A lone flame flickered in the temple chamber, casting dancing shadows on the cold stone walls. Devsena sat cross-legged, Vrinda's diary open before her, her fingers trembling as she flipped through the brittle pages.
"Dvandva will rise. The elements will either restore balance or burn the world anew. The key lies not in strength, but in unity."
Her eyes lingered on a symbol sketched beneath the line — two swirling orbs, fire and water, entwined like twin souls. A chill ran down her spine.
"Kya maa ne yeh hamare liye likha tha?" she whispered.
Just then, a cold breeze swept through the chamber.
Meanwhile…
Avantika stood on the cliffs of Neer Path, waves crashing beneath her. Arjuna stood beside her, a scroll in his hand — the one he had found beneath the Temple of Echoes.
"This… this isn't just a prophecy, Avantika. It's a map," he said, his eyes dark with urgency.
Avantika's gaze locked on the ancient inked lines forming a hidden passage marked Dyug Lok — a sacred place where elemental powers converge.
"Par Devsena ko kaise bataayein?" she said, doubt clouding her voice.
Arjuna's hand brushed hers gently. "We must tell her… before it's too late."
But as their hands touched, water around them rippled unnaturally. Avantika gasped.
She saw a vision: herself and Devsena, locked in battle, their powers unleashed with terrifying fury. Avantika's voice cracked, "Why do I see us… fighting?"
At the palace, Samridhi stared into a mirror, her expression unreadable. A ring glowed faintly on her finger — the Tatva Mudrika, once worn by Vrinda. She murmured, "They're close… but not ready yet."
Suddenly, a maid entered. "My lady… someone was seen outside Devsena's chambers last night. A masked figure."
Samridhi's face turned pale. "He's returned," she whispered. "The Shadowguard…"
Back in the palace grounds, Devsena was practicing with her twin blades, fire coiling around her wrists like obedient serpents. But she couldn't focus. Her heart was heavy.
"Why didn't Maa tell us everything? Kya hum sach mein ek doosre ke liye khatra ban sakte hain?"
She was about to strike when a voice echoed, calm and deep — "You fear the fire within… but it's not the flame that destroys. It's the rage that fuels it."
She turned — a tall figure cloaked in black, mask hiding his face. The Shadowguard.
"Who are you?" she snapped.
The figure paused. "Someone who knows what you were never told."
And with that, he disappeared, leaving behind a single emblem — a burning phoenix.