Shadowflame rising

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The sky was quiet the night Vyoma slipped across the borders.

No army. No banners.

Just her—one blade, one name, one mission.

Vrinda had vanished months ago. Everyone believed she was dead.

Everyone… except Jalandhara.

He never said it aloud. But Vyoma had seen it in his silence. In the way he'd stare into fire after battle. In how he whispered her name like a prayer that never reached the gods.

And Vyoma—who owed Jalandhara everything—had made a vow.

> "I will bring her back. No matter what."

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The Trail of Ghosts

The clues led to a remote mountain village, far from any warpath.

Small. Hidden. Protected by corrupt village lords who trafficked rare souls—like Vrinda—for rituals, power, or control.

Vyoma didn't wait for orders.

She infiltrated the village alone, blending with shadows like a second skin.

For two nights, she observed. Studied every guard rotation. Memorized every scream.

And on the third night—when the clouds were thick and the moon was blind—Vyoma struck.

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Chains and Ash

They kept Vrinda in a stone chamber beneath the village shrine.

Drugged. Bound. Weak—but alive.

When Vyoma found her, she was barely conscious. Thin. Pale. But her eyes… her eyes were still full of fire.

> "Who… are you…?" Vrinda whispered.

Vyoma knelt, cut the chains, and whispered back:

> "I'm the last friend of the man you still live for."

Vrinda's eyes widened. Her voice cracked.

> "Jalandhara…"

> "He never stopped searching," Vyoma said. "He never gave up."

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The Escape

The way out was not silent.

A single guard saw them—and Vyoma made sure he never saw anything again.

Then more came. Dozens.

But Vyoma didn't run.

She danced.

Every move was a blur. Every strike, deadly. Her blade sang through the dark, and the walls were painted in red.

With Vrinda on her back, she carved a path through the night—out of the mountain. Through fire. Through rage. Through vengeance.

And when the sun finally rose…

Vrinda was safe.

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Back to the Shadows

Vyoma never told Jalandhara how badly she was wounded. How close she came to dying.

She didn't want thanks.

All she wanted… was for him to see her not just as a strategist, but as someone who had walked through death for the only person he ever loved.

And maybe…

Just maybe…

He would realize she had loved him too. In silence. In shadows. Always.

Over years, Vyoma fought beside him-never behind.

She respected Vrinda, but her chest burned each time she

saw Jalandhara smile at her.

Jalandhara once told her during a night patrol:

"If anything happens to me, I trust you'll burn the heavens

down."

Vyoma replied,"I already have."

But he never understood what she meant.

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