System Interface (in Krishna's mind):
TASK 1 INITIATED: "THE TRINITY OF NEED"
•Objective: Identify and assist three individuals facing challenges.
•Parameters: Assistance must be genuine and address the core of their problem.
•Reward: 30 Karmic Points. Unlocks 1 (Unknown) Skill.
•Progress: 0/3 Individuals Identified.
The midday sun beat down on the bustling street, a symphony of honking horns and hurried footsteps.
Krishna, still processing the sudden appearance of his internal "System," found himself walking home from school.
The mundane world felt strangely vibrant, his senses subtly sharper thanks to the nascent body-strengthening.
Suddenly, a wave of distress, sharp and suffocating, pierced through the ambient noise.
His gaze snapped to an elderly woman by the roadside, her frail form trembling as two motorcycles roared past.
A glint of gold, a snatched chain, and then the guttural cries of the woman.
SYSTEM: Individual identified.
Distress levels critical.
Objective: Resolve associated problem.
Progress: 1/3.Krishna's eyes, now moving with an uncanny clarity, followed the fleeing bikers.
He saw the desperation in the old woman's struggle, her arthritic fingers reaching futilely for the vanishing gold.
Then, he saw the bystanders. A small crowd gathered, not to help, but to observe, their faces a mixture of fleeting pity and practiced indifference.
"Please, someone call the police!" the woman pleaded, her voice cracking.
A chorus of excuses immediately followed.
"My phone's dead." "No signal here." "I don't have a recharge." "This isn't my business."
Krishna felt a pang, not of anger, but of a profound, almost ancient weariness at this familiar display of human cowardice.
He understood it intellectually – the fear of entanglement, the erosion of faith in the system.
But the raw pain radiating from the old woman, amplified by the System's prompt, was undeniable.He walked past the self-appointed spectators, his movements fluid and unhurried.
He knelt beside the old woman. "Should I call your son, ma'am?" he asked, his voice calm and steady.
"Do you remember his number?"
Tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks. "My son is away, serving the country," she sobbed.
"My husband… he used to manage the phone, but I don't have his number.
"Krishna didn't push. He saw the futility in that. Instead, he looked at the old woman, then at the retreating figures of the bystanders.
He then turned to the now-distant bikes, their license plates a blur to ordinary eyes. But for Krishna, the System seemed to highlight them, etching them into his mind with uncanny precision.
A swift, almost involuntary movement, and his phone was out, a quick series of photographs captured.
"I will call the police," Krishna stated, his voice carrying a quiet authority that surprised even himself.
A man from the crowd, who had been idly observing, scoffed.
"Kid, you don't want to get involved in this.
The police… they'll just drag you into it. You'll be stuck for hours, giving statements. Better to just walk away.
"Krishna met the man's gaze, a hint of something ancient and knowing in his eyes.
He didn't offer an explanation, didn't waste breath on a lesson.
He simply took out his phone, dialed the emergency services, and reported the incident, relaying the motorcycle details with an accuracy that would have been impossible for a casual observer.
Minutes later, a police van arrived.
The officers listened to the old woman with a practiced, if weary, efficiency.
One officer turned to Krishna. "You helped her call us. Did you happen to catch the license plate number of those bikes?
"Without a word, Krishna opened his phone's gallery and showed them the clear, high-resolution photos.
The officers exchanged surprised glances."Wow," the lead officer said, impressed.
"That's… very helpful. You're a smart kid.
Most people just stand there, or run off. Thank you.
This makes our job a lot easier. We should be able to catch them now.
" He paused, then added, his tone shifting slightly, "We might need you to come down to the station later for a formal statement, if you're willing."
Krishna met the officer's gaze, his own eyes clear and unwavering.
"Anytime," he replied, his voice calm.
"I have no fear. Without evidence, you cannot touch me.
"The officer chuckled, a hint of genuine respect in his eyes.
"You're right about that.
It's a shame more people don't understand that.
Or perhaps, they just don't have the nerve." He gave Krishna a nod, and then turned back to the old woman.
Krishna offered the old woman a small, reassuring smile, then turned and continued his walk home, the hum of the city fading into the quiet satisfaction of a task completed.
The System remained silent, but he felt a subtle shift within him – a faint warmth, a sense of purpose beginning to stir.
To be continue.