Vikram's eyes were heavy with sleep.
He slowly woke up, glancing around—the table, the ceiling, the bed. He was in his room.
As he sat up, the horrifying visions returned to his mind. His knees buckled beneath him, and he dropped to the floor. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the seal.
A hollow voice escaped his lips.
"Even with this… it's useless."
Vikram closed his eyes. His face was damp—he had been crying. Wiping his eyes, he walked toward the door.
He opened it and stepped outside. The house was eerily quiet.
He slowly descended the stairs. At the bottom, he looked to the left, where the hall was, and to the right, where the main door stood.
Then, he heard soft chanting—prayers, and the sound of a bell. He followed the sound.
In the corner of the house, he saw his grandmother performing her morning puja.
Vikram's grandmother paused her prayer as the sound of the door opening caught her attention. She turned around—and there he was.
Vikram.
She quickly got to her feet and slowly walked toward him, her tired legs moving with effort. She gently placed her hand on his cheek and said with relief,
"You're awake... I was so worried about you."
Vikram responded with a lifeless look in his eyes.
"Yeah..."
He forced a faint smile.
Helping his grandmother sit back down, he joined her before the shrine. Folding his hands, he whispered a quiet prayer.
"Dear God, please take care of my Vikram. Protect him from all harm. He still hasn't gotten married—I want to see that with my own eyes."
Vikram's brows twitched at those words. He sighed in mild irritation.
"Aaji, shouldn't you be praying for your own health instead? If you want to see me get married, you should be asking God to protect you."
His grandmother turned to him with a slow, creaky voice, aged but full of warmth and command.
"Oh really? Nothing's going to happen to me that easily. I still have to see your children, you know."
Vikram's cheeks turned a faint shade of red.
"Aaji! Don't say such things!" he muttered, flustered.
His grandmother let out a gentle laugh.
"You look so cute when you're flustered. I'm sure you'll marry a girl as beautiful as a goddess someday."
Just then, a strange voice echoed from the seal—but only Vikram could hear it.
In his head, the power stirred, hissing in annoyance.
"Tell your grandma to shu…t up."
Startled, Vikram blurted out,
"Power!?"
His grandmother glanced at him, confused.
"Is your head okay? You're not hurt, right? You were found by the police near the Srinivas family's house."
Hearing that, Vikram went quiet. He lowered his head, guilt shadowing his face.
His grandmother added softly,
"I won't ask what you were doing there… but please take care of yourself. You've already come home wounded. Your parents are already troubled enough."
Vikram nodded slowly, then murmured in a hushed voice,
"Where did they go?"
His grandmother fell silent for a moment, then turned back toward the shrine.
"They had some work to take care of. They've gone out. You should go and freshen up."
"Alright," Vikram replied quietly, and walked away from the prayer room.
Vikram gritted his teeth, stretching his arms and yawning before glancing into the mirror. His messy hair and half-lidded eyes stared back. With a sigh, he headed toward the bathroom, starting to undress.
Just then—
"Wait, wait!"
The voice echoed before a figure materialized beside him.
The Power had taken on a human form.
Her usual red dress clung to her like a symbol of command, but her flustered expression didn't match her divine appearance.
"P-Pervert! At least let me leave first before you start stripping!" she shouted, cheeks burning red.
Vikram, mildly annoyed, replied,
"You live inside my head. You used to vanish before, didn't you? Anyway, you can come back after I'm done with my bath."
Hearing that, Power placed her hands on her hips, mock-offended.
"Hhhha?! I don't need your permission. I'm a goddess, you know!"
Vikram didn't bother replying. He calmly pulled down the zipper of his pants.
Power yelped and bolted out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Outside, she muttered in flustered frustration,
"Shameless idiot."
Inside, for the first time since morning, Vikram genuinely let out a small laugh.
Vikram stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still slightly damp. A towel hung loosely around his neck, and with one hand, he rubbed his head dry using the edge of it.
Power stood nearby, still visibly annoyed.
"You really took your time," she muttered, not even waiting for a reply.
As Vikram turned to head toward the kitchen, Power marched toward the bathroom. She pushed the door open slightly, then paused and turned her head over her shoulder, shooting a death glare.
"If you try to peek... I'll personally make sure you get thrown out of Heaven."
Vikram flinched slightly at her threat as she stepped inside.
He sighed and was about to continue walking when suddenly the bathroom door opened again.
"Wait. Let me take my clothes," she said.
Vikram blinked in confusion.
"Your clothes? Where are they? If you want, you can borrow mine."
Power shot him a deadpan look.
"No need. I have my own."
With that, she vanished into thin air—then instantly reappeared, now holding a fresh outfit.
Vikram stared in surprise.
Pointing at her, he asked, amused,
"You keep clothes… in my head?"
Power replied in a dry tone,
"I live in a pocket dimension. The entrance to it is inside your mind. It's also the source of your powers—and that transformation outfit of yours?"
Her voice shifted to a proud tone.
"That was designed by me and my thirty-one sisters, carefully crafted for your unique resonance."
Vikram's eyes widened. He took a step forward, clearly intrigued.
"Wait… are you saying there are thirty-one more goddesses like you? And they all can grant me powers?"
Power looked directly at him and nodded.
"Yes. But you'll need to impress them—sincere admiration, not cheesy flattery like 'OMG, how pretty you are.' That won't work."
"Each of us is moved by different qualities. I was impressed by your determination. That's why I gave you the Vajra Bones. It's the power of your seal now."
She turned her back to him again.
"Now, I'm going to take a bath. Don't disturb me."
And with that, she slammed the door shut and locked it.
Vikram opened the fridge and pulled out a water bottle. As the cool water slid down his throat, he muttered to himself,
"There are still thirty-one abilities… I just need to unlock them. Each one needs a different qualification."
He clenched his fist, resolve burning in his eyes.
"There's still hope for me."
A little later, Power stepped out of the bathroom. Vikram was sitting at the table, quietly eating his breakfast.
Her freshly washed black hair shimmered like silk, cascading down her back. She wore a medieval-style red dress with flowing white sleeves and a cinched white waist. Her crimson eyes sparkled softly under the light. Her lips parted just slightly as she took a graceful bite of the sandwich Vikram had prepared.
Vikram stared, completely captivated. The sandwich in his hand remained untouched, his eyes fixed on her as if spellbound.
Power glanced up at him—and immediately turned beet red.
She quickly looked away and began munching her food in flustered panic. Her eyes went wide with every hurried bite.
After swallowing, she snapped at him.
"Don't you have any shame, staring at me like that?!"
Vikram blinked, then realized what he was doing.
His face turned crimson.
"Y-You… You don't need to look like that!"
Power slammed the sandwich down and pointed at him dramatically.
"Your eyes were full of filth! Should I write a eulogy for your thoughts while I'm at it?!"
After finishing breakfast, Power vanished again, leaving behind only a faint shimmer in the air. Vikram quietly walked over to his grandmother, who was seated near the window, absorbed in an old religious book.
"Aaji, what are you reading?" he asked gently.
She looked up at him and smiled softly.
"The Kalki Puran, my dear. It describes how the age of Kali began and when the final avatar, Kalki, will arrive."
Vikram's eyes narrowed slightly. He sat beside her, curiosity igniting in his chest.
"Is there any mention… of strange creatures? Like a bird, twisted in its head? Something unnatural?"
Aaji studied him for a moment before replying.
"No, not exactly like that… but it does talk about how the demons of this age were born."
Now fully focused, Vikram leaned closer.
"How were they born?"
Aaji's voice dropped in tone, carrying the ancient weight of forgotten truths.
"From the shadow of Brahma was born Adharma—unrighteousness. He married Mithya—falsehood. They had two children: Vanity and Illusion. And yes… those two siblings married each other."
Vikram's face twisted in disgust.
"They were brother and sister… and they married?"
His grandmother nodded slowly.
"Like beasts, driven only by impulse. And from that twisted union came Anger and Violence. They too married—reflecting the nature of their lineage."
She paused, her voice turning grave.
"And from them… was born Kali.There isn't much known about Kali, Just his origin… Anyway, where are you going ?"
He stood up and stretched.
"I'm heading out. Need some fresh air."
Aaji nodded in quiet acknowledgment, eyes still resting on the scripture.
As Vikram reached the doorway, her voice stopped him.
"Just… take care. You've been asleep for two days."
Vikram froze in place.
He turned, confusion and panic tightening his voice.
"What… what are you saying?"
Aaji looked up at him calmly, yet with weight behind her words.
"You fell asleep at the Shrinivas house… the day before yesterday. You've been unconscious ever since."
His heart skipped a beat.
"Two days...?"
"Yes. And Maithur, the neighbor—he and his family were found dead."
Her voice trembled slightly now.
"The police said it was the work of the Feathered Nightmare."
At those words, Vikram burst through the main door, panic rising in his chest. He ran out onto the street and turned toward the neighboring houses.
There, six homes stood—one after the other, all eerily quiet. Police tape stretched across their gates. Notices sealed the doors shut. "Do Not Enter – Under Investigation."
No one was allowed inside. No one lived there anymore.
Everyone else in the area had already left.
The entire zone was practically a ghost town now.
Only Vikram's family remained in the cursed perimeter.
And tonight...
The Feathered Nightmare would knock on their door.
Feathered Nightmare (voice in the void):
"I will... definitely."