"Mom, I'm home ", said the teenager cheerfully when he entered his house. His mother, working on the computer, lifted her head and asked with a smile," So, Arjun, how was the exam?"
"I did great. Is there any food? I am hungry", he said as he rummaged around the house.
"I made vegetable rice, eat it, but before that, give me your exam question paper, today is the last exam, who knows how you did". Arjun rummaged through his bag and gave his mother the question paper.
"So… where's Zara?" Arjun asked lazily. "She's finishing some schoolwork in her room," Divya said while going back to work on her computer.
______
After an uneventful day, at 4:00 pm, while Arjun was playing games on his laptop, all noise suddenly ceased. In that moment, every human on the planet was able to sense it. That something about their world has changed, something fundamental.
Then, in front of Arjun's eyes,
[DING!]
[THE HABITABLE PLANET EM09533 (EARTH) IS BEING INTEGRATED INTO THE AKASHA SYSTEM]
[PROGRESS:1%]
[PROGRESS:7%]
[PROGRESS:23%]
[…]
[…]
[...]
[PROGRESS:99%]
[PROGRESS:100%]
[DING!]
[INTEGRATION SUCCESSFUL]
[CONGRATULATIONS, EARTH, FOR ACTIVATING AKASHA SYSTEM]
Arjun could not even respond. He is experiencing a range of emotions. Fear, panic, disbelief and mainly excitement.
His mother, Divya, was wide awake, staring at the thin air in disbelief and fear.
His sister Zara ran out of her room in panic and started shouting at Mom for answers, like she was the one responsible for this.
Before Arjun could even start speaking, the AKASHA system, once again announced,
[DING!]
[IN 24 HOURS, THE WORLD WILL BE DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT DOMAINS]
[CONTACT WITH OTHER DOMAINS WILL BE RESTRICTED, UNTIL YOUR DOMAIN EXPANDS]
[IN 48 HOURS EACH DOMAIN WILL BE RAISED WITH AN ABYSS BREAK TOWER]
[THOSE WHO ARE AT THE AGE 18 OR ABOVE 18 WILL BE FORCED TO ENTER THE TOWER]
[THOSE WHOSE AGE IS ABOVE 25 WILL BE REGRESSED TO THE AGE OF 25]
[ALL COMMON DISEASES WILL BE CURED WITHIN AN HOUR]
[EVERYONE SHOULD SPEND AT LEAST HALF A MONTH IN THE TOWER]
[IN 2 MONTHS, DUNGEON WILL APPEAR OUTSIDE THE TOWER ]
[UNCLEARED DUNGEONS WILL RELEASE MONSTERS INTO THE DOMAIN]
[ENTER THE ABYSS BREAK TOWER]
[GET STRONGER]
[PROTECT YOUR DOMAIN]
[PROTECT YOURSELF]
[AND ABOVE ALL—]
[SURVIVE.]
[GOOD LUCK.]
The world outside erupted before Arjun could even process what he had read.
Car horns blared. People shouted in the streets. Someone nearby screamed. Another person prayed loudly. Windows opened as neighbours yelled to each other, demanding answers no one had.
Zara grabbed the TV remote with shaking hands and switched on the news channel.
The screen showed pure chaos.
Every channel had switched to "GLOBAL EMERGENCY MODE."
The anchor is trying to keep calm while reading the news, but she failed to. "Ladies and gentlemen," the anchor said, voice cracking, "we… we don't know what just happened. Reports are coming in from every country—yes, every country—that people saw holographic messages appear in the air."
Another reporter cut in from Delhi, "This isn't a hack, and it's not natural. We're receiving confirmation that even people inside planes, submarines, and remote villages saw the same text."
Zara's hands trembled. "Mom… the world is going insane…"
Divya swallowed hard, her lips trembling. "This can't be real…"
But Arjun wasn't even watching the screen anymore.
His eyes were cold. Focused.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Arjun's heartbeat hammered in his ears. He looked at his mother and sister, but words failed him.
Then, in a calm that surprised even himself, he stood.
"Arjun… what are you doing?" Divya asked, her voice shaky.
He picked up the leftover rice from the kitchen, stepped outside, and returned with a dog that had wandered nearby. Setting the food down, he watched as the dog sniffed it, then began eating.
"Mom… sis… do you trust me?" His voice was steady, almost commanding.
Divya blinked, startled. Arjun was usually playful, mischievous, never serious like this. But something in his eyes… she nodded. "Yes."
Zara's panic eased a fraction as she noticed his composure. Embarrassment flickered across her face. 'Damn… he's calmer than me', she thought.
"Alright. Listen carefully. I'm going to test a theory. Whatever happens next, don't panic or scream."
They both nodded.
One by one, Arjun led more dogs into the room—six in total—and gave them food. Divya and Zara exchanged confused glances. A few minutes later, the dogs fell asleep. Only then did the sisters realize what had happened , Arjun had mixed the food with sleeping pills.
He stepped outside again, returning with a knife that made both Divya and Zara gasp in shock.
"What… what is that?" Divya stammered. Arjun's eyes glinted in the dim light. "This… will tell us if we can survive what's coming."
Then he raised the knife with his trembling hands, then hesitated. After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and swung the knife at the dog's neck. Blood splashed on his dress. Both Divya and Zara covered their mouth to avoid making any noise, but they were not able to hide their fear and disbelief in their eyes.
Then
[DING!]
[CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING THE FIRST PERSON TO ACTIVATE THE PERSONAL AKASHA SYSTEM]
[REWARD (F -Grade talent 'Calm mind')]
[STATUS]
-LEVEL: 0 (5/10)
-CLASS: None
-VITALITY:100%
-MANA:10
-STATS:
-PHYSICAL:
>[Strength:7 | Health:8 | Stamina:9]
-MENTAL
>[Mana : 1 |Focus :9 | Perception: 7]
SKILLS: None
TALENT: Calm mind(F)- Able to remain calm in dangerous situations.
He then turned to his mother and said excitedly, "Mom, my theory is right" Then, without any hesitation, he killed another dog.
[DING!]
[defeated a level-0 street dog]
[EXP:5]
[Level up]
[STSTUS]
-LEVEL: 0 (0/50)
-CLASS: None
-VITALITY:100%
-MANA:100
-STATS:
-PHYSICAL:
>[Strength:10 | Health:10 | Stamina:10]
-MENTAL
>[Mana : 10 |Focus :10 | Perception: 10]
SKILLS: None
TALENT: Calm mind(F)- Able to remain calm in dangerous situations.
After increasing a level, he was able to feel his strength increase slightly, and his mind became clear.
He willed the screen to disappear, and it vanished.
Then he turned to his family and "The rules are clear. Now it's time to survive"