The storm outside roared, mirroring the chaos within the Pratap Singh mansion.
Dark flames danced across the walls as Yuvaan—no, Kaal—stood towering before Kiara, his eyes a pit of black and crimson rage.
"Only Kaal exists!" he thundered, his voice shaking the marble floors.
Kiara winced as his clawed hand tightened around her arm, his nails piercing into her skin. Blood trickled down, warm against her trembling fingers.
"You see now," he growled, his lips curving into a cruel smirk. "The power I hold—the power of a god among men."
But Kiara's pain turned to defiance. She lifted her chin, staring into his monstrous eyes without flinching.
"You call yourself powerful," she said softly, "yet you kill thousands of innocent girls… all because you fear one woman—Jishwa."
The name struck him like lightning.
The temple bells by the mansion's courtyard began to ring violently on their own—clanging through the air like divine thunder.
Yuvaan's smirk faltered, his grip tightening in irritation. "Watch your tongue," he hissed.
Kiara's voice didn't waver. "Come what may… I won't let my husband commit this sin. I will stop you."
He leaned closer, his aura pressing down on her like a storm. "Seriously? You?" he mocked, his tone venomous.
"I am the ocean, and you are a mere drop. I am the most powerful demon, and you—just a weak, trembling human."
Kiara's lips curved into a faint, fearless smile. "You're right," she whispered.
Her trembling hand slowly closed around a small pouch hidden in her fist—the Rudramani dust her father had given her.
"For Yuvaan… I am weak," she said, tears shining in her eyes. "But for you, Kaal… I am a Reevavanshi."
Before he could react, she grabbed his hand, pressing the dust against his skin.
At first—nothing.
Yuvaan smirked mockingly. "Your tricks are useless."
But then—
a faint glow pulsed from Kiara's shoulder, the mark of Jishwa's Trident flaring beneath her skin. No one saw it—but its divine energy rippled through the air.
Suddenly, the Rudramani dust ignited, burning with blinding silver light.
"AHHH!" Yuvaan roared as his hand erupted in divine fire. The demonic aura around him cracked and writhed, his dark veins glowing red-hot.
Kiara's eyes blazed with determination. She held onto his burning hand with both of hers, pushing back his immense power.
"Your darkness ends here!" she cried, shoving him backward with a force not her own—divine energy bursting through her wounded body.
"Dad!!!" Kiara screamed.
Vikram, already on his feet, didn't hesitate. "Kiara! The Heart Relic—now!"
With perfect timing, he hurled the glowing Heart Relic through the air.
Kiara sprinted forward, leaping up, her fingers catching it midair as light surrounded her.
She landed against Yuvaan—pressing the relic to his chest.
A shockwave tore through the mansion—every flame, every shadow, frozen in place.
The relic's energy surged through Yuvaan's body, and he let out a guttural scream as Kaal's dark aura began unraveling.
Kiara held him close, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Come back to me, Yuvaan… please…"
Inside him, the lock on his heart—the very seal Taamsi forged—began to crack.
The darkness faltered.
And for the first time since the eclipse began, the faintest glimmer of light returned to Yuvaan's eyes.
A violent light burst from Yuvaan's chest, throwing Taamsi and the shadows back. The crimson glow of the Heart Relic pierced through the mansion's darkness, wrapping both Yuvaan and Kiara in its blinding radiance.
Yuvaan's body convulsed as two forces—light and shadow—fought within him. Kaal's roar echoed through the mansion, deep and monstrous.
"You cannot banish me, Yuvaan! I am you!"
But Yuvaan's voice rose over the thunder, over the trembling of the earth itself.
"No! You were the darkness that haunted me—but I'm not your prisoner anymore!"
A final surge of light erupted, and the lock around his heart shattered with a deafening crack.
The demonic veins receded from his skin. His wings turned to ash. The blackish-red faded from his eyes, replaced by the familiar, gentle crimson that once held warmth and mischief.
Silence fell.
Kiara, trembling, looked up at him through tears. "Yuvaan?"
For a heartbeat, there was no response.
Then his gaze softened—his voice breaking with emotion.
"Wifey…" he whispered.
Kiara let out a sob of relief and threw her arms around him. Yuvaan clutched her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry," he breathed. "I hurt you… all of you…"
Kiara shook her head, pressing a hand against his face. "You came back to us—that's all that matters."
The rest of the family, stunned at first, rushed forward. Bhoomi, Chandrika, Aakash, Riddhi, and the others surrounded them in a tight embrace.
"My son," Bhoomi cried, touching his face as if confirming he was real. "My Yuvaan is back…"
Vikram exhaled shakily, his bow lowering to the ground. "The curse has been broken…"
Varun smiled faintly, pride and exhaustion mingling in his eyes. "You did it, little sister."
Kiara held Yuvaan close, whispering, "You were never lost. Just hidden behind the darkness."
And in that fragile, luminous moment—after the storm, after the screams, after the battle—the Pratap Singh Mansion finally fell into peace.