Karma

In a place filled with flames and shadows, there was a woman named Fortune. She stood alone, surrounded by roaring fires that danced and crackled, reaching out like hungry hands. The heat was unbearable, and smoke filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Fortune’s heart raced, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around.

“In a nightmare... I must be in a nightmare,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She pinched herself, hard, hoping to wake up. But the pain was real, and the flames stayed. They circled her, growing taller, their fiery tongues licking the dark sky. Panic surged through her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Help! Somebody, please!” she screamed, but her voice was swallowed by the roaring fire. Her legs felt weak, and she stumbled back, but the flames followed, moving with her like a shadow.

A shadowy figure emerged from the flames, its eyes glowing with an eerie, cold light. Its body was tall and thin, its face hidden under a dark hood. The air around it was colder than the fire was hot, and Fortune felt a chill crawl up her spine.

“Who... who are you?” she stammered, her body shaking. She tried to move, but her feet were glued to the ground. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.

The figure’s voice was cold and hollow, echoing through the fiery air. “I am the Keeper of Sins. You are here because of the pain you caused others when you were alive.”

Fortune’s heart sank. “No... that’s not true. I don’t deserve this!” she shouted, her tears falling freely. “I was just living my life. I didn’t do anything wrong!”

The Keeper’s eyes burned brighter. “Didn’t do anything wrong? You lied. You betrayed those who trusted you. You were cruel to those who were kind to you.”

Fortune’s body froze as memories flooded her mind. She saw herself laughing at her friend’s pain, spreading rumors to hurt others, and stepping on anyone who stood in her way. She remembered how she had taken what wasn’t hers, how she had ignored the cries of those she hurt. Her chest tightened.

“I... I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” she whispered, her voice weak. “I was just... trying to get ahead. Everyone does that...”

The Keeper’s voice grew colder. “You did not care who you hurt as long as you got what you wanted. You used people. You broke their hearts. You took joy in their suffering. Now, you must face the flames of your own making.”

Fortune stumbled backward, her body trembling. “No... please... I didn’t know...”

The flames grew taller, surrounding her. They were no longer just fire; they were anger, pain, and sorrow—emotions she had caused in others. The heat was unbearable, burning her skin, yet she did not die. The pain was endless.

“I’m sorry!” she cried, her voice breaking. “I see it now... I was selfish and cruel. Please... give me a chance to make it right.”

The Keeper shook its head slowly. “There are no second chances here. You had your life to make better choices. Now, you must live with the consequences.”

Fortune fell to her knees, her hands clutching her head. The flames grew closer, their heat burning her skin but never ending her pain. They were relentless, like her own guilt and regret.

“Please... no... I’m sorry... I don’t want to suffer,” she sobbed, her tears sizzling as they hit the fire. “I’ll do anything... I’ll change... I’ll be better...”

The Keeper watched her, its eyes cold and unfeeling. “You caused suffering without mercy. Now, you will suffer without end. You were given chances to change, but you chose cruelty. Now, the flames will show you the pain you refused to see.”

The fire began to change, showing faces of those she had hurt. Her best friend, whose trust she had broken. Her parents, whose hearts she had shattered. The people she lied to, the office colleagues she manipulated, the lives she ruined for her own gain. They looked at her with pain and betrayal in their eyes.

“No... stop... don’t show me this...” Fortune screamed, covering her eyes. But the faces remained, their voices echoing in her ears.

“Why did you do this?” one voice cried. “I trusted you... and you hurt me.”

“You took everything from me... and you didn’t even care,” another voice sobbed.

Fortune shook her head, her body trembling. “I... I didn’t know... I didn’t mean to...”

The Keeper’s voice was firm. “You knew. You chose to ignore their pain. You chose yourself every time. Now, you face the consequences.”

The flames wrapped around her, their heat burning her skin. But she did not die. The pain was endless, her body trapped in a cycle of agony. Her tears fell, her screams filled the air, but no one heard her. No one came to save her.

“Please... no more... I can’t take it...” she begged, her voice hoarse. “Please... show mercy...”

The Keeper’s eyes flickered with a dark light. “Mercy? Did you show mercy to those who begged you? Did you stop when they cried for help?”

Fortune shook her head, her body heavy with guilt. “No... I didn’t... I was... cruel... I was heartless... I see it now...”

The Keeper turned away, its shadow fading into the flames. “Your own choices brought you here. You showed no mercy, and so, you shall receive none. This is your fate... forever.”

Fortune reached out, her hands burning as the flames consumed her. “No... please... forgive me...”

But the Keeper was gone, and the flames roared louder, their heat more intense. Fortune’s screams filled the fiery abyss, a sound of pure agony and regret. Her body burned, her heart ached, and her soul was heavy with the weight of her sins.

She thought of all the people she had hurt, all the pain she had caused, and she knew that this suffering was her own doing. She had created this fire with her own actions, her own choices.

“I... did this to myself...” she whispered, her voice filled with despair. “I deserve this...”

The flames danced around her, their fiery tongues wrapping around her body. The pain was sharp, burning her over and over again. But she did not die. The suffering never ended. It was her punishment, her karma.

And so, Fortune burned for her sins, surrounded by the flames of her own making. Her screams echoed in the darkness, her tears lost in the fire. There was no escape, no mercy, no end. Only pain. Only regret. Only fire.

Forever lost in the flames, paying the price for the choices she made in life.

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The Lesson of the Story :

The lesson in the story is that our actions have consequences. When we hurt others with our words or actions, the pain we cause can come back to us. It’s important to be kind and thoughtful because the way we treat people matters. Regret cannot change the past, but learning from our mistakes can help us grow. We must take responsibility for what we do and understand that selfishness and cruelty lead to sorrow. True change begins when we feel sorry from the heart and try to be better. Karma is real, and what we give to the world will eventually come back to us, whether good or bad.