The morning sun struggled to pierce the thick fog that hovered over Witch Island, its shores littered with black stones and dying trees. The wind howled like restless souls, and at the heart of the island, in a ruined fortress built of bones and ash, sat Pralay Daayan Mohini.
She gazed into a mirror made of blood. Within its surface, she saw Vihaan's face — pale, trembling, the dark veins spreading faster across his body. Mohini's lips curved into a satisfied smirk.
"So… the curse blooms beautifully."
A shadow approached from behind, bowing low. "Daayan Maharani, the preparations are complete."
Mohini rose from her throne, her anklets clinking against the cracked floor. "Good," she said, her voice echoing across the hall. "Because now, it's time to test my creation."
She turned, and a figure stepped into the light — a young woman in torn clothes, her hair wild, her eyes rimmed with dark enchantment.
"Adrija," Mohini said smoothly. "Or should I say, my newest daayan."
Adrija's lips trembled. "You said you would help me find peace… not turn me into this."
Mohini chuckled darkly. "Peace? Child, you were abandoned. Forgotten by your mother. Your sisters thrived while you suffered. I gave you power — I gave you identity. And now you will prove your loyalty."
Adrija hesitated, tears glistening in her cursed eyes. "You want me to kill… Vihaan?"
Mohini's grin widened. "The jalpanchi has left the mansion. Her husband is weak, defenseless. It's the perfect time to strike. Earn my trust, Adrija. Create a reason to be invited into his home… and then, finish what your sister could not."
Adrija's breathing quickened. "And if I refuse?"
Mohini's eyes blazed scarlet. "Then I will show you what happens to those who betray me."
The air crackled, the ground quivered — and Adrija, bound by dark compulsion, bowed her head in defeat. "I'll do as you say, Daayan Maharani."
Mohini leaned closer, whispering with venomous delight, "Good girl. Let the Kotharis welcome their destruction with open arms."
---
Meanwhile, miles away, deep within the misty mountains, Gauri and Yug trudged along a narrow trail surrounded by rocks slick with moss. The entrance to Pratham Brisk, the ancient realm of lost powers, loomed before them — a massive cave whose mouth exhaled cold breath like that of a living beast.
"This place…" Yug muttered, clutching his torch, "feels wrong."
Gauri looked ahead, determination hardening her eyes. "This is where Sarvansh's energy is strongest. If we want to find him, we have to go through."
"But the legends say no one who entered this cave ever came back," Yug protested.
Gauri turned to him, her voice calm but firm. "Have you heard the story of Sursa, the demon serpent who tested Lord Hanuman on his journey to Lanka?"
Yug frowned. "Of course."
"She grew larger each time he tried to pass, but instead of fighting her, he shrank himself smaller — and escaped through her mouth unharmed. That story wasn't about power, Yug. It was about wit and courage."
Her words steadied him. He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Then let's go face our Sursa."
They stepped inside. The air grew colder, the light dimmer. Strange whispers echoed through the darkness.
Suddenly, something slithered above them. Yug froze as a long, pale object fell over his shoulder.
He looked down — and screamed. "Gauri—it's snake skin!"
Before Gauri could react, the ground vibrated beneath them. A low hiss filled the cavern, echoing from all directions.
---
Elsewhere, in a decrepit shrine surrounded by crimson mist, Sarvansh stood before a fire pit. The flames burned black. In his arms, lay Kesar — unconscious, her head tilted back, her golden hair spilling like liquid sunlight.
With calm precision, he slit his palm with a dagger and let the blood drip into a small bowl. Then, murmuring an ancient incantation, he dipped his fingers into the blood and brushed it across Kesar's hairline.
A red streak shimmered against her skin — the symbol of an unholy bond.
"With this mark," Sarvansh whispered, "you are bound to me. Your fire feeds my darkness."
As the blood absorbed into her skin, a surge of power rushed through him. His eyes glowed brighter; his veins pulsed with new life. "Ah… Vihaan," he murmured, feeling the link tighten. "Every beat of your heart strengthens me now."
Kesar stirred awake, her voice trembling. "What… what have you done?"
Sarvansh tilted his head, a teasing smile on his lips. "I saved you."
She glanced around, noticing the ritual circle drawn in blood. "Saved me? Or trapped me?"
He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "Both. I claimed you so no one else could harm you. You said you were Agni Paanchi, didn't you?"
Kesar nodded hesitantly. "Yes… my power lies in fire. But anyone near me burns."
Sarvansh smirked, flames reflecting in his crimson eyes. "Then you and I are not so different. You burn everything you touch… and I consume everything I desire."
For a moment, silence stretched between them — dangerous, magnetic.
Kesar's lips parted to speak, but Sarvansh turned away. "Rest now," he said. "The world will soon know the name Sarvansh."
---
Back in the Cave of Brisk, Gauri and Yug stumbled deeper into the darkness. The flickering torchlight revealed a massive stone blocking their path. Its surface was slick and strangely warm.
"What is this thing?" Yug asked, trying to push it.
Gauri touched it gently — and drew her hand back. "This isn't a rock," she whispered. "It's an egg."
Yug blinked. "An… egg?"
Before he could question further, a faint rumble vibrated through the cave. Cracks began spreading across the stone surface.
The air grew suffocatingly hot.
"Gauri…" Yug breathed, eyes wide. "Tell me that's not—"
The egg split open with a thunderous roar.
From within emerged a serpent, larger than any they had ever seen — its scales glimmering like molten gold, its eyes burning with ancient fury.
The torch slipped from Yug's hand, extinguished by its own shockwave.
In the pitch-black cave, Gauri heard only the deafening hiss — and felt the serpent's cold breath curling against her face.