Dead Heart Longing
By Fizza Younis
5/5
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About this ebook
Gesar, who was once a mighty king, now roams an ancient Tibetan castle as a ghost. His heart, as cold as the snow-covered mountain tops and consumed with bitterness, melts when he meets Nur. She is a woman like a warm summer breeze drawn to history and untold pasts. And their love will defy time and stretch beyond the human's lifespan.
Yet, the shadows of forgotten conflicts threaten to extinguish the spark of their fragile relationship. As their fates collide, Gesar's long-dead heart stirs with an unfamiliar warmth, and Nur faces an impossible choice. Should she save the cursed soul she's grown to love or condemn him to eternal solitude?
Fizza Younis
Dr. Fizza Younis resides in the vibrant city of Lahore, Pakistan, where her journey through life has been as diverse as her country. With a Ph.D. in economics, she has delved deep into the intricate webs of financial theory, but the enchanting realms of fiction and poetry have captured her heart. As a dedicated indie author and ardent reader, she revels in the art of storytelling, crafting narratives that transcend the boundaries of her academic pursuits. Rooted in the principles of minimalism, equality, and harmony, her writing reflects her steadfast beliefs. Her stories are both mirrors of her philosophy and windows into the lives of intriguing characters navigating the labyrinth of existence. In her world, characters come alive, and their misadventures resonate with humanity's shared joys and tribulations. She sprinkles love and encouragement with every word, creating a cocoon of empathy and connection that envelops her readers. Though she might describe herself as an average person leading a mundane existence, Fizza is nothing short of spectacular in the world of fiction. Join her on a journey through the written word, where ordinary lives take on extraordinary hues, and the essence of humanity is distilled into every sentence.
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- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fantasy story that combines myths with legends, taking you on a journey through winding mountain roads and ancient ruins of Tibet and Baltistan. It's bound to leave you breathless.
Book preview
Dead Heart Longing - Fizza Younis
Dead Heart Longing
Fizza Younis
Copyright © 2024 Fizza Younis
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Fizza Younis
To that one person, who knows me the best and loves me still
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
A Lost Soul
Past Haunts the Future
Nothing Lasts Forever
Seeing the Unseen
Truth Within the Lies
Be Still My Dead Heart
The Knots of Fate
Journey to the Past
Much is Lost in Time
Back to the Beginning
Dead Hearts Don’t Beat
The Cruel Lies
The Nagi Princess
The Mystery in Mayhem
The Untold Tale
Coming Back to Life
One Last Battle
The Old Magic
Reunited Once More
That Fateful Night
Afterword
About The Author
Books by This Author
A Lost Soul
The castle stood on the highest hill in a valley surrounded by the mighty Himalayas. From its towers, in all four directions, you could see tiny houses and huts stretched as far as your eyes could roam uninterrupted by nature. Though calling it a castle would probably be wrong, it was more of a ruin of one. Yet, its vastness would leave you in awe.
On the outside, vines crawled on every wall. Shrubs and wildflowers overran the grounds. Trees of silver fir and blue pine scattered across the uneven landscape. Broken windows shuddered with each gust of wind. And the inside was bare of any furniture or sign that humans ever lived there. Cobwebs hung from walls, and dust coated the cabinets. Shadows lurked in the corners and monsters seemed to peek from each dark nook.
Locals avoided it, fearful of the ghosts and goblins that haunted the empty structure—a shell of its past glory. As magnificent as the sun in the sky on a cloudless day, once upon a time, the grandeur of its halls was unparalleled. Now, a husk of its former self, it was still standing. That alone was something of a marvel.
Back in the day, tourists frequented the place, but then it was deemed unstable and unsafe for viewing. She was a brave girl who dared to darken its corridors, for no one else bothered with the falling skeleton of an ancient castle. At least, not in the past decade or so.
Look, you must come and see it for yourself,
she was talking into the phone. This place needs saving. It's a national treasure. Seriously, it might be the oldest standing building in the Himalayas. Imagine the benefits if we succeeded in getting it declared as such.
Her excitement grew with each word she uttered and her green eyes shone. Whether that too was a result of her eagerness or because of the afternoon sun, he couldn't tell. Everything about her was illuminated and to his eyes, she seemed like a phantom. Maybe he conjured her up with sheer will. No, he wasn't that imaginative. He quickly discarded the idea because she was real. More so than him.
It wasn't the first time an outsider came to the valley and fell in love with its history. Unfortunately, all previous efforts to get the place status of a historical site failed. It would take too many resources to restore the castle and make it safe enough for human viewing. It was practically falling apart, which made it dangerous, especially if you considered its location—at the edge of a steep hill with at least a hundred feet fall on three sides. And only one travelable dirt road leading in or out of its giant front gates.
Don't you trust my judgment?
she said to whoever was on the other end. She waited for their response before continuing, Times are different now. I'm sure it's possible. In this day and age, what isn't? We can even turn it into one of the hottest tourist destinations.
Whatever the other person said satisfied her. Okay, that's settled then. I'll see you next week.
Putting her phone back in her bag, she turned a corner and found herself in front of a doorway that barely reached her shoulders. She was a tall woman but that wasn't why the door seemed dwarfed in front of her. This particular door led to a small room, which in turn led to the dungeons. And it was deliberately constructed to make sure the entrants would lower their heads, thus, ruling out sneak attacks.
She stood there for a long moment, admiring the carvings on its wooden frame, still as sturdy as ever before. 'Not everything decayed at the same rate,' he mused. The invaders who came along the road of time might have stolen the jewels and gems, but the wooden door and window frames with intricate designs were no less precious. They were a testament to its past splendor. Dulled with dirt, they bespoke the craftmanship that existed hundreds of years ago.
He kept following her as she walked around and observed every nook of the castle's main building. Meanwhile, he observed her. She was the first person he had seen in centuries. At least, that’s what it felt like to him. Time was no longer relevant to his existence. Even though she couldn't see or hear him, just watching her admiring his home was entertainment enough. Her presence in the ruins of his castle fascinated him. How long had he craved human interaction, and how many nights had he wished to gaze upon another face—any face, let alone a pretty one. She was his dream come true and his heart's deepest desire.
It wouldn't be easy to understand his reaction if you hadn't roamed the vacant corridors and halls of an abandoned, rundown castle for centuries. If you didn't know what it felt like to go from one empty room to another when you can't even sleep to seek a few hours of reprieve in your dreams. Unable to leave the place and cursed to remain invisible to anyone who came to study its ancient walls, Gesar was truly lost and utterly alone.
Some might consider immortality a blessing, but he knew it for the curse it was. Destined to walk on the earth in solitude, having no one to love or cherish, he spent one day at a time while avoiding the thoughts of what was to come. At first, he hoped to find