A haunting silence followed Bhoomi's desperate cry.
Yuvaan's body trembled violently inside the formation, the burning chains now molten red. Shadows coiled around him like serpents, whispering ancient words only Taamsi could understand.
Kiara, still holding Bhoomi, whispered through trembling lips, "Yuvaan… please fight it… come back to me…"
Her voice broke. "Please…"
And then—
A blinding dark explosion tore through the room.
A shockwave of magic rippled outward, hurling everyone to the ground. The lights shattered, the windows cracked, and the air filled with black fog that shimmered like storm clouds lit from within.
"Kiara!" Angad coughed, shielding her as dust rained from the ceiling.
When the fog began to clear, a figure stood in the center of the chaos.
The formation was gone. The fire circle had vanished.
Yuvaan stood tall amidst the ruin, his head bowed, eyes closed. His chest rose and fell slowly, like the calm before a devastating storm.
Kiara's breath caught in her throat. She pushed herself up on trembling knees and ran to him, tears streaming down her face.
"Yuvaan…" she whispered, her voice shaking with hope. "You're free… it's over…"
She threw her arms around him—
But in an instant, Yuvaan's hand shot forward, shoving her away with brutal force.
Kiara stumbled, falling hard to the ground.
The sound that followed was not Yuvaan's.
It was deeper. Colder.
Ancient.
When he opened his eyes, they gleamed blackish-red, like molten lava burning in the void.
"I…" he said slowly, voice layered with something dark and unearthly.
"I am Kaal."
"Yuvaan?" Kiara gasped, staring up at him in horror.
Behind her, Bhoomi clutched Vinod's arm. "No…" she whispered. "That's not my son…"
Angad moved protectively in front of Kiara, but his legs trembled. None of them could look away.
Yuvaan—no, Kaal—lifted his arms as dark smoke swirled around him, condensing into jagged, shadowy dragon-like wings that unfurled with a thunderous gust. The room shuddered as the wind howled, scattering debris like feathers in a storm.
The veins on his arms pulsed crimson beneath his skin. His presence radiated power—terrifying and divine, the very essence of darkness incarnate.
Taamsi stepped forward with reverence, her expression triumphant. She bowed low before him, her long braid brushing the floor.
"My King," she said softly, her voice trembling with awe. "Welcome back… Lord Kaal, ruler of all darkness and destroyer of light."
Kiara's lips parted in disbelief, tears streaking down her face. "No… no, he's not gone…"
Yuvaan's gaze—cold and unreadable—met hers.
And for a brief second, a flicker of something human passed through those crimson eyes.
But then it was gone.
A smirk curved across his lips.
"The era of Yuvaan is over," he said, his voice echoing with unnatural resonance.
"Now begins the reign of Kaal—King of all Evil."
The air inside the mansion had turned dense—heavy with a silence that even fear hesitated to disturb.
Kaal—once Yuvaan—stood like a shadow sculpted from living night. His dragon-like wings folded behind him, and the veins of red pulsing beneath his skin glowed like molten rivers.
Taamsi kept her head bowed before him, trembling in reverence. "My King, your awakening marks the beginning of our era."
A faint smirk curved Yuvaan's lips. "You brought me back at the right time, Taamsi. The Great Eclipse is only a few days away."
Taamsi's eyes flickered with curiosity. "And before then?"
Yuvaan's gaze sharpened. "Before then… we perform the Dark Ritual—the one that will annihilate my greatest enemy before the sun and moon align."
Taamsi frowned slightly, the firelight reflecting in her crimson irises. "You mean… Jishwa?"
"Yes," Kaal said, his voice a low rumble of ancient wrath. "The gods' chosen warrior. The one born to oppose me. The God's Gift to the Reevavanshi clan."
He took a step forward, and the floor beneath him darkened as if it feared his touch.
"She was hidden from me once — protected by celestial magic. But this time… she won't escape."
Taamsi frowned slightly. "But we have not yet discovered her identity."
Kaal's smirk deepened. "We will. The ritual itself will draw her out."
Kiara's breath hitched as his next words fell like daggers.
"Every girl born across the world — twenty-five years ago, on the same night as my birth — will have her soul ignited. The one who survives… the one untouched by my darkness… will be Jishwa. And then… she will die by my hand."
Gasps filled the room. Bhoomi's trembling hands clutched Vinod's arm. Chandrika whispered a silent prayer.
Kiara's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're going to sacrifice innocent lives just to find one girl?"
Kaal turned toward her slowly, the faintest flicker of amusement in his expression.
"Innocence is a luxury the world can no longer afford."
Taamsi's delighted laughter echoed through the hall. "Magnificent, my King! Let their cries awaken the night!"
Then her smile turned sly. "But what about them?" she asked, gesturing toward the Pratap Singh family. "They used love to bind your spirit. Shouldn't they pay for their crime?"
The family huddled together — Bhoomi clutching Riddhi's trembling hand, Vinod shielding Susheela, Chandrika standing weakly beside Kiara.
Kaal looked at them — and for a heartbeat, something human flickered behind those dark eyes.
Then it was gone.
"I'll take my time with them," he said, his tone smooth, chillingly controlled. "They'll serve as my… entertainment before the no-moon night."
Taamsi smiled wickedly. "As you command, my Lord."
Kaal tilted his head slightly, his tone shifting into command. "Return to Kaal Vansh. Gather the dark legions. The ritual begins when the Eclipse rises."
Taamsi bowed deeply. "It shall be done."
A wave of black energy spiraled around her, and she vanished into the shadows.
The hall grew silent again — save for Bhoomi's quiet sobs and Kiara's trembling breath.
Kiara turned toward Yuvaan — no, Kaal — her eyes glistening. The man before her looked the same… yet everything about him felt foreign, hollow, dangerous.
We have to leave, she thought desperately. Before he remembers we still matter.
She tightened her grip on Bhoomi's hand and whispered under her breath, "We'll save you, Yuvaan… even if we have to fight the darkness itself."
Kaal's eyes flicked toward her for a moment — something unreadable crossing his face — before he turned away, his wings spreading like the shadow of death itself.
And for the first time, the house of the Pratap Singhs felt like the throne room of hell.
--