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.
The wind howled louder as Vikram and Varun reached the mansion gates. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of decay and burnt sorcery. Suddenly, the path ahead turned pitch black — the moonlight snuffed out like a dying flame.
Out of that darkness stepped Taamsi, her silhouette taking shape in the shadows, her eyes gleaming like molten embers.
"Leaving without welcoming me?" she purred, her voice echoing unnaturally, surrounding them from every side. "You Reevavanshis never learn. Every generation tries to stop me… and every generation dies screaming."
Varun raised his bow, but Vikram lifted his hand slightly — a silent signal. Not yet.
They shared a look — father and son, united by the same unshakable resolve.
Vikram's tone was calm, almost measured. "You're right, Taamsi. You're powerful. More than any daayan we've faced before."
Taamsi smirked proudly, spreading her arms as shadows coiled around her like serpents. "Then why waste your breath, priest?"
"Because we don't plan to fight you," Vikram said quietly.
For a moment, her smirk faltered. "What?"
Vikram closed his eyes and raised his palm toward the heavens. The Rudraksha beads on his wrist began to glow. His voice echoed in ancient Sanskrit — "Om Reeva Raksha Siddham… Agneyastra Vidyut Prakasham!"
The ground beneath them trembled. The divine symbols of Reeva Mantra spread across the soil, glowing in golden light. The circle widened rapidly, spiraling upward — forming a luminous forcefield that sealed around Taamsi like a divine cage.
Taamsi screamed, the sound shaking the trees. Dark smoke burst from her hands as she clawed at the light, but the barrier only burned brighter.
"You dare trap me?!" she shrieked, her voice laced with rage.
Varun, his bow still raised, smirked slightly. "You said it yourself, Taamsi — every generation tries. But maybe… you forgot what happens when light refuses to die."
Vikram's chant grew louder, his eyes blazing with divine energy. The mantra field pulsed once, tightening its hold as Taamsi's power faltered for a heartbeat.
She glared at them, her voice dropping to a low hiss. "You think this will hold me forever?"
Vikram met her gaze without fear. "Not forever. Just long enough."
And with that, he grabbed Varun's arm. Together, they sprinted past the glowing trap toward the mansion, leaving Taamsi snarling and pounding against the forcefield — her fury echoing into the night.
The Reevavanshis had bought themselves time… but the darkness was far from defeated.