Manya followed the direction of Aarav's small, outstretched hand, and what she saw left her breathless. Before her stood a grand white bungalow, gleaming under the fading sunlight — far more magnificent than anything she could have ever imagined.
A child owns this? she thought, stunned. He must have been extraordinarily wealthy.
Turning to Aarav with wide eyes, she asked in disbelief, "Aarav, do you live alone in this huge house? Or... is there someone else here too?"
Aarav offered her an innocent, almost mischievous smile. "You guessed it right," he said sweetly. "I live here all by myself. That's why I need someone to cook — because I can't."
Manya frowned, confusion knotting her brow. How could a child be living alone? Who took care of him before? she wondered. Before she could think further, she felt a small tug at her hand — Aarav was pulling her toward the bungalow, his little fingers warm against hers.
Together, they crossed the threshold into the house. The interior was even more breathtaking — delicate chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings, and polished marble floors stretched into grand halls. Manya, captivated by the beauty around her, failed to notice the subtle change creeping into Aarav's demeanor. His once-sweet face was beginning to twist into something far more sinister.
Lost in admiration, Manya barely sensed a dark presence creeping up behind her. She was about to turn when — like a bolt of lightning — Vaibhav appeared, snatching Aarav away from her.
Startled, Manya spun around, but there was no one behind her now. Panic seized her heart.
"Aarav?" she called, her voice trembling. "Aarav, where are you?"
Frantically, she began searching every corner of the massive house, calling his name over and over, her voice echoing off the marble walls.
Meanwhile, far from the earthly world, Vaibhav held Aarav by the throat, flying high into a desolate realm where black grass stretched endlessly beneath a blood-red sky. Vaibhav's eyes blazed with fury.
"How dare you?" he snarled. "Have devils now stooped so low as to attack humans?"
Aarav, gasping through a choking laugh, replied, "You don't understand, angel. Humans have grown weak. Their souls are easy prey. Easy power."
Rage twisted Vaibhav's face. Without warning, he struck Aarav hard across the jaw, sending the small devil sprawling across the blackened earth. Black blood splattered from Aarav's mouth as he lay coughing.
But Aarav was not defeated yet.
When Vaibhav rushed to grab him again, a thick cloud of dark smoke erupted around him, forming a circle of protection. Vaibhav, trapped within it, struggled against the invisible barrier while Aarav stood at a distance, laughing cruelly.
"You can't save her from me," Aarav sneered, his voice dripping with malice — and in a blink, he vanished.
Snarling, Vaibhav summoned his own power and followed, disappearing into the shadows behind him.
Back in the grand bungalow, Manya was still desperately searching.
"Aarav... Aarav..." she whispered, heart pounding with fear and confusion.
Suddenly, she sensed a presence. She turned — and froze.
A monstrous figure loomed before her, no longer the sweet boy she had trusted. Aarav had transformed into a terrifying devil, his eyes glowing with malevolence.
Fear gripped Manya's heart. She stumbled back instinctively as the creature advanced. But he was faster. His demonic hands seized her throat and, with unnatural strength, lifted her off the ground.
Manya gasped for air as she felt a strange, draining force invading her body — Aarav was stealing the energy of her soul.
Her vision blurred. Darkness crept in.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a blinding light flared — Vaibhav arrived, fury radiating from him. From his very eyes shot flames of divine anger, engulfing Aarav.
Screaming in agony, Aarav dropped Manya and tried to flee, his body ablaze with celestial fire. But Vaibhav's razor-sharp wings sliced through the air, trapping him with an unyielding grip.
Aarav writhed, begging, "Please, angel, spare me! I am only a pawn! The real master... he—"
Before Aarav could reveal anything more, a dark shadow materialized behind him — the same sinister force that had once shielded him. But this time, it showed no mercy.
The shadow swallowed Aarav's life in an instant. His body crumbled into nothingness, leaving only an empty space behind.
Vaibhav tensed, ready to chase the fleeing shadow — but just then, he noticed Manya stirring. She was waking.
In an instant, Vaibhav shifted, cloaking himself in shadows to remain unseen.
Manya blinked, dazed. Her hands flew to her throat, but it was whole, unmarked — as if nothing had happened. She sat up, confused and terrified.
Maybe… the devil took Aarav away, she thought helplessly.
Driven by fear and sorrow, she called out desperately, "Aarav! Aarav, where are you?"
Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled blindly through the vast halls. Her cries echoed into the empty rooms, growing fainter as she ran outside and into the woods beyond.
"Aarav," she sobbed, "I stayed in this world for you... please, come back to me."
Her voice broke as the dark forest swallowed her whole, leaving only her shattered cries behind.