Everything in my world felt forced. As an Indian, you're often pressured into being the best on an academic front. My parents never did put that pressure on me, but your perception in circles, at least at a young age, depended on whether you would rank highly amongst your peers. I mean, at school, they would basically look at you different. I never fit into that crowd. I was obese, and around that time, I fell in love with lawn tennis. I dove into it with a passion. Trimmed down to size, built up some athletic muscle, rose through the ranks in India, peaked at #7 - and mind you, I was winning national titles and beating the best of the best despite my rank - and finally walked into the international front. It was a dream come true.
But at the same time, one of the reasons I lingered at #7 was largely due to being unable to frequently participate in high stakes tournaments. I was very conscious of being academically sound as well. Just enough so I wouldn't be at a complete loss when things fell apart all around me. But that led me to overcompensate with training, to the point where a lower back injury rendered me motionless and with consistent pain. I've since recovered with rehab, and I've resented my choice of putting one foot on either end of the threshold ever since. As I battled self-pity and remorse, I started telling myself stories. I cherished moments around telling my classmates those stories and listening to their feedback and opinions. I realized I loved story-telling a lot more than the sport. But I persisted through everything on the academic front, did my engineering, and I now work as an Experiential Designer at a marketing firm.
Why is all this relevant? Well, I decided to stay grounded to reality so I wouldn't end up in a situation of being unable to support myself or my dogs and family, in a country where unconventional routes aren't often met with success. But the better I became with my job, the more I realized just how much I didn't want to live this life. I'm largely unfulfilled. And when sleep-deprived, writing en route to work, staying up and holding to just 3-4 hours of sleep, I feel refreshed the most building my world and my story. It's why I practiced. Even through a phase where I hated my own writing. It's also why I named my handle - Lost Spirit. It feels good to write these things. And it feels better to hope that one day, I'll be able to quit my job and do this full-time. Turn my novel into a webcomic. Turn the webcomic into an animated series. And look back at this moment with nothing but pride.
I genuinely hope this is the community where it happens. Because I honestly love you guys and everything you've given me thus far. But the journey is far from over, and I'm here to stay. Not giving up. Let's go! 
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Title | Curse of Immortals: Tempestatem
Primary Genre | High Fantasy (Dark)
Sub-genre | Adventure. Second Chances. World Transitions.
