The dense forest road leading to the Pratap Singh mansion was eerily silent, the fading light of dusk casting long, twisting shadows. Varun and Vikram moved cautiously, senses alert, each step crunching on the dry leaves beneath them.
Suddenly, the air shifted. A cold wind whipped around them, carrying a faint, sinister hum.
"Something's here…" Varun muttered, tightening his grip on his bow.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—Betty. Her eyes glinted with malevolence, wings folding behind her like a dark cloak, fangs catching the last rays of the sun. Beside her, another figure stepped forward—Tulika, a tall witch with a serpentine grace, her aura dripping danger.
Vikram's jaw tightened. "They've been waiting for us."
Betty's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Varun Shetty, Vikram Shetty… just the duo I wanted to see. You shouldn't have come here."
Tulika's voice was icy, smooth. "And now you won't leave."
Varun nocked an arrow to his bow. "We've trained for this. Ready, Dad?"
Vikram's eyes glinted with resolve. "Always."
The witches circled them, wings and robes creating shadows that danced like living creatures.
Betty hissed. "Bow and arrow won't save you this time, Reevavanshi. Magic bends reality in our favor."
Varun exhaled sharply. "Then we'll bend it right back. Aim for their weak points."
Vikram took a step forward, drawing his bow. "Stay together. Watch their movements—they strike as one."
A flick of Betty's hand sent dark sparks erupting from the ground toward them. Varun rolled to the side, firing an arrow that grazed Tulika's shoulder, causing a hiss of pain.
Tulika snarled, raising her hand, sending a volley of shadow bolts that Vikram narrowly deflected with a swift, glowing shield from a Reevavanshi talisman.
Betty swooped down with bat-like wings, eyes locked on Varun. "I'll enjoy watching you fall first."
Varun's fingers twitched, releasing another arrow, this one coated with enchanted silver. It struck Betty's shoulder, forcing her to recoil mid-flight.
Vikram muttered under his breath. "They're strong—but not invincible. Keep your focus, son."
The witches regrouped, circling like predators, shadows stretching unnaturally across the road. Arrows flew, spells crackled, and the forest became a battlefield of light and darkness, every movement testing the Reevavanshi duo's skill, instinct, and courage.
Inside
Kiara's arms throbbed from the shard Taamsi had hurled, crimson streaks marring her skin. She stumbled back but refused to cry out. Around her, the Pratap Singh family froze, terror-stricken and unsure how to help.
"Kiara!" Bhoomi called, moving forward.
Kiara lifted a shaking hand, stopping them. "Stay back! I… I can do this," she said, her voice wavering yet fierce.
Taamsi's laughter filled the mansion, sharp and mocking. "Really? An untrained Reevavanshi thinks she can protect her family?" Another shard shot forward, aiming for Kiara's chest.
Kiara's eyes widened, her heart racing. She hadn't learned to fight like Varun or Vikram, hadn't mastered control over her bloodline—but instinct surged. She lunged, catching the shard midair by sheer reflex, the dark magic humming against her fingers.
Gasps echoed around the room. Even Taamsi faltered, her confident smirk faltering. "What?!" she hissed. "How…?"
Kiara, panting and wounded, lifted the shard. "I don't need training to protect my family," she said, voice trembling but firm. "I just need… to fight."
The shard pulsed, responding to her raw determination. Taamsi's eyes narrowed, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face.
Kiara's gaze swept over her family, giving them a shaky, determined nod. "I'm not alone… I have all of you with me in my heart. Stay back."
Taamsi's dark energy flared, shards spinning faster around her, but Kiara's courage held. She might not be trained, but she had the one thing Taamsi hadn't counted on: the fierce will of a Reevavanshi mother, wife, and protector.
The mansion seemed to hold its breath, poised for the moment when instinct, courage, and love would collide with Taamsi's dark sorcery.
Outside the mansion, the cold night trembled under Betty's shrill sonic scream. The trees bent as if bowing to her fury. Vikram and Varun staggered, clutching their ears, the piercing wave threatening to split their skulls apart.
"Varun!" Vikram shouted over the noise, his voice nearly drowned by the shriek. He reached into his belt and pulled out a small pouch shimmering faintly under the moonlight—Rudramani Dust.
He tore it open and hurled the sacred ash into the air. The dust scattered like divine fireflies before burning in contact with the witches' dark aura. Betty and Tulika screamed, their skin hissing as light consumed them.
"Rudra ki shakti…!" Varun muttered in awe as the witches disintegrated into smoke.
Vikram's eyes were set, determined. "There's no time to waste. The darkness is gathering inside." They both sprinted toward the mansion gates, unaware that the final battle had already begun within.
---
Inside, Taamsi's rage blazed. Her eyes glowed red as she raised her hand, summoning another storm of black shards to finish Kiara once and for all. But then she paused—her head tilted, sensing something.
Her smirk returned, cruel and knowing. "Ah… the Rudramani burns. The Reevavanshis approach."
Kiara, weak and trembling in Bhoomi's arms, glared up at her through tear-streaked cheeks. "You'll lose, Taamsi. Darkness never wins."
Taamsi chuckled, her tone dripping with venom. "Oh, I'm not done yet, little Reevavanshi. But when I return… I'll make sure you watch your precious light fade first."
With a swirl of dark smoke, she vanished through the shattered window, leaving behind the stench of burnt magic.
Kiara swayed, her knees giving way, and Bhoomi caught her before she fell. Chandrika pressed her palm to Kiara's cheek, eyes glistening with tears.
"Beti… hold on. Vikram and Varun are coming. You did well, very well."
Kiara, her lips pale but her voice steady, whispered, "She's going for Yuvaan… I can't… let her win."
Her family gathered around her, shielding her trembling form as the no-moon night deepened, the mansion pulsing with the uneasy rhythm of two forces about to collide.