The car didn't stop.
Not on the highway.
Not in the city.
Not even when Aarav's mind felt like it was about to break.
Instead, it drove straight into darkness.
Forty minutes later…
A massive iron gate appeared out of nowhere.
Tall.
Silent.
Terrifying.
Two guards stepped forward, scanning the car without a word.
The gates opened automatically.
CLANG…
Aarav swallowed.
"Where… are we?"
No answer.
The car rolled inside.
And what Aarav saw next—
Made his breath stop.
A palace.
Not a house.
Not a bungalow.
A palace.
Glass walls, white marble floors, fountains glowing under blue lights, luxury cars parked like toys—
This wasn't wealth.
This was power.
The car stopped.
The door opened.
"Get out."
Aarav hesitated.
Then stepped out slowly.
The ground itself felt different.
Like even the air here belonged to someone richer than him.
"You will stay here," the first man said.
Aarav looked around, still stunned.
"This is… mine?"
A pause.
Then—
"For now."
That answer hit harder than expected.
Inside, everything screamed perfection.
Massive chandelier.
Walls decorated with abstract art.
A staircase so wide it felt like a movie set.
Aarav turned slowly, trying to absorb it.
"I don't understand…"
"You don't need to," the second man replied."You need to adapt."
A group of people suddenly entered.
Three men.
Two women.
All dressed sharply.
Professional.
Precise.
Dangerous.
"Your team," the first man said.
Aarav blinked.
"My… what?"
"From this moment," he continued,"you are no longer Aarav Verma."
A pause.
Then—
"You are RAYAN KHAN."
The name echoed in his head.
Rayan Khan.
It didn't feel real.
It didn't feel like him.
One of the women stepped forward, holding a tablet.
"Age: 27. Net worth: $620 million. Businesses: Tech, Real Estate, Crypto."
Aarav stared at her.
"You're joking…"
She didn't even blink.
"From now on, this is your identity. You will memorize everything."
The tablet was handed to him.
Photos.
Documents.
News articles.
Interviews.
Everything.
A complete life.
A complete lie.
Aarav's head spun.
"This guy… he was real."
The first man replied calmly—
"He was."
"…and now he's dead."
"Yes."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
"Why me?" Aarav asked again.
This time, his voice was quieter.
Deeper.
More serious.
The man walked toward the large glass window, looking out at the city lights.
"Because you have nothing to lose."
A pause.
Then he turned back.
"And everything to gain."
Before Aarav could respond—
A loud BEEP echoed through the hall.
Everyone froze.
The woman looked at her tablet.
Her expression changed instantly.
"It's started."
Aarav frowned.
"What's started?"
The first man looked at him.
And for the first time—
There was urgency.
"Your first test."
Aarav's heartbeat spiked.
"Test?! I just got here!"
"No time," the second man said.
"You've already been entered into the system."
The woman turned the tablet toward him.
A red notification blinked on the screen.
MISSION 01 ACTIVATEDTarget: Survive the Night GalaLocation: Oberoi Grand HotelTime Limit: 3 HoursFailure: Death
Aarav felt the world tilt.
"…what?"
"Tonight," the first man said,"you will attend a billionaire gathering."
A pause.
"Alone."
Aarav stepped back.
"No. No way. I can't do that. I don't even know how to act like them!"
"You'll learn," the man replied.
"How?! In three hours?!"
The second man smirked slightly.
"Pressure creates diamonds."
Aarav ran his hands through his hair.
"This is insane… I'll get exposed in seconds!"
"No," the first man said calmly.
"If you get exposed…"
A pause.
"You'll be executed."
Silence.
Aarav's fear turned into something else.
Something sharper.
Anger.
"You're sending me to die."
The man walked closer.
"No," he said.
"We're giving you a chance to live."
Another beep.
The tablet updated.
BONUS OBJECTIVE:Identify 1 hidden player among guestsReward: Increased Survival Probability
Aarav stared at the screen.
Hidden player?
Among billionaires?
"What does that even mean?" he asked.
"You'll find out," the second man said.
The first man adjusted Aarav's collar.
"Listen carefully."
A pause.
His voice dropped—
Cold.
Serious.
Deadly.
"Everyone there is rich.""But not everyone there is real."
Aarav's chest tightened.
"Some are like you," he continued."Replacements."
"Some are watchers."
"And some…"
A slight smile appeared.
"…are hunters."
Aarav's blood ran cold.
A staff member entered with a black suit.
Perfectly tailored.
Expensive.
Powerful.
"Wear this," the woman said.
"You leave in 20 minutes."
Aarav stared at the suit.
Then at his reflection in the glass.
A broke boy…
About to walk into a world where one mistake meant death.
He clenched his fists.
Fear still there.
But something else rising—
Determination.
"Fine," he said quietly.
"I'll play your game."
The first man smiled slightly.
"Good."
A pause.
Then—
"Because tonight…""you either become a billionaire…""or you die pretending to be one."
Aarav picked up the suit.
And for the first time—
He didn't feel poor anymore.
He felt hunted.