Chapter 1.
Novel: ARYA-TEC-C-SYSTEM
The morning assembly ground was packed.
Rows upon rows of students stood in perfect lines under the soft morning sun. Suddenly, applause erupted—loud, unified, echoing across the campus.
A female voice came through the microphone, calm yet proud.
> "It is an honor to announce and appreciate that a student from our school has secured **97 percent in the 10th Board Examination** and achieved a **state rank**."
The clapping grew louder.
> "You have already guessed the name, haven't you?" she continued with a smile in her voice.
> "Yes… you are right, students. It is your **Head Boy**—**Aryansh**."
The assembly hall filled with nothing but applause.
> "Aryansh, kindly come up on the stage."
From within the crowd, a boy stepped forward. As he walked toward the stage, his face remained hidden under the shadow cast by the overhead lights.
A thought crossed his mind.
*Again… I'm at the top.*
*Its been Seven years.*
*Seven years, and no one has replaced me.*
*There are many toppers everywhere—in different schools, different cities—Yet no one has been able to replace my position.
It's not ego .
I can't build ego, because when a person becomes egoistic, it slowly gives birth to overconfidence. Overconfidence blinds you—it makes you believe you are untouchable, above failure, above defeat. And the one day someone is more capable then you finally defeats you, it doesn't just feel like losing a competition it feels as if your entire world has flipped upside down. The pain doesn't stay on the surface—it sinks deep, crushing the mind, corroding self-belief, and destroying you from the inside. Ego turns success into a fragile illusion, one that shatters the moment reality strikes. So before ego gets the chance to hollow out, before it turns victory into weakness, it is better—far better—to destroy your ego first.
The boy stepped fully into the light.
He was sixteen.
Wavy hair styled in a low-fade cut.
Sharp jawline.
Fair skin.
Black eyes behind square-rimmed glasses.
Aryansh.
Applause thundered again as the principal and several teachers joined him on stage. Certificates were handed over. Cameras flashed. Smiles were exchanged.
Aryansh accepted everything with calm composure, then quietly returned to his place among the students.
Moments later, the same female voice echoed again.
"It is also our honor to announce that another brilliant student from our school has secured 95 percent in her board examination."
Applause followed instantly.
"She needs no introduction—your favorite Head Girl, Vaishnavi."
From the crowd, a girl walked toward the stage.
She had a bob-layer haircut, sharp black eyes, fair skin, and full lips curved into a confident smile. She stood tall, pride evident in her posture.
The principal and teachers awarded her certificates as well. After a brief nod to the audience, Vaishnavi returned to the crowd.
The assembly soon ended, and students dispersed toward their classrooms.
---
A few hours later, it was lunch break.
Aryansh sat at his desk, quietly eating his lunch.
I still don't understand, he thought.
Why give these certificates now? It's been months since the exams.
*In four or five months, I'll be in 12th grade anyway.
*What's the real value of marks and certificates anymore?
Especially when lower NEET cutoffs are allowing extremely low scorers into medical counselling…
It raises serious questions—about fairness, and about the future quality of doctors.
He finished his lunch, placed the box back into his bag, washed his hands, and walked down the corridor.
Stopping near a large window, he stared outside at the trees swaying gently and the distant mountains standing silently.
It's been two years since I left that school… that city.
I miss my childhood friends—Nikhil, Aditya, Tanisha, Saraswati.
From those days, only Vaishnavi, Jatin, and Bhavesh are still with me.
I wonder what Nikhil is doing now…
A teasing voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Oh? So this is here the topper boy is hiding."
Aryansh turned around. Vaishnavi stood there, arms crossed, a playful smirk on her face.
She stepped closer.
"By the way, your cube competition is about to start."
Aryansh nodded.
They walked toward the classroom—but it was empty.
Aryansh quickly grabbed his Rubik's Cube from his bag and rushed toward the competition hall.
Participants were already seated.
First came the junior students.
Then the middle school rounds.
Finally… the high school category.
Vaishnavi leaned forward and placed her hand on Aryansh's head, shaking it slightly.
"All the best."
Aryansh shot her an annoyed look—but then smiled.
He took his position on stage.
The timer beeped.
Other participants immediately began twisting their cubes rapidly.
Aryansh didn't.
He examined his cube calmly—turning it, observing patterns, memorizing positions.
Then he began.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Midway, Aryansh noticed something unusual.
One top-layer corner piece wasn't aligning properly.
Someone twisted it before the match.
Without panic, he adjusted it with a swift motion.
Colors aligned.
Perfectly.
He slammed the timer and looked up.
Everyone else was still solving.
He had won.
Minutes later, the announcement confirmed it.
Applause filled the hall as prizes were distributed according to rank.
---
School ended a few hours later.
Aryansh was packing his bag when someone suddenly squeezed his shoulder from behind.
He turned.
It was his little sister.
Riya.
She had a baby face, round cheeks, expressive eyes, and her hair tied into double ponytails.
"Brother," she said in a sweet voice, "I heard you won the competition."
Aryansh smiled and nodded.
"Did you pack your bag?" he asked calmly.
"We're leaving."
Riya nodded eagerly.
---
That night.
Aryansh sat at his study table, books spread out before him.
Well done,he thought.
Today's study is complete.
He opened his drawer and pulled out a few mechanical components—his personal project.
A drone design capable of carrying heavier loads while maintaining stability. Aryansh thought.
Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't have been born in this era…
There's no truly advanced technology or advanced civilization.
I want to see a Type One civilization…
But here I am, stuck in 2025.
I wish… I really wish…
That somehow I could be teleported to such a civilization.
But of course… that's impossible.
But suddenly…
His eyelids felt heavy.
Unnaturally heavy.
He tried to keep them open.
"What's happening…?" he muttered.
"I've never felt like this before."
His vision blurred—even with his glasses on.
Then—
He saw it.
An eight-foot-tall figure standing before him.
Its body was dark.
Its eyes were completely black—
with only a single red pupil glowing within them.
Aryansh screamed.
---
End of Chapter 1