✨ Cave of the Hidden Sigil ✨
Varun's hands were steady, but his breath was ragged. His eyes traced the glowing veins snaking across the cave walls, pulsing with the Yakshini's life force. He gritted his teeth and drew the Reeva daggers, their silver edges catching the faint light.
"I can do this," he muttered to himself, each word a promise. "I won't let her control us."
He moved with precision, slicing through the living veins, severing the tendrils one by one. His heart pounded in his ears. Then, without hesitation, he armed himself with bow and arrows, drawing a trembling arrow back and aiming at the Earth Yakshini.
The Yakshini's eyes flared green, ancient and sharp. With a sweep of her hand, jagged rocks rose from the cavern floor, spinning and crashing together, forming an impenetrable cage around Varun. He slammed into the rocky bars, but they held him firm.
"Varun!" Dilruba shouted, fury igniting in her chest. "No one… touches my V!"
A soft growl escaped her lips, low and menacing. The air around her shimmered gold and red. Slowly, impossibly, nine fox tails unfurled behind her, each glowing like molten fire. Her power radiated outward, the cave trembling under the surge of her energy.
The Yakshini lunged, her hands reaching like roots, but Dilruba moved faster than thought, nine tails whipping in arcs of blazing magic. A torrent of fiery, spectral energy surged from her being. The Yakshini's scream echoed—half rage, half fear—as the ancient guardian disintegrated in a flash of golden light.
Varun felt the cage around him shatter, rocks clattering to the ground as his limbs were freed. He staggered forward, staring wide-eyed at Dilruba.
The fox-witch's tails vanished as quickly as they had appeared, and her form softened, transforming back into her human shape. Her chest heaved as she steadied herself, the golden glow around her fading to a gentle shimmer.
Varun blinked, trying to process what had just happened. Before he could speak, a sudden rush of wind swept through the cave. The world blurred.
When the motion stopped, both of them were standing outside the Cave of Answers, the open sky above them, the distant forest stretching endlessly around. The tension of the battle lingered in their bodies, hearts still racing, adrenaline still coursing, but for a brief moment, they could breathe.
Varun looked at Dilruba, awe and disbelief written across his face. "You… you killed her."
Dilruba gave him a small, wry smile, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I told you no one touches my V."
The wind stirred around them, carrying with it the faint echo of the cave's ancient power.
They stood there, side by side, shaken, victorious, and aware that this was only the beginning.
✨ Cave of Answers — The Mystic Waterfall ✨
Varun and Dilruba stepped cautiously into the heart of the cave, the air thick with energy that seemed to hum against their skin. The faint light from glowing runes bounced across jagged walls, illuminating their path with a spectral shimmer. At the center of the cavern, the Mystic Waterfall poured down like liquid silver, the water glowing with an ethereal light, casting reflections that danced across the stone floor.
Varun approached the edge of the pool, his eyes narrowing as he whispered, almost to himself, "I need answers… Who is the new divine being keeping Kiara and Yuvaan apart?"
The surface of the water rippled, thickening as though absorbing his intent. Slowly, a vision began to take shape, faint at first, then sharpening into clarity.
Dev appeared, moving through the Pratap Singh mansion with calculated precision, each gesture deliberate, every glance measured. His presence radiated authority and an unsettling energy that made the cave feel colder in response.
Varun's breath caught, the truth dawning on him before the vision even spoke. "He… he's a divine being."
The waterfall shimmered again, revealing more—Dev standing before Kiara, his hands drawing unseen energy toward him, an unmistakable surge of power radiating from his very being. His aura grew brighter, stronger, feeding off the moment.
Varun's jaw clenched as the vision intensified. The scene shifted, showing Dev's marriage to Kiara—not out of choice, but as a binding act. With each moment of the ceremony, his powers swelled, drawing on her essence as if their union itself was fueling his divine strength.
A shiver ran down Varun's spine. "He's gaining… getting stronger… and this… this is the reason he's keeping them apart."
Dilruba stepped close, her hand brushing his arm, a small grounding gesture amidst the swirling chaos of vision and energy. Her eyes were steady, her expression serious.
Varun exhaled, tightening his grip on the edge of the stone pool. "We need to understand his plan… and fast. Before it's too late."
The waterfall rippled once more, leaving them with the stark, undeniable truth: Dev's intentions were no longer hidden, and every moment he remained unchallenged, his power grew—feeding on the divine connection he coveted.