At that very moment, all of them leapt forward together and attacked—but before they could reach their targets, they slammed into an invisible force shield. Their bodies were violently thrown back, crashing onto the ground, and in the next instant they dissolved into thick black smoke and vanished completely.
Vikram looked around in shock and realized that a glowing protective circle had formed around all of them.
They all turned at once.
Rasika was still chanting—her eyes shut tight, her voice growing louder and sharper with every mantra, vibrating unnaturally through the forest.
Vikram rushed to Chandni's side and tried to lift her.
Slowly, Chandni's eyelids fluttered open. She stared blankly at her surroundings for a few seconds, then clutched her head in pain. Gritting her teeth, she sat back in her place and began chanting again, forcing herself to continue.
Deep within the jungle, another terrifying roar echoed.
Suddenly, Vanshika—who had been bound tightly within the banyan tree—let out a piercing scream. Her eyes and entire body began to glow violently. In the next moment, the tree's bindings shattered, and she broke free.
Before anyone could react, Vanshika surged forward and grabbed Rasika and Chandni by their throats, lifting them effortlessly into the air.
Both women dangled helplessly as Vanshika floated above the ground, her grip tightening around their necks.
Venkatesh pulled out his pistol in panic, aimed at Vanshika, and fired.
The bullet flew straight at her—but passed right through her body, striking the tree behind her, as if she didn't exist at all.
Though the bullet hadn't harmed her, Vanshika slowly turned her head toward Venkatesh.
Her gaze was filled with pure rage.
At the same time, Aarav understood the truth.
Vanshika wasn't in control anymore.
The Hell King was.
Aarav closed his eyes.
In an instant, his vision shifted.
When he opened them again, he was standing before a dark cave. In front of him burned a havan kund. Without hesitation, Aarav kicked it.
Thunder cracked violently.
Lightning exploded across the vision.
Aarav snapped his eyes open back in the jungle.
Vanshika had regained control over herself.
She glanced at Aarav once.
Aarav gave a slight nod.
Understanding immediately, Vanshika released Rasika and Chandni, letting them fall to the ground. Then she rose higher into the air, floating as she began gathering the energy within herself.
The wind howled.
The trees trembled.
A storm started to form around her.
Vanshika unleashed illusion magic.
In an instant, the air itself seemed to crawl inside their minds.
Each of them was dragged into their own fear.
Broken memories, buried trauma, screams they had long forgotten—everything resurfaced at once. One by one, they collapsed, clutching their heads, their faces twisting in agony as if something invisible was tearing them apart from the inside.
Cries echoed through the forest.
Breathing turned erratic.
Reality blurred.
Aarav, too, dropped to his knees, holding his head.
But unlike the others—nothing was happening to him.
No visions.
No pain.
No fear.
Vanshika hadn't touched his mind.
Watching everyone suffer, Vanshika turned away, ready to leave—
And suddenly—
She froze midair.
Her body stopped as if time itself had grabbed her.
Aarav narrowed his eyes.
Vikram was standing.
Both his hands were raised, fingers spread toward the air, and his eyes were glowing with an unnatural blue light, bright and ancient.
In that moment, Aarav understood.
Vikram's past life had taken control.
Vanshika struggled, but her body wouldn't move. Vikram clenched his hand and slowly turned his palm toward the banyan tree.
Vanshika was violently pulled backward.
Her body slammed against the tree, sticking to it as if an unseen force had glued her there.
Shock flashed across her face.
Vikram began chanting, his voice deep and echoing, layered with something far older than him—
"ॐ नमो भगवते वायुनंदनाय नमः"
The mantra thundered through the area.
The forest trembled.
The air vibrated.
Everyone stared at Vikram in disbelief.
Vanshika's eyes widened.
"Vasukinath—"
Before she could finish, a thick banyan vine snapped forward, crushing her mouth shut. More vines wrapped around her limbs, binding her completely.
Slowly—mercilessly—the tree began to absorb her.
Her body sank into the bark as if the wood were liquid.
Vikram picked up a red thread lying nearby and began circling the banyan tree, wrapping it around again and again. When he tied the final knot, Vanshika had completely merged with the tree.
Silence fell.
Vikram turned toward them and spoke, his voice no longer fully his own.
"The danger has not passed.
What comes next… will be far worse."
The blue glow vanished from his eyes.
His body went limp.
Vikram collapsed.
Nikhil rushed forward and checked him.
"He's alive—just unconscious."
Shaken, Nikhil looked at Rasika.
"What just happened to him?"
Rasika whispered, as if even she couldn't believe it.
"Mahan Sant Vasukinath… was inside Vikram.
He is the one who sealed Vanshika long ago."
Nikhil frowned. "Vasukinath?"
Chandni spoke softly, "My father's guru.
The saint who first imprisoned Vanshika."
Venkatesh asked, uneasily, "Then what danger was he talking about?"
No one answered.
---
Later that night, everyone returned to their homes.
The next morning, as Aarav stepped outside, he saw Aanya standing in front of him, staring with pure anger in her eyes.
Aarav immediately turned away and walked to a secluded corner.
Aanya followed.
"You imprisoned my mother," she said coldly.
Aarav replied calmly, "Don't worry. She's safe. I can free her whenever I want. But if I release her now, she'll only become a pawn."
Aanya glared at him.
"She already is—because of you."
Aarav didn't react.
"She chose her side knowing the consequences. For now, go back to your adopted family. I promise—your mother will contact you soon."
Aanya said nothing.
She turned and walked away.
The moment she disappeared, a blue screen materialized in front of Aarav.
---
{The World Fragment of the Vanshika Universe has been successfully bound to this universe}
{The World is assigning a mission}
{Mission: Retrieve a destroyed world fragment of the past}
{Reward: The World will acknowledge you as a Bender}
Aarav stared at the screen, confused.
What was this World?
What kind of entity was dragging him into universes like this?
Another message appeared—
{Will you accept the mission?
Yes}
There was no No option.
Aarav realized—he had no choice.
{The World is pleased with your decision}
Suddenly, a circle of blue light formed beneath his feet.
Before he could react, the ground vanished.
Aarav was dragged into a time–space wormhole.
---
From a distance, Kirti saw it.
She saw Aarav falling into a glowing portal.
"AARAV!" she screamed, running toward him.
But before she could reach him, the portal snapped shut.
Gone.
Kirti hit the spot again and again with her hands—but there was nothing there.
Panicking, she turned and ran back home to tell everyone.
Aarav had disappeared.
Aarav was tumbling inside the portal.
His body spun uncontrollably, flipping over and over as if gravity had lost all meaning. He floated sideways, then upside down, drifting like a broken puppet caught in a violent current.
"AAAH—!"
His scream echoed endlessly, swallowed by the void.
Nausea twisted his stomach. His head spun. His vision blurred as waves of dizziness crashed into him, and bile rose up his throat. He tried to close his eyes, but even darkness offered no relief.
Then—
BAM!
His body slammed hard against something unseen.
At the same instant, a portal ripped open in another world.
Aarav was violently ejected out of it—
—and fell straight into a river.
Cold water swallowed him whole.
The shock knocked the breath out of his lungs as the current dragged him under. His body sank, spinning weakly beneath the surface, clothes weighing him down, strength draining away.
The world faded.
Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision.
And just like that—
Aarav lost consciousness.
Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world—a place where time itself feels slower, heavier, and eternal. Known as the city of moksha, it stands on the sacred banks of the Ganga, where life and death coexist without fear. The air carries the scent of incense, burning lamps, and centuries-old prayers. Here, faith is not practiced—it is lived. Every ghat whispers stories of devotion, sacrifice, rebirth, and secrets far older than history itself. In Varanasi, the divine and the cursed walk side by side, unseen yet ever-present.
In that very sacred city—
Aarav's unconscious body drifted along the holy waters of the Ganga, carried gently by the current, as if the river itself was deciding his fate.
Not far from there, near the ghats of Varanasi, a group of young girls stood by the river after bathing. Their wet hair clung to their backs as they folded their hands in devotion, offering prayers to the Ganga, eyes closed in reverence.
Suddenly—
One of the girls gasped.
"Mannu… look!" she whispered urgently, pointing toward the flowing river.
Mannu, a fourteen-year-old girl, turned her gaze in that direction. Her hands were still folded in prayer, but her eyes—sharp, intense, and burning with an unusual clarity—locked onto the water. There was something striking about her presence. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, but it was her gaze that stood out—calm yet fierce, innocent yet resolute.
She saw it.
A body.
Someone was floating downstream.
Mannu didn't hesitate.
Without overthinking, without fear, she leapt straight into the river. The cold water wrapped around her as she swam with determination, cutting through the current toward the drifting figure.
Reaching the middle of the river, she grabbed hold of Aarav and struggled against the flow, pulling him toward the shore inch by inch.
Finally—
She dragged him out of the water and onto the riverbank.
Mannu immediately pressed against his chest, pushing rhythmically, forcing the water out of his lungs. After a moment, Aarav coughed violently, water spilling from his mouth as his body convulsed.
A faint breath returned.
Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open.
The first thing Aarav saw was her.
A beautiful girl standing over him, sunlight reflecting off the river behind her, her face glowing like a vision born of the sacred land itself.
A weak smile formed on his lips.
"…Looks like I've reached heaven," he murmured.
And with that—
His eyes closed again, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Soon after, the rest of the girls came running toward the riverbank and gathered around the unconscious boy.
One of them said in shock,
"He's… a boy?"
Another girl covered her mouth shyly and whispered,
"And such a handsome one…"
A third girl asked nervously,
"What should we do now?"
Mannu spoke without hesitation, her voice firm.
"First, we take him to Vaid ji. We'll decide everything after that."
---
Some time later, after examining Aarav carefully, the Vaid turned to Mannu and said,
"Rajkumari ji (your highness), he will regain consciousness soon. But his body is completely drained of energy. He needs food. If you give him herbal kadha(tonic), he will recover faster."
Just then, a man entered the room in a hurry.
"Mannu, I heard something happened at River—"
Before he could finish, his eyes fell on Aarav lying on the bed.
He froze.
"Who is this?" he asked in surprise.
Mannu looked at the man standing before her—Moropant—and replied,
"Baba, he was drifting in the river."
Moropant studied Aarav closely and said thoughtfully,
"He looks Indian… but his clothes resemble those of an Englishman. Who could he be?"
At that moment, a faint sound escaped Aarav's lips.
His fingers twitched.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
The first thing he noticed was that he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Every single person wore traditional clothing. Aarav stayed silent, instinctively deciding that gathering information was more important than speaking recklessly.
Seeing him awake, the Vaid stepped closer.
"You're awake now. How do you feel? Any pain or discomfort?"
Aarav replied calmly,
"I'm fine… just a slight heaviness in my head."
Then he asked,
"Where am I?"
Before anyone else could answer, Mannu—whose voice had saved his life—spoke sharply,
"Before that, tell us who you are."
Aarav turned toward her. He remembered her face clearly—the girl who had pulled him back from death. He gave her a slight bow and said,
"Thank you for saving my life. My name is Aarav… Aarav Shastri."
Then he paused and, pretending confusion, continued,
"Where… where am I from?"
He clutched his head suddenly.
"I can't remember. I know my name is Aarav, but… I don't remember anything else."
The Vaid said gently,
"You are in Varanasi."
Aarav's eyes widened.
"Varanasi?"
He fell silent, thinking.
So I'm still in India…
After a moment, he looked at everyone and asked,
"May I have my phone?"
The Vaid frowned in confusion.
"Phone? What is that?"
Mannu tilted her head and said innocently,
"Perhaps it's some kind of food?"
Then she asked Aarav,
"Are you hungry?"
Aarav nodded slowly. He was hungry—very hungry. At the same time, a terrifying realization hit him.
There are no phones here…
This isn't just another place… this is another era.
But he chose to remain silent.
The Vaid and the others stepped outside. Turning to Mannu, the Vaid said,
"Rajkumari ji, I believe he has lost his memory. He remembers nothing except his name."
Mannu asked cautiously,
"Can we trust him? Are you sure he's telling the truth?"
The Vaid nodded.
"This often happens after severe trauma. His memories may return with time."
Mannu then turned to Moropant.
"Baba, can we take him with us?"
Moropant hesitated.
"Is that wise? His clothes and appearance make him look like a foreigner."
Mannu replied firmly,
"But we can't abandon him either. That would go against our dharma."
Her words left no room for argument.