Gauri reacted instinctively, twisting her body to the side just as the axe whistled through the air. The cold steel grazed her arm, leaving a searing trail of pain, but she managed to avoid the full force of the blow.
Seeing his attack fail, the hooded man roared in frustration. He didn't bother to retrieve the axe, his black eyes fixated on Gauri with pure, unadulterated fury.
With a guttural cry of rage, the hooded man hurled the axe towards Gauri. She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut in terror, bracing for the inevitable impact.
But it never came.
Instead, a sudden thud and a sharp gasp filled the air. Gauri cautiously opened her eyes and her breath hitched in her throat. Vihaan stood between her and the embedded axe, his back now bearing the brunt of the blow. A dark stain rapidly bloomed across his shirt.
The hooded man recoiled in disbelief, his black eyes wide with shock. He hadn't anticipated any interference.
Gauri stared, her mind reeling. Vihaan? How? He had appeared as if from nowhere, a shield against the deadly weapon. A wave of disbelief and horror washed over her as she registered the extent of his sacrifice.
Tears streamed down her face as she rushed to Vihaan's side, her voice cracking with anguish. "Vihaan! No!" she cried, her hands hovering over the wound on his back, afraid to touch it.
Vihaan coughed, a weak smile gracing his lips as he looked at Gauri. His eyes flickered down to her wrist, and he remembered the small, almost invisible tracking device he had carefully attached to her cab keys earlier, just in case.
A silent reassurance passed between them, a testament to his foresight and his unwavering determination to protect her. The hooded man watched this exchange, a flicker of understanding—and perhaps frustration—crossing his dark features.
With a grunt of pain, Vihaan reached behind him and pulled the axe free. Gauri sobbed, her hands pressed to her mouth, unable to look away from the gruesome sight. As the axe clattered to the floor, Vihaan fumbled with the bracelet on his wrist and it came loose, falling near Gauri and tangling in her clothing.
Then, an impossible thing happened. The bleeding on Vihaan's back stopped, and the wound began to close, the skin knitting itself back together as if it had never been injured. Gauri gasped, her tears momentarily forgotten in stunned disbelief. The hooded man stared, his earlier shock replaced by bewilderment.
Vihaan's eyes snapped open, but they were no longer the familiar warm brown. They blazed with an intense crimson light, and dark veins pulsed visibly on his face and neck. Gauri recoiled, a fresh wave of fear washing over her. This was no longer the Vihaan she knew. His gaze, blazing red, locked onto the hooded man.
A low growl rumbled in Vihaan's chest, a sound that was distinctly not human. He moved with a speed that defied natural laws, a crimson blur against the flickering candlelight. The hooded man barely had time to react as Vihaan launched himself forward.
What followed was a brutal, one-sided assault. Vihaan struck with unnatural force and speed, each blow landing with a sickening thud. The hooded man, who had moments ago been menacing and powerful, now reeled, unable to land a single counterattack. He was thrown against the stone walls, slammed into the ground, and tossed around the ritual chamber as if he weighed nothing.
The air crackled with an unseen energy as Vihaan's rage seemed to fuel his supernatural strength. The six entranced girls remained motionless, oblivious to the violent spectacle unfolding before them. Gauri watched in a terrifying mix of awe and fear—the transformation of Vihaan into this formidable being was both a relief and deeply unsettling.
Vihaan, his red eyes blazing, grabbed the hooded man by the neck, his grip like iron. The hooded man gasped, his black eyes wide with a different kind of terror now. "Sarvansh!" he choked out, the words hanging in the sudden stillness.
Vihaan froze, his crimson gaze flickering with a hint of shock or recognition. The grip on the hooded man's neck loosened imperceptibly. Taking advantage of this momentary hesitation, the hooded man vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving only a lingering sense of dark energy and the sight of his bloodied form. He was gone, but clearly not unscathed.
Vihaan slowly turned, his intense red gaze locking onto Gauri. She instinctively recoiled, taking hesitant steps backward, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. She stumbled, her foot catching on the uneven floor, and nearly fell.
In a flash of impossible speed, Vihaan was there, his strong arms reaching out to steady her before she hit the ground. He held her gently, and their eyes met. His crimson gaze softened as he looked at her, and for a moment, the tense silence was filled only by the faint, distant sounds of the city beyond the godown—a fragile echo of normality.
Then, his hands, now glowing with a soft, warm light, gently cupped her face. Gauri felt a soothing energy emanate from his touch. As his thumbs brushed against her temples, her eyes fluttered closed. He was erasing the horrifying memory of his supernatural display—the red eyes, the brutal beating.
In its place, he gently implanted a different scene: himself, standing beside her, confronting the hooded man with calm determination, forcing him to retreat into the shadows. When Gauri opened her eyes again, the fear was still there, but it was now coupled with relief, and a distorted memory of how the hooded man had fled. Vihaan's eyes were their familiar warm brown once more.