The mansion stood eerily still after the chaos, its once shimmering chandeliers now flickering weakly, as though exhausted by the battle's fury. The scent of burnt air and wet stone lingered.
Gauri stood at the doorway, watching Vihaan's retreating figure. His steps were steady but heavy, every movement dripping with something she couldn't name—guilt, conflict… or perhaps fear.
"Why did you save me, Vihaan?" she asked softly.
He froze mid-step but didn't turn around. "Because you were in danger," he replied curtly.
Her eyes narrowed. "No. You could've walked away. You wanted to save me. Why?"
He turned then—his crimson eyes meeting hers, the faintest flicker of humanity in them. "You're imagining things, Gauri. Don't mistake mercy for emotion," he said, voice clipped, almost forced.
Gauri stepped closer. "You're lying," she whispered. "I can feel it. Every time you push me away, you tremble… like Vihaan is still fighting inside you."
For a moment, silence. A crack of lightning flashed outside, painting the hallway in crimson and gold.
Vihaan's expression hardened. "Believe what you want," he said finally, turning toward the door. "But if you value your life… stay away from me."
The wind burst open the door as he left, the force snuffing out every diya in the hall.
---
Moments Later — A Divine Warning
The silence shattered with the screech of tires outside. A car pulled up, and from it stepped Pratham Vanshi, her aura glowing faintly golden even under the stormy sky. Beside her was Charvi, her face lighting up the instant she saw Gauri.
"Didi!" Charvi cried, running to embrace her. Gauri's eyes softened as she hugged her tightly, the warmth of family grounding her amidst the chaos.
But Pratham's expression was grim. "There's no time for joy," she said sharply, pointing toward the horizon.
Dark, red-tinted clouds swirled over the distant skyline, bleeding like wounds into the heavens. The air pulsed with something unnatural—anger, power, and decay.
"The disaster has begun," Pratham warned. "The balance is breaking. Vihaan's inner darkness—Sarvansh—is awakening faster than destiny intended."
Gauri's blood ran cold. "What are you saying?"
She turned to her, her tone grave. "Stop him before he kills you. Once Sarvansh fulfills the dark vow tied to his 25th birth, the realms will shatter."
Charvi clutched Gauri's arm. "He's being manipulated, Didi! You can't let him do this."
Gauri swallowed hard. "Where is he now?"
---
Elsewhere — The Dark Pact
Far from the mansion, at the edge of a desolate forest, Vihaan stood before an ancient shrine. The sky above it churned red. From the shadows, Mohini emerged, her smile sharp and cruel.
"My dear nephew," she purred. "You've done well destroying Makasur. But now, it's time to fulfill your true destiny."
She lifted her hand—and from the air itself, a blade began to form. It blazed with pure fire, molten and alive, pulsing with a heartbeat of destruction.
"The Agni Talwar," Mohini declared proudly. "Forged in the flames of Agni Shakti, tempered by daayan blood. With this, you will kill Jalpanchi and claim her divine essence."
Vihaan's hand hesitated mid-air. For the briefest moment, Gauri's face flickered in his mind—her eyes, her tears, her voice whispering 'I'll bring you back.'
But Mohini's voice broke the illusion. "Don't falter. On your twenty-fifth birthday, Vihaan Kothari will die… and Sarvansh will be reborn."
The sword floated toward him, its fire coiling like a serpent. Vihaan grasped it. The flames didn't burn him—they bent to his will. His eyes flared scarlet.
---
At the Mansion — The Prophecy Unfolds
Lightning cracked through the heavens as Pratham Vanshi turned toward Gauri once more. "It's begun. Mohini has armed him with the Agni Talwar."
Charvi gasped. "That sword… it can destroy even celestial beings."
Pratham nodded gravely. "If Jalpanchi—you—is struck by it, not only will you perish, but Pralay will begin. The oceans will rise, the skies will burn. The world will drown in its own fire."
Gauri's eyes shimmered with tears but her voice steadied. "Then I have no choice. I must reclaim my Jal Shakti… or the world will end with Vihaan's hand."
As thunder rolled above, Gauri looked out toward the blood-red horizon. Somewhere beyond it, her husband—her curse, her love—was preparing to kill her.
But she whispered fiercely to the storm,
"You may have given him the fire, Mohini. But I am the ocean. And I will rise."