The Unseen Chains

A King Who Stood Alone

The night was silent, yet the weight of unseen eyes pressed upon Shree Yan. His kingdom stretched vast and unchallenged, his throne unshaken, yet within him, a shadow stirred—one that neither blade nor cultivation could sever.

He walked through the empty halls of his grand palace, each step echoing through the stone corridors. The scent of burning incense filled the air, a stark contrast to the memories that clung to him like an unrelenting storm.

His mind drifted back to the mirror. The reflection that should not have existed.

A boy. A past that had long been buried.

Yet even the strongest of graves could be disturbed.

A Meeting in the Dark

A faint rustle in the wind. The presence of another.

Shree Yan stopped.

"Come out." His voice was soft, yet it left no room for defiance.

A shadow stepped forward, cloaked in moonlight.

Narayan Thapa.

A man who had once fought for the Gautam Kingdom. A general who had once been his enemy. Now, an ally—or at least, someone who wished to be.

Narayan's face was lined with experience, his once-proud armor exchanged for a simple robe. But his eyes… they still held the fire of a warrior.

"You still refuse to rest," Narayan observed.

Shree Yan's gaze remained unreadable. "Rest is for those who believe the world is not watching."

A pause. Then a sigh.

"You cannot fight ghosts, Shree Yan."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through the Immortal King's eyes.

"Ghosts do not concern me."

Narayan did not argue.

But he did not believe, either.

Chains of the Past

As Narayan left, Shree Yan returned to his throne, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

A single thought lingered in his mind.

The past does not exist. The past does not matter.

Yet even he knew—

If that were true, he would not still be thinking of it.

Far beyond the walls of his palace, the winds carried whispers of rebellion.

The world still dared to challenge the Immortal King.

And perhaps—so did something within him.