Gauri and Vihaan stood side by side, the heat of their earlier magic fading as a chilling wind brushed past them. The moon above, no longer glowing crimson, began to shimmer with a pale frost. In an instant, the silvery light started to harden into ice — crystalline webs that spread downward like veins of frozen death.
"Gauri," Vihaan said, his voice taut with urgency as he pointed at the mansion roof, "look! The moon's energy—it's generating ice. It's spreading fast. If this keeps going, the mansion will be sealed completely."
Gauri's eyes widened as she watched the frost crawl across the tiles, inching toward the ground. "We're running out of time," Vihaan said again, more quietly now, the desperation trembling beneath his calm.
Meanwhile, inside the mansion, chaos had turned into a heavy stillness. Charvi and Raani hurried downstairs, both coughing as the air grew thinner. They found Veena and Sharda tending to Dadi, who sat weakly on the couch. Charvi handed over the medicine box with shaking hands, and Raani fanned Dadi while Yug set up the small solar fan.
Dadi swallowed her medicine with trembling fingers. "It feels... suffocating," she whispered.
"We'll be fine," Veena said gently, though her own forehead glistened with sweat. "Gauri and Vihaan will save us."
But even she wasn't sure anymore. The air was heavy; the walls themselves seemed to groan.
Veena and Sharda exchanged a glance, then without a word, both women hurried toward the small temple at the far end of the mansion. Inside, the deity's idol glowed faintly beneath the dim oil lamp, the smoke from the incense barely stirring.
Folding their hands, they stood before the goddess. "O Devi Maa," Veena began softly, her voice trembling but resolute, "bless our children with your strength. Give Gauri and Vihaan the power to fight this darkness."
Beside her, Sharda lit another sacred lamp, her eyes reflecting the flame. Together they began to chant the Devi Stotram—their voices rising in prayer, pure and fervent, echoing through the suffocating air.
The golden glow of the lamps shimmered like a fragile heartbeat within the shadowed mansion, as outside, the ice continued to spread—and Gauri and Vihaan prepared for their next desperate strike.
Inside
Veena and Sharda folded their hands, standing before the glowing idol. The faint light of the diya shimmered over their tear-streaked faces as their voices rose in trembling unison:
"Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Shakti Rupena Samsthita,
Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namo Namah…"
The air inside the mansion shifted, heavy yet sacred. The flame swayed as if answering their prayer.
"Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Buddhi Rupena Samsthita," they continued, their chants deepening, each verse vibrating with faith and desperation.
Outside, as the divine resonance spread, Gauri and Vihaan felt a strange warmth surge through their bodies — a spark of renewed energy against the freezing spell that crept from the moon.
The air thickened with a divine heaviness. The ice from the red moon continued spreading, hissing faintly as it crept closer to the mansion walls. Gauri looked up at the sky, despair flashing in her eyes, when Vihaan suddenly spoke — his voice steady yet filled with resolve.
"Gauri," he said softly, turning to her, "I have no choice. Today, in order to save our family… I have to accept the form I've been running from."
Gauri's eyes widened. "Vihaan, no—"
He shook his head. "Those powers were meant for evil once, but today, they'll serve a good cause. The powers born for destruction… will be used for protection and preservation."
He took a deep breath and stepped forward, the wind around him growing wild. "No more hiding."
Closing his eyes, Vihaan stretched his arms sideways. A strange vibration rippled through the air, carrying a faint hiss that made even the trees tremble.
Gauri's breath caught. "Vihaan…"
Suddenly, serpents began slithering out from the shadows — dozens of them — their scales glinting in the daylight like molten emeralds. They circled Vihaan, hissing and coiling upward.
Veer's smirk vanished. His expression turned cold and wary. "No… this can't be…"
The serpents climbed over Vihaan's body, wrapping around him until he was completely covered. A blinding green aura erupted, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
When the light dimmed, Gauri gasped.
Standing before her was not the Vihaan she knew — but a towering figure with ten serpent heads emerging from his back, each hissing in unison, their tongues flickering in the air. His upper body remained human, glowing with golden markings, but his lower half had turned into a massive serpent's tail that coiled across the ground. A serpent crown gleamed on his head, and when he opened his eyes, they glowed a deep, burning red — eyes of the true Sarvansh Asuransh form.
He looked at her — not as Vihaan the man, but Vihaan the protector.
Gauri's heart pounded, tears glistening in her eyes. The feather-shaped water tattoo on her arm began to shimmer, glowing brighter with every heartbeat. She brought her palms together, whispering a prayer under her breath.
A radiant blue aura enveloped her body. Slowly, she lifted from the ground, her hair flowing as if underwater. Shimmering blue phoenix feathers unfolded behind her, spreading wide like celestial wings. Her eyes opened — now blazing with divine blue light.
Veer took a step back, stunned. "No… not again… the Jalpanchi form…"
Before him stood the union of two destinies —
The Serpent King and the Water Phoenix, rising together beneath the cursed daylight of the red moon.
To be continued…