The twin trees stood unnaturally apart-their gnarled trunks forming a perfect archway. No wind stirred their silver-barked branches.
*"This matches the map,"* Sahir murmured, comparing Kailashi's parchment to the living landmark. *"The wolf clan's gateway."*
Teju adjusted her hiking pack. *"Seems so."*
They stepped through together-
-and emerged into a jungle where the leaves shimmered blue. Above them, **two full moons** hung low and heavy, their light casting double shadows.
Teju's breath hitched. *"Sahir-look!"* She gripped his arm. *"Do you feel... anything?"*
Sahir rotated his wrists, testing. *"No physiological changes. But Mihir-"* His jaw tightened. *"-let's hope he doesn't get affected ."*
Somewhere in the luminous dark, a howl rose-not in welcoming but warning.
Teju yanked Sahir behind a moss-covered boulder as the two elder women passed. Their bare backs were carved with **glowing silver scars**-not random markings, but *ancient script* that pulsed in time with the twin moons' light.
*"Sanskrit?"* Sahir mouthed.
Teju shook her head. The symbols twisted like living things-**werewolf liturgy**, perhaps.
Around them, the village thrived under the double moonlight:
- **Bonfires** where dancers moved with animalistic grace
- **Skull-goblets** passed between laughing warriors
- A **stone altar** stained dark with decades of ritual
One elder suddenly paused, her nose flaring. *"Human stench,"* she growled.
The elder women stalked closer, their silver-scarred shoulders tensed. Teju acted without thought-her palm flashed upward, the **star-mark blazing gold**. A shimmering barrier rippled around them, smelling suddenly of monsoon rain and nothing else.
*"Strange,"* muttered the first woman, nostrils flaring just feet away. *"I could've sworn-"*
*"The twin moons play tricks on even our senses, sister."* The second elder tapped her temple, where a crescent-shaped scar pulsed. *"Come. The Blood Dance begins."*
As they retreated toward the bonfires, Teju didn't lower her hand until their hunched forms disappeared into the crowd of **pelt-clad dancers**.
Sahir nodded toward the roaring bonfire where wolf-clad dancers spun under the twin moons. *"Some kind of lunar festival."*
*"Perfect,"* Teju whispered. *"While they're distracted, we find the Ras Jeevan."*
*"First, we blend in."* Sahir's eyes locked onto a nearby hut where pelts hung drying. His fingers twitched-the **silver-blue glow** of his daavansh power wrapped around two wolfskin cloaks, floating them silently through the shadows.
Teju caught hers with a grimace. *"These smell like they were skinned yesterday."*
*"Better than smelling like prey."* Sahir fastened his cloak, the wolf's muzzle forming a grotesque hood over his dark hair. *"Ready?"*
From the village center, a chorus of howls rose-**the Twin Moons Ceremony had begun.**
Meanwhile at the house above the river
The twin moons painted Mihir's silhouette in eerie silver as Maira approached. His back was turned, shoulders unnaturally still.
*"Mihir?"* She reached out-
He whirled.
**Red eyes burned** where his dark irises should be. **Black claws** curled from his fingertips. A voice that wasn't quite his snarled: *"I am Daavansh."*
Maira stumbled back. *"What's-"*
*"You were warned."* He flicked his wrist-**shadow daggers materialized mid-air**. *"Now I take your life."*
Maira dove sideways, **overturning the dining table** with a crash. Daggers thudded into the wood, quivering.
Through the shattered window, the twin moons gleamed. *"It's the moons!"* she gasped, crouching behind her makeshift shield. *"Mihir, fight it!"*
A guttural laugh answered as another volley of daggers **sank deep into the table**.
Mihir's clawed hand rose sideways-**every piece of furniture in the room lurched upward**, including Maira's shattered table shield.
*"Mihir, no!"* She barely had time to raise her arms before **the onslaught came**.
A chair leg grazed her temple. A wooden beam slammed into her ribs. She hit the ground hard, **blood streaking down her forehead**, arms crisscrossed with cuts.
*"Fight it!"* Maira choked out, dragging herself forward. Her fingers left red smears on the floorboards as she reached for him. *"I know you're in there!"*
Mihir loomed over her, **his crimson eyes flickering**. For one terrifying second, his claws flexed toward her throat-
-then **twitched violently sideways**.
A strangled sound escaped him. *"R-run..."*
The twin moons' light pulsed through the window, **pushing the darkness deeper**.
Bandhap Cave - Blood Pool Vision**
The crimson pool shimmered, reflecting Mihir's snarling face as he loomed over the bleeding Maira.
*"Look how close he dances to the abyss!"* Mohana's laughter echoed off the cave walls. *"One more step-one fatal strike-and the Kashyaps' golden son becomes my weapon."*
Ruby leaned over the pool, her brow furrowed. *"You truly think he'll kill her?"*
Mohana's claw traced the image of Maira's crumpled form. *"Unlike his lovesick brother, Mihir's heart remains unclaimed."* The water rippled as Mihir's claws twitched toward Maira's throat. *"No love to shield him. No weakness to stay his hand."*
A drop of venom fell from Mohana's fangs, distorting the vision. *"Let the Reevavanshi learn-her blood makes better paint than armor."*
At the wolf clan
Teju mimicked the wolf dancers' spiraling steps, her borrowed pelt scratching her neck. Beside her, Sahir moved stiffly, his eyes scanning the crowd for clues.
A young wolf girl with silver-streaked hair grabbed Teju's hands, spinning her. *"Isn't this glorious? The Bhediya Vriksha finally blooms tonight!"* She pointed to the massive **obsidian-black tree** at the village center, its branches heavy with pulsing golden fruits. *"Ras Jeevan ripens only under twin moons!"*
Teju's pulse spiked. *So it's not just a potion-it's a fruit.*
Sahir edged closer, murmuring under the drumbeats: *"That tree's guarded by elders."*
Three scarred warriors circled the trunk, their **moonlit claws** glinting. One sniffed the air-too sharply.
Teju forced a laugh, pulling Sahir back into the dance. *"Then we wait for our moment."*
Above them, the twin moons reached their zenith. The fruits' glow intensified, **dripping luminous sap like liquid stars.**