ch 3

The system's voice was steady. "If unlimited power is delivered all at once, even the most clever will fall under its weight. You will have to learn to navigate, to manipulate, to exercise restraint. Your development will allow you to unlock deeper tiers, each offering more funds, more capabilities, and more influence across the globe."

 Aryan's lips tugged open, but he did not say anything. A chill wind blew through, pulling slightly at his sleeves.

Aryan was familiar with India in 2003.

The economy was at the early stages of liberalization. The tech boom was at its genesis.

Social media at that time had not achieved traction.

 Political parties were entrenched but fragile.

Conventional media was still influential in shaping public sentiment. Billion-dollar startups had not yet sprouted.

He didn't need to overthrow the world. He needed to just plant seeds.

And with Empyrean Bank, he had water to nourish those seeds that no one else could see.

"Okay..." Aryan said after a slight pause, "What are my choices for action now?"

And, as the system time slipped away, a further soft ding sounded in his mind as the system opened another dashboard titled:

The sky began to dissolve into shades of amber and dark violet as the sun fell below the skyline of the campus. Aryan remained seated under the neem tree, his eyes affixed to the illuminated interface expanding and retracting in front of him.

The digital-blue screen seemed to throb with a steady gentleness, almost like it understood how much time was passing, how the world outside was still oblivious to what had just begun.

 Then, the voice returned, blunt and without affection.

"Host."

Aryan did not flinch. He was starting to adjust to the system's manner of speech, dispassionate, unambiguous, sterile.

"To build dependable influence and a likewise dependable base of power, you need to design a political entity, your own party. Not for a traditional way. Not for a public way.

 "A shadow party."

 "A method of organizing influence, shaping policy, and eventually controlling electoral candidates."

Aryan raised an eyebrow. "A party, even shadow? But I thought I was supposed to avoid politics, avoid being in the limelight."

The system responded immediately.

"That's right. You will not announce your presence. You will not campaign. You will not take credit. But you must control the machine. All institutions need a core, a mechanism that acts, reacts, and enforces. This shadow party will be that core. You will be the architect and the operator, but no face."

Aryan leaned forward, while his elbows planted on his knees.

The wind was starting to pick up too. The neem leaves chilled above him, as if they were whispering with invisible mouths.

"And this party..." he asked, slowly, "How do I build a party without anyone knowing whether I exist or not?"

The system flickered once.

"Through fronts. Student leaders. Journalists. NGO heads. Youth influencers. Your system will provide funding and access. You will operate through third parties. At every stage, you will shape the message, create the strategy, and direct the flow. No name."

A new tab appeared on the system.

[Shadow Party Framework - Prototype]

Party Name: (TBD)

Ideology: Moderate Reformist / Economic Nationalist / Technological

Advancement Funding Source: Empyrean Bank (Shadow Disbursement Supported)

First Disbursement Available: ₹5,00,000 Recommended

Configuration: Youth Wing (University-Hosted), Media Wing (Online and Print), Policy Unit (Think Tank Format), Outreach Front (NGO)

Aryan stared at it. The layout was obvious, clean, and efficient, a design meant for a strategist, not a college student.

He took a deep breath.

This was no longer a simple recruitment effort or the funding of one candidate running for a student election. This was creating a parallel political machine that was invisible to the naked eye, but powerful enough to shape discourse, shape ideologies, and sway future elections.

"Do I have to name it now?" he asked silently to system.

The system paused.

"Only if you feel you are ready for it. You may have a temporary name. After the central tenets are established and early members are recruited, registration and administration as a public front last can occur via proxy."

Aryan paused and considered it for a minute. His mind ran through every name he had never and ever thought, political movements, underground resistance organizations, and reform parties that never made it out of theory.

Aryan stared down at the soft blue surface of the interface, his thumb over the prompt: confirm.

The word he had input was staring back at him, nondescript, uncomplicated, and yet somehow significant.

"Prayaas."

A single word. The Effort.

It carried no flags. It did not holler slogans. But in its simplicity was a quiet form of protest, a way of saying that things would not happen according to the same old rules.

Aryan would rule them from the shadows now.

He confirmed.

The interface responded with a golden wave that radiated out waves like the ripples from a still pond.

[Shadow Party Enacted: Prayaas]

Welcome, Architect.

The path has commenced.

For a moment, all things went still. And then it was as if the system had also been waiting for momentum to begin, when suddenly a new tidal wave of notifications appeared once more, flooding the dashboard.

Milestone Achieved: Party Activated

Reward Unlocked: Shadow Political Members (Tier-1)

Reward Unlocked: Electoral Registration Access

Reward Unlocked: Social Outreach Framework

Lines of data rolled deftly across the screen, cascading one after the other in smooth succession.

[Unlockable Resources]

Shadow Political Operative (Tier-1): You will be provided with three system-generated political operatives who are designed to seamlessly integrate into Indian political life.

Each one has a full digital and legal identity designed to withstand scrutiny and media exposure. Aniket Sharma - A young, charismatic political student leader from Delhi University who is working towards their Master's Degree in Political Science. He would be ideal for mobilizing the Youth Wing of the social movement.

Rekha Dey - An advocate and columnist in Kolkata, experienced in civil liberties and human rights, who would be best suited to engage with media and the elite in intellectual and civil society circles.

Shivam Kumar- A community representative and former grassroots organizer, with an NGO who is deeply connected to various rural development groups and initiatives in Bihar.

Electoral Registration Pack: A front-end organization has been registered with the Election Commission of India under a neutral NGO, that will later become the public front for Prayaas, so that candidates will be able to contest seats without a direct connection to the true leadership. Political Social Network (PSN): A full and comprehensive backend system has been put in place to facilitate the organizing of the social movement digitally.

Shadow cloud for secure message relays. Automated scheduling and task management. Pre-filled mailing lists to distribute messages early, before influencers engage. Hidden nodes to mobilize the party line of discussion through early work on web forums, groups, and online newsletters.

Aryan's gaze darted from one data window to another, taking it all in.

The system wasn't just giving him power, it was building an empire piece by piece. And all he had to do was choose where to put it.

"These operatives... are they real?" he asked quietly.

The system replied instantly.

"They are real in every quantifiable measure: registered identities, educational histories, public existence, their social connections. Their schedules and personalities have all been matched to the party's beliefs. You will foster them, and they will foster the nation."

A breeze ran down the deserted campus pathway and played with Aryan's sleeves. He sat in stunned silence, with his shoulders pulled tight and his mind racing.

He touched Aniket Sharma's profile and a photo popped up of him smiling and looking confident while speaking at a protest rally.

The file went on for a while- detailing his schooling, his affiliations, his vulnerabilities, and his web of influence over the country.

He began to scroll down to the bottom of the profile. There on the bottom bolded, it read...Status: Awaiting Activation. Would you like to start on-boarding sequence?

Aryan paused. 

Before he could answer though... 

Brrrr... Brrr...

His phone began to vibrate.He pulled it out.

 Incoming Call: Maa. (Mother)