The boys' hostel corridors were uncharacteristically quiet. Aaryan took a slow stroll, satchel across his shoulder, smell of chemicals lingering slightly on his shirt from chemistry class. His thoughts, however, weren't on chemistry.
Ishika Rajvanshi.
He hadn't anticipated their initial real encounter to be. typical. She didn't talk down to him like some village moron, nor did she look at him as if he were dirt. For a girl like her—rich, renowned, overwhelmingly smart—that was enough to leave a mark on his brain.
Even that encounter, however, wasn't sufficient to keep him from dwelling on something else—something deeper.
Aaryan had sensed changes in himself over the week. It wasn't just the manner in which he learned new things quickly or remembered them. His reflexes, perception, even his concentration—all of them felt honed, unnatural.
He reached the door of his dorm room, swiped the ID card, and opened the door. The lights flashed to life. Everything was the same—simple bed, an old desk, the government-issue chair, and a hand-me-down laptop he'd been using since high school.
But as soon as he entered the room, the mood shifted.
His phone vibrated, screen flickering.
The lights flickered—once, twice—before dying out altogether.
The room was plunged into darkness.
Aaryan's heart skipped a beat. He stood stock still, halfway to his bed.
Then, abruptly, an electric thrum shuddered through the air, and a blue **glow** flickered before his eyes—no discernible source.
Then the voice. Cold, genderless, crystalline.
> **"Binding complete. Welcome, Host. Initiating Sign-In System…"**
He blinked. "What the—?!
Floating inches away from his nose, a semi-transparent blue screen glowed to life, floating in mid-air like something out of a science fiction movie heads-up display. The letters were clean, futuristic, typed in some font he'd never seen—yet was able to read without difficulty.
> **Sign-In System v1.0 Initialized**
> Host: Aaryan Verma
> Status: Bound
> Rank: Civilian (Zero-Tech Influence)
> Daily Sign-In Available: [YES]
> Primary Objective: Influence Bluestar's Technological Evolution
His knees buckled, and he sat down on the bed slowly, still unable to take his eyes away from the screen.
"Okay. either I nodded off in the lab," he grumbled, "or I'm finally losing my mind."
> **"This is not an illusion. Neural interface confirmed. Welcome, Host."**
His gaze flicked to the bottom right of the screen where a prompt flashed:
> **[SIGN IN – DAY 1]**
He paused. But curiosity prevailed.
He hit the hovering button.
The whole interface flashed once—and then the blue light grew brighter as new lines emerged on the screen.
> **Day 1 Reward: Beginner Pack Unlocked.**
> Items Received:
> - AI-Integrated Digital Notepad
> - 1 Blueprint Token
> - Skill Buff: FOCUS +20% (Duration: 2 Hours)
Exactly at that moment, something appeared with a gentle thump on his desk.
A matte black rectangle, no bigger than a diary, rested there—its sides softly radiating blue. Next to it was a slender metallic coin bearing the etching of a circuit-like pattern.
He edged his hand forward and touched the pad. The moment his fingers hit the surface, a crisp, clean interface snapped open—paper-like, but digital. An automatic tutorial began.
> **"AI-Drafter Mode activated. Please begin your concept sketch."**
Still not sure if he was dreaming, Aaryan grabbed the stylus and started drawing something he'd been idea-juggling about in his mind for weeks: a **wearable health band**, but one meant not for consumers in affluent markets—but for rural clinics and disaster relief. Something tough, self-sustaining, and able to transfer information to any physician, anywhere.
As he sketched, the interface plugged the technical holes—straightening angles, suggesting current paths, maximizing battery arrangements.
His jaw clenched.
This wasn't ordinary.
It was **flawless**.
The prototype he just sketched—within twenty minutes—would have taken him weeks to even design on paper.
> **"Blueprint Complete."**
> **Token Detected: Would you like to convert this into a proprietary design?"**
He gazed.
Was this real?
Was he actually holding the key to future technology?
> **"Host Aaryan Verma—do you accept the responsibility to shape Bluestar's technological destiny?"**
He took a deep breath. "Yes."
> **Acknowledged. Long-term mission initialized.**
> **Objective: Influence Bluestar's Technological Direction.**
> **Task Type: Open-Ended**
> **Timeline: Lifetime**
> **Rewards: Unknown**
A soft knock broke the silence.
He startled.
Aaryan closed the notepad hastily and the interface disappeared—like it never existed.
He walked to the door slowly and opened it.
Standing in the corridor, arms crossed, was **Ishika Rajvanshi**.
She raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't come to the common room. They said you had a headache?"
He gazed at her for a moment, then smiled, attempting to be normal.
"Yeah, uh. just needed some rest."
She glared at him as if she didn't believe him. Then—surprisingly—offered him something. A small energy bar.
"Eat something. You looked like you were going to pass out in the lab."
He took it quietly. "Thanks."
Before she turned, she locked eyes with him. "You're not normal, Aaryan. I saw it today."
He opened his mouth to reply, but she was already striding away.
As the door closed behind him, Aaryan leaned against it.
Everything had changed on this day.
And for the first time, he wasn't afraid.
He was prepared.