Inside the Labyrinth Cave
The silence of the cave shifted the deeper they walked—like the air was holding its breath.
Dilruba's steps gradually slowed.
Her eyes narrowed… then widened.
"Varun…" she whispered, pointing ahead.
On a narrow, uneven wall, barely visible unless someone looked with intent—
a sigil glimmered.
Not bright.
Not obvious.
Just a soft, pulsing glow… like a heartbeat buried in stone.
Varun exhaled, shoulders dropping ever so slightly in relief.
"This is it," he murmured.
He stepped closer, every instinct alert.
Dilruba leaned sideways, blinking dramatically. "Hehehehe… such a caring gentleman. Always going first…"
Varun didn't even look at her this time. "Dilruba. Stop being dramatic."
Her laughter softened into a shy smile.
Varun lifted his hand and pressed it forward—
And the world seemed to blink.
His hand slipped through stone… as though touching water.
Dilruba gasped quietly.
Varun stared at his arm disappearing into the wall, awe flickering across his face.
"It's a passage," he said, voice hushed—almost reverent.
Slowly, very slowly, he pulled his arm back and extended it toward her.
"Come on," he said gently.
"Give me your hand."
Dilruba's breath caught.
For a moment, she didn't move—
just looked at his hand, at the steady patience in his eyes.
A beat.
Two beats.
Then, with a soft inhale… she placed her hand in his.
Her fingers curled around his a little too tightly.
His thumb brushed lightly against her knuckles—a silent promise of safety.
The sigil awakened.
Light rippled across the stone.
A low vibrating hum filled the entire cave—deep, ancient, powerful.
Dilruba's eyes widened. "Varun…?"
The wall didn't wait.
It yanked them inward with a sudden, violent pull.
Dilruba shrieked.
Varun tightened his grip.
"Hold on!" he shouted—
But sound dissolved.
Light tore apart.
Stone became liquid darkness.
And both of them were swallowed, dragged into the unknown realm beyond.
---
Outside the Pratap Singh Mansion
The night was too silent—like even the wind hesitated.
Vikram unlocked his car, his face set with determination, mind full of plans he didn't have time to finish.
He reached for the door handle—
"Vikram uncle."
He stilled.
Dev stood just a few steps away.
Not smiling.
Not threatening.
Just watching… with an unsettling calm.
"I know Kiara doesn't trust me," Dev said quietly.
"But she's wrong. I want Yuvaan safe. Truly."
Vikram didn't answer at once.
He studied Dev's face—slowly, firmly—searching for something that wasn't there.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and steady.
"My daughter has never misjudged anyone. Not even once. But you…"
He shook his head.
"You're the first person she couldn't accept."
Dev's jaw tightened—barely.
"And I trust her," Vikram added.
He turned back to the car.
His hand hovered over the door—
A hand gripped his shoulder.
Not harsh.
Not violent.
But immovable.
"Then…" Dev whispered, breath ghosting against Vikram's ear—
"you will trust me unwillingly."
Vikram's muscles froze.
Slowly… painfully slowly… he turned.
Dev's eyes were changing.
Not all at once.
First a faint color shift.
Then a glow.
Then the full, burning red—
divine, unnatural, absolute.
Vikram's breathing hitched.
His heartbeat stuttered.
Dev watched the fear, watched the helplessness, watched consciousness slip like water between Vikram's fingers.
His gaze dropped to the protective amulet around Vikram's neck.
A small, mocking laugh escaped him.
"That amulet is powerful," Dev murmured.
"But it protects you from dark creatures."
His eyes brightened even more—
crimson consuming every trace of white.
"Not from me."
Vikram's last blink fluttered…
and his will surrendered completely.
Dev smiled.
Slow.
Satisfied.
Cold.
Vikram stood perfectly still.
His eyes were open, but the light inside them was gone—
like someone had muted his soul.
Dev stepped closer, his face unreadable, the red glow in his eyes slowly dimming but not disappearing entirely.
He tilted his head, studying Vikram the way one studies a newly sharpened weapon.
"Good," Dev murmured softly.
"You listen."
Vikram didn't blink.
Dev lifted a hand and lightly tapped Vikram's cheek with two fingers—testing, checking obedience.
Vikram didn't flinch.
Didn't move.
Didn't even breathe differently.
The control was absolute.
Dev's voice dropped to a whisper, smooth and cold.
"Now… go home."
A faint twitch passed through Vikram's expression—like he was registering the words from somewhere underwater.
"You will act normal," Dev continued slowly, each syllable deliberate.
"No one must suspect anything. Not Kiara… not Yuvaan… no one."
Vikram's eyes flickered once, then steadied.
"You will do whatever I ask," Dev added quietly.
"Whenever I ask."
There was a long pause.
Then Vikram spoke—his voice monotone, stripped of warmth.
"I will do your bidding."
Dev's lips curved into a slow, victorious smirk.
"Good," he whispered, stepping back.
"Now leave."
Vikram turned without hesitation.
He walked toward his car with mechanical precision, opened the door, sat inside, and drove away—his movements perfectly normal, perfectly controlled… perfectly Dev's.
Dev stood alone in the driveway, watching the car disappear down the road.
A dark satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
The smirk on his lips deepened—
as the night around him seemed to bow.