Fragments of the Forsaken

By Lab Maharaj

Sabrina, a woman abandoned by both society and her God. Stranded in a desolate realm of ceaseless echoes and self-doubt, she faces an agonizing choice: reclaim her divine past or embrace a mortal future. Accompanied by her twin sister, Sophia, she traverses shifting landscapes that symbolize life's deepest transitions and struggles.

 

Through her harrowing quest to reclaim the fragments of her soul, we explore themes of identity, acceptance, and mental health with profound empathy and insight.

Her journey is a mirror reflecting our own battles between reason and emotion, divine expectations, and human limitations. As she delves into the multiple realms of her existence, she confronts the ghosts of her past, revealing the impact of her choices and the complexities of her true self. In her search for meaning and belonging, she must navigate the burden of her former divinity and the raw reality of mortal life.

 

"And in the end, who are you but fragments of all those you have ever encountered since birth? Are you merely an a collection of every touch, every word, every glance exchanged with others? Each experience, every fleeting interaction, forms pieces of your being, like shards of a broken mirror reflecting a multitude of faces and voices."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lab Maharaj
• Release date: Sep 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227772046

Lab Maharaj

I am an author, marketer, and creative thinker who explores the intersections of philosophy, Stoicism, science, artificial intelligence, and digital marketing. Through my writing, I connect ancient wisdom with modern challenges, offering readers reflection and practical guidance for living with clarity and resilience in a fast-changing world. My published works include The Painted Porch: The Wisdom of the Ancient Stoa, The Stoic Path: Lessons Beyond the Painted Porch, Quantum Quandaries, and a range of essays and guides that blend timeless philosophy with insights from science and technology. Each book reflects my belief that philosophy, science, and innovation are not abstract theories but living disciplines that shape how we think, act, and find meaning in our daily lives. Beyond my books, I work professionally in digital marketing and artificial intelligence, helping businesses build their presence, grow their audiences, and leverage technology to achieve their goals. This practical side of my career complements my writing, since both aim to solve problems and create lasting impact. I also pursue music and art as additional outlets for creative expression. This website brings together all of these threads: literature, philosophy, reviews, blog posts, marketing insights, and artistic projects—so you can explore the full range of my work and interests.

Book preview

The Fracture

Once adored, your heart wore a gilded cloak,

In pride you basked, engrossed in admiration’s smoke.

God’s darling child, the apple of his eye,

Nestled safe, on home hearth, under heavenly sky.

His touch, so gentle, warm with familiarity’s grace,

Betrayed by cruel twist of fate; an exile to face.

Into the abyss of despair and torment wide,

You wandered aimlessly, no guide by your side.

Once revered now scorned; swathed in disdain,

Deformed by filth and disease’s heartless reign.

Broken spirit bearing burdens heavy and bleak,

In emptiness, in hollow voids where whispers speak.

Yet faith clung tight like shadows tread at night,

Believing his touch would once again alight.

The hand that cast you out would surely cradle,

A cherished memory for a soul desperate to kindle.

A Day Like Any Other

Cumaris Day marks the start of autumn, a time of harvest and reflection. Each year, the villagers gather to celebrate the God of the Forge, whose mythic hands shaped our world. As I sit in my favourite spot in the corner of our modest home, I remember last year’s festivities. My sister, Sophia, had prepared an elaborate feast that drew everyone together. Laughter echoed through the air, mingling with the aroma of roasted meats and spiced cider. She had been the heart of it all, her infectious spirit bringing light to even the darkest corners of our lives.

But this year, a shroud of dread envelops me, replacing the joy I once felt. The atmosphere feels heavy, almost suffocating. I glance outside, watching the leaves cascade from the trees, their vibrant reds and yellows swirling to the ground. To me, they symbolize a new beginning, yet they also signal the end of something old, something precious. I can’t shake the feeling that this autumn will be unlike any other, perhaps heralding a change that will alter the course of our lives forever.

It is the year 2244, the second age after the birth of the world, a time when very few know the true tale of how both the world and mortals came to be. We clerics are charged with passing down the history of our creation, teaching the villagers that the world was formed by Cumaris in his mighty forge. He carved the mountains and rivers below, a stoic figure who has never shown a flicker of emotion. To the villagers, he is both a deity and a distant memory, a force we respect but cannot truly understand.

As I ponder these thoughts, a sudden shout pulls me from my quiet daydream.

Sabrina! Sophia’s voice cuts through the heavy air, awakening me from my reverie. I look up to see her standing at the entrance, her usual brown tunic adorned with dried flowers she had collected earlier. Despite the unease weighing on me, her presence brings a sense of warmth. She has always been the bright spark in my life, her laughter echoing like a melody in the darkest of times.

I get up from my little spot and walk toward her. But as I approach, I notice that her eyes are fixed on something far beyond our home, scanning the horizon. I follow her gaze and see the clouds forming overhead. The sky, usually a brilliant blue, is now cloaked in dark, ominous shades, swirling like a tempest ready to break. An instinctive chill runs down my spine, and a wave of unease washes over me. It feels as though the world itself is holding its breath.

Sophia, I say, my voice barely above a whisper, what do you see?

She turns to me, her expression a mix of concern and determination. I don’t know, Sabrina. It just feels... different this year. Something isn’t right.

I nod in agreement, unable to articulate the gnawing sensation in my gut. Just as I open my mouth to respond, a sharp pain suddenly pierces my side. It hits me like a bolt of lightning, forcing me to double over. I gasp, my breath hitching in my throat, as stars dance in my vision. Confusion and fear swirl within me, mixing with the dread that had already taken root.

Sabrina! Sophia rushes to my side, her hand gripping my shoulder, grounding me. What’s happening?

I... I don’t know, I manage to gasp out, clutching my side. The pain intensifies, radiating outward, and I feel a wave of darkness closing in around me. The world tilts, and I stumble, struggling to keep my footing.

Sophia, I can’t...

Before I can finish, the ground beneath me feels like it’s crumbling away. I fall to my knees, my vision blurring as shadows dance at the edges of my consciousness. The last thing I see before everything fades is my sister’s face, etched with worry, as she reaches for me. Sabrina! she cries, but her voice grows distant, echoing in the emptiness that follows.

In that moment, I sense the world around me slipping away, leaving only the void, cold and consuming. The darkness wraps around me, and for the first time in my life, I feel utterly alone.

The Dream

Sabrina, Sabrina, Sabrina...

Kneeling before the sacred altar of Cumaris, I feel my consciousness slipping, sinking into the fathomless shadows that rise to meet me like a ravenous beast. The world around me fades, replaced by an oppressive darkness that swallows me whole. My breath catches as the silence deepens, broken only by haunting echoes that reverberate through the ancient chambers hidden beneath our village. These chambers are older than memory, a place where the veil between worlds is thin, where the dead and the living coexist in uneasy silence.

As I kneel there, I am surrounded by spectral silhouettes—figures that once bore names and faces, now lost to time. They flicker in the smoky candlelight, their movements slow and languid, like ghosts trapped in an endless dance. These are the spirits of past guardians, those who once protected this place and the secrets it holds. But now, they are no more than echoes, shadows of what they once were, bound to this place by forces beyond my understanding.

I feel their presence pass through me, as if I were no more than an uninvited apparition. I am but a flame struggling to burn bright in this cold, forgotten world. The darkness around me seems less like a physical presence and more like a living thing, pressing in on me from all sides, threatening to snuff out the small light I carry within.

The world around me feels deadened, an echo of Cumaris’ realm that lies barren and abandoned. The spirits here are mere remnants, ghostlike figures that flicker in and out of existence, reminders of a time long past. Shadows laugh grimly at my futile attempts to summon him, their mocking tones echoing in the cavernous silence.

Cumaris, I call out, desperation etched into every syllable. My voice trembles, the words barely escaping my lips. But the name of the god I once revered returns to me as nothing more than a hollow echo, a chilling silence that settles like a shroud over my heart. The altar before me, steeped in gloom, feels less like a place of worship and more like a doorway to oblivion. The darkness here is so deep, so absolute, that it feels as though it is not devouring me, but absorbing me into its very essence.

And yet, in the midst of this suffocating void, I hear something—an elusive, haunting melody that echoes from the depths of Cumaris’ spectral domain. The sound is faint at first, a whisper on the edge of hearing, but it grows stronger, pulling me toward it with an almost magnetic force. I rise to my feet, my limbs heavy as if weighed down by the darkness itself, and begin to follow the melody.

The tune guides me deeper into the shadows, its mystic allure impossible to resist. As I move toward the source, the darkness around me seems to shift and change, taking on strange shapes and forms that I can barely comprehend. It is as if the shadows themselves are alive, moving and breathing with a life of their own.

Finally, I reach the source of the melody—a figure bathed in an otherworldly light. It is a woman, her form ethereal and ghostly, her eyes filled with an ancient sorrow that speaks of eternity and loss. Her gaze meets mine, and in that instant, I feel as though I am seeing into the very depths of her soul. The melody she sings is one of longing, of a love lost and never regained, a hymn that resonates deep within me.

I reach out, desperate to touch her, to connect with this spectral figure who seems to hold all the answers I seek. But before my fingers can graze the misty edges of her form, she dissipates into nothingness, leaving only the echo of her song behind. A jarring force hurls me back across the dimensions, and I find myself once again in the cold, dark chamber of the altar.

The room around me seems darker than before, the shadows deeper and more oppressive. The presence of Cumaris, once so palpable, is now gone, leaving behind a cold emptiness that feels like the aftermath of a primordial birth—a void where once there was creation. In the centre of the room, a single beam of light lingers, cutting through the darkness like a blade. It seems to be calling me, whispering my name with a voice that is both familiar and alien.

I edge closer to the source of the light, my heart pounding in my chest. The whispering shout grows louder, filling my mind with its insistent call. As I step into the beam of light, it shines upon me with an intensity that blinds me, forcing me to close my eyes. For a moment, I am suspended in a state of pure light, a sensation of warmth and peace washing over me.

And then... nothing.

The light vanishes as quickly as it appeared, plunging the room into complete darkness. I feel a sudden rush of wind behind me, a shudder that runs through my entire being. The ground beneath me seems to give way, and I fall, my body collapsing into the darkness. But instead of hitting the cold stone floor, I feel something soft beneath me, like feathers cushioning my descent.

Lying there in the darkness, I struggle to make sense of what has happened. The warmth of the light still lingers in my skin, but it is fading fast, replaced by the chill of the void that surrounds me. The echoes of the melody, the woman’s sorrowful gaze, the cold emptiness left in Cumaris’ absence—all of it swirls together in my mind, a chaotic jumble of unanswered questions.

I am