Vikram stood in front of the houses, deep in thought. Tonight, the Feathered Nightmare would finally come—for his family. Resting a hand on his chin, he looked down, murmuring,
"Power, we need to be prepared for tonight."
Power nodded.
"But what exactly are you thinking?"
Vikram turned and started walking back toward the house. As he walked, he muttered,
"First, I need to find out where Mom and Dad went... and Aaji shouldn't be allowed to step outside today."
He opened the door. Just then, he heard the soft sound of footsteps—his grandmother was coming from the prayer room.
She stepped out slowly, cautiously. Vikram walked to her and gently offered his hand to support her. She placed her hand lovingly on his neck and said,
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. If someone dares to come, I'll deal with them."
Vikram smiled softly.
"Fine, fine. And if he does come, I'll just send him to you."
Aaji gave him a mock glare and said,
"Should I remind you how your grandfather used to sweat in fear back in my younger days? I wasn't someone to mess with."
Vikram was escorting his grandmother to the home shrine when he asked,
"Where are Mom and Dad?"
His grandmother remained silent, not answering. A seed of doubt stirred in Vikram's mind.
"Has something happened?"
His grandmother slowly sat down and gently said,
"Sit here. I'll tell you everything."
Vikram sat beside her. She looked at him and said with quiet gravity,
"Your father has been sent to jail. He's been accused of approving fake loans and being involved in a cheating fund scam. The police claim all the evidence is against him."
She glanced at Vikram again, reassuringly.
"Officers Samradh and Ansh said not to worry. They're doing everything they can to get Aditya released. They've even appointed a good lawyer. The court hearing is today."
Turning back toward the deity, she folded her hands in prayer and softly said,
"I have complete faith. Nothing will happen to anyone. You don't need to worry, child."
Vikram looked down, disheartened.
"Where is he now?" he asked.
Aaji glanced at him, then lowered her eyes.
"In the police lockup. Today's Sunday, so the court is closed—he won't even get bail."
Hearing that, Vikram abruptly stood up and walked toward the door.
Aaji didn't say a word, only watched him silently.
He slipped on his shoes and stepped outside.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the seal.
It floated before him in the air. He raised his hand and grasped it firmly.
A golden aura shimmered around him as he declared,
"Karma Bhumi Mrityu Lokasya Raja Vikramsya Raj Mudra."
(Seal of King Vikram, Ruler of the Mortal Realm of Action and Death.)
Golden rings flickered in his pupils.
He ran. As fast as he possibly could.
He was faster than most cars—but then he realized:
If he used too much power, he'd attract too much attention.
So he stopped. The seal returned to his palm, condensing the golden aura as it materialized into the Power beside him.
"If people had seen that, they'd have started calling you a god," she teased.
Vikram replied flatly,
"Yeah, you're right."
He kept walking—heading toward the bus stop.Vikram and Power boarded the bus. The moment she stepped in, everyone's jaws dropped.
Her medieval-style red dress, half-up-half-down hairstyle, and almost divine beauty caught every eye on board.
Vikram glanced at her and whispered sharply,
"We're trying not to draw attention, remember?"
Power placed her hands on her hips and said proudly,
"This isn't attention… it's devotion."
As the conductor approached to collect tickets, he turned to Power.
"Ticket, ma'am?"
Power casually looked at Vikram.
"I'm with him. Vikram, pay."
Vikram glanced at both of them, then looked away.
"I don't know her."
Power scoffed loudly.
"Huhhh?! What do you mean—"
The conductor interrupted her.
"Ma'am, in that case, you'll need to pay a fine. If not, we'll have to call the police."
Hearing that, Power's expression instantly darkened in fear.
She grabbed Vikram's collar and shook him, pleading frantically,
"Oy, oy! My sisters will mock me forever if they find out I got punished by mortals! Vikram! VIKRAAAAAM!!"
Suppressing a laugh, Vikram paid for her ticket.
—
The bus eventually stopped at the police station. As soon as Vikram stepped into the compound, the entire staff went on high alert.
Everyone there clearly remembered who he was.
Vikram didn't react much. He simply put a finger to his lips and said coldly while walking:
"Shhh… My parents are inside."
The officers stiffened, swallowing their fear.
Vikram entered Samradh's cabin, where his mother and father were already seated.
Anu turned to Samradh with a grateful look.
"Thank you so much for your help. You've done us a huge favor. Is there no way you can let Aditya come home?"
Samradh sighed and tried to explain patiently.
"Look, there are multiple fraud charges against him. It's possible that a gang is targeting your family."
Aditya sat up straighter in his seat and responded firmly,
"But how can that be? We have no connection to any gang."
Ansh, standing nearby, added calmly,
"Maybe they didn't like the way you work. You've always been honest. Don't worry—while you're here, no one will treat you like a criminal. We won't put you in a cell. I'll find the evidence that proves your innocence."
Aditya looked at him with sincere eyes.
"Thank you… for everything."
Ansh nodded and stepped out of the cabin.
The moment he did, he saw Vikram standing just outside the door.
Ansh froze.
His hand instinctively reached for his gun—but he didn't draw it.
Regaining his composure, he turned and walked back into the room.
Looking straight into Samradh's eyes, he said quietly,
"Vikram is here."
Samradh nodded.
"Let him in."
Anu and Aditya turned around in surprise as Vikram entered—Power standing just behind him.
Aditya squinted.
"Who is she?"
Before Vikram could answer, Anu interrupted sharply,
"Forget her. What are you doing here?"
Vikram's eyes stayed on his mother as he replied,
"Aaji told me… everything."
Vikram looked at Samradh, his voice calm but edged with tension.
"What exactly happened?"
Samradh remained composed as ever.
"The case is regarding fraud and unauthorized loan approvals. It was sanctioned by the bank's CEO himself."
Vikram tilted his head, feigning the innocence of a son simply reacting to his father's arrest.
"And who is this CEO? Can you tell me his name?"
Ansh, standing beside Samradh, narrowed his eyes.
"No. We can't disclose that to anyone. It's for the safety of the public."
Before Vikram could reply, Anu stepped forward, clearly anxious.
"What are we even going to do, huh? I'm just an ordinary woman... and he's still just a boy. Please, tell us something. Maybe there's been a misunderstanding. We can clear it up."
Hearing her plea, Samradh exhaled softly and coughed to clear his throat.
"I'm sorry. But rules are rules. Please go home for now. We'll keep Aditya in my office, not in lockup. Don't worry—tell Aji not to panic. I'll personally look after everything."
Anu , Vikram & power left the police station via car.
Ansh looked at Samradh and asked,
"Aren't you going to ask him? About how he and ANNA got their powers?"
Samradh stood up from his chair and stretched. Then, glancing at Ansh, he said,
"When Vikram was a child, he was kidnapped. When I found the kidnappers, two of them were already dead. The third… said something strange. He claimed they were attacked by a half-human, half-black bird monster. I found it hard to believe."
He sat back down slowly.
"Later, we asked his grandmother if anyone had come to help Vikram. She said… it was Garuda Dev himself. That confused me. But then she mentioned something else—his feathers were black."
Ansh's eyes widened. he stammered in panic,
"Wait… are you saying all these supernatural deaths were happening because of Vikram?"
Samradh shook his head.
"No… these deaths aren't caused by Vikram. There's something else. Something beyond what normal humans can comprehend. It's been targeting him since childhood—and now that he's grown up, it's trying to break him. Bit by bit."
Ansh nearly stumbled backward in shock.
"Can't you just say it clearly?! What do you mean?!"
Samradh looked him straight in the eyes and said quietly,
"Something's about to begin. And Vikram… is connected to it. We need to protect him at all costs. Tonight, nothing must happen to him—or his family."
Ansh exhaled, watching the seriousness on Samradh's face.
"Alright… I promise. I'll protect that kid. No matter what . Ah by the way who was that girl ? "