"Aarav..."
Aarav's attention immediately snapped toward Kirti.
Her eyes were slowly closing.
Kirti's voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Save me..."
And then her eyes shut completely.
Aarav's expression changed.
"Kirti!"
He immediately shook her gently, trying to wake her up.
But there was no response.
Yash quickly stepped forward.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
Aarav carefully lowered Kirti down, placing her head in his lap.
He placed two fingers against her forehead and closed his eyes.
His consciousness immediately sank inward.
He tried to enter Kirti's mind realm.
But the moment he saw what was happening inside—
His eyes widened.
The seal he had created was already developing cracks.
Aarav had never expected this.
That seal had been created through a sacrificial ritual powerful enough to seal even a powerful Demon King for a thousand years.
Yet the Demoness Empress had already begun breaking it.
She's this powerful?
Aarav's expression became serious.
He raised his hand.
A golden magic circle appeared behind him.
"..."
The magic circle flew toward the cracked seal inside Kirti's mind.
The moment it reached the seal—
BOOM!
The golden circle transformed into thousands of glowing chains.
They wrapped themselves around the seal, reinforcing it from every direction.
For a brief moment, everything seemed stable.
Then—
VMMMMM!
A tremendous pressure erupted from the seal.
The entire mind realm trembled.
Aarav's expression changed.
"What...?"
The next instant—
BOOM!
A powerful force blasted Aarav out of Kirti's mind realm.
His consciousness was violently thrown back into his body.
Aarav's eyes snapped open.
His body was pushed backward.
Yash immediately rushed forward and caught him.
"Aarav! Are you okay?"
Aarav steadied himself.
"Hmm."
He took a breath.
"We need to get Kirti to a hospital."
Without wasting another second, he carefully lifted Kirti into his arms and carried her outside.
Once they reached the mansion's exterior, Aarav stopped beside his bike.
With a thought, the bike disappeared into his pocket dimension.
Yash stared at the empty space.
His eyebrows twitched.
He remembered everything Aarav had done tonight.
Finally, he sighed.
"I don't think I should even be surprised anymore."
He walked toward his car and took the driver's seat.
Aarav placed Kirti carefully across the back seat and sat beside her, keeping her head resting in his lap.
As Yash drove through the night, he finally broke the silence.
"Now tell me."
He glanced at Aarav through the rear-view mirror.
"What exactly was all that?"
Aarav remained silent for a moment.
Then he told Yash everything.
He explained what had happened in his maternal grandparents' village, how he had discovered his abilities, the supernatural beings he had encountered, his spiritual training, and how he had learned to use his powers.
For Yash, the story was almost impossible to believe.
But after everything he had witnessed tonight—
He had no choice but to accept it.
Yash let out a tired sigh.
"If I write all of this in my official report, I'll probably be declared legally insane and suspended."
Aarav couldn't help laughing.
A few moments later, they finally reached the hospital.
Kirti was immediately taken inside.
Doctors and medical staff ran a series of tests.
After completing the examinations, one of the doctors walked toward Aarav and Yash with the reports in his hands.
The doctor stared at the results in disbelief.
"I... I can't believe this report."
Yash immediately asked,
"What happened, Doctor?"
The doctor looked at them.
"Kirti's blood circulation and heartbeat are running at almost ten times the normal rate."
Yash's expression changed.
"Ten times?"
"Yes."
The doctor shook his head.
"Under normal circumstances, a human body wouldn't be able to sustain that kind of stress. The blood vessels should be severely affected, the organs should be under enormous strain..."
He looked back at the report.
"But somehow, her body is functioning normally."
He paused.
"I honestly don't understand how this is possible."
The doctor looked at them with genuine confusion.
"Is she even... human?"
Yash frowned.
"That must be the work of that crazy scientist."
The doctor nodded slowly.
"Possibly."
He looked at the reports again.
"It seems as though someone has altered her body on an entirely different level. Whoever did this... they understood human biology far beyond anything I've seen."
Aarav stared at the doctor.
"Any other symptoms?"
"Yes."
The doctor became more serious.
"Her brain activity is completely normal."
Yash blinked.
"What?"
"That means she technically shouldn't be in a coma."
The doctor shook his head.
"But I don't know how to wake her."
He continued.
"There's another problem. Her body's energy consumption is extremely high."
Aarav's expression hardened.
"It feels almost as if something is consuming her energy from within."
The doctor nodded.
"Exactly."
He pointed toward the medical equipment.
"Our equipment can't keep up with how quickly her body is using energy. For now, we're giving her medication along with high-calorie and high-nutrition support."
He sighed.
"But I don't know how much that will actually help."
Yash stood there in complete disbelief.
His mind was struggling to process everything he had heard.
Meanwhile, Aarav remained silent.
It has to be that Demoness.
His hands slowly clenched.
I need to become stronger. Faster.
Otherwise, my family won't be safe in a world like this.
He looked toward Kirti's ward.
I thought this world was based on some kind of spy thriller story. I never expected the power level to be this high.
But one powerful supernatural entity after another is beginning to appear in front of me.
And now... even dealing with them is becoming difficult.
Aarav took a deep breath.
He arranged for Kirti to be admitted to a VIP ward under ventilation support.
Before leaving, he placed a protective charm inside the room.
Then he turned around and walked outside.
Yash followed him.
"Where are you going now?"
"To find a solution."
Before Yash could say anything else—
Aarav's phone started ringing.
He pulled it out.
The moment he saw the name on the screen, he stopped.
Mom.
Aarav glanced back toward Kirti's ward.
Then he sighed and answered.
"Hello, Mom."
Shakshi's voice immediately came from the other side.
"Aarav! Kirti was kidnapped and you didn't even tell me?"
Her voice was filled with anger and worry.
"Have you become so grown-up now that you can hide something this serious from me?"
Aarav glanced at Yash.
He silently asked him with his eyes.
Who told her?
Yash immediately shook his head.
Not me.
Aarav returned his attention to the call.
"Mom, who told you Kirti was kidnapped?"
Shakshi's voice became even more emotional.
"How does that matter?"
She paused.
"Have I become so bad in your eyes that you don't even think it's necessary to tell me something like this?"
Aarav immediately tried to calm her down.
"Mom, Kirti is safe. I found her."
He looked toward the ward.
"I'm with her at the hospital right now. I was actually about to call you."
There was a brief silence.
Then Shakshi spoke again.
"So you're slowly becoming just like your father."
Aarav's expression changed slightly.
"He hasn't been answering my calls either."
She quickly asked,
"Is he with you?"
"No."
Aarav's answer was quiet.
"He isn't with me."
Shakshi immediately said,
"Stay at the hospital. I'm coming there."
She paused.
"Which hospital?"
Aarav gave her the hospital's address.
After ending the call, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.
Yash followed and sat beside him.
For a while, neither of them said anything.
The hospital corridor remained unusually quiet.
But Aarav knew that the real trouble had only just begun.
Aarav had barely been sitting on the bench for a few minutes when a CID team arrived at the hospital.
Yash immediately stood up and greeted them.
"Hello, officers."
The officers returned the greeting.
"Hello, sir."
One of them looked at Yash.
"Sir, is Kirti okay? We came here to check whether she's in a condition to give a statement."
Yash glanced toward Kirti's ward before looking back at the officer.
"No, officer. Sorry to disappoint you, but she's currently in a coma."
The officer's expression changed.
"In a coma?"
He hesitated for a moment before asking,
"Can we see her medical report?"
Yash nodded and handed him the file.
The three officers gathered around and carefully went through the report.
Their expressions became increasingly serious as they read.
After finishing, they exchanged a few looks before returning the file to Yash.
They then moved a little farther away and one of them immediately called ACP Pritam.
The call was answered after a few rings.
"Yes, tell me. What's the update?"
The officer straightened.
"Sir, Kirti is now in a coma."
There was a brief silence from the other end.
ACP Pritam sounded surprised.
"Did they... hurt her?"
"No, sir. There's nothing like that mentioned in the report."
The officer glanced back toward the ward.
"But according to the medical report, there are several abnormal findings."
Pritam's tone became serious.
"What kind of abnormalities?"
"It's difficult to explain over the phone, sir. You'll understand once you see the report yourself."
Pritam remained silent for a moment.
"Fine."
Then he gave his instructions.
ACP Pritam gave the officer his final instructions.
"Fine. Take Yash's statement first. Find out exactly what happened there, how the kidnapping took place, and who was behind it."
He paused.
"And if Kirti regains consciousness, take her statement as well. I want every detail properly recorded."
With that, he ended the call.
The officers immediately walked over to Yash.
"Hello, sir. For the investigation, we'll need your statement. Can you tell us who was behind the kidnapping and what exactly happened there?"
Yash nodded.
"Of course."
He then began telling them the story he and Aarav had agreed upon.
He carefully left out everything related to the supernatural.
Apart from that, he described the events almost exactly as they had happened—the warehouse, the kidnapped victims, the investigation, and how Kirti had eventually been found.
While Yash was giving his statement, Shakshi arrived at the hospital corridor.
The moment she entered, her eyes immediately found Aarav.
She hurried toward him.
"Aarav!"
She quickly checked him from head to toe, making sure he wasn't injured.
Only after confirming that he was fine did she finally let out a breath of relief.
"Where's Kirti?"
Aarav didn't answer.
Instead, he simply looked toward the ward.
Shakshi followed his gaze.
Her eyes landed on the room.
At that moment, she heard the voices of Yash and one of the CID officers nearby.
The officer was speaking to Yash.
"We've confirmed the identities of some of the victims. A few of them were students who had previously gained attention for their anti-national slogans and activities. Some others were known criminals who were already on the wanted list."
The officer continued,
"We've also found links between some of them and terrorist organizations."
Shakshi's steps slowed.
She listened carefully.
Her expression changed.
Wasim Khan...
The kidnapping suddenly seemed connected to the same case.
She continued toward Kirti's ward.
When she reached the door, she looked inside.
Kirti was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, supported by a ventilator.
Shakshi froze.
Her eyes filled with tears.
The sight completely broke her.
She covered her mouth as tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"It happened because of me..."
She blamed herself for everything.
Aarav watched his mother crying.
But he didn't move toward her.
He remained silent.
After a moment, Aarav turned toward Yash.
"I'm going back to that ruined mansion."
Yash looked at him.
"I'll come with you."
Aarav nodded.
The two of them left the hospital and got into Yash's car.
Yash had already taken the kidnapping case under his direct supervision and had the CID team close their involvement in the case.
As far as the CID was concerned, there was no reason for them to know about the ruined mansion.
Soon, Aarav and Yash arrived back at the forest.
This time, however, the ruins looked completely different.
Under the darkness of night, the abandoned mansion seemed far more terrifying.
Bats flew above the broken roof.
Dry branches moved in the cold wind.
The entire forest was unnaturally quiet.
Then—
"Aao..."
A voice echoed from inside the ruins.
"Come..."
Then came a frightening laugh.
"Hehehehehe..."
Yash immediately looked at Aarav.
"Is Leo doing that?"
Aarav shook his head.
"No."
His expression became serious.
"That isn't his voice."
The two approached the main gate.
Before either of them could touch it—
Creeeeak...
The massive gate slowly opened by itself.
Yash raised an eyebrow.
"That's not creepy at all."
They stepped inside.
But the moment they crossed the entrance—
The entire world changed.
The ruined mansion disappeared.
In its place stood a magnificent, luxurious palace.
Yash stared in disbelief.
"This wasn't here during the day."
He slowly looked around.
"It looks like this place was never abandoned at all."
Aarav calmly raised his hand.
"This is just an illusion."
He waved his hand through the air.
A faint pulse of energy spread through the mansion.
The luxurious palace immediately began to distort.
The walls cracked.
The beautiful decorations disappeared.
The entire illusion dissolved.
Within seconds, the terrifying ruins returned.
Yash stared at Aarav.
"Right. Of course."
Before he could say anything else—
"AAAAAH!"
A scream echoed through the mansion.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
Yash's expression immediately changed.
"Dad?"
He rushed toward the voice.
Aarav followed closely behind.
They soon reached a large room.
A massive wooden door stood between them and whoever was inside.
The door was secured with an enormous lock, while several protective threads and seals had been wrapped around it.
Yash immediately rushed to the door.
"Dad!"
He knocked hard.
"Dad!"
A voice came from inside.
"Yash! Son, I'm trapped in here!"
The voice sounded desperate.
"Please, get me out!"
Yash immediately began trying to remove the protective thread from the door.
Aarav grabbed his arm.
"Sir, stop."
Yash turned toward him.
"What?"
"This is only an illusion."
Yash's expression hardened.
"Aarav, move!"
"My dad is in there!"
He pointed toward the door.
"Can't you hear him?"
Aarav looked at the massive lock.
"Then how did he get inside?"
He pointed toward the sealed door.
"There's a huge lock here, and this entire place has been sealed with powerful bindings."
Aarav's expression became serious.
"Something powerful is sealed behind this door."
Yash shook his head.
"Aarav, get out of my way."
His voice became firm.
"I know my father is in there."
He pulled the protective thread away from the door.
The moment it came loose—
VMMMMM!
A powerful vibration passed through the entire door.
But it still didn't open.
Aarav's expression changed.
"Sir—"
Before Yash could react, Aarav placed two fingers against his forehead.
Tap.
Yash's eyes immediately closed.
His body went limp.
Aarav caught him before he fell.
The moment Yash lost consciousness—
The voice behind the door changed.
"...Aarav."
Aarav froze.
The voice was now unmistakably familiar.
It was Kirti's voice.
"Aarav..."
His eyes slowly shifted toward the lock.
"Aarav, please help me..."
Aarav's eyes turned red.
He stood up.
His expression had completely changed.
"Interesting."
He looked directly at the lock.
Then—
BOOM!
His fist slammed into it.
The massive lock shattered.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
A terrifying laugh echoed from inside.
"Hahahahaha!"
A black shadow suddenly shot out from the room.
It rushed straight toward Aarav.
Before he could move—
Whoosh!
The shadow entered his body.
Aarav's eyes instantly turned completely black.
For a brief moment, his body remained still.
Then—
A piercing scream erupted from within him.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Aarav's own voice followed.
"I might have forgiven you..."
His black eyes narrowed.
"If you hadn't tried to deceive me using Kirti's voice."
The shadow inside his body struggled desperately.
Aarav's expression became cold.
"I opened this gate only to show you your place."
Dark energy surged through his body.
The shadow was forcibly pulled inward.
Within seconds, it disappeared completely.
The energy was absorbed by Aarav and transformed into another Shadow Slave.
Aarav's eyes slowly returned to normal.
He looked down at Yash.
Then lightly tapped his forehead.
"Wake up."
Tap.
Yash's eyes opened.
He looked around in confusion.
"What happened here?"
Aarav casually answered,
"Nothing."
He stretched his shoulders.
"Just a weak spirit that thought it had enough power to mess with me."
Yash stared at him.
"...Right."
Aarav turned toward the staircase.
"Come on. Let's check the basement."
"Why?"
"I want to see what Leo is doing."
The two descended into the basement.
The moment they entered, both stopped.
Leo was there.
Not fighting.
Not tracking anything.
Not even standing guard.
He was lying comfortably on a huge, luxurious chair.
Snore...
Snore...
Yash stared at him.
Aarav stared at him.
Leo continued sleeping peacefully.
Yash slowly turned toward Aarav.
".. sleeping..?"
Aarav's expression went blank.
"Apparently."
Leo snored again.
"Grrrr... Zzzzz..."