**Now Next...**
After winning that fight, **Dharmesh** was very happy. But then, his **system** gives him another challenge. Upon seeing it, Dharmesh is shocked.
> **New Challenge: Injure Ritesh Thakur further.**
> **Reward:** Will be granted after completion.
Dharmesh was confused seeing this challenge. The fight was over now, and he couldn't attack Ritesh again in front of everyone. So, he had to let go of this challenge.
Dharmesh walks over to **Vishal** and starts thinking,
"Why would my system give me such a challenge? If it wanted, it could've let me go. But instead, it asked me to hurt Ritesh more."
> *"I must find out the secret behind this system. I need to find the professor,"* Dharmesh thinks.
A little while later, the class ends and everyone heads to their next session. **Sachin** had already gone to the other class and hadn't come to this one.
> "Let's go find Sachin. Let's see what he's learned so far," Vishal says, and the two head that way.
While walking, Dharmesh runs into **Isha**. Seeing her, he stops. Vishal, knowing they're friends, smiles and says:
> "You two talk, I'll go get Sachin," and he leaves.
> "How are you?" Dharmesh asks Isha.
Isha gives him a curious look and says,
> "I'm fine. How are you finding this military school?"
> "It's quite good. Can we talk for a while?" Dharmesh asks.
> "Sure, why not? There's a café right here. We can talk there," she says and leads him to it.
At the café, Isha asks him what he wanted to talk about.
> "Have you ever heard of a **Professor**? Do you know who he is?" Dharmesh asks.
Hearing the word "professor" from Dharmesh surprises Isha even more. She knew he had just arrived at the academy recently, so why was he asking about the professor?
> "I've heard of him, but I don't know him. He was a great scientist, but suddenly disappeared one day. Since then, no one knows where he is," Isha says.
> "Where was he last seen?" Dharmesh asks.
> "In his lab. But no one can go there now. The military has taken over, and without their permission, no one can enter," she replies.
Dharmesh takes a deep breath and starts thinking of a way to meet the professor.
> "Well, there is one way… I'm not sure if it's true or not, but people say the professor was seen in the **Black Forest**. But no one knows if that's true or just a rumor," Isha says.
> "What's the Black Forest?" Dharmesh asks — he didn't know much about this planet.
> "It's a huge forest where sunlight doesn't even reach. It's always dark. Going in there is extremely dangerous, and it's full of powerful beasts," Isha explains.
> "What if I go there?" Dharmesh asks.
> "Are you crazy? Going there is like walking into death. You can't even defeat an ordinary beast yet, how will you survive there? Even if you go, finding the professor in such a vast forest is nearly impossible," Isha says.
> "Whatever happens, I must try once. I have to ask him something," Dharmesh says.
> "What do you want to ask? Tell me. If I know the answer, I'll tell you," Isha says, smiling.
> "It's nothing," Dharmesh also smiles. He couldn't tell anyone about his **system**, because only he had it.
Just then, their coffee arrives. As they sip, Dharmesh tries to learn more about Isha — where she's from, her family, and how long she's been at the academy. When they first met, Isha didn't even talk to him. But now things had changed. She was the one who brought him here, and she knew if she didn't talk to him, no one else would.
After Dharmesh finishes asking his questions, Isha says,
> "If you're done asking, can I ask you something?"
> "Yeah, go ahead," Dharmesh replies while sipping coffee.
> "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asks.
Dharmesh is caught off-guard and coughs, spilling a bit of coffee. He quickly grabs a tissue and wipes his mouth.
> "What did you say?" he asks.
> "I asked, do you have a girlfriend?" Isha repeats.
> "No, I don't," Dharmesh says.
> "Would you be my boyfriend… for a while?" Isha asks.
Dharmesh is stunned. He didn't know how to respond — no one had ever asked him something like that before
Dharmesh held the drink in his hand, staring at the shimmering liquid inside the glass. The lights of the party reflected off its surface, creating a strange sense of unease in his heart.
"Come on, Dharmesh! Don't be so serious. Just drink it," Isha said with a smile, nudging his arm playfully.
Dharmesh looked at her — so carefree, so confident. He didn't want to look weak in front of her. So, mustering up his courage, he slowly raised the glass to his lips and took a small sip.
The taste was bitter at first, but not unbearable. It had a strong aftertaste that lingered. He coughed a little, not used to it.
Isha laughed. "First time, huh?"
He nodded with a sheepish smile. "Yeah. Never tasted anything like that."
"Don't worry. It won't do anything bad. It's just a light drink — non-alcoholic. But people think it's cool to hold it, so they offer it at parties," she explained.
Dharmesh felt a little relieved. For a moment, he had thought it might be something dangerous or intoxicating. But now, with Isha by his side, he felt more comfortable.
Soon, the music grew louder, and the host of the party, a tall guy in a shiny black suit, walked onto the stage and spoke into the mic.
"Welcome, everyone, to tonight's **Couple Challenges Night!** We've got fun games, cool prizes, and a surprise twist at the end. So get ready to have a blast!"
Everyone clapped and cheered. Isha turned to Dharmesh. "This is the part I was telling you about. Last time, I had no partner, and I couldn't play. But now that you're here, we can take part in everything!"
Dharmesh gave a nervous smile. "Uh… what kind of games?"
"You'll see," she winkeThe first game was announced — **Balloon Sandwich.** Each couple had to hold a balloon between their backs and dance without letting it fall or pop.
Dharmesh's eyes widened. "Are you sure about this?"
Isha laughed and pulled him to the dance area. "Too late to back out now!"
The game began. As the music played, Dharmesh and Isha stood back-to-back, the balloon pressed between them. They tried to move in sync. At first, it was awkward — Dharmesh was stiff, unsure of how to move. But Isha guided him gently.
"You're doing fine," she whispered, and Dharmesh smiled.
They managed to survive the first round. A few couples dropped their balloons and were eliminated. But Dharmesh and Isha were still in.
After a few more games — including a blindfolded trust walk and a rapid-fire quiz about each other — they had collected a few points. They weren't winning, but they were having fun.
Then, came the surprise twist.
The host shouted, "And now, for our final challenge — the **Couple Dare!** Each couple must pick a chit from this bowl. Inside is a daring task meant to test your chemistry and courage!"
Isha looked at Dharmesh. "Let's do it?"
Dharmesh nodded slowly. "Let's do it."
They picked a chit.
Isha unfolded it and read aloud:"Paper Dance Challenge — but with a twist. Every 30 seconds, the paper will shrink."
The crowd cheered. The challenge was clear — stand on a single paper, dance without stepping off, and as the music played, the paper would get smaller and smaller.
The couple that stayed on the paper the longest would win.
Isha looked at Dharmesh. "Ready?"
"Let's give them a show," he said, finally enjoying himself.
The game started.As the music thumped, they danced, laughed, and leaned close. With each shrinking step of the paper, they got closer — their faces just inches apart. The atmosphere grew intense.
For a moment, everything else faded away — the crowd, the lights, the music.
It was just Dharmesh and Isha.
And then — Isha slipped a little, and instinctively, Dharmesh caught her by the waist. Their eyes locked. Time stood still.
But then… someone in the crowd shouted:
"Hey! Isn't that the guy with the broken system? The one whose power level is stuck at 1?"
The music stopped.All eyes turned toward DharmeshNow what?