Outside, the courtyard was suffocating with smoke and the twisted smell of dark magic. Creepers writhed and coiled tightly around Shyom and Urvashi, binding them to the sacrificial pedestal. Their eyes pleaded, hearts hammering in terror, but their hands could barely move against the unyielding vines.
From the shadows, Sarvansh emerged from Vihaan's body. His eyes burned with golden-red fire, but there was no hint of the boy they once knew — no softness, no hesitation. Mohini's seal had locked away Vihaan's emotions completely, leaving only the cold, merciless will of the demon.
"Such a sad moment…" Sarvansh murmured, his voice like ice across the wind. He raised the Agni Talwar, its edges gleaming unnaturally, and struck the creeper binding Shyom. There was a wet snap, a cry of agony, and Shyom slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Urvashi's scream tore through the night as Sarvansh's blade sliced through the creepers holding her. She fell, motionless, the life in her eyes extinguished. Yug dropped to his knees, fists slamming against the ground in impotent fury. Tears streamed down his face, voice breaking, as he called for his family.
"Stop… Vihaan! Please!" Yug cried, though the voice belonged to Sarvansh now. The boy he loved, the elder cousin who had always protected him, was gone behind the demon mask.
Sarvansh's gaze moved coldly to Dadi. She fell to her knees, hands raised in prayer, whispering silent chants for protection. Her voice trembled as she begged, but it was meaningless. Mohini's seal kept Sarvansh's heart locked, so no shred of love or hesitation could surface.
The creepers writhed violently as Sarvansh slashed through them. Dadi's body crumpled, and her life was extinguished in an instant. The courtyard echoed with the screams of the surviving family members, a chorus of grief and terror that could not pierce the demon's heart.
Inside the mansion, the air was heavy with dread. Gayatri lunged toward the Pratham Jaal, desperation etching every line of her face. "I can't let this happen!" she shouted, voice trembling with fury.
Mohini, smirking, lifted her hands. Black tendrils of energy shot forward, ensnaring Gayatri. With a dark, effortless force, she levitated her and slammed her against a mirror. The glass shattered, reflecting Gayatri's pain in fragments, each shard a testament to Mohini's cruelty.
Meanwhile, wounded and pinned to the ground, Gauri's chest heaved as she watched the horrors unfold. Her fingers gripped the Pratham Jaal tighter, her knuckles white. Pain, fear, and anguish coursed through her, but beneath it, a spark of determination glimmered. Her family was being torn apart, but the battle was far from over.
Adrija and Charvi were at her side, battered but standing. Gauri's voice, hoarse and trembling, called out to them over the chaos. "We… we have to stop them! No matter what!"
The night air crackled with dark energy. The screams of the fallen, the smoke of destruction, and the oppressive presence of Sarvansh and Mohini mingled into a suffocating aura of doom.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Gauri's chest heaved, lungs burning with desperation. Her eyes, red-rimmed from tears and fear, were locked on Mohini. The air around her trembled as she lifted the sacred water, holding it like a lifeline. Every drop was a prayer, every motion a promise to protect her family.
"This ends now, Mohini!" she cried, her voice cracking but fierce. With all her strength, she hurled the water toward the Pralay daayan.
The droplets arced like silver bullets, shimmering in the dim light. But Mohini's smile only widened. With a flick of her wrist, she twisted her body, evading the attack effortlessly. The water splashed against the marble, sizzling into steam, leaving Gauri panting and exposed.
Before Gauri could recover, Mohini struck. Dark energy lashed out like living shadows, wrapping around Gauri and sending her crashing to the ground. Pain exploded through her ribs and shoulders, and she groaned, half-conscious, eyes blinking through the blur of agony. Her limbs trembled as she tried to push herself up, but the world spun around her.
"Gauri…" Charvi's voice called out weakly, but she too was on the floor, battered, with Adrija struggling to stand beside her. The three sisters, united by blood and bond, were wounded, beaten, and gasping.
Mohini's laughter echoed like a death knell. "Pathetic. Weak. You dare defy the Pralay daayan?" she sneered, her long braid whipping around like a living whip. "This world ends tonight, and you… you are powerless to stop it."
Outside, the horror continued. Sarvansh's blade had spared nothing. The courtyard was silent now except for the faint crackling of the dark creepers. Smoke rose from the scorched ground, and the last of the Kothari family lay lifeless.
Veena… gone. Sharda… gone. Shyom and Urvashi… gone. Dadi… shattered under Sarvansh's cruelty. Yug knelt among them, body trembling, tears carving paths down his dirt-streaked face. His cries were swallowed by the night, unanswered, as Sarvansh stood towering above them, golden-red eyes blazing with untouchable power.
Back inside, Gauri struggled to rise, blood trickling down her temple. Every breath was agony, every heartbeat a drum of warning. Yet, even in the face of utter despair, she could not let herself break. She coughed, forced herself to her knees, and glared at Mohini.
"You…" she whispered, voice raspy, "this isn't over…"
Mohini tilted her head, the cruelest smile on her lips. "Oh, but it is, Gauri. Look at what your precious family has become—ashes in my hands. The Pralay rises. And soon… you will join them."
The weight of the revelation pressed down on Gauri like a mountain. Her family… gone. Every last member taken by Sarvansh's hand. Pain, rage, and helplessness roared in her chest. She wanted to scream, to fall, to break—but some spark inside her refused to die.
Even wounded and defeated, even with Charvi and Adrija beside her weak and battered, her spirit flared. Somewhere deep in her heart, the Pratham Jaal still pulsed faintly, a whisper of hope against the all-consuming darkness.
And Mohini stood over them, triumphant, her eyes glinting with malice, her voice a dagger in the quiet:
"The antim katha is beginning. And nothing… not even you, Gauri… can stop it."
The night waited, heavy and silent, for what would come next.
To be continued…