1 — The Night the City Blinked
Skyline City never slept.
It glittered.
Glass towers pierced the clouds like polished daggers, neon reflections sliding across rain-soaked asphalt. Luxury cars purred past cracked sidewalks. On the surface, it was success, ambition, and opportunity.
Underneath?
Loneliness.
Arjun Malhotra stood beneath a flickering streetlight outside the Orion Corporate Tower, his cheap suit damp from the drizzle.
Twenty-three years old.MBA graduate.Top 5% of his class.
Rejected. Again.
He checked his phone.
"We regret to inform you…"
He laughed softly.
Regret.
They never regretted anything.
Inside that tower were women in designer heels and men who inherited their positions. HR managers who smiled politely while deciding someone's worth in thirty seconds. Married executives who flirted during meetings just to feel something in their hollow routines.
Arjun noticed everything.
He had always been observant.
That was his problem.
The Woman in Red
The revolving doors slid open.
A woman stepped out.
Mid-thirties. Elegant. Crimson dress beneath a tailored blazer. Diamond earrings catching city light. Her hair tied in a low, controlled knot.
Wedding ring.
But her expression?
Exhausted.
She didn't see Arjun. People like her never did.
She walked toward a black sedan waiting at the curb. The driver rushed to open the door.
Her phone rang.
She stopped.
"I'm not discussing this right now," she said sharply. "You knew what tonight was."
Pause.
Her jaw tightened.
"Of course I stayed late. When don't I?"
Silence.
Then, softer:
"No… I understand."
She ended the call and closed her eyes for half a second.
Just a second.
But in that second, Arjun saw it.
Loneliness.
The Glitch
The streetlight above him flickered violently.
Once.
Twice.
Then everything went quiet.
No traffic sound.No rain.No city hum.
The world froze.
The woman in red was mid-step.
The raindrops hung in the air like glass beads.
Arjun's breath fogged in still air.
"What the—"
A translucent interface materialized in front of him.
Blue. Minimalistic. Sharp.
[System Initializing...]Neuro-Dominion Interface ActivatedCompatibility: 99.8%Host Selected: Arjun Malhotra
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"What is this?"
Text shifted.
Core Ability Unlocked: Suggestion Protocol (Level 1)Requirement: Eye ContactEffect: Implant Subtle Cognitive BiasCost: 5 Focus PointsCooldown: 60 seconds
Another line appeared.
Objective: Influence the marked target.
A faint blue outline formed around the woman in red.
Target Emotional State:• Fatigue – High• Marital Frustration – Moderate• Emotional Isolation – Elevated
Arjun swallowed.
"This is a hallucination."
The interface responded.
Reality Stabilized. Time Pause: 02:13 remaining.Focus Points: 10
He looked around.
Everything was frozen.
Everything except him.
His pulse accelerated.
If this was real—
He stepped toward her.
The rain parted around him like he was walking through suspended glass.
He stood in front of her.
Close.
Her perfume lingered in the air.
He studied her face.
Fine lines near the eyes — stress, not age.Controlled posture — corporate discipline.But the ring on her finger sat heavier than it should.
The system prompt blinked.
Activate Suggestion?
His hand trembled slightly.
What would he even say?
The interface displayed a blank input field.
He hesitated.
This was power.
Not money.
Not connections.
Power over perception.
He typed in his mind:
"You feel an unusual sense of calm when looking at him."
The system processed.
Confirm?
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"Yes."
The world snapped back.
Sound exploded into existence.
Rain resumed falling.
The woman in red blinked.
Her eyes shifted.
Locked onto his.
For the first time…
She saw him.
There was a flicker of confusion in her gaze.
Then something softer.
Her shoulders eased.
A subtle exhale.
The driver stood awkwardly by the car, unsure why she hadn't moved yet.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Do I… know you?"
Arjun's mind raced.
He hadn't planned this far.
"No," he said calmly. "But you looked like you needed a moment."
Her lips curved faintly.
Not a smile.
But close.
"That obvious?"
"Only to someone who notices things."
A pause.
Rain tapping against the pavement.
She studied him.
Not dismissively.
Not arrogantly.
Curiously.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Her phone buzzed again.
This time she ignored it.
That alone told him the suggestion worked.
Not control.
Not obedience.
Just… bias.
A shift.
The system flashed discreetly in his peripheral vision.
Suggestion SuccessfulInfluence Gained: +1Focus Points Remaining: 5
The driver cleared his throat gently.
"Ma'am?"
She didn't look away from Arjun.
"Give me a minute."
Arjun's heart thundered.
This was real.
The city moved around them again.
But something fundamental had changed.
For the first time in his life…
He wasn't invisible.
System Notification
New Host Directive:Build Influence NetworkUnlock Advanced ProtocolsExpand Control Radius
He glanced at the tower behind her.
Corporate elites.Socialites.Entrepreneurs.Married women trapped in golden cages.Young professionals climbing ladders alone in studio apartments.
Skyline City was full of cracks.
And now…
He could slip into them.
The woman extended her hand.
"I'm Meera."
He took it.
Warm.
Soft.
Steady.
"Arjun."
She held his gaze half a second longer than necessary.
That calm sensation settling deeper.
Not love.
Not desire.
Just the beginning of psychological gravity.
Her driver finally opened the car door again.
"I have to go," she said. "But… perhaps we'll run into each other again."
He smiled faintly.
"I'm sure we will."
She entered the car.
The sedan pulled away.
Arjun stood in the rain, heart racing.
The interface glowed softly.
System Level: 1Influence Targets: 1Next Unlock: Emotional Amplification (Requires 5 Influence)
Arjun looked up at the skyline.
For years, the city had looked down on him.
Tonight—
It blinked first.