Yuvaan, battered and bleeding, forced himself to his feet, every muscle screaming in protest. Pain radiated through his body, yet his eyes caught a faint gleam from the basement—an object hidden in shadow. Compelled by instinct, he stumbled forward, ignoring the bruises and cuts, and descended the stairs. There, tucked away behind layers of dust and cobwebs, lay an ancient, colossal crest, its surface etched with runes that seemed to hum with forgotten power.
Meanwhile, in the hall, Mohana advanced toward Kiara, her dark aura pressing like a suffocating fog.
"I will absorb your child's soul," Mohana hissed, her voice velvet and venom, "and there will be nothing you can do, Jishwa."
Kiara instinctively stepped back, fear and defiance warring in her chest. But as she moved, she felt her feet lock to the ground, glued by an invisible force. Mohana's grin widened, a dark anticipation gleaming in her eyes as she reached toward Kiara's abdomen, intending to claim what was not hers.
But as her fingers made contact, a sudden surge of energy coursed through Mohana. A shock, powerful and pure, knocked her backward, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kiara's hands instinctively went to her stomach, her breath catching in her throat. Her unborn child had fought back.
A moment of stillness filled the hall, broken only by the faint, rhythmic pulse emanating from Kiara's womb—a promise that the next chapter of this battle had already begun.
Kiara's hands rested gently on her abdomen, her breath shaky but steady. "Baby… you fought back to protect yourself," she whispered, her voice soft yet firm, "but don't worry… now it's mummy's turn to protect you."
Mohana advanced, her dark presence looming, eyes fixed hungrily on Kiara's stomach. Her hand shot forward, intent on claiming what was not hers.
But Kiara's fingers shot out, clasping Mohana's wrist—not with raw magic, for she had none—but with the fierce, unyielding resolve of a mother. Mohana froze, her eyes widening in disbelief at the sheer force emanating from Kiara.
"You may think I am powerless," Kiara said, her voice ringing with authority, "that I am just Jishwa who has lost her powers. But I am more than that. I am a mother. And a mother can never afford to be weak."
With a surge of determination, she pushed Mohana backward with the hand that held hers. Mohana stumbled, staggered, and for the first time, doubt flickered in her eyes.
From the shadows of the mansion, the wounded family members slowly emerged, bruised but alive. Chandrika, Bhoomi, Susheela, Aakash, Riddhi, Angad, Vikram, and Varun saw the scene unfold and felt a renewed courage surge through them. Without hesitation, they rushed to stand beside Kiara, forming a united front against the legendary witch.
The hall trembled with tension, the air thick with magic, love, and defiance. A single truth echoed in every heart: Kiara was no longer just Jishwa. She was a mother, and nothing—no darkness, no witch, no force—could break that resolve.
Mohana's laugh echoed through the hall, chilling and cruel. "Ah, Jishwa… so this is what you call courage?" she sneered, eyes glinting with malice. "I have faced countless mothers in the past, and I know exactly how to deal with each one."
With a swift motion, she raised her hands, black energy coiling into a furious vortex above her. The shadows around her twisted and writhed, forming a storm of dark magic, ready to strike Kiara.
But before the vortex could fully form, a sharp thud pierced the air—a silvery arrow sank deep into Mohana's back. She hissed, spinning around, tearing the arrow free, and froze.
All eyes turned.
Perched atop the grand staircase railing, Yuvaan stood tall, chest heaving, eyes cold and sharp. In his hands gleamed a crossbow, and strapped to his back was a long, gleaming sword—the legendary Reeva Talwar—its presence exuding menace and authority.
A ripple of awe and fear passed through everyone present. Yuvaan's posture, the way he held his weapons, the quiet intensity in his gaze—it was all the villainous, unyielding swagger of a man born to command.
These were the weapons of his late father, Pramad who was earlier revealed as a Reevavanshi, hidden for the past years, now reclaimed from the ancient crest Yuvaan had uncovered in the mansion's basement.
The hall fell silent, the tension so thick it pressed against everyone's chests. Even Mohana's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, the storm of her black vortex stuttering.
Yuvaan's voice, calm but deadly, cut through the charged air. "I warned you… stay away from my family. Stay away from my child."
Every heart in the hall thumped in anticipation. The tides of battle were shifting.