Scene – Shetty Villa, Secret Basement, Morning
The basement was dimly lit, shadows clinging to every corner. Kiara stepped carefully, her hand brushing along the cold stone walls, while Yuvaan followed, eyes scanning the space with quiet curiosity. "Interesting," he murmured, letting the corner of his lips twitch into a faint smirk.
From behind a stack of crates, Mishka, Vikram, and Varun emerged. Their expressions were grave, weighed down by the knowledge of the trials to come.
Vikram gestured toward the golden kalash resting on a pedestal. "Our hope," he said slowly, "is not lost… but it isn't easy either. This kalash… it will only open when Jishwa's feelings are truly heightened—when she desires to protect someone. Only then will it yield its power."
Kiara's hand tightened on the edge of the pedestal. "So… all our efforts to find her before this moment… were futile?" Her voice carried both frustration and disbelief.
Vikram shook his head. "Not futile. There's another way. If we could locate Jishwa and create a situation where her desire to protect someone reaches its peak, she could open it herself."
Yuvaan leaned casually against the wall, his crimson eyes scanning each of them. "Jishwa is from the Reeva clan," he said with certainty. "We need girls from that bloodline—born exactly twenty-five years ago. That's our starting point. Have them try to open the kalash. That alone will reveal something, even if indirectly."
Vikram's expression brightened slightly. "That's… actually clever," he admitted. "We've been searching blindly, but this could give us a way forward."
Kiara glanced at Yuvaan, a mixture of hope and apprehension in her eyes. "So, we start looking for the Reeva girls, born the same day as Jishwa… and test their feelings?"
"Exactly," Yuvaan said, his hand brushing over the kalash. "The kalash responds to genuine intent, not magic or force. If we can find her—or them—it will tell us where to go next."
Varun stepped closer, determination settling on his face. "Then there's no time to waste. Every hour counts. If we can't awaken Jishwa soon, the Great Eclipse will be upon us."
Kiara nodded, placing a hand on the pedestal as if drawing strength from it. "Then let's find her. And make her open this… before it's too late."
The group exchanged determined glances, the weight of the coming war pressing down on them. Outside, the morning sun shone brightly, oblivious to the shadow gathering on the horizon.
Taamsi's voice cracked as she chanted the last syllables of the ancient mantra. Her hands shook violently, the stone altar pressing cold against her knees. Beads of sweat ran down her temples, her chest heaving.
"Almost… just a little longer…" she whispered, gritting her teeth.
Above the fortress, the bright blue sky shimmered unnaturally. A thin, jagged crack split the sunlight, faint but unmistakable. Taamsi froze, eyes wide. "Yes… yes…" she gasped, staggering back. The ritual was working—the seal on Kalashree had weakened.
A low rumble shook the walls, and the guards of Kaal Vansh muttered in fear, eyes darting toward the ceiling. The creatures' claws scraped the stone floors as if sensing the surge of ancient power.
Taamsi sank to her hands and knees, nearly collapsing, but her gaze remained fixed on the crack. "Mother… wake… awaken…" she croaked, her voice barely audible over the tremor of energy. Even now, Kalashree's awakening was only at the edge—like a sleeping storm stirring beneath the earth.
Her breath came in short, ragged bursts, but determination blazed in her eyes. "I will bring her back… the world will bow to Kaal Vansh again…"
As the Shetty mansion doors creaked open, a sudden hush fell over the group. Their eyes instinctively turned skyward.
A jagged crack split the otherwise serene blue sky, sunlight flickering strangely through the fissure. The air grew heavier, almost electric, and even the distant trees seemed to shiver.
Jeez… Yuvaan muttered under his breath, stepping closer to Kiara.
"What happened, Yuvaan?" Kiara asked, her voice tight with unease.
He didn't take his eyes off the sky. "Things… are about to go in an unplanned direction. Someone powerful has been awoken."
Vikram furrowed his brows, stepping forward. "Who? Who could—"
"My mother," Yuvaan said, his voice low but edged with warning. "Maha Daakini Kalashree."
Vikram froze, disbelief written across his face. "Impossible… I've only heard tales… stories of how the gods themselves came together to curse her into a deep slumber."
Kiara gripped Yuvaan's arm instinctively, feeling a shiver run down her spine. "You have another mother?" she whispered, incredulous. "She's… she's alive?"
Yuvaan's crimson eyes reflected the fissure above. "Not fully awake… yet. But even her stirring is enough to change everything."
The wind picked up suddenly, whipping around their clothes, carrying a faint hum of power. The distant horizon seemed darker than before, shadows stretching unnaturally toward the mansion.
Mishka glanced at Vikram, her voice barely audible. "If she awakens… we might not be able to stop what comes next."
Yuvaan's jaw tightened, a storm of determination flashing across his face. "Then we prepare. Whatever it takes, we'll be ready."
The crack in the sky widened slowly, like a bleeding wound in the daylight, and the group instinctively knew—this was only the beginning.