XIII: DEATH - ZHUEL

Happy Monday, everyone!

This week's #tarotillustration from me features Zhuel, the fantasy version of my character Joel as seen in @tete.depunk's @tapas_app novel, "Scale, Blood, and Bone", which you can read here: https://tapas.io/series/Scale-Blood--Bone/info

Self-denying, authoritative, and solemn, Zhuel struggles with many of the same self-inflicted issues as Joel: self-hatred, overthinking, and nihilism.

It's not until later in the story that he is "reborn," so to speak...although it comes at a great cost. After all, Death is a kind of rebirth, and many interpretations of the Death tarot card interpret death as a kind of birth.

After his old self "dies," the new Zhuel is ready to take on the world with Malka. He's sick of self-denying and hurting Malka in the process - he wants both of them to be happy and he's willing to do anything to ensure her happiness.