Novels by Inara

The ruins of the industrial sector on the outskirts of the city offered the perfect mask: decaying walls, rusting rebar, and the toxic stench of stagnant oil that kept the prying eyes of the curious far away. It was here that Karan sought to dissect his own curse, though the term 'curse' had long since replaced the word 'miracle' in his mind. The air was humid, heavy with the weight of the encroaching evening. Karan stood in the center of a cathedral-like structure that once served as a warehouse for textile machines. The ring on his finger—the heavy, charcoal-grey band that had haunted him for weeks—seemed to be absorbing the meager light that filtered through the cracked ceiling. It wasn't just metal anymore; it was an anchor, dragging his very essence into a deep, silent cold."Don't panic. Just focus," he whispered to himself. His voice was ragged, lacking the bravado he had possessed only days prior. His goal today wasn't saving a neighbor or manifesting an escape route. He

The world was silent, yet that silence felt more terrifying than the blast of an atomic bomb. On giant television screens in Times Square, on the phones of commuters waiting for trains, and in the most secret military control rooms, Karan's face was displayed with haunting precision. His eyes no longer belonged to a human; they were two pits of fire burning the horizon.Arif, who had just managed to break free from Karan's gravitational pressure, staggered back. His breath came in gasps, his lungs feeling as though they were filled with shattered glass. He stared at the young man with a look of horror and pity. "Karan, you don't know what you're doing! You've just broadcasted your destruction to every corner of the earth. You're not just fighting the Covenant forces; you're challenging the laws of nature that human logic can't even comprehend!"Karan didn't turn. He remained still, staring at the blinking red lens of the CCTV camera—a mechanical eye that was now a silent witness to th

The horror was real, creeping out of the torn rift in the sky like black ink spilled over a holy white canvas. That thunderous sound wasn't just a noise; it was the resonance of an existence that shouldn't exist in this dimension. Karan fell, his legs feeling as if they had lost their bones as the giant shadow revealed claws that glowed with an aura of death. Lekang Ardent, a man who usually radiated absolute charisma and the composure of an apex predator, now looked like a terrified child. His face was deathly pale, his eyes trembling violently as he looked up at the entity beginning to descend through the boundaries of space and time."That’s... that’s impossible," Lekang muttered, his voice catching. He backed away instinctively, the heels of his shoes scraping against the surface of the pocket dimension, which was now cracking like a shattered mirror. "We weren't supposed to call it. Not now!"Karan clutched his wrist, where the fire mark now felt like red-hot iron branded into hi

Concrete dust from the door's transformation still hung in the air, dancing in the flickering, dying glow of the incandescent bulb. Karan gasped for breath, his back pressed tight against the cold, vibrating surface of the steel. Outside, heavy thuds echoed—the boots of the demonic contractors slammed against the door with enough force to bring down the walls of the old building."Open the door, Karan! Don't make this harder than it has to be!" the voice of the man in the suit barked from behind the steel. "You have no idea what you’re holding. That ring doesn't belong to mortals! Hand it over, and you might just live to see another day!"Karan stared at his hand. The brand of fire on his wrist pulsed in rhythm with his erratic heartbeat. He didn't answer. The fear that had initially paralyzed him was now sharpening into a stinging revulsion. They were hunting him like an animal, demanding something he didn't even fully understand. "Life?" Karan laughed bitterly, his voice raw. "You

Concrete dust and the smoke of burning tires billowed into the air, creating a suffocating gray curtain. Karan coughed violently, his eyes stinging from grit. Up ahead, the frame of the wrecked sedan served as a barricade between him and the man who called himself Arif. But now, Arif wasn't his focus. From behind the remains of the car, which was still emitting the hiss of hot metal, tall figures in sharp suits emerged from the shadows of the buildings. There were a dozen men with blank faces, their eyes showing no human emotion, but rather an ancient, cold hunger."Hand that thing over, kid. Don't make us get blood on our hands in a crowded public place like this," one of them said. His voice was flat and monotone, yet the vibration pierced Karan's eardrums.Karan took a step back, his legs shaking so hard his heels hit the curb. "Who are you people? What do you want?""We are those who understand the value of will," answered another man standing at the front, wearing a gold ring on

"Wait, don't come any closer!" Karan retreated in an orderly fashion, his heel hitting a wooden trash bin with a loud creak. He tried to swallow, but his throat was bone dry. His heart drummed an irregular war beat. "Who are you? And what did you do to everyone here?"The man in the suit stopped exactly two meters in front of Karan. He adjusted his glasses, a movement that was both elegant and cold. "Me? I'm just someone with a business interest in that thing wrapped around your finger. Names aren't important, but if you insist, just call me Ardent. And as for these people..." He snapped his fingers softly.Snap!In the next second, the market noise rushed back into Karan's ears with even greater intensity. The sound of motorcycle horns, the shouting of bargainers, and the smell of satay smoke hit his senses. The world moved again, as if the frozen moment had been nothing more than a wild figment of Karan's stressed-out brain. However, Karan knew it was real. He could feel the ring on