not.”The abyss pulsed like a beating heart, its whispers swelling. “Sacrifice yourself. S

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

The valley trembled as the shadow’s darkness closed in. The Guardians knelt like worshippers, their glowing chests dimming in reverence to their master.The mist pressed heavy, the air choking, the moss under Riley’s knees burning with each pulse.Riley’s vision blurred. His arm was almost completely black now, veins spreading into his chest. The infection crawled like fire under his skin, tearing him apart from inside.His blade flickered weakly in his hand, its light barely holding. The shadow loomed closer, white eyes burning like frozen suns. “It is finished,” the shadow whispered. “The system is mine.”Dark tendrils reached for him, but the voice came again. Clear. Fierce. Urgent. “Say my name.”Riley’s breath caught. His head snapped toward the chained woman glowing in the pit. Her eyes were still closed, her body still wrapped in those glowing bindings, but her lips moved faintly, forming silent words. He couldn’t hear them. His system blinked in panic.ALERT: Synchronization

The valley shook like a living thing. Light cracked through the mossy ground, green and white streams bursting upward in violent arcs. The mist thickened, swirling fast as if it were alive too, wrapping the whole valley in a prison of haze.Riley’s eyes locked on the chained woman at the center of it all. She hung in the glow like she was floating underwater, her body still, her eyes closed. The chains around her shimmered with a dull white light, and they pulsed in rhythm with the moss beneath Riley’s feet.It was as if the entire valley was tied to her, but he had no time to think. The Guardians were rising.Their massive moss-and-stone bodies tore free of the ground, glowing cracks spreading across their chests. First one, then three, then a dozen. In moments, Riley was surrounded. His system blinked wildly.ENTITY DETECTED: VALLEY GUARDIANS (x27).Threat Level: Overwhelming.Recommended Strategy: Retreat.Riley clenched his jaw. “Retreat to where?” he muttered bitterly.The gr

The moss beneath Riley’s boots pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat. Each step he took sank slightly, as if the ground was soft flesh instead of plant.The mist was thick, glowing faintly with that same green light, curling like smoke around his legs. Somewhere in the haze, the sound came again. Thump. Thump.Heavy, steady, deliberate. Riley’s grip tightened on his glowing blade. Its light wavered, still unstable, flickering with each heartbeat of his own. He spun in place, scanning the shadows. “Show yourself.”No answer. Just another slow, heavy step. Then a voice, faint, broken, carried through the mist. “Riley.”He froze. His chest tightened. That voice, it sounded like Akira. He took a cautious step forward. “Akira?”No reply. Just the sound again, softer now. “Riley.” It pulled him deeper into the mist.The glowing moss grew taller here, rising in strange stalks that bent toward him as he passed, brushing against his arms like cold fingers. Their glow dimmed when his blade d

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

The leader’s feet kicked helplessly in the air. Xayn’s masked hand squeezed tighter around his throat. Bones creaked. Veins bulged in the man’s temple. His single good eye stared in horror, his lips shaping silent pleas for mercy.The black iron mask burned hot against Xayn’s skin, fusing to him like molten fire. The red glow in its hollow eyes pulsed faster with each heartbeat. “End him,” the mask hissed. “One more squeeze. Feel his life break.”Xayn’s breath came in harsh bursts. His body trembled with unnatural strength. His muscles wanted to obey, but somewhere beneath the red haze, his own voice cried out. “No, I’m not, your puppet.” The system’s voice rang sharp in his ears.Warning: Consciousness collapse imminent.Bond at 96%.Emergency override suggested.“Override!” Xayn shouted in his mind. “Do it!”Error: Host will must resist.External override blocked.The mask laughed inside him, dark and triumphant. “You hear it, don’t you? Even your precious system can’t save you. On

The night air was cold. The lanterns along the street swayed in the faint breeze, their dim light stretching shadows across the stone.Xayn stood in the center of the road, the Shadowglass clenched in one hand, the satchel with the mask pressing against his side. His chest still burned from the fight with Kraven, but now, he wasn’t facing one man. He was surrounded. Dozens of figures in dark cloaks and bone-white masks blocked the street. They were silent, but the air around them was heavy, dangerous, as though each breath carried the promise of violence.The leader stepped forward. His mask was different, carved into a cruel grin, painted with streaks of crimson. His voice was calm, almost polite. “Hand it over,” the man said. “The mask belongs to us.”Xayn’s body tensed. He shifted his stance, keeping his weight balanced, his eyes scanning the crowd for weaknesses. “I fought for this,” he said. “If you want it, you’ll have to take it.”The man chuckled softly. “That can be arrange

The mask lay on the floor, silent now, but Xayn didn’t trust silence anymore. He stared at it, sweat dripping down his face, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. The fight inside his mind still burned in his muscles, like the ghost of the battlefield clinging to his body.Drevik’s ashes littered the ground. The man was gone, consumed by the mask’s hunger, and yet, somehow, Xayn felt Drevik’s laughter still echoing faintly in the walls.He stepped forward, crouched, and picked up the mask. Its surface was cold, too cold, as though it had been buried in ice.The whisper came again. Soft. Patient. “You can’t fight me forever.”Xayn clenched his jaw and shoved the mask into a cloth wrapping, binding it tight before slipping it into his satchel. “You’re staying quiet,” he muttered, “or I’ll bury you in stone.”The whisper chuckled. “We’ll see.”When he turned, the cloaked man was gone. No sound. No trace. Just the faint impression of red eyes still glowing in the back of h

The mask floated in the air, black iron gleaming faintly under the dim lantern light. Its hollow eye sockets seemed to stare straight at Xayn, though there was nothing inside them. Nothing except that faint flicker of red,and then, in a low, cold voice, his own voice, it whispered again. “Put me on.”Xayn’s breath came slow and heavy. His fists tightened at his sides. “No,” he muttered.But the mask tilted slightly, as though it were smiling. “You need me. You felt it in the vision. Without me, you’ll break. With me, you’ll win.”From across the room, Drevik laughed weakly, blood dripping down his chin. “You hear it, don’t you? The mask speaks. It speaks to all who touch it.” He dragged himself to his knees, leaning against the cracked stone wall. “Most lose themselves the moment they listen.”Xayn shot him a glare. “And you?”Drevik’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with madness. “I never listened. That’s why it rejected me. That’s why I bleed.” He coughed, spitting blood on the fl