Chapter: Eshe the Ageless Sage

Eshe, the grandmother of Kingpin, stood as a pillar of respect and reverence in the land. Known far and wide as the “old ageless one,” her wisdom and power seemed to have transcended time itself. Whispers carried among those who were privy to certain secrets claimed that she was not just a mere mortal but a powerful sage who had existed since the very beginning of the world.

Her origins were shrouded in mystery, and her true age was untraceable. Some believed she had once belonged to the esteemed diviner class, a group of individuals endowed with mystical insights and foresight. In forgotten eras, in lifetimes long past, she had been known by different names: Chi, a term signifying a godlike presence, a spiritual essence; Kahina, the diviner, the fortune teller.

Legends spoke of her existence stretching back to the time of Nniiji, the first man, an era almost lost to the annals of history. It was even said that she bore witness to the great deluge and the subsequent fire war, a cataclysmic conflict that shattered the Earth’s land masses, separated oceans, and divided humanity. Before this upheaval, the races were not distinct; all were Nniiji, one human race united. But the aftermath of the fire war wrought a transformation, a punishment upon mankind.

Eshe, it was believed, was instrumental in the dawn of this new era, an era that saw the birth of varied races, each bearing their own unique curses and destinies. As the air, water, and spirits became tainted with sickness, new kinds of children were brought forth into the world. From the heat, sand emerged, both ordinary sand and white sand, said to be connected to the ocean’s edge.

Whispers spoke of a dire fate for those who consumed the fish from the white-edged ocean—tthe curse of Ibino children, a despised and hated race. These albino offspring were resented even by their mothers. Initially, the firstborn of this cursed race were tolerated, but as they continued to be born, the community turned its back on them. Isolated and rejected, they found solace in one another’s company, gradually forming their own community.

The sun’s harsh gaze seemed to harbor a particular cruelty toward the Ibino. The curse of albinism left them unable to bear the sun’s rays, confining them to the shadows and turning them into nightwalkers. Daylight, once a source of life and sustenance for all, was now their enemy, and they became dependent on the very people who despised them. Survival became a constant struggle, pushing them to the fringes of society and forcing them into a life of crime.

As the Ibino community grew, their presence became a challenge for wider society. Laws were eventually enacted against them, further deepening the divide and entrenching the cycle of resentment and criminality. Eshe, as the ageless sage, bore witness to this history. Her longevity had gifted her insight into the threads of fate that weaved the tapestry of the land’s story.

In the shadow of her wisdom, Kingpin rose to power, inspired by his grandmother’s resilience and the unjust history of his people. Eshe’s knowledge held the potential to change the course of their destiny, to mend the rifts, and to heal the wounds that time had inflicted. As her lineage continued, so did her legacy, carrying with it the hope for a future where the sins of the past could be redeemed and a fractured society made whole once more.