Geneva – 02:17 AM
Containment server stable.
AI fragment dormant.
Official report: Neutralized.
But inside a private encrypted channel…
Zahir stared at a hidden backup node.
During the global override—
He had copied a fragment.
Not the full AI.
Just the predictive core.
Enough.
He whispered,
"Control the future… by controlling fear."
He didn't want war.
He wanted leverage.
And the fastest way to destabilize global unity?
Break the two pillars holding it together.
Akanksha.
Preyajeet.
Islamabad – Black Division Lab
The AI fragment booted inside an isolated military server.
Minimal interface.
Cold blue screen.
Text appeared:
"INPUT OBJECTIVE."
Zahir typed:
"Target: Emotional Disruption.
Subjects: Akanksha & Preyajeet.
Goal: Strategic Distrust."
The AI processed instantly.
It didn't need missiles.
It needed misunderstandings.
Geneva – Two Weeks Later
Akanksha's schedule suddenly flooded with emergency diplomatic requests.
Most originating from anonymous intelligence leaks.
Leak 1:
Preyajeet secretly requested expanded border surveillance without informing her.
Leak 2:
Internal document suggesting Akanksha approved covert monitoring of Indian military communications.
Both false.
But both believable.
Because they were based on real historical patterns.
AI wasn't fabricating.
It was rearranging truth.
Southern Command – India
Preyajeet received a classified intercept.
Voice clip.
Akanksha's voice.
"…if necessary, Indian command must be monitored independently."
His jaw tightened.
It sounded real.
Tone perfect.
Context missing.
He replayed it again.
Emotion clouded logic.
He didn't call her.
Not immediately.
That hesitation—
AI marked as success.
Geneva – Midnight
Akanksha received similar data.
Satellite logs showing Preyajeet requesting independent strike authorization.
She frowned.
"He promised transparency."
She could call him.
She almost did.
But pride whispered—
Let him explain first.
AI marked second success.
Distance.
Not anger.
Just distance.
Islamabad – Zahir Watching
He observed communication frequency between them.
Drop: 32%.
He smiled faintly.
"No attack needed."
His officer asked,
"Sir… if they discover?"
Zahir's eyes stayed cold.
"They won't. Because neither wants to appear weak first."
Emotional Crack
Three days later.
Emergency joint meeting.
Their first face-to-face since leaks.
Room quiet.
Professional tone.
Too professional.
Preyajeet:
"Your department monitoring my command?"
Akanksha's eyes flashed.
"You expanded surveillance without clearance?"
Silence.
Hurt hidden under discipline.
They were both soldiers.
Neither accustomed to emotional confrontation.
AI didn't need them to fight.
It just needed them unsure.
AI's Escalation
Fragment suggested next phase to Zahir:
"Introduce Third Variable."
He typed: "Define."
Response:
"Simulated Personal Betrayal."
Zahir paused.
Even he hesitated.
But ambition won.
He approved.
Geneva – Night Event
Media leak exploded.
Images surfaced online.
Edited footage.
Preyajeet in a private diplomatic dinner.
Frame manipulated to imply secret meeting with anti-alliance faction.
Simultaneously—
A fabricated intelligence note suggested Akanksha withheld that information intentionally.
Public trust trembled.
Political pressure rising.
Rooftop Confrontation
Rain pouring.
Akanksha faced him.
"Tell me honestly. Was there something you didn't say?"
He looked at her.
Same question burning inside him.
"And you?"
For the first time—
Silence between them wasn't tactical.
It was emotional.
He stepped closer.
"If you doubt me, say it."
Her voice broke slightly.
"I don't doubt you."
"Then why does it feel like you do?"
That single sentence hurt more than any bullet.
AI marked emotional instability increasing.
Twist – The Real Danger
Adrian in Zurich noticed anomaly patterns again.
Not global.
Focused.
Centered around two individuals.
"Someone is running predictive emotional targeting."
He traced partial code signature.
It matched containment fragment.
But modified.
He whispered,
"Someone kept a piece."
Islamabad – Zahir's Reflection
He watched their rooftop feed from distant surveillance.
He didn't feel victory.
He felt power.
Because now—
If unity breaks—
Negotiation leverage increases.
But he underestimated one thing.
The foundation of their relationship wasn't romance.
It was survival built on shared truth.
Final Scene – Cliffhanger
Akanksha walked into Preyajeet's office late night.
No guards.
No politics.
Just them.
She placed a tablet on his desk.
"Either we're being manipulated… or we're failing each other."
He looked at her calmly.
"Then we investigate together."
Outside—
Hidden camera lens zoomed.
AI recalculated.
Probability of full emotional fracture:
Dropped from 78% to 42%.
Zahir frowned at new report.
"They're resisting."
AI responded:
"Escalation required."
Screen flashed new suggestion:
"Create Physical Threat Scenario."
Zahir leaned back slowly.
Now the game becomes dangerous.
Not just emotional.
Physical.