Shadow Reborn

The Awakening

Tara opened her eyes.

No, she was no longer Tara.

Her mortal self had perished in the abyss, burned away by Bhairav's gift.

Now, she was something beyond human.

Her veins pulsed with an eerie black radiance. Every breath she took felt weightless, unnatural. The whispers of the dead no longer tormented her.

They obeyed her.

Bhairav's form flickered in the void. "You have taken the first step."

Tara lifted her hand. The shadows twisted around her fingers, alive and hungry.

She smiled. "This power… it's exhilarating."

Bhairav's laughter echoed. "Then use it. Return to the world you once loved… and tear it apart."

Meanwhile—In the Grand Hall of the Immortal King

Shree Yan sat upon his throne, the Immortal Crown resting lightly on his brow. Beneath him, the world trembled.

His eyes flickered with amusement as Narayan Thapa, his most trusted general, knelt before him.

"Your Majesty, the rebellion has been quelled. But…" Narayan hesitated.

Shree Yan leaned forward. "But what?"

Narayan gritted his teeth. "Tara's body was never found."

Silence.

The candlelight in the hall flickered as a chill spread through the air.

Shree Yan chuckled. "So, she has become something… else."

Narayan's eyes widened. "You knew?"

Shree Yan stood. The very ground seemed to bow beneath him.

"Power," he said, "never vanishes. It only changes form."

He turned his gaze to the distant horizon. The storm was coming.

And this time—he would not hold back.