Vikram's gaze didn't waver. "I do not blame you," he said, voice calm yet heavy with sorrow. "To save your family… you made a sacrifice. You became Kaal. But now, Yuvaan… as a Reevavanshi, it is my duty to stop your. And we will stop you if we must."
Yuvaan's laughter broke into a roar of pure mockery. "Stop me? Oh, father-in-law… you flatter yourself. And all of you," he gestured to the line of hunters, "how can you hope to stop me? Your Gods-Gift, your Jishwa… gone. She sacrificed her powers for love, and now? You have nothing but bows, swords, and fragile courage."
He let the words linger, his dark grin widening. "And I… I am not alone. Daayans, Chudails, Rakshas, Rakshasis, Pishachini, Pishaach, Yakshinis, Yakshas. Magic runs in their veins as surely as my own. And you? You have no magic. No divine fire. Only your mortal weapons. How will you fight us?"
A heavy silence followed, broken only by the low hum of dark energy spiraling from Yuvaan's position. The Reevavanshi gritted their teeth, their eyes hard, yet their hearts weighed down by the terrifying reality.
Vikram's hand clenched around his bow. "Then we will fight anyway," he said quietly, voice resolute. "Because we have something stronger than magic. We have unity. Strategy. And love for those we protect."
Yuvaan's black eyes glimmered with amusement. "Love," he sneered, "a cage that binds even the fiercest of tigers. You have bound me with it. And yet, it will not save you. Watch closely, Reevavanshi… watch as the eclipse rises, and witness the Dark Stronghold awaken under my command."
The wind tore across the peaks, carrying with it the scent of impending war. Every shadow seemed to quiver, as if anticipating the clash between dark powers and mortal courage. The Reevavanshi gripped their weapons tighter, faces set with grim determination, knowing fully the impossible odds they faced—but ready to stand, even against magic itself.
Next scene
The Pratap Singh mansion seemed to shrink under Mohana's presence. Shadows stretched unnaturally along the walls, twisting and curling as if alive. Kiara's chest heaved, her fingers gripping her bow with all the strength she had, Kiaan pressed close to her heart.
Mohana's voice slithered through the hall, cold, cruel, deliberate. "First, save your son, little Jishwa, before you dare speak of saving your… husband."
Kiara's jaw tightened, fury and fear knotting in her stomach. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "You'll never take him. Never," she spat, her voice trembling but unbroken.
With a swift motion, she drew an arrow, nocked it, and let it fly toward Mohana.
For a heartbeat, time seemed to stretch. The arrow sped through the air, slicing against the cold light of the hall—and then it stopped. Hovering, suspended, as if caught in an invisible web.
Mohana's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Is that the best you can do? You'll end up destroying yourself with your own weapon."
With a flick of her wrist, the bow tore from Kiara's hands, clattering to the ground with a hollow, echoing sound. Kiara's fingers twitched, a sudden panic rising in her chest.
Mohana raised her hand and the arrow hurtled back toward Kiara, spinning through the air like a vengeful snake. It grazed her arm, cutting through flesh, and a sharp cry escaped her lips.
"Kiaaaara!" Rushed voices of Bhoomi, Chandrika, and Angad echoed through the hall—frozen in horror, their hearts lurching as they saw the arrow strike.
Kiara stumbled backward, clutching her arm, the pain igniting a fire deep inside her. Her eyes met Mohana's, blazing with a mixture of wrath, fear, and unyielding determination. Mohana's smirk widened, savoring every second of her cruelty.
The mansion seemed to hold its breath. The air hummed with dark power. Shadows crept closer, tendrils of magic stretching toward Kiara and Kiaan, hungry for their fear.
Kiara gritted her teeth, the taste of blood sharp on her tongue, and she whispered through clenched teeth, "You'll never have him. Not now, not ever."
Mohana laughed, a sound like breaking glass, echoing through the walls.
The battle had just begun.
The arrow spun through the air again, faster this time, humming with a cruel energy. It grazed Kiara's other arm, leaving shallow cuts that burned with fire and made her wince. She stumbled back, teeth gritted, clutching Kiaan closer. Pain lanced through her body, but she refused to scream.
Mohana's laughter rang sharp and cruel, reverberating through the hall. Every inch of Kiara's struggle delighted her. "Look at you," Mohana purred, eyes glinting with malice. "All that bravery, all that love… and yet, so fragile."
Kiara shook off the pain, forcing her legs to steady herself, her chest rising and falling in quick, shallow gasps. Kiaan whimpered, sensing the tension, but she whispered softly, "I won't let her take you. Not ever. Stay close, baby."
Far away, at Paanchgiri, the skies darkened unnaturally. Yuvaan, seated high upon a throne that he had conjured from swirling shadows and jagged obsidian, raised his hand, voice ringing with authority and menace. "Attack!"
The Kaalvansh surged forward, a tide of darkness and fury, descending upon the Reevavanshis. Swords clashed, spells collided, the air trembling with the force of unleashed powers. Each strike of the Reevavanshis was met with a brutal counter from Yuvaan's army. Screams and roars filled the valley, a symphony of chaos and war.
From his throne, Yuvaan watched with twisted pleasure. His eyes glowed black, reflecting the carnage below. A smile curved his lips, cruel and proud, as if every death, every cry, was a note in the symphony of destruction he conducted.
Back at the mansion, Kiara's breaths came faster. Pain and fear intermingled, but beneath it all, a fire burned—defiance, love, and desperation. Mohana raised her hand again, the arrow spinning, humming, ready to strike.
Kiara steadied herself, whispering through gritted teeth, "I don't care how much it hurts. I will stop you. I will save my family."
The mansion seemed to pulse with tension. Outside, the skies over Kaalvansh roared. The world was fracturing in multiple fronts—war outside, cruelty inside—and Kiara, though battered and bleeding, refused to yield.
The shadow of Yuvaan's dark throne loomed far away, while the shadow of Mohana's power pressed in close.
The battle was far from over.