The family turned to see another figure stepping into the pale light — identical to Laila, but with eyes hard and fierce, every muscle taut with purpose.
"I'm Chandni," the twin said, her tone cutting.
Laila's eyes blazed. "Chandni is the attacker!"
Chandni's gaze didn't waver. "I didn't do this! You have orchestrated these attacks, Laila. You're the one putting them in danger!"
"I am the queen of this line, Chandni," Laila shot back, fury twisting her features. "Everything I do is to protect my throne, to protect them from you!"
"Protect them?" Chandni spat, stepping forward, the air around her crackling. "You call this protection? You manipulate, you hide the truth, and you strike fear in their hearts! You're a tyrant cloaked in virtue!"
"You have no right to question me!" Laila snapped. "I have defended our family for centuries, while you sulked in the shadows, jealous and bitter!"
"I am not bitter!" Chandni's voice was a whipcrack of anger. "I am their rightful guardian! You've twisted everything, Laila, and now I will end this madness!"
The tension exploded like a storm. Without warning, Laila launched herself into the air, energy flaring from her form like fire. Chandni met her instantly, magic colliding with magic. Shockwaves rippled through the mansion as their powers clashed, light and dark weaving violently.
The family recoiled, shielding themselves from the raw force, as the sisters' argument turned into a lethal, airborne duel.
Meanwhile, Charvi, unnoticed, slipped away with Urvashi's stone, clutching it tightly to keep it safe.
Vihaan and Gauri rose into the air, their own powers arcing like twin guardians. They tried to shove the sisters apart, weaving spells to snatch the moon staffs before the duel destroyed the mansion.
The staffs spun into the air, twirling like twin comets, leaving Laila and Chandni weaponless. Yet their raw magical might kept the fight raging.
Finally, Vihaan raised his hands, threads of crimson and blue magic binding the sisters midair. They struggled, energy sparking against the bindings, but gradually, Laila and Chandni were held fast.
Gauri exhaled, voice tight. "We can't let this fight consume everything."
Vihaan's gaze softened as he looked at her. "We won't. Together, we're stronger than anyone — even them."
The mansion hummed with residual energy, the night charged with tension, as both sides realized the battle had only just begun.
Meanwhile, in her room, Charvi sat on the floor, clutching Urvashi's stone tightly between her palms. The orb's faint blue light pulsed against her skin, resonating like a heartbeat. Her eyes glimmered with resolve.
"If this stone carries Aunt Urvashi's last aura," she whispered, "then my vision powers should help me see who attacked her."
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
The world around her vanished. Within the haze of her mind's vision, the dark basement appeared — silent, cold, and heavy with energy. Urvashi stood there, her back turned, clutching her shawl tightly. Then, a shadow emerged from the darkness — slender, graceful, and eerily familiar.
The face came into focus. Charvi gasped in the vision.
It was identical to both Laila and Chandni.
Their same piercing eyes. The same moonlight aura. The same regal fury in their expression.
Charvi's breath quickened. "Both of them… they look the same," she murmured, her voice trembling. "How do I know which one hurt Aunt Urvashi? Which one wants to harm Didi and Jiju?"
Determined, she shut her eyes again, diving deeper into the vision.
The image wavered — then shifted. The attacker walked away from Urvashi's frozen form, leaving behind faint traces of power. The floor shimmered briefly, revealing a glowing footprint — delicate, yet etched with crescent patterns.
Charvi leaned closer in the vision. A name began to carve itself into the shining print.
Laila.
Her eyes flew open. The stone in her hands flickered rapidly, reacting to her discovery.
"This means…" she whispered, horror dawning in her voice, "Laila is the attacker."
She looked toward the door, where distant echoes of magic and shouting filled the air. Her heartbeat thundered.
"If Laila really did this," she breathed, "then Jiju and Didi are in grave danger."
Clutching the stone close to her chest, Charvi rose to her feet — torn between fear and duty — as the moonlight from the window spilled across her face, marking her as the next bearer of truth.