Sarvansh's chest heaved. He imagined the talwar striking Gauri, the silver blood splashing over him, and for a split second, the cold cruelty faltered. He blinked. He felt something—a strangled heartbeat, a pang he had buried beneath years of darkness.
Inside his consciousness, a figure appeared: Vihaan, calm and steady, his eyes reflecting the same pain and longing Sarvansh felt.
"You're struggling," Vihaan said quietly, his voice echoing through Sarvansh's mind. "It's not me. It's not some trick I'm playing on you. It's your own feelings holding you back. Admit it."
Sarvansh clenched his fists, struggling against the confession burning in his heart. "I… I cannot… I cannot fail her again," he whispered, voice breaking.
Vihaan's gaze softened. "You don't have to. You love her. Admit it. All the arguments, all the anger, all the pain—it's never been hatred. You love Gauri."
Memories rushed through Sarvansh's mind: the way her laugh had cut through his anger, the silent battles they had fought together, the moments of vulnerability they had shared. Every smile, every heated exchange, every brush of her hand—it all led to this moment.
"You… we… we don't have to die," Vihaan continued. "We can be one. Truly. The world doesn't have to end. You don't have to end her. We don't have to end ourselves."
Slowly, Sarvansh extended his hand, trembling, and Vihaan mirrored him. Their fingers met—warm, grounding, a tether between love and rage, between human and demon.
In the courtyard, reality shifted. Sarvansh lifted the Agni Talwar, trembling with conflicting energy. Then, in a move no one expected, he cut the creeper binding Gauri. She fell free, her body trembling as she collapsed into Charvi and Adrija's arms. Relief flooded their eyes, and tears fell unchecked.
Gauri stumbled forward, her legs weak but her heart full. She threw herself into Sarvansh's embrace, sobs breaking through her lips. "I… I was so scared," she whispered.
Sarvansh held her tightly, his own emotions raw. "I will never let you go again," he murmured, his voice low, sincere, and trembling with relief. "I am here… always."
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the battlefield grew still. The storm above seemed to calm, the air warming as hope returned to the world.
Then Sarvansh spoke, his voice carrying a mix of remorse and resolve. "There is a mistake I must rectify."
Before Gauri could ask, he lifted his hands and poured half of his demonic power into the lifeless bodies of the family, each strike of his energy mending wounds, unbinding roots, reversing the creeping doom of Doon that had begun to consume the earth. The Kothari family gasped, life flooding back into them as if they had just awoken from the deepest sleep.
The pedestal and the ruined courtyard were silent now, save for the soft, uneven breaths of the recently revived. Gauri clung to Vihaan, tears soaking his chest as the weight of everything pressed down on them. Around them, the Kothari family sat up, blinking, shaken but alive, their eyes wide with disbelief and relief.
Vihaan stepped back, his golden eyes reflecting every horror he had committed, every scream, every death, every lash of the Agni Talwar he had raised against his own blood. His voice, hoarse and trembling, carried across the courtyard.
"I… I am sorry."
Veena's lips trembled, and Sharda's hand went to her mouth in shock. Dadi's hands clenched tightly together.
Vihaan's gaze swept over them, his chest heaving with remorse. "I… I cannot undo the fear, the pain, the terror I caused. I let darkness rule me. I… I let the demon inside me take over. I failed all of you. I failed my family. I failed you… Gauri."
Gauri pressed her hand to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart, and whispered, "Vihaan… it's not your fault. You forgot yourself for a moment, but you remembered what truly matters."
He swallowed hard, tears running freely now. "It was only… because of you, Gauri. Because of your love, your courage… your faith. You reminded me that the greatest power… the only power worth wielding… is love."
Yug, still shaken, stepped forward, his own eyes misting. "Vihaan… you almost—" He broke off, unable to finish, fear and relief mingling.
"I know, Yug. I know," Vihaan said, voice cracking. He turned to his mother, Veena, and knelt before her, bowing his head in deep remorse. "I am so sorry, Ma. I… I lost myself. I almost destroyed you, your love, your lives… But Gauri… she saved me. She showed me that love is stronger than any darkness, any power."
Veena's tears fell freely, and she pulled him into a shaky, trembling hug. "Vihaan… it is enough that you are back. That you remembered who you are. That you remembered us."
Sharda came forward, clutching Gauri's hand, then wrapping her other arm around Vihaan. "You were lost to us, Vihaan, but love… love brought you back. Gauri… you are our light."
Dadi's voice, steady despite tears, carried weight across the courtyard. "This family… this world… was almost lost to darkness. But you, Gauri, reminded him what matters. And now, we live because love was stronger than fear, stronger than rage, stronger than evil."
Gauri looked up at Vihaan, her own tears mingling with a soft, trembling smile. "You don't have to be a demon to protect what you love. You just have to remember… what you love."
Vihaan pulled her close again, holding her like he would never let go. "I will never forget again. You… you saved me. You saved all of us. And I will spend the rest of my life proving I am worthy of that love."
For the first time, the battlefield seemed to breathe, as though the ruined courtyard and scorched earth had softened under the weight of forgiveness and reunion. The family gathered together, hands clasped, hearts mending. The storm above had cleared, sunlight bathing them in a warm glow—the world, for now, was safe, and love had triumphed where all else had failed.