The ground beneath Vihaan twisted violently. The black roots, pulsing with serpentine energy, snaked upward and stabbed into his body.
"Aahhh!" Vihaan screamed, his voice breaking through the still night as the earth itself seemed to devour him. His body convulsed with pain, his veins darkening like poisoned rivers.
"Vihaan!" Gauri's cry tore from her throat as she tried to crawl toward him. Veena fell to her knees, her hands trembling.
"Kamini, please!" Veena sobbed. "He's your son! Leave him alone! Don't do this to him!"
Kamini only smiled, her golden eyes glimmering with twisted pride. "Leave him?" she asked mockingly. "Why would a mother leave her son when he's so close to becoming complete?"
Sharda, clutching her prayer beads, rose unsteadily. "You keep calling yourself his mother," she said bitterly, her voice trembling with fury, "yet you're the one trying to kill him! What kind of mother destroys her own child?"
Kamini's smirk faded into something darker, her voice turning cold.
"Vihaan will not die," she said, her tone echoing with supernatural certainty. "Because when his mortal body breaks, the power inside him will awaken. His darkness—his true form—Sarvansh—will rise."
The family froze in horror.
Kamini stepped closer, her long braid slithering behind her like a serpent as she whispered, "And when Sarvansh awakens… I will finally have my son."
"No!" Gauri screamed, stumbling forward. She tried to reach Vihaan, but Kamini's eyes flashed.
With a flick of her wrist, a surge of dark energy blasted from her palm, striking Gauri hard in the chest.
"Gauri!" Veena cried as Gauri was hurled back. She hit the ground with a sharp thud, her hand slamming against the stones until blood streaked across her palm.
Pain shot through her arm, but Gauri didn't stop. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to push herself up, her eyes fixed on Vihaan's shaking form.
Vihaan gasped, his voice weak but filled with defiance. "Gauri… don't… come closer…"
But Gauri ignored him, trembling as she reached for the soil, her blood mixing with it. "You're not taking him from me, Kamini," she whispered fiercely, her voice raw with love and fury.
Kamini laughed—a low, cruel laugh that echoed through the backyard. "Oh, Gauri," she purred, "you will watch him turn… and when Sarvansh opens his eyes, the first person he will destroy—will be you."
Dark winds swirled around them, the serpentine sigil on Kamini's forehead glowing brighter as Vihaan screamed again, the shadows beginning to form a mark over his heart.
The blackened earth trembled beneath their feet as the roots tightened around Vihaan, draining the strength from his body. His screams tore through the night air.
"Vihaan!" Veena cried, stumbling forward, her tears streaming uncontrollably. Sharda and Urvashi caught her, trying to hold her back, but the mother's instinct in her burned too fiercely.
Veena fell to her knees beside the spreading darkness. "Let me go to him! My son—my Vihaan!"
Vihaan lifted his head weakly, blood trailing from the corner of his lips. "Maa… no…" His voice cracked under the weight of pain. "Please… stay away from me."
He gasped, clutching his chest as another surge of dark energy rippled through him. His eyes flickered gold for an instant.
"Vihaan!" Veena sobbed.
"Maa, please!" Vihaan shouted, tears spilling from his eyes. "You have to promise me—you have to swear on me—you won't come closer. I won't be able to bear it if any of you get hurt because of me."
Veena's body shook as she pressed her hand over her mouth, unable to answer. Sharda gently pulled her back, her own eyes wet with helplessness.
"Do as he says, Veena," Sharda whispered, her voice trembling. "He's trying to protect you."
Meanwhile, Gauri pushed herself up, her arm bleeding from the earlier blow. Her heart raced as she saw Vihaan struggling to breathe, his body surrounded by pulsating shadows.
"Gauri… please…" Vihaan's voice was broken, desperate. "Don't come closer. You'll get hurt… please, I'm begging you…"
But Gauri's tears fell faster. "You think I can just stand here and watch you die?" she cried. "No, Vihaan! If you're in pain, I'll share it with you!"
She stumbled forward, ignoring the burning energy rippling from the ground.
And then—a sudden shriek echoed across the night.
Kamini appeared in the air above the well, her black saree billowing like a storm cloud, her braid moving like a serpent come alive. "How touching," she sneered, her golden eyes glinting. "The wife who dares to challenge fate itself."
She raised her hand, and the air filled with flapping wings. From the crimson sky, hundreds of black crows descended, their eyes glowing red, their wings slicing the air as they dived toward Gauri.
"No!" Vihaan shouted, his voice echoing with both fear and rage.
But Gauri didn't stop. The wind lashed her hair across her face as she shielded her eyes from the crows' assault. They pecked, clawed, and circled her in fury, yet she pushed through, step after trembling step.
"Gauri!" Sharda and Urvashi shouted, horrified.
Kamini smirked, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Let's see how much love can endure before it breaks."
Still, Gauri's voice rose above the storm, defiant and filled with unshaken resolve—
"Even if I have to walk through your darkness, Kamini… I'll reach him!"
Her blood dripped to the ground as she pressed forward, the crows swirling like a black storm around her.
And Vihaan, watching her through tears, whispered hoarsely, "Gauri… please… don't…"
But she didn't stop.
She never would.
To be continued...