The dark sigils beneath Yuvaan's feet glowed brighter, pulsing like a heartbeat. The chains clinked and hissed, their metal now blood-red. Yuvaan's voice thundered through the hall.
"Now, Taamsi—honor your oath. You said you'd free my family. Do it!"
Taamsi tilted her head, her long braid sliding over one shoulder. "Of course," she said sweetly, her eyes glinting with mischief. She raised her hands, and black smoke unfurled from her palms, twisting toward the mirror.
Within seconds, the fiery circle in the reflection shattered, and Aakash, Riddhi, Susheela, Bhoomi, Vinod, and Chandrika collapsed onto the living-room floor—weak, trembling, but alive.
Kiara and Angad rushed forward, helping them up. Bhoomi clutched her son's photograph to her chest, tears streaming down her face.
But their relief turned to horror.
The chains binding Yuvaan began to burn crimson. Sparks hissed off them like molten fire. He arched back, a strangled groan tearing from his throat.
"Yuvaan!" Kiara cried, racing toward the circle—only to be flung backward by an unseen force. She crashed into Angad's arms, gasping.
"Kiara!" Angad held her tightly as she struggled against his grip. "You can't go in there!"
"What are you doing to him?!" Kiara screamed, her voice breaking. "You promised to free them, not kill him!"
Taamsi's smile widened, her eyes glowing with eerie delight. "Oh, I'm not killing him," she said, almost tenderly. "I'm simply… locking his heart."
Everyone froze.
"W-what?" Kiara stammered.
Taamsi circled the burning formation, her voice echoing with ancient power. "I'm sealing away his emotions—his love, his pain, his humanity. When the heart is silenced… the beast awakens. And when the beast awakens, Kaal will rise."
The room shuddered. Yuvaan's eyes flickered between human warmth and dark void, his breath coming in pained gasps.
"Stop it!" Bhoomi fell to her knees, crying out. "He's my son! Please, stop this!"
Taamsi merely watched, amused. "Your son?" she whispered. "Not for long."
The sigils flared, and Yuvaan let out a guttural roar that shook the walls. Shadows spilled from his chains, slithering across the floor like serpents, circling the terrified family.
Kiara's tear-filled eyes locked on him. "Yuvaan… fight it, please…"
But Yuvaan's burning gaze had already begun to darken.
The heart of Kaal was awakening.
The storm outside the Shetty Mansion raged without warning—wind howled, lightning splintered across the sky. Deep beneath the mansion, in the dimly lit basement, the air grew heavy, almost suffocating.
The ancient Reeva Book—sealed in layers of protective talismans—began to tremble. Its pages fluttered open on their own, stopping at a page marked by a symbol that glowed in a sinister crimson hue.
The Mark of Kaal.
Vikram, standing near the table, froze as the sigil burned itself deeper into the parchment. "No…" he whispered, stepping closer, eyes wide. "That sign… it hasn't appeared in centuries."
Varun, sharpening a silver dagger at the corner, turned sharply. "What sign?"
Vikram ran a hand through his hair, his voice trembling with both fear and knowledge. "The awakening of Kaal."
Varun frowned, setting the dagger down. "Kaal? You mean the dark one Yuvaan was destined to—"
"Yes," Vikram interrupted grimly. "It means something terrible has begun. When this mark reappears… someone has disturbed the seal of his heart."
He touched the symbol lightly; it pulsed beneath his fingers, sending a faint ripple of energy through the air. The lamps flickered. The ground vibrated.
Varun gritted his teeth. "Who could've done that?"
Vikram closed the book with a thud. "Only one being is capable of tampering with the Kaal's heart without dying instantly…"
He looked toward the staircase, his voice low and cold.
"Taamsi."
Varun's jaw clenched. "Then we're already too late, aren't we?"
Vikram nodded slowly. "No… not too late. But if Yuvaan succumbs fully, Kaal will not just rise—he'll consume everything. The curse will spread beyond their mansion."
The candles went out, leaving only the faint red glow of the Reeva symbol illuminating their faces.
Varun exhaled sharply and grabbed his weapon. "Then we don't wait for sunrise. We go now."
Vikram's voice was grave. "We can't just storm in blind, Varun. We need the Heart Relic. It's the only thing that can separate Yuvaan from Kaal's shadow."
Varun's eyes narrowed. "And where exactly is it?"
Vikram looked up, meeting his gaze. "In the one place Kaal would never dare to enter again—the Temple of the First Light."
The thunder outside cracked, shaking the entire mansion. The Reeva Book snapped shut on its own, as if sealing its warning.
And in that moment, both men understood—
the storm wasn't just weather.
It was the beginning of Yuvaan's fall.
The air in the Pratap Singh mansion turned suffocating, heavy with shadows and despair. Inside the shimmering circle of black fire, Yuvaan writhed in agony—his body convulsing as the chains burned brighter, glowing red-hot. Dark veins snaked across his skin, pulsing as if his very blood had turned into shadow.
"Yuvaan!" Kiara screamed, tears spilling as she stumbled toward him. But the barrier of the formation flung her back with a force that sent her crashing to the floor.
"Don't!" Angad and Susheela rushed to her side, trying to pull her up, but Kiara collapsed to her knees, trembling.
"Please, stop this!" she begged, her voice cracking. "You've made your point, Taamsi! Don't do this to him!"
Taamsi only smiled—a cruel, victorious smile. Her dark eyes gleamed with delight as her magic spiraled higher. "Oh, you foolish child," she said, her tone sweetly venomous. "You think your tears can stop destiny? Tonight marks the rise of the Dark King. My Kaal shall awaken."
Kiara shook her head desperately, sobbing. "He's not Kaal! He's Yuvaan! My Yuvaan!"
Taamsi laughed—a haunting, echoing sound that made even the shadows quiver. "He was Yuvaan. Now… he is mine."
Inside the formation, Yuvaan groaned, clutching his chest. His heartbeat thudded violently; the sound echoed like a war drum. The dark fire around him flared—engulfing his reflection in the nearby mirror until even his eyes began to shimmer black.
Bhoomi, unable to bear the sight of her son in torment, suddenly turned and ran toward the temple room. "I won't let you take my child!" she cried.
Moments later, she returned, clutching a brass pot filled with holy water. Her hands shook, but her eyes burned with a mother's fury. "Taamsi!" she shouted, lifting the pot high. "In the name of Mahadev, stop this madness!"
Taamsi tilted her head, smirking. "Such devotion," she purred mockingly. "But you're too late."
Bhoomi ignored her and hurled the holy water with all her strength. The droplets froze midair—suspended inches from Taamsi's face. A dark shimmer of energy crackled around her hand as she redirected the water, evaporating it into black smoke.
"Did you really think mortal purity could touch me?" Taamsi hissed.
Then she raised her hand and flung a burst of dark energy straight at Bhoomi.
"Bhoomi Maa!" Kiara cried, running forward. The blast struck, and Bhoomi stumbled—but before she could hit the ground, Kiara caught her in her arms, trembling.
"Are you alright?" Kiara whispered, tears blurring her vision.
Bhoomi's breathing was ragged. "Save him… Kiara," she managed, clutching Kiara's hand weakly. "Don't… let them take my son."
Taamsi's voice echoed through the hall, deeper and darker than before. "You can't save him. The more you fight… the stronger Kaal becomes."
The chandelier above flickered violently as the shadows around Yuvaan thickened, the light from the lamps extinguishing one by one.
And in that terrifying moment—
Yuvaan's scream pierced the air.
The sound was not human.
It was the roar of something ancient awakening.
To be continued…