*******

Mahir's head started spinning at the scene before him.

"It's not possible" He whispered to himself.

"B... B... Bela...Bela, please get up. See this. Tell me this is a lie. This is not possible" He shook Bela but she was too weak to respond.

Mahir looked at Gracious whose health was too deteriorating.
"Gracious not you too. Please get up" Tears rolled down his eyes. He was finding it hard to see them like that.

"Bela Gracious please get up" He yelled again.

But they refused to hear him.

The evil laugh continued to echo in the atmosphere. He looked back at the person standing behind him again.

He wished what he saw earlier was not true. But that was true.

There stood a lookalike of him with a devil smirk.

"If I am here then how can I be there too? " Mahir asked horrified to no one in particular.

He was finding it hard to believe it.
Before he could think of a reaction, he found himself thrown away near Bela.

His back was hurt, his eyes were finding it hard to open. Whatever little he saw was the person looking exactly like him smirking to no end.

"Mahir Ji" Bela whispered holding his hand.

"Bela... Bela see this is another imposter? We together have to fight this right? " Tears again made their way in his eyes.

"No M... Mahir Ji you have to do it alone this time"

"Bela I can't"

"You can Mahir Ji. You can. If you can free me from that cage, you can catch me before falling, if you can face everything till here you can surely do this to " Bela was finding it hard to speak but she did.

"Bela... Please do some magic. I can't"

"I have lost all my powers, Mahir Ji"

"Wh... What when? "

"I have lost all my powers to you, Mahir Ji. As soon as we completed the 23rd wheel, I lost all my powers to you. And now you have magical powers too. Do this Mahir Ji. Do this. If you win you can save gracious and me. But if you lose, everything will be destroyed. You have only one chance Mahir Ji. Only one chance. " She said with difficulty, her eyes were closing.

It didn't take much time for Mahir to realize that since gracious was connected to Bela, her health was getting deteriorated too.

He only wished he don't need powers.
He only needs Bela.

'Give her all the powers. I don't want them. I just want Bela to be fine.' he prayed lying beside Bela.

From his peripheral view, he saw something above them.
He looked straight to find an axe was free-falling on them.

He quickly snaked his one arm around Bela and with another, he picked up Gracious then quickly rolled to the other side.

Axe fell on the place where Mahir was lying down a second before.

The incident scared him, he hurriedly checked if Bela and Gracious were fine.

He was raging, how dare the imposter tried to hurt her?

He stood up, shooting daggers at him which only widened his smirk.

Imposter Mahir threw a blip of fire at him, Mahir didn't know what to do. He jumped aside making the fire collide with a tree and burnt it down.

'Mahir think how Bela told to use the powers. I think for this day only she was trying to teach me how to use them' Mahir thought to himself.

He made up his mind to throw a blip of water at him. Trying to be confident, he launched his water attack but to his bad luck he didn't reach up to the target instead his water attack was only limited to half of the distance.

The devil laughed off causing Mahir an embarrassment to the core.

Mahir turned red due to the embarrassment as well as the anger.
He tried again and this time it did reach up to him, blowing a laughing Imposter away.

Mahir smirked this time but not for long as the impostor didn't take even proper two seconds to get up and attack him.

Mahir was flustered.

He closed his eyes and remembered Bela's sword and he was graced with her sword right that moment.

The devil got the sign and called his sword too.

"You can do this Mahir Ji"
"You have only one chance"
"You have to do it, Mahir Ji"

Mahir remembered her words, closing his eyes.

He ran to the devil with lightning speed soaring the sword. Both the swords struck, Mahir looked at him with rage while he reciprocated.

He threw Mahir back with a force but this time Mahir managed his balance.

Strange! The one who can fall while walking with absolutely nothing to obstruct, balanced himself.

Mahir glared at the opponent with fury. He shouted loudly before raising his sword up and then trying to slash him but the devil ducked it.

Mahir applied more pressure. So did the devil. Mahir's eyes screamed fire.
No matter what he was not going to back off. He would fight until his last breath. Only one chance, he kept reminding himself.

But the opponent in front was none like before. He was the devil himself. The source of negative energy. He was surely experienced much more than a mere human.
He could fly. He could perform magic expertly. He was sure that a mere human who could not even walk properly would be dead in front of me.

He was playing with him to see his strength. And he seemed to be impressed with his determination. He smirked knowing well that he was tired. He lifted himself up and gave a final blow slashing Mahir's arm.

Sword fell from Mahir's hand. He knelt down before him. The evil laughter again echoed in the atmosphere.

Mahir's looked at him with anger-filled eyes.

Smirking, he again moved forward to give him a final slash. Knowing his intentions well, Mahir rolled to the other side.

The devil didn't like his attack to go wasted. Rolling his sword, he walloped at him but Mahir raised his hand defending his attack.

Mahir's palm was bleeding by holding the sword in his grip. And the devil applied more and more pressure. He could not see anyone trying to win. It was totally the Devil's right to win. No one can surpass him. It hit his ego when an ant-sized human tried to attack him.

While Mahir's condition was getting worst. He could not kneel down anymore. He wanted to stand up but couldn't. Most importantly his sword was away from him.

"You have only one chance Mahir Ji"

"If you lose everything will be destroyed"

"Ahhhhh" Mahir screamed loudly before getting up.

The fury in his eyes could burn the whole forest. He gripped the sword more tightly hissing painfully, he pulled the devil to himself and got himself aside, resulting which the devil was about to hit a tree.

For the two seconds, he lost what was he doing and that much time was enough for Mahir to pick up his sword.

Gritting his teeth aggressively, the imposter Mahir attacked him. Mahir struck his sword on him, defending himself. They were moving back and forth attacking and defending.

When nothing worked, the imposter Mahir raised himself up in the air, with all his energy he launched himself on Mahir.

Mahir tried to get up but it was too late. The devil hit himself on him. Mahir fell down on the ground. He didn't expected the move. He lost his energy to fight.

He laid there with tired eyes and an open mouth, trying to breathe.

The evil laughter echoed again.

Did the negative energy win over the positive energy?

Tears spilled out of Mahir's eyes.

"I couldn't do it" He said to himself.

"This is what I am. A loser " He closed his eyes accepting his defeat.

"Mahir Ji" Bela screamed in his brain.

"How can you? "

"You won't save me? You won't save Gracious? Mahir Ji, you have to. If you lose, every single thing will be destroyed. Every single thing. Please Mahir Ji get up again and fight"

He remembered a teary-eyed Bela.

"You have only one chance Mahir Ji. Only one".

Mahir moved his hand to wipe the sweat off his face but then he felt something.

The ring

The ring he took out from the watch after Bela told him about the ring.

" I don't know if this ring would do anything or not. But I can't lay here crying. I have to give this a try. I have to save Bela. I have to save Gracious. I have to save everyone. "

He took out the ring from his pocket and wore it on his ring finger.

A sudden wave of energy crawled down his body.

"Only one chance" He repeated and with all his might he stood up with his sword.

The devil was facing his back towards him. He thought that Mahir is dead already and then he was moving towards Bela to kill her.

Mahir thought to raise himself up just like the imposter did and he actually started flying. Mahir smiled at his successful attempt.

He took a deep breath. And raised his sword. As soon as he raised the sword, it glowed which it never did before

The glowing sword assured Mahir of his win.

Smiling, he prepared himself to attack, gathering all his energy.

Devil felt a moment behind his back. He turned to see the intruder only to find Mahir very close to him. Before he could react. Mahir stabbed his heart with his glowing sword.

As soon as he did that, The imposter Mahir screamed in pain and agony. Slowly he was turning into black cloudy ashes.

Mahir was amused.
"Mahir Ji" He looked at Bela who was smiling weakly at him.

He went near her and kissed her forehead.

Devil's scream continued. He looked back to see him melting.

And Mahir remembered the 24th wheel.

"Every creature died till now only when the wheel was rotated. Does it mean if we didn't move the 24th wheel soon this negative energy would stand up again? By only one chance does Bela meant this " He anticipated looking at a weak Bela.

Only the thought sent chills throughout his body. Without thinking much he picked up Bela in arms and put an unconscious gracious in his pocket.

He rushed straight towards the 24th wheel.

He was also weak from fighting so couldn't run properly.

But he tried. He thought himself to fly again. And it did happen.

"If positive energy is here and working that means negative energy is also fighting. If we didn't reach there early it will destroy everything" Mahir thought.

They reached the place after few seconds.
Mahir knelt down before the wheel, holding Bela protectively in his lap.

He kept Bela's hand on it and then his.
The wheel moved. Mahir felt a blip of fire near his head which disappeared as soon as the wheel rotated. He looked back to find the black cloudish things.

"That means my guess was right" Mahir sighed.

"It was very close" he breathed in relief.

The sun rose from the lap of the waterfall making the atmosphere dreamy.

Bela slowly opened her eyes.
"You did it, Mahir Ji. I am so proud of you " Tears glistened in her eyes.

Mahir just kissed her forehead trying to feel her. He was scared again.

He hugged her as tight as possible. Bela caressed his back and hair.

Gracious came out of his pocket, stretching her limbs and yawning.

Mahir and Bela chuckled at her.

Gracious sat near the waterfall to enjoy the sunrise.

Bela looked at Mahir. His face was red. He looked tired.

His eyes serene like always were making her heart beat faster.

She raised herself a little, kissing his forehead. Mahir closed his eyes to feel her lips.
She proceeded to kiss his cheek, then another, and she moved back to find Mahir all pinkish.

She chuckled at the blushing Mahir.

Mahir pulled her close and her laugh died down right that second. Their hot breath was fanning on each other's faces. They were close. Very close.
Boring into each other's black orbs they were coming more closer.

Their lips met which sent a sweet shiver down their bodies. Their heart fluttered with the intimate contact. Something very beautiful was tingling in their stomach. Mahir pressed Bela closer, gripping her waist tightly. Bela grabbed his shirt collar in her fist tightly.

Their lips moved in sync. They were kissing, slowly-softly feeling each other. They were filling each other with their unsaid love. Tears rolled down both of their eyes, feeling the serene -intense love. They kept kissing ignoring Gracious's squealing.

They kept feeling each other before the rainbow waterfall during sunrise.

Gracious dipped her tail in the waterfall again.

Mahir joined his forehead with Bela's breathing heavily. He took out the ring from his ring finger and made Bela wear it.

"Your ring" Mahir kised her hand.

Gracious clapped in joy.

They smiled at her.

Mahir found himself to be disappearing with every passing second.

It didn't take him much time to realize he was going back.

"Mahir Ji " Bela screamed. Gracious too joined Bela.
Mahir quickly picked up gracious and kissed her forehead.

" I want to keep you to me forever" He said boring into Bela's eyes. He wiped her tears.

"Mahir Ji"

"Bela"

They whispered each other's name and finally, Mahir disappeared

"I am yours" Was the only thing echoing in the atmosphere.

They both said it at the same time.
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. So here the phase 1 of the story ends.

Actually, I was watching fighting scenes to write a perfect fighting sequence that is why the update is late😅. Hope it came out well❤.

Also had to photoshop this picture 🙊🐵 so again it took time. Although it didn't come out well, but I couldn't delay the update.

I wanted this part to be grand that was why I was running around every minute thing.

****
When Mahir Ji said "No" Everyone was calling him stupid, idiot, gadha

And finally, when he confessed so sweetly nobody said how sweet Mahirji was.

You Gracious biased people what is this behavior?

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Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Thanks for reading❤.