For centuries, Mother Gaia, the spirit of Earth, had woven humanity and nature together through her life force, Ase. Her essence pulsed through the soil, the rivers, the very air, binding all life in a delicate balance. But now, a shadow fell upon the land. The scars of World War 3, a conflict born of greed and ambition, had birthed a deadly blight, twisting beasts and spirits into harbingers of destruction. Forests withered, rivers turned to sludge, and the whispers of the ancestors grew faint. As Gaia's essence faded, one warrior, gifted with the power to bend the earth, was called to restore balance. Her name was Jahzara Amara Habiba.
The air was heavy with the scent of damp stone and ancient incense as Jahzara dropped from a secret entrance into the sacred tunnel beneath the lost clan's village. Her boots hit the ground with a soft thud, and she crouched, her earthbending gi swaying around her. The tunnel stretched before her, its walls lined with African shrines to the Orishas, their carvings glowing faintly with blue Ase energy. A shrine to Oya, adorned with a carved iron blade, gleamed faintly, its presence a silent call to courage. Sapphire crystals jutted from the stone, pulsing like the weakened heartbeat of Mother Gaia herself. Jahzara's brown fingers brushed the sapphire necklace at her throat, its glow mirroring the crystals' dim light. Her brown eyes, fierce yet haunted, scanned the shadows, and the scar across her lip tightened as she clenched her jaw.
The blight's spread faster than Master Abena feared, she thought, her heart heavy with the weight of Gaia's pain radiating through the crystals, like a candle flickering in a storm. I can feel her suffering in every pulse.
Raising her arms, Jahzara summoned her Elemental Ase. She stomped, sending a shockwave of earth energy through the tunnel. The ground rumbled, and a massive stone door split open with a groan, revealing a darker passage ahead. Dust settled, swirling around her long, curly blue hair. Whispers—soft, ancestral voices—echoed from the shrines, their words indistinct but urgent.
"Orishas, guide me," Jahzara murmured, her voice steady despite the tremor in her chest. "I won't let Aki fall."
She strode forward, her sapphire earrings glinting as faint blue wisps—lost spirits—drifted past, muttering incoherently. The crystals along the walls dimmed, their surfaces marred by black veins of blight that pulsed like a poison spreading through Gaia's veins. Jahzara's fist clenched, her necklace glowing brighter as her resolve hardened.
"By Olorun," she whispered, "the blight's choking this place. I have to find its source."
The tunnel opened into a cavern where the air grew thick with corruption. Black crystals pulsed ominously, their Ase twisted and wrong. At the cavern's center stood a masked figure in flowing black robes, his presence as cold as the grave. Gizo, the voodoo sorcerer and leader of Aki's lost village, held a shard of Gaia's soul in his hand—a flickering blue light trapped within a cage of writhing black vines. Around his neck, a jagged black pendant gleamed, its surface encasing another shard of Gaia's essence, a dark mirror to Jahzara's sapphire necklace. His voice, distorted and venomous, cut through the silence.
"Foolish child," Gizo said, turning to face her, his mask glinting under the cavern's eerie glow. "You are too late. Gaia abandoned Aki when the bombs of war fell. Soon, I will avenge my people with her soul shards."
Jahzara stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Lost spirit," she said, her voice calm but firm, "you and I both know revenge isn't the answer. It never is. Come with me, and together we can cleanse your home."
Gizo's laugh was a low, bitter rasp. "Noble, but hopelessly naive." He raised a hand, and a blast of corrupted Ase—black and searing—shot toward her. Jahzara raised her swords, their crystalline edges flaring with blue Ase, barely deflecting the attack. The force pushed her back, her boots skidding across the stone, her arms trembling from the effort.
"You will not stand in the way of my plans," Gizo snarled.
The cavern trembled as he channeled corrupted Emotional Ase—despair drawn from Aki's fallen. Black vines erupted from the ground, tipped with blighted crystals that gleamed like obsidian daggers. They lashed at Jahzara, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
She dove to the side, her earthbending sluggish in the blighted cavern where Gaia's Ase was weak. "The blight's draining my Ase, sapping my spirit like a leech", she thought, her heart pounding. Pivoting, she drew her twin swords, their blades shimmering with crystalline edges. With a deft spin, she sliced through the vines, their tar-like sap splashing onto the ground, hissing as it burned the stone.
Gizo smirked beneath his mask, raising his hand again. A pack of corrupted chimps emerged from the shadows, their fur matted with blight, their eyes glowing a malevolent red. "Turn back, Spirit Warrior," he taunted, "or join my beasts in oblivion."
With a swirl of black mist, he vanished, leaving Jahzara surrounded by the snarling creatures.
The chimps charged, their screeches echoing off the cavern walls. Jahzara spun her swords, channeling Elemental Ase into the ground. A crystal barrier erupted from the cavern floor, its surface gleaming with blue light. The chimps' claws raked against it, but the barrier cracked under the blight's influence, its edges fraying like torn cloth.
"I need solid ground!" Jahzara growled, gritting her teeth. She stomped, her earth sense probing the cavern for untainted soil. Beneath the corruption, she felt it—a patch of pure earth, resilient against the blight. With a shout, she summoned a pillar of stone that launched her into the air. In mid-flight, she hurled a barrage of crystal shards, each glowing with blue Ase, pinning the chimps to the cavern walls with precise strikes.
She landed in a crouch, her breath steady, but a deeper rumble shook the cavern. A massive shadow loomed—a giant ape, its body warped by black vines that pulsed like veins. It roared, slamming the ground, and the blighted earth softened into a tar-like mire, slowing Jahzara's movements. Her boots sank, each step a struggle.
Her necklace pulsed, and a whisper from an Orisha—Oya, goddess of the storms—echoed in her mind: "Trust your Ase, child." Jahzara closed her eyes, centering herself. She reached for her Emotional Ase, drawing on her resolve to save Aki, her love for the land, her refusal to let Gaia fade. Her swords glowed brighter, their blue light cutting through the cavern's gloom.
"This ends now!" she shouted.
She dashed forward, weaving through the ape's vine-lashes with preternatural grace. The beast swung a massive fist, but Jahzara leaped, her swords flashing as she drove them into its chest. A burst of blue Ase erupted from the blades, spreading like a cleansing wave. The ape's vines withered, its red eyes fading to a natural brown. It collapsed, reverting to a normal creature, unconscious but alive.
Jahzara staggered, her arms trembling from the Ase drain. Her breath came in sharp gasps, her gi streaked with dust and sap. "That took more out of me than it should've", she thought, her fingers brushing her necklace. The blight's stronger than I thought.
The sapphire at her throat pulsed, its light guiding her to a hidden exit. She raised a hand, earthbending a staircase of stone that spiraled upward, each step heavier than the last as the blight's weight pressed against her. She climbed, emerging into a forest outside Aki's village.
The forest was eerily quiet, its grass patchy with blight, the trees skeletal under a moonlit sky. A faint rustle broke the silence, and Jahzara's eyes softened as a white-and-gold baby owl peeked from a bush, trembling. She knelt, her sapphire necklace glowing softly, its calming Ase radiating outward. She raised her hands in a gentle gesture to Yemoja, the Orisha of nurturing, whispering, "Mother of waters, guide my healing."
"Hey, little one," she said, her voice gentle, a rare smile crossing her scarred lip. "No need to hide."
The owl hesitated, then hopped into her outstretched hand, its feathers soft against her calloused fingers. Jahzara tickled its belly, her arms glowing faintly with blue Ase. The owl spun happily, a tiny whirl of feathers, before landing on her shoulder with a chirp, pointing its wing toward a nearby tree.
"Got siblings stuck, huh?" Jahzara said, her smile fading into focus. "Lead the way."
Under the tree, three more owls huddled, trapped by blighted rocks that pulsed with black veins.
Jahzara reached out with her earthbending, but the corrupted ground resisted, sapping her strength. She frowned, then shifted her stance, channeling her crystal manipulation instead. A sapphire shard formed in her hand, sharp and gleaming. With precise movements, she pried the rocks apart, freeing the owls. They hooted gratefully, nuzzling her legs, their golden eyes bright with trust.
"You're lucky to have family," Jahzara said softly, her voice catching. "After what I did… I don't deserve one."
She shook her head, her eyes hardening against the memory of her berserker rage years ago, the devastation she'd wrought in her grief. "No time for regrets," she muttered. "Gaia needs me."
The owls perched on her shoulders, their presence a small comfort as they chirped, ready to follow her into the unknown.
Jahzara reached Aki's town square, a once-vibrant heart of the village now choked with black grass and tar-like blight. Black crystal shards jutted from the ground, radiating despair that weighed on her chest. The moonlight cast long shadows as Gizo reappeared, his mask glinting coldly, the black pendant at his neck pulsing with a trapped shard of Gaia's soul.
"You again, huh?" Gizo sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Why do you even bother trying to help this village?"
Jahzara stood tall, her swords sheathed but her hands ready. "I can grant you my aid, spirit," she said, her tone steady. "I can cleanse this village and restore nature's balance."
Gizo's laugh was sharp, mocking. "I know your kind." He raised a hand, summoning a black flame fueled by corrupted Emotional Ase. The remaining grass and plants dissolved into a tar-like sludge, the air growing thick with decay. "You are aware of the power that flows through this very soil but fail to understand its depth. Destruction and death are all that remain here now."
One of the owls growled, its feathers bristling. Jahzara's eyes narrowed. "Aki's land is saveable, but you are preventing it, spirit. You must move on to save your home."
Gizo's aura flared, a black mist swirling around him. "Tch. You think I'm the one out of place? Fool!" he spat. "What kind of leader would I be if I abandoned my people?"
He thrust his hand forward, and a searing blast of corrupted Ase roared toward Jahzara. She crossed her swords, their blades flaring with blue Ase, deflecting the attack with a grunt, the force pushing her back a step. The ground erupted, and a mutated human beast—once a villager—lurched forward, its body wrapped in vine-like arms studded with black crystals. Its sword slashed, and Jahzara blocked with her twin blades, but the blighted ground sapped her strength, her movements sluggish.
"The blight's countering my Ase, draining my spirit", she thought, her muscles straining. "I need to end this fast."
The beast's vines whipped, striking her chest and sending her crashing into a tree. Pain flared, and a dark voice screamed in her mind: "Let me out!" A flash of memory surged—a rebel's terrified face, eyes wide as the earth split beneath him, swallowing him in her berserker rage. Her necklace flared, her eyes whiting out as red dragonic tattoos glowed on her arms—a flicker of her wrathful state daring to emerge. She gritted her teeth, forcing the rage down.
"Not yet," she growled. "I won't lose control!"
Channeling her Emotional Ase—her duty to Gaia, her resolve to protect—she sprinted forward, dodging the beast's vines. Her fist glowed with crystal energy as she delivered a crushing uppercut, staggering the creature. With a shout, she earthbent a massive boulder from the untainted earth below, hurling it to crush the beast into the ground. A pulse of blue Ase purified its form, and it collapsed, reverting to a human woman, barely alive.
"Thank you," the woman whispered, her eyes meeting Jahzara's. "You freed me…"
"Like Mama," Jahzara murmured, tears welling as she recalled her mother's lifeless body, her failure to save her. "I couldn't save her either…"
The woman turned to ash, scattering in the wind. Jahzara knelt, tears falling as the owls hooted softly, nuzzling her. "She was human," Jahzara whispered, her voice breaking. "What's this blight doing to us?"
Her necklace pulsed, and a distant Ase signature stirred her senses—a familiar yet foreign heat, like a fire burning in a stranger's heart. "That Ase... Is it, another Koajin, like me? Impossible." She stood, her resolve hardening. "Friend or foe, I'll find out."
The owls perched at her side, their golden eyes gleaming with loyalty. Jahzara pressed deeper into the blighted village, her heart set on finding Gaia's shard. "Mother Gaia, Orishas," she whispered, "guide me. The Motherland will be healed."
Meanwhile, at the Crimson Waterfalls, a small village burned, its flames casting an eerie glow across the ravaged landscape. A former human, now a corrupted vampire spirit, lay bloodied and broken on the ground, surrounded by the slashed remains of his fellow cursed spirits. coughed, his voice weak but defiant. "Heh. And I thought I was a brute. But you two… you're the real monsters. Children of Kaos…"
Two figures emerged through the fire, unscathed. The Hellfire Twins, Lawrence and Ember, strode forward with purpose. Ember, a six-foot-tall African-American Koajin demon in human form, moved with lethal grace. Her long, flowing black curls tilting to the left side of her face along with a row of cornrows on the right side of her head. Her style framed striking orange dragonic eyes, and battle scars crisscrossed her abdomen and arms. Red sunglasses perched on her nose, glinting in the firelight, and her red battle crop top and black leather pants hugged her toned, athletic build. Beside her, Lawrence, also a Koajin in human form, stood at five-foot-eleven, lean and charming, a small scar running down his cheek. His short fade haircut and playful glint contrasted with Ember's grim intensity.
"Damn it, brother!" Ember snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. "I thought you said these were the correct coordinates!"
"They were the correct coordinates, sis," Lawrence shot back, his smug smile unwavering. "Kelith's intelligence said the Koajin's tied to Gaia's heartbeat. This damn blight must be throwing us off."
They reached the spirit, who crawled weakly under Ember's gaze. She pressed her high-heeled boot against its neck, her katana gleaming in her hand. "If I lose the chance to find the only other Koajin alive in this universe," she hissed, "I'll make sure you get a first-class ticket to Hell, you pathetic wretch."
The spirit struggled, gasping. "P-Please… Have mercy…"
Ember's laugh was cold, merciless. "Mercy? Sorry, I'm fresh out." Her katana flashed, piercing the spirit's heart. It turned to ash, scattering into the burning night.
Lawrence surveyed the village, hands on his hips. "Yeesh. This planet really has gone to shit since we've been gone, huh?"
Ember sighed, adjusting her sunglasses. "Tell me about it. If you remember, we were last here in 2012."
Lawrence nodded, his expression sobering. "It's only been 39 years… What happened here?"
"I don't know," Ember said, sheathing her katana. "But we have to move, brother. Our search for this Koajin continues. We're done taking out the trash here."
Lawrence raised an eyebrow. "Remind me again. Why are we looking for this other Koajin, exactly?"
Ember facepalmed, towering over him as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Maybe if you opened your ears and listened, you dimwit, you wouldn't forget!"
"Well, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention since your husband's cupcakes were smacking!" Lawrence grinned. "You know I don't play about my red velvet, Ember. Just explain it again."
Ember sighed, crossing her arms. "We need this Koajin to join us in conquering this planet. Kelith said they're tied to Gaia's heartbeat, a power we can use. They're either with us or dead."
Lawrence's smile faded, his tone serious. "And what if they're protecting this planet and its people?"
Ember scoffed, her laugh sharp. "A Koajin protecting this inferior species? You're joking, right?"
"Ember," Lawrence cut in, his eyes narrowing. "I'm serious. We need a plan if they fight us."
She smirked, undeterred. "The plan? I kill them. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that. This planet's too valuable to destroy, despite the blight. Once we conquer it, we'll restore it—better than before. With humanity as our minions, I'll rule it all."
Lawrence raised a hand. "Can we split ownership at least?"
Ember shot him a deadpan look.
"Come on, sis!" he pressed, grinning. "I really dig the West Coast. Their lowriders were so sick. Please!"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. When we, with this Koajin, take over Earth, you can rule the West Coast."
Lawrence pumped his fist. "Yes!"
Ember turned, her expression hardening. "Come on, let's go."
The twins walked away from the burning village, their silhouettes vanishing into the crimson glow of the flames, their search for the mysterious Koajin driving them deeper into the blighted world.
End of chapter 1.