Chandni walked up to them and asked calmly,
"Yes? You were looking for me?"
Suraj nodded.
"Yes. We've come from Jamnipali… and we need your help."
Chandni's expression shifted instantly.
"Jamnipali? You mean—Vanshika?"
Suraj replied,
"Yes. You must have heard that someone was killed there recently."
Chandni nodded slowly.
"Yes. Baba had already warned me that Vanshika might be freed."
After a brief pause, she said,
"Alright. I'm ready to help you."
Vikram narrowed his eyes.
"You agreed pretty quickly."
Chandni replied without hesitation,
"Helping people is my duty. And I cannot step back from my duty—even if it costs me my life."
At that moment, Aarav stepped forward with a grin.
"Arre, Vikram brother, why are you suspicious of everyone?"
He then turned to Chandni and said apologetically,
"Please forgive him. One screw in his brain is a little loose, so he blurts out nonsense anywhere."
He extended his hand.
"By the way, I'm Aarav. Aarav Kshatriya.
You can call me Cutie if you like."
Nikhil leaned toward Aliya and whispered,
"Looks like your rival has arrived."
Aliya shot Nikhil a murderous glare, instantly shutting him up.
Chandni shook Aarav's hand politely.
"Hello, Aarav. My name is Chandni."
As she did, Chandni felt something unusual.
A divine energy surrounded Aarav—
the kind usually found in extremely innocent souls… or truly sacred ones.
She sensed the same pure aura around Aliya, Vikram, and Venkatesh as well.
To her, it felt like the aura of protagonists—
pure, divine, untouched.
Chandni nodded.
"Alright then. Shall we go?"
Suraj nodded back.
They went to her home, where Chandni packed her essentials.
Moments later, she stepped out with a suitcase.
Aarav immediately rushed forward,
"Let me help."
He picked up her suitcase and placed it in the jeep himself.
Chandni sat inside.
Aarav took the seat beside her.
Soon, all vehicles started moving again—back toward Jamnipali.
---
On the way, Aarav casually asked,
"By the way, I want to become a tantrik too.
Can you teach me tantric knowledge?"
Suraj and Vikram both choked on air and started coughing.
Suraj whispered to Vikram,
"This kid is very smooth."
Vikram muttered,
"Yeah. First Aliya… now Chandni."
Chandni looked at Aarav in surprise.
"You really want to become a tantrik? Why?"
Aarav replied innocently,
"Because they're cool, right?
One mantra and—boom—anyone's gone.
I mean… it's real magic."
Chandni shook her head gently.
"Tantric knowledge is not magic.
It is wisdom—practiced by gods, demons, asuras, adityas… everyone who seeks power."
She continued,
"But learning it requires focus, patience, meditation, and sacrifice."
Then she smiled faintly.
"You're too cute and innocent. That's why I think it will be difficult for you."
"I believe you should focus on your normal studies and build your career instead."
Aarav looked disappointed but said nothing.
---
In the other car, Aliya scoffed,
"What are those two laughing about so much?"
Nikhil, sitting beside her, smirked and said to Kirti,
"Do you smell something burning?"
Kirti simply smiled.
Aliya snapped,
"Oh hello, I'm just saying—something feels off about this Chandni."
Nikhil teased,
"Yeah yeah, we understand."
Suddenly—
⚡ BOOM!
Lightning struck a tree right in front of them.
Both cars screeched to a halt.
After a moment, they started moving again—
But within seconds…
Every tire burst at once.
All of them stepped out of their vehicles.
Chandni closed her eyes briefly.
"There's a negative presence nearby.
She doesn't want us to reach Jamnipali."
At the same time, Aarav noticed a raven perched on a nearby branch.
Now he understood how she was watching them.
He pointed calmly.
"There she is. Vanshika. Sitting on that tree."
The raven let out a harsh, chilling cry.
KAAAW—KAAAW—
Anyone else would have panicked.
Aarav merely commented,
"Look at her—just cawing away."
Chandni said anxiously,
"Aarav, don't provoke her."
Aarav shrugged.
"It's just a crow."
Chandni corrected him firmly.
"Not a crow. Vanshika."
Aarav replied calmly,
"Vanshika can't leave that village.
This is someone else."
Suraj snapped,
"Aarav, this isn't the time for your pranks."
Vikram frowned.
"But how did all the tires burst at the same time?"
Suraj shrugged.
And then—
Suddenly—
A flock of ravens descended from the sky.
Dozens of them.
Circling above their heads.
Cawing loudly.
Relentlessly.
KAAAW—KAAAW—KAAAW—
The air grew heavy.
Something had officially begun.
The moment passed in a blur.
Suddenly, all the crows burst into the air, cawing wildly as they lunged straight toward Aarav.
Their voices overlapped, shrill and unnatural, all screaming his name at once.
"Aarav!"
In seconds, the flock surrounded him completely, blocking Atharva and everyone else's view. Black wings flapped violently, feathers scattering like shadows tearing through the air.
And then—
just as abruptly—
The crows flew away.
When everyone looked again, Aarav was gone.
It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
---
When the darkness finally lifted before Aarav's eyes, he found himself inside a desolate cave. Cold stone walls surrounded him, damp and lifeless. His hands were bound tightly with thick rope, cutting into his wrists.
He looked around, but there was no one in sight.
Then—
A sharp metallic sound echoed through the cave.
Scrrrrkk… scrrrk…
Aarav turned his head.
In one corner, a figure stood, sharpening a large, double-edged axe against a stone. Sparks flew with each grind. The person wore a mask, their entire body hidden beneath black clothing, making it impossible to tell whether they were a man or a woman.
Noticing Aarav staring, the masked figure stopped sharpening the axe and slowly walked toward him.
Aarav smirked and said casually,
"Nice axe. How much does something like that cost in the market?"
The masked figure froze.
Clearly, they hadn't expected him to be this calm—this fearless.
In a distorted, almost mechanical voice, the figure spoke,
"You must be wondering why you were brought here."
Aarav shook his head lightly.
"No. I'm wondering why someone would leave behind a fortune worth millions just to sit in a cave in India."
He looked straight at the masked face.
"Isn't that right, Miss Aanya Desouza?"
The figure staggered back slightly.
"H-How… how do you know me?"
Slowly, the mask came off.
Standing before Aarav was a beautiful girl, her hair dyed a striking shade of pink.
Aarav smiled faintly.
"Untie me. I'll explain everything."
Aanya laughed softly.
"And what makes you think I brought you here just to let you go?"
Aarav's expression didn't change.
"Whether you want to or not, you can't keep me captive unless I allow it."
The moment he finished speaking—
The ropes binding him fell apart on their own.
Aanya's eyes widened. She instantly swung the axe at him.
Aarav rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the deadly strike.
Before she could recover, he jumped up and delivered a powerful side kick, sending her flying across the cave floor.
He picked up the fallen axe, rested it casually on his shoulder, and said,
"You didn't bring me here. I came here myself."
Aanya stood up, fury blazing across her face.
Suddenly, her eyes glowed red.
Smoke began rising from multiple spots on the ground, thick and black. From within it, shadowy figures emerged—dark silhouettes crawling upward, moving toward Aarav.
Aarav calmly released his aura.
The moment it spread, the shadows trembled in fear. Instead of attacking him, they turned back—rushing toward Aanya.
"Stop!" she screamed in panic.
"What are you doing? You're my slave, not his!"
But it was too late.
The shadows lunged at her, restraining her arms and legs, holding her tightly in place.
Aarav walked toward her, the axe still resting on his shoulder, humming softly.
"Should I kill you…
or let you live?
Tell me—
how should I deal with you?"
He stopped in front of her, closed his eyes, and extended his palm.
An eerie symbol formed on it—
an eye, drawn in black and red.
He pressed his palm against her neck and repeated softly,
"Tell me… what should I do with you?"
---
Elsewhere—
Aarav's sudden disappearance had thrown everyone into panic.
They were calling out his name, searching frantically in every direction.
Chandni closed her eyes, focusing, trying to sense any unfamiliar energy around them.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and started walking in one direction.
The others followed her instinctively, still calling out to Aarav.
Soon, they reached the entrance of a cave.
Chandni closed her eyes once more, then said firmly,
"Whatever it is… it's inside this cave."
Without hesitation, Venkatesh rushed in.
Moments later, they all entered the cave—only to find strange ritual objects scattered around, symbols and tools that looked like dark magic artifacts.
And in the center—
Aarav lay bound with ropes.
His mouth was gagged.
Venkatesh ran to him immediately, removing the gag and untying his hands.
"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.
Aarav nodded.
"Yes. Everything went dark suddenly, and the next thing I knew, I was here—tied up. I don't know what happened in between."
Chandni looked around uneasily.
"We should leave this place. Now."
After some time, everyone returned to their respective homes.
Aarav sat alone in his room, deep in meditation, when suddenly his soul separated from his physical body.
This was a technique he had learned long ago—in one of his previous lives.
Although Aarav had not yet begun cultivating in this world, he still possessed many abilities that functioned even without cultivation. Ever since this world had merged, both mana, dark energy, and divine energy had begun flowing through the universe. Because of that, Aarav had access to several tricks and techniques that were still highly effective.
His soul floated upward, moving around the rooftop, and then flew back toward the same jungle as before. From there, he entered the cave—which was still empty.
Aarav closed his eyes and swiped his hand through the air.
In an instant, the scene before him changed.
The cave that had appeared empty until now suddenly revealed Aanya, bound with ropes. Her mouth was gagged.
Seeing Aarav in the form of a soul, Aanya was shocked.
Aarav walked closer and raised his hand. Aanya's body lifted into the air on its own.
With a simple gesture, he straightened her body. The ropes and the gag loosened and fell away by themselves.
Aarav said coldly,
"From now on, you are my servant. If you ever try to double-cross me, the mark on your neck will cause you unbearable pain."
As soon as he snapped his fingers, Aanya clutched her head and fell to her knees, screaming in agony.
Moments later, Aarav snapped his fingers again.
"Enough."
All the pain vanished from her body.
Trembling, Aanya looked up at him and asked,
"Who… who are you? What are you?"
Aarav laughed lightly.
"I'm just an ordinary human—just like you."
Then, in a normal tone, he added,
"Come. Let's go meet your mother India."
The moment she heard this, shock spread across Aanya's face.
"How do you know all this?" she asked in disbelief.
Aarav thought to himself, Because I've already read everything.
But he didn't say it out loud and ignored her question.
---
In the original truth, Aanya was actually Vanshika's daughter.
After Vanshika was burned alive, she had given birth to twins—Aanya and her brother, Aditya. Both were newborns at the time.
A woman had saved the infants from the villagers and fled with them. But before she could escape the village, she was caught. In desperation, she hid the babies inside a moving truck.
When the truck drivers later found the infants, they left them at an orphanage.
From there, two different families adopted them.
Aanya was adopted by a wealthy family.
Aditya, however, was adopted by a family that originally belonged to the same village—but was now living in the city. Because of this, Aditya eventually returned to that very village.
For many years, Aanya lived like an ordinary person. But one and a half years ago, she discovered that she was adopted. In search of her real parents, she went to the orphanage—but found no answers.
Then, suddenly, Vanshika called out to her using her powers.
Through that, Aanya learned everything about Vanshika—and began assisting her in her schemes.
Aditya, however, was still unaware of his true identity.
Aanya wanted to tell him, but Vanshika insisted on keeping the truth hidden. To her, Aditya was a trump card—one to be revealed only at the right time.
---
Near the abandoned well on the outskirts of the village, Aanya suddenly collapsed, groaning in pain.
"Mother…" she cried.
A violent storm began to rise around the well. A deep, thunderous growl echoed through the air.
Aarav paid no attention to the roar.
He snapped his fingers again.
Aanya screamed in pain once more.
"Ahh—Mother!"
Suddenly, a terrifying voice emerged from the growl.
"Let her go."
Aarav chuckled softly.
"How could I let her go so easily? You're the one who sent her to me. And in our country, treating a guest properly is a tradition."
At that, Vanshika appeared before him in her true form.
She floated above the well, her hair and sari waving violently in the air.
Now her face was clearly visible—
And it matched Aliya's face by ninety-nine percent.
The air around the well imploded.
A shockwave ripped through the ground as Aarav stepped forward, his aura detonating outward like a silent explosion. The soil cracked, stones levitated, and the trees bent away from him as if pushed by an invisible tide.
Vanshika reacted instantly.
Black mist erupted from her body, condensing into dozens of clawed shadows that lunged at Aarav from every direction. They struck at his limbs, his neck, his spine—only to be torn apart mid-air as his aura sharpened, slicing through them like blades made of pressure.
The ground beneath Aarav shattered.
He vanished.
A blur appeared above Vanshika.
His heel came down like a meteor.
Vanshika crossed her arms just in time. The impact slammed her straight into the earth, creating a crater that swallowed half the well's platform. The shockwave raced outward, uprooting trees and throwing Aanya's unconscious body several meters away.
Vanshika burst out of the crater, hair whipping wildly, sari torn and burning at the edges. Blood—dark and unnatural—ran from her forehead. She thrust her palms forward.
The sky darkened.
A massive sigil ignited beneath Aarav's feet, glowing crimson and black. Chains made of runes shot upward, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso, dragging him violently toward the ground.
The earth tried to swallow him.
Aarav's eyes flared.
The chains shattered.
The sigil cracked.
The pressure released from his body was no longer restrained—it roared outward. Vanshika was thrown back mid-air, her body twisting uncontrollably before crashing into the remains of the well. The ancient stones disintegrated on impact.
She rose again—slower now.
The forest began to die.
Leaves turned to ash. Grass withered. The air itself seemed poisoned as Vanshika drew power directly from the land. A vortex of black and red energy spiraled around her, forming a towering phantom behind her—half woman, half inferno.
It lunged.
Aarav met it head-on.
He stepped forward and punched.
The phantom's chest collapsed inward as if hit by a collapsing star. The energy imploded, folding in on itself before detonating upward, tearing a hole through the clouds.
The backlash sent Aarav skidding across the ground, carving a trench behind him.
Vanshika screamed soundlessly as the recoil ripped through her body. One arm twisted at an impossible angle. Her form flickered—unstable, tearing between spirit and flesh.
She forced herself upright and attacked again.
This time, she moved herself.
She crossed the distance in an instant, claws aimed straight for Aarav's heart.
Aarav caught her wrist.
The ground beneath them collapsed completely.
They vanished into the pit.
Inside the darkness, the fight became brutal and close.
Bone cracked.
Blood sprayed.
Aarav slammed Vanshika into the cavern wall again and again, each impact shaking the underground chamber. She retaliated with savage strikes, her claws ripping into his shoulder, his side, his back—drawing blood, tearing flesh.
Aarav grabbed her by the throat and drove her into the ground.
The floor shattered.
Light exploded outward as his aura surged uncontrollably, flooding the cavern with blinding white-gold radiance. Vanshika convulsed, her body pinned, smoke pouring from her skin as if she were burning from the inside.
The pressure increased.
The cavern began to collapse.
Aarav released her and stepped back as the ceiling caved in between them, separating their bodies with tons of stone.
Dust filled the air.
Aarav's aura flared violently, erasing the runes mid-formation. The backlash tore through the ground, leaving deep craters behind.
He raised his hand.
The atmosphere changed.
Ancient symbols formed beneath his feet—calm, absolute, undeniable. The earth responded.
The ground cracked open.
From beneath the soil, massive glowing chains erupted upward, forged of light and sealed inscriptions. One after another, they shot toward Vanshika, faster than thought.
She tried to escape.
The chains wrapped around her arms.
Then her legs.
Then her torso.
Each binding slammed her into the air, suspending her above the broken well. More chains emerged, coiling tighter, dragging her downward.
The seals ignited.
Runes burned into the chains, suppressing every trace of dark energy. The black mist around her body was forcefully pulled back, crushed, and sealed away.
The forest went silent.
Vanshika struggled, but every movement only tightened the bindings. The chains anchored themselves deep into the earth, sealing her power completely.
Aarav stood beneath her, calm and unmoved.
The ground slowly stopped shaking.
The storm clouds above began to disperse.
Vanshika hung restrained, immobilized, sealed—her overwhelming presence reduced to silence.
The battle was over.
Aarav remained standing.
Dominant. Unchallenged. Absolute.