The Pratap Singh mansion trembled with the weight of darkness. Taamsi stood tall, a sinister aura surrounding her as she looked down at Kiara and the family.
"You must be feeling proud," she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. "You saved them, and yet… the no moon ritual cannot be stopped. Not by love, not by courage, not even by righteousness."
Kiara rose, wincing as her aching feet protested, but her eyes blazed with determination. "I will fight. I will protect my family and the world, no matter what you do."
Bhoomi, her voice trembling but resolute, stepped forward. "Taamsi, darkness may have grown strong, but it can never defeat what is right. You cannot break the spirit of those who live by love and justice."
Chandrika added sharply, "Your power is nothing against the righteousness that binds this family. No amount of fear or magic can sway our hearts."
Susheela nodded firmly, her hands raised. "You underestimate the strength of those who fight for what is right. You will never win."
Taamsi's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Righteousness?" she mocked. "Such naive, fleeting illusions."
With a wave of her hand, a surge of dark energy shot from her, striking Kiara, Bhoomi, Chandrika, and Susheela. They cried out as the force slammed into them, knocking them off their feet. Dust swirled around the room as the powerful strike sent them sprawling across the floor.
Kiara groaned as she tried to push herself up, her vision blurred. She clenched her fists, whispering under her breath, "I won't give up… not now… not ever."
Taamsi hovered above them, her shadow stretching across the room like a living darkness. "Fall all you want. Your ideals, your strength… will only make your eventual defeat sweeter."
The family lay scattered, struggling to rise, while Kiara's gaze never left Taamsi. Despite the pain, her spirit refused to break.
The air in the Pratap Singh mansion was thick with shadows and smoke. Kiara struggled to her knees, wincing from the blows, while Bhoomi, Chandrika, and Susheela tried to stand.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. Vinod and Aakash appeared, shotguns in hand, their eyes blazing with determination.
"Taamsi!" Vinod shouted, his voice firm. "Enough of this!"
Aakash nodded, raising his shotgun. "You've gone too far. Time to pay!"
They fired together. The blast of gunfire filled the room, the buckshot ripping through the air. Taamsi let out a sharp hiss, but to everyone's horror, the wounds healed instantly, the blood vanishing as if it had never been there. Her black braid swayed, and her eyes glowed with a malevolent light.
"You think mere mortals can stop me?" she snarled, advancing. The floor cracked beneath her feet as dark energy radiated outward, sending Kiara and the family sprawling backward.
Without hesitation, Taamsi struck back. A shadow whip shot from her hand, wrapping around Vinod and Aakash. They struggled, grunting as the dark force slammed them against the wall, knocking their weapons away.
Kiara screamed, "Stop! Don't let her—"
Her words were swallowed by the roar of Taamsi's magic. The family scrambled to shield themselves, but the mansion seemed to bend to Taamsi's will, the walls pulsing with darkness.
Despite the chaos, Kiara's eyes never left Taamsi. She whispered to herself, "I will not let her win… I have to find a way…"
Taamsi's laughter echoed, cruel and unrelenting, as the room became a battlefield of shadow and defiance, the family trapped in a fight they hadn't expected, and the darkness growing stronger with every heartbeat.
Kiara rose to her feet, her body aching, feet wounded, and clothes torn, but her eyes blazed with unyielding determination. She stepped forward, putting herself between Taamsi and her family.
"Enough!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the mansion. "If you want to fight, fight me. Leave my family out of this. I am a Reevavanshi. My bloodline won't kneel to you!"
Taamsi tilted her head, a cruel smile spreading across her face. "A Reevavanshi? You, untrained, daring to defy me?" Her laughter was sharp, cold, and mocking. "You should have stayed in the shadows, little girl. Now watch how quickly hope turns to pain."
In an instant, a jagged shard of mirror materialized in Taamsi's hand, glowing with a dark, sinister light. With a flick of her wrist, it shot toward Kiara, slicing through the air. Kiara barely twisted her arms in time; the shard grazed her skin, leaving deep, burning gashes. She winced, the pain sharp, but her stance remained firm.
"You… you think that hurts me?" Kiara gritted her teeth, flexing her hands and gathering a small spark of her Reevavanshi energy. "You've underestimated my bloodline—and me!"
Taamsi's eyes narrowed, a flicker of amusement turning into annoyance. "Oh, I assure you, I don't underestimate anything. I simply enjoy watching the struggle before inevitable defeat."
Kiara's gaze swept over her family, trapped but unharmed for now, and she took a deep breath, focusing on the fire inside her. "I won't let fear rule me. Not today, not ever."
The shards of mirror hovered, spinning like deadly knives in Taamsi's hands, but Kiara's stance did not falter. Every wound, every burn, every ounce of pain fueled her determination.
Taamsi lunged forward again, shard poised, and Kiara braced herself, ready to strike back with the first spark of her awakening Reevavanshi powers.
The air between them crackled with tension, the battle about to erupt.