Vanshika struggled with everything she had.
Dark energy surged violently around her body, crimson light flaring from her eyes as she tried to break free. The ground beneath her cracked, shadows twisting and screaming—but the chains that had erupted from the earth didn't budge even an inch.
Instead, they tightened.
Every movement she made only caused the chains to sink deeper, binding her like a condemned deity being dragged back into the abyss.
Aarav walked toward her unhurriedly.
His footsteps were calm. Controlled. As if the chaos around him didn't exist.
He stopped in front of her and slowly raised his hand.
"I know exactly why you're here."
Vanshika growled, her voice distorted and furious.
"You know nothing."
Aarav ignored her completely.
"You want to become the Queen of Hell."
For the first time, shock flickered across Vanshika's face.
"…Who are you?"
Aarav's voice dropped—cold, absolute, carrying an authority that made even the darkness hesitate.
"Who I am doesn't matter to you. What matters is this—
I can help you sit on the Hell Throne."
Vanshika thrashed again, desperate now, but the chains didn't allow her even the dignity of movement.
"And why," she hissed, "should I trust a mere human?"
Aarav chuckled softly.
"If I wanted, you would already be gone."
He extended his hand forward—and clenched it into a fist.
Black energy exploded around his knuckles, so dense that space itself seemed to distort. The pressure alone caused Vanshika's soul to tremble. She felt it—her very essence beginning to fracture, like glass under an invisible hammer.
Panic surged through her.
"Stop!" she screamed. "I agree!"
Aarav's fist halted—just inches from her face.
The force behind it detonated anyway.
The wall behind Vanshika shattered violently, a massive hole torn through solid stone as cracks spider-webbed outward in every direction. Dust and debris rained down, yet the chains didn't break.
Aarav slowly opened his palm.
An eye-shaped sigil formed at the center of his hand—black and crimson intertwined, pulsing like a living thing.
Without hesitation, he pressed his palm against Vanshika's forehead.
Her entire body froze.
The sigil burned itself into her soul.
Inside his mind, Aarav spoke calmly—
Mission accomplished.
The chains loosened slightly, not because she was free…
but because she no longer needed to be restrained.
She belonged to him now.
The next day, the entire village gathered at the central chaupaal, the place where all roads met.
At the very center stood a massive peepal tree, ancient and wide, its thick roots wrapping around a raised stone platform built beneath it for gatherings. Villagers filled the space from every direction, murmurs spreading like ripples in water.
Suraj stood atop the platform and raised his voice.
"Everyone, please listen carefully. From now on, there is no need to fear Vanshika anymore."
The crowd slowly quieted.
"As we promised, we went to Rudrpali yesterday. But after reaching there, we received some shocking news."
A wave of whispers immediately spread through the crowd.
Ignoring the murmurs, Suraj continued, "We learned that Baba Gorakhnath has passed away. However, do not lose hope. Before leaving this world, Baba Gorakhnath entrusted his knowledge—and his successor—to us."
He gestured forward with his palm.
"His daughter, Chandni. She is just as capable as Baba Gorakhnath and possesses wisdom equal to his own."
Chandni stepped forward and folded her hands respectfully.
Everyone in the village already knew her. She was famous across nearby regions—not only as a skilled healer but also as a respected teacher.
Someone from the crowd exclaimed, "She is Goddess Chandni!"
"I've heard she's even more knowledgeable than Baba Gorakhnath himself!"
With her hands still folded, Chandni spoke calmly, "Please do not worry. Whatever strength and knowledge I possess, I will use it to protect you all. Even if my own life is endangered, I will not step back."
The crowd erupted.
"Victory to Devi Chandni!"
"Devi Chandni ki jai!"
Soon, new chants followed.
"Suraj Thakur zindabad!"
"Our leader should be like Suraj Bhaiya!"
Suraj raised his hand again, signaling for silence. Then he motioned to his men, who stepped forward and opened a wooden box.
"With the help of Chandni ji's powers," Suraj announced, "a protective talisman has been prepared for everyone. As long as you wear this, dark forces will not be able to harm you."
Villagers eagerly stepped forward, holding out their wrists. Suraj's men began tying the sacred threads one by one.
Chandni then picked up a few threads and walked toward Vikram and his group.
"Extend your hand," she said gently.
Vikram immediately shook his head. "I don't believe in all this."
"This is necessary," Chandni replied calmly.
Aliya softly nudged him. "Vikram…"
Venkatesh added, "It's just a thread. Wearing it won't hurt you."
Embarrassed under everyone's gaze, Vikram finally sighed and held out his wrist.
At that moment, Aarav arrived.
Behind him were Kirti, Sakshi, and her parents. Aarav looked around, confused by the strange sight.
Soon, he understood—just like in the original novel, Chandni was distributing protective charms here as well.
He frowned and asked, "What's going on? Why is everyone tying Rakhi on each other?"
(In India, a rakhi is a sacred thread traditionally tied by a sister on her brother's wrist as a symbol of protection. This thread resembled a rakhi.)
Spotting Aarav, Chandni walked over and extended her hand.
"Hold out your wrist."
Aarav instantly pulled his hand back. "No, no. I'm not letting you tie a rakhi on me."
The people around burst into laughter.
"This isn't a rakhi," Chandni said, surprised. "It's a protective charm. What's the problem?"
Aarav replied quickly, "Kirti can tie it."
Before she could respond, Nikhil grinned and teased, "If you don't want Chandni to do it, Aarav, let Aliya tie it instead."
Aliya smiled brightly. "Sure, I'll do it."
Aarav panicked. "No—no—absolutely not!"
He tried to slip away, but Vikram and Nikhil caught him by the arms.
"Where do you think you're going?"
They dragged him forward. Chandni and Aliya both held threads in their hands.
Aarav dramatically screamed in slow motion, "Nooo—" and shut his eyes tightly.
When he opened them, the thread was already tied around his wrist.
It was Chandni who had tied it.
Aliya stood beside her with a teasing smile.
The moment they let him go, Aarav bolted away.
Watching him run, Kirti laughed. "What a drama king."
Everyone laughed along.
Leaving the village behind, Aarav made his way toward the abandoned well—the place where Vanshika and her daughter resided.
Inside the well, Vanshika had woven an illusionary fortress using her dark powers, a hidden stronghold deep beneath the earth, surprisingly livable.
Aarav stood at the edge and jumped in without hesitation.
The world shifted.
He landed inside a shadowy fortress, its halls dim and silent.
In the distance, he saw Vanshika and Aanya, both sitting with closed eyes, deeply immersed in cultivation.
Aarav calmly observed the interior of the fortress…
and stepped forward.
Aarav stepped into a region formed entirely out of illusion.
Before him stretched a breathtaking landscape— a flowing river, towering mountains, cascading waterfalls—everything felt vivid, almost real. The air itself carried a strange serenity.
That was when he noticed them.
To one side, five radiant fruits floated gently in midair, glowing softly as if breathing with life.
A crooked smile appeared on Aarav's face.
He extended his hand toward one of the fruits, and as if responding to his will, it drifted forward on its own, settling into his palm.
At that very moment, Vanshika materialized out of thin air.
Her sharp gaze locked onto him as she said coldly, "Taking someone else's belongings without permission is called theft."
Aarav chuckled lightly.
"But these are mine anyway," he replied casually. "After all, you belong to me—so whatever is yours is mine as well."
For a moment, Vanshika was completely speechless.
In all her years of existence, she had never encountered someone as shameless as Aarav.
Glancing at the fruit in his hand, Aarav added, "Besides, I only need one."
He knew these divine fruits were more than enough to initiate his cultivation. However, before that, he still needed to complete his cultivation technique. Only then could he truly begin.
Turning to Vanshika, he asked, "Do you have books here?"
Vanshika looked at him in confusion.
"I know you don't need books," Aarav continued calmly, "but your daughter and your son do."
Vanshika let out a quiet sigh.
The scenery around them shifted instantly.
The illusionary world transformed, and the two of them now stood inside a vast library.
"This illusion magic is quite comforting," Aarav remarked.
Without wasting time, he walked toward the shelves, picked up a book, sat at a nearby table, and began reading.
Nearly an hour later, Aanya arrived.
Seeing Aarav there startled her at first, but she soon regained her composure. She walked to a bookshelf, opened a book directly to a page marked with a bookmark, and began reading in silence.
This was Aarav's first time inside an Indian-fiction-based world. He didn't know much about its supernatural systems, so he immersed himself in the books, gathering knowledge—starting from the basics of Indian black magic.
He didn't know when or whom he might have to face.
Nothing was the same anymore.
The world was changing—and changing fast.
What had once been a simple spy thriller had suddenly fused with horror and mystery. Aarav understood then that from now on, anything could happen.
For some time, this became his routine.
Meanwhile, the main characters had split into three teams.
The first team consisted of Vikram, Nikhil, Venkatesh, and police officer Manisha. They firmly believed that a human was behind everything and conducted their investigation from that perspective.
The second group included Chandni, Aliya, Aarav, and Suraj—those who knew the truth.
They knew that the murders were committed by Vanshika.
And somewhere in the shadows, there were others—hidden players, silently waiting, preparing to make their moves when the time was right.
Every night, Aarav would reach Vanshika's hideout and continue reading.
His memory and comprehension were exceptionally sharp. Within ten days, he had gone through nearly every book available. Now, what he needed was to refine and internalize that knowledge.
Because of this, he temporarily postponed the research on his cultivation technique.
Instead, every morning, he would wake up early and meditate on the rooftop for two to three hours.
And before he realized it—
The time of the full moon had arrived.
It was time for Vanshika's next hunt.
Aarav knew he could not stop it.
Because this curse did not belong to Vanshika.
It belonged to the Devil.
A devil who was trying to create a gateway into this world.
And Vanshika…
was merely the medium.
Bound by the devil's curse, she was forced to hunt on every full moon and new moon night.
And this time—
The consequences would be far greater than before.
Aarav was still lost in thought when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
Recognizing the voices, he looked down from above and saw Vikram and Nikhil arriving, each carrying several cameras.
Vikram turned to Venkatesh and said,
"We should install cameras all around the village. That way, we can finally find out who is committing these murders."
Venkatesh examined the cameras and nodded.
"That's a good idea. Whoever the killer is will be captured. And if there is no murder on the full moon night, then it will prove that there is no Vanshika. The killer must be human and got scared after seeing the cameras."
Nikhil frowned slightly and asked,
"But if a murder still happens even after the cameras are installed… will you accept that Vanshika is the real culprit?"
Venkatesh shook his head firmly.
"No. It will still be a human. That's why we must install these cameras secretly, so the killer doesn't realize he's being watched."
Vikram added,
"And along with that, we'll have to keep a close watch on everyone. Only then will we get results."
Hearing this, Aarav lost interest. He quietly left the place and headed toward Nikhil's house, where Aliya and Chandni were staying.
According to the original plot, Chandni had also decided that staying close to Vikram's group was the safest option.
At that moment, Aliya and Chandni were preparing for a yagya.
Chandni had arranged the ritual at the very center of the village. Her goal was to create a yantra on the night of the full moon—something powerful enough to confront Vanshika.
When Aarav arrived, he saw Aliya checking the ritual items against a written list. Once everything was marked complete, she noticed Aarav and smiled.
"Aarav," she said, "can you help us carry these to the crossroads? Vikram and Nikhil already left for their own work."
Rolling up his sleeves, Aarav replied casually,
"Sure."
He loaded half the items onto a handcart. Just then, Chandni arrived, freshly bathed and dressed in clean clothes, fully prepared.
She smiled at both of them.
"Shall we go?"
A short while later, the hawan had begun at the village crossroads.
In the original plot, the weather had turned violent—strong winds, rain, and chaos trying to disrupt the ritual. But this time, Chandni used her powers to protect the hawan and everything around it. Not a single flame wavered.
Eventually, the ritual was completed, and the yantra was successfully formed.
This time, because Aarav was present, Vanshika did not interfere.
But the Devil was furious.
He sensed an obstacle forming in his plans.
And so, he sent one of his servants to destroy the ritual.
Aarav suddenly turned his gaze toward a particular direction.
A man was slowly walking toward the hawan.
A dark shadow loomed above him, clinging to his body like a living curse.
Step by step, the man approached the fire pit. As soon as he reached it, he threw a piece of raw meat straight into the hawan kund.
The moment it landed—
Lightning struck.
The sacred fire extinguished instantly.
At the same time, the dark shadow vanished from the man's body, and he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
The villagers rushed toward him.
One of them checked his breathing and shook his head.
"He's dead."
Another villager noticed a strange mark on the man's neck and gasped.
"This mark… it belongs to Vanshika. That means she killed him—and she's the one who destroyed the yagya!"
Panic spread through the crowd.
"Oh God… what will happen now?"
.