Dr. Mehra and Guruji knelt before the ancient stone altar, the amulet pulsing with a soft, ethereal glow between them. It lay suspended, as if the weight of the cave air had lifted it slightly from the surface, its intricate carvings catching the dim light and reflecting patterns onto the walls. The energy around it hummed, almost vibrating with an unseen force. This wasn't just any ritual; it was a ceremony older than the mountains around them, rooted in myths that predated the gods themselves.

Guruji, his brow furrowed in concentration, began chanting in a language long forgotten by most of humanity. The words rolled off his tongue, ancient and powerful, echoing through the cave. Each syllable seemed to awaken something within the amulet, making it pulse brighter, its once faded symbols now glowing with renewed intensity.

Dr. Mehra joined in, his voice a lower counterpoint to Guruji's steady intonation. Together, their voices intertwined like the warp and weft of a sacred tapestry, calling upon forces of protection and balance, seeking the guidance of the ancient deities who had imbued the amulet with power.

They poured their focus into the ritual, hands raised over the glowing artifact, guiding its energy through the air. Slowly, the amulet began to react. A faint, silvery mist seeped from its surface, spiraling upward in delicate threads. The mist coalesced above them, forming symbols and patterns only Guruji and Dr. Mehra could comprehend. It was as if the very essence of the universe was being revealed, as if time and space bent to the will of their ancient chants.

The energy around the altar grew thicker, almost tangible. It vibrated in the air, making the stones beneath them seem to tremble. Dr. Mehra's eyes were locked onto the amulet as he uttered the final words of the incantation, his face a mask of intense concentration. The mist swirled faster now, forming a vortex above them.

"This is the moment," Guruji said in a low voice, almost lost beneath the roar of energy. "We must stabilize the amulet, or all this will have been for nothing."

As the ritual neared its climax, Sudeep, Nandita, and Ravi stood watch at the entrance of the cave, their eyes darting nervously between the ritual and the forest outside. The cave felt as if it had been transported to another dimension—the air hummed, the stones felt alive, and the very atmosphere was charged with an otherworldly force.

Suddenly, Sudeep's gaze sharpened. "They're here."

Through the haze of the dense forest, they saw them—Dr. Rae and his followers, making their way up the slope. His figure was unmistakable, but today, something was off. Dr. Rae moved with a slow, deliberate grace, his appearance more ghastly than before. His skin had a sickly pallor, almost as if it were decaying, stretched tight over his bones. His eyes, once sharp, were now two pools of inky blackness, hollow and unnatural, as though something far more sinister lurked behind them.

Rae's dark gaze locked on the cave, his twisted smile sending shivers through Sudeep's spine. It wasn't just his presence that unsettled them—it was the aura that surrounded him, a palpable evil that seemed to darken the very light around him. As if drawn by some invisible thread, Rae advanced.

His followers, armed and grim-faced, moved with him. But the booby traps Sudeep, Nandita, and Ravi had prepared snapped into action. A series of sharp twangs filled the air as hidden wires triggered deadly traps. Rocks fell from concealed ledges, smashing down on Rae's men. A few fell to the ground, ensnared in ropes and stakes they hadn't seen coming.

For a moment, the traps gave them some reprieve, but Rae continued forward, his black eyes focused entirely on the cave. His footsteps were slow but deliberate, as though time itself bent to his will.

Inside the cave, Guruji and Dr. Mehra were locked in the final phase of the ritual. The amulet, now glowing with a searing brightness, seemed to be hovering in the air. The vortex of mist above them swirled faster, warping the space around them. The incantation became more intense, almost frantic, as Guruji struggled to maintain control over the energy.

The mist thickened, spiraling downward toward the amulet, wrapping around it like tendrils of power. Dr. Mehra's voice strained, pushing through the overwhelming force surrounding them. "We must bind the energy now! Or it will escape!"

But before they could complete the binding, Rae stepped into the cave, his dark presence casting a shadow over the entire chamber.

"You think this ritual will save you?" Rae's voice was low, menacing. He moved toward Nandita, his eyes filled with an unholy hunger. "You cannot escape me."

In one swift motion, Rae reached out and grabbed Nandita's arm.

The reaction was immediate. His skin sizzled and smoked, burning where it touched hers. Rae howled in pain, stumbling back, staring in shock at his hand as if it had been set ablaze. His black eyes widened, disbelief washing over his features.

"No... It can't be," he whispered, staring at his charred hand.

Nandita looked down, equally stunned, but something clicked inside her. Without hesitation, she grabbed Rae with both hands, her grip firm. Rae screamed, his voice high and filled with agony. His entire body convulsed as though set alight by some unseen fire.

The remaining followers stopped, stunned, their faces a mix of fear and confusion as they watched their leader writhe in torment.

"What... are you?" Rae gasped, pulling back with all his strength, his body trembling. "You're just a mortal... there's no way..."

He stumbled backward, eyes filled with terror. Then, almost to himself, he whispered, "He won't be happy about this..."

With a final, furious glance at Nandita, Rae turned and fled, his retreating form nothing more than a dark shadow as he disappeared into the forest.

Silence fell in the cave. The ritual, momentarily interrupted, had nearly spiraled out of control, but Guruji and Dr. Mehra refocused their efforts. They brought the energy back under control, chanting with renewed determination. The amulet, glowing even brighter, slowly settled onto the altar as the mist dissipated.

Sudeep, Ravi, and Nandita stared at each other, the weight of what had just happened settling in. Outside, the forest was still, but they all knew this was only the beginning.