It was not long after his encounter with Padma that Shree Yan began to understand the true cost of his pursuit. As he delved deeper into the dark techniques, he could feel the remnants of his former self slipping away. Emotions that once defined him—grief, love, regret—were replaced by an all-consuming thirst for power.
The Kalpa Vikalpa, the final stage of his cultivation, was within his grasp. Time itself would bow to his will, and he would be able to reshape the world in his image. No more pain. No more suffering. The Gautam Kingdom would fall, and he would rise above all, as The Immortal King.
But even as he neared the pinnacle of his power, something stirred within him—an echo of the person he had once been. A whisper in the back of his mind told him that the price was too great, that immortality would never be enough. And yet, the temptation was irresistible.
As Shree Yan stood before the altar, preparing to perform the final ritual, the shadows seemed to bend in anticipation. The ritual was not one of mere physical transformation—it was a transformation of the very essence of existence. The moment he performed the final step, he would be beyond time, beyond death.
But as he raised his hands, a vision struck him—Shidhara Gautami, standing before him, her eyes filled with sorrow and betrayal. He saw her walking away from him, her face filled with regret. And in that moment, he realized that the immortality he sought could never bring him what he truly craved.