The wind howled around them, carrying the faint scent of burning soil. The crimson moon loomed overhead, bleeding its sinister glow upon the ruins below.
Vihaan and Gauri stood side by side, their tears finally drying as resolve replaced despair. The moon's red light glinted in their eyes — one filled with fire, the other with divine calm.
Vihaan clenched his fists, his voice low but firm. "No more tears. We end this — now."
Gauri nodded, pulling off her glowing silver ring. "For our family."
Vihaan removed his enchanted bracelet, the metal flaring to life in his palm. He took a step forward, his aura sparking crimson, eyes burning with fury. The ground beneath him cracked, rippling with energy.
He stretched his hand toward the sky, summoning a surge of raw power that spiraled upward like a storm. "Agnidhaara!" he roared, sending a blazing current of magic crashing toward the red moon.
At the same moment, Gauri raised her hand high, shouting with unyielding devotion,
"Jai Devi Maa!"
She hurled her ring forward — it spun rapidly, transforming midair into a tidal chakram, its edges glimmering with water and light. The air itself shuddered as the divine weapon soared upward, joining Vihaan's fiery blast.
The two forces collided against the moon's surface, the impact echoing like thunder across the skies. But the crimson energy surrounding the moon pulsed violently, pushing back their combined assault.
A shockwave burst outward.
Vihaan and Gauri staggered backward, shielding their faces as the recoil flung dust and stones around them. Gauri's chakram spun back toward her; she caught it deftly, her hand trembling slightly from the impact.
Their eyes met — no words were spoken, yet both understood.
There was no room for fear now.
Together, they charged forward again — Vihaan unleashing his fire with renewed ferocity, Gauri summoning divine waters through her chakram, their powers entwining like fire and ocean as they aimed once more for the cursed red moon that held their family captive.
The earth trembled, and the night roared in defiance.
Upstairs in the dim corridors of the sunken mansion, Raani and Charvi rushed toward Dadi's room, their footsteps echoing faintly through the eerie silence.
When they entered, their hearts sank. Everything was in disarray — drawers overturned, medicine bottles scattered across the floor, and the mirror cracked right through the center. Dust floated in the air, glimmering faintly in the weak light from Raani's phone.
"Charvi, quick, check the cupboard!" Raani said, kneeling beside the fallen cabinet. "The medicine box must be here somewhere."
Charvi nodded and began rummaging through the clutter. "Di's voice… I can't hear her anymore," she whispered nervously. "What if they think we're already—"
Raani stopped her, her tone firm despite the fear in her eyes. "Don't say that.Bhabhi and Bhaiya will find a way. They always do."
As they searched, a faint tremor ran through the floor, and both girls froze — the walls seemed to hum, reacting to some distant power from above.
---
Outside, far beyond the buried mansion, the crimson moon burned brighter.
Gauri's ring flew back to her hand, sliding seamlessly onto her finger. She exhaled sharply, her body trembling with exhaustion. "It's not working…" she whispered, frustration glinting in her tear-streaked eyes.
Vihaan fell to one knee, breathing heavily. "It's absorbing our magic. Every strike only feeds it more power."
Gauri turned toward him, her eyes fierce yet gentle. "Then we won't fight it with rage. We'll fight it with faith."
She took a step closer, her voice soft but unwavering — reciting words like a sacred poem carried by the wind:
"Even when the sky bleeds and the ground falls away,
Hope is the flame the night cannot slay.
When love stands unbroken, even darkness will kneel—
For hearts that burn together, the divine will heal."
Vihaan looked at her, the fire in his eyes rekindling. He stood, placing both hands forward, magic crackling between his fingers. Gauri mirrored him, raising both hands as her aura glowed a deep azure.
Their energies intertwined — crimson and sapphire — swirling upward like a divine storm.
"Together," Vihaan said.
"Always," Gauri replied.
They closed their eyes, channeling their strength. The air shifted, vibrating with immense power. Slowly, impossibly, the crimson moon began to tremble. The ground cracked beneath their feet as the moonlight flickered — flickered, then lifted, rising ever so slightly against its own gravity.
Watching from the distance, Veer clenched his fists, his eyes burning with dark satisfaction.
"So," he whispered, a twisted smirk curving his lips, "you're trying to lift what should never rise. Let's see how long you can fight destiny."
The crimson moon shuddered violently as Vihaan and Gauri poured every ounce of power into their effort.
The battle between love and darkness had only just begun.
To be continued…