The air trembled with raw power. Chandni raised her moon staff high, light surging from its crystal tip.
"Enough of your darkness!" she shouted, slamming the staff against the ground.
A thunderous wave of moonlight erupted, shattering the crimson orb above Vihaan's head. The force rippled through the hall, scattering the red glow that had been draining his life.
Vihaan collapsed forward, weakened but alive.
"Vihaan!" Gauri screamed, rushing to his side. She dropped to her knees, pulling him into her arms. His skin was pale, his breathing shallow.
"I've… lost it," he murmured faintly, his eyes dimming. "My powers… they're gone."
Gauri cupped his face, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.
"You still have one power no one can take away," she said softly. "Your will… your determination to protect your family. That's the true strength of Sarvansh."
She helped him rise, her arms bracing his shoulders. Vihaan's knees trembled, but her faith steadied him. Together, they faced the chaos around them.
Chandni, meanwhile, waved her staff again, and the magical bindings around the Kothari family shattered. Sharda, Veena, Dadi, and the others rushed forward, catching Vihaan before he could stumble. Their eyes were filled with tears—of relief, pride, and fury.
Across the hall, Veer's face twisted in rage. "No!" he roared, dark lightning crackling around him.
Laila's eyes blazed red as she turned toward Chandni.
"You've ruined everything again!" she screamed. "You, and that cursed family! I wanted revenge on Vihaan and Gauri! They destroyed my destiny—the throne of the Blood Moon Queen should've been mine, not just that of a princess! But they woke me before my thousand-year sleep was complete!"
Chandni stepped forward, moonlight gleaming in her eyes.
"They woke you to end the curse, not crown you in darkness. And what they did was noble. Something I failed to do myself. That's why I will stand with them—with my family—to protect what's right."
"Enough!" Veer bellowed, his fury consuming the chamber. "Then all of you can die together!"
He spread his arms, and from the black mist swirling beneath the fort floor, dark beasts emerged—snarling, horned shadows with eyes like burning coals.
"Vihaan!" Chandni shouted, summoning her magic. A moon-forged sword appeared in her hands, gleaming with silver light. She flung it across the hall, and Vihaan caught it mid-slide.
He looked at her, then at Gauri.
"For family," he said simply.
Then, with a single swift motion, Vihaan charged.
He spun through the mist, his blade slicing arcs of silver across the darkness. The beasts lunged—but each swing of his sword cleaved them apart. Sparks of crimson light burst like dying stars around him as one after another, the creatures fell.
Though drained of his Sarvansh power, the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever. Every strike was a declaration—that he didn't need dark power to protect his own, only courage and love.
When the last beast fell, the chamber fell silent. The family looked on, stunned, as Vihaan stood tall—bloodied, breathless, but unbroken.
Before anyone could catch their breath, Laila raised her staff, its crimson gem burning with wrath.
"You think you've won, Chandni?" she sneered. "You've only delayed your end!"
Chandni's eyes glowed like twin moons. "Let's finish what began a thousand years ago."
The two women charged, staffs colliding in a shower of sparks. Crimson and silver light clashed violently, shaking the Red Moon Fort to its core. Laila's attacks came fierce and chaotic, waves of dark energy ripping through the air, while Chandni countered each strike with precision—her moonlight weaving graceful arcs that cut through the shadows.
Their duel illuminated the chamber like a storm of light and fire, every impact echoing through the trembling walls.
Across the hall, Sharda turned to Veer, her eyes red with fury and heartbreak.
"Enough, Veer!" she shouted, stepping toward him. "You've lost yourself to darkness!"
Veer smirked coldly. "Don't lecture me, Mother. You're the reason I became this!"
Before anyone could stop her, Sharda slapped him hard across the face, the sound cracking through the hall.
"That's for disrespecting every bond this family gave you," she cried, trembling. "And this—" she raised her hand again, tears streaming—"is for forgetting who you are!"
Veer's eyes blazed with rage. "How dare you!" He lifted his hand to strike her back—
But before his palm could reach her, another hand caught his wrist midair.
"Enough."
Gauri's voice was low but thunderous, vibrating with divine energy. Her eyes shimmered faintly with blue light, the symbol of her celestial blessing glowing across her palm.
Veer snarled, trying to pull free, but she didn't budge.
"You raise your hand on your mother again," Gauri warned, "and I'll make sure it never rises against any woman ever again."
She thrust her palm forward, a wave of glowing energy erupting from her hand, slamming into Veer's chest.
"Ahhh!" Veer screamed as he was thrown backward, crashing into the marble floor—but even in pain, he twisted, landing on his feet with demonic agility. His eyes burned darker than before, and a cruel smile spread across his face.
"So the goddess shows her fangs," he hissed. "Good. I was hoping you'd fight back."
Gauri took a defensive stance beside Sharda, her aura pulsing like the rhythm of the moon.
In the background, Laila and Chandni's battle continued fiercely—their staffs clashing again as moonlight and bloodlight tore across the hall, each blow shaking the crimson fort like thunder.
The night of the eclipse had reached its peak.
Every bond, every betrayal, every buried truth—was now colliding under one blood-red sky.