2 — Controlled Variables
Arjun didn't celebrate.
That was the first difference.
Anyone else who suddenly gained power over perception would rush to test limits recklessly. To indulge. To dominate.
Arjun sat still.
In his dim apartment. On a plastic chair. Elbows on knees.
Rain tapped faintly against the window.
The Neuro-Dominion Interface hovered in his peripheral vision like a silent observer.
He inhaled slowly.
"Status."
The display expanded.
⬛ SYSTEM STATUS ⬛Level: 1Focus Points: 10 / 10Influence: 1Active Target: Meera KhannaEmotional Anchor: Mild Calm AssociationNext Unlock: Emotional Amplification (5 Influence Required)⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
One successful suggestion.
That was all.
And yet the city already felt different.
He opened his phone and searched her name again.
Meera Khanna. Chief Strategy Officer. Orion Infrastructure Group.
Board advisor. Urban redevelopment specialist. Interviewed on business panels. Married.
Powerful.
And yesterday… she paused for him.
He leaned back.
The system did not create emotion.
It amplified cracks.
That distinction mattered.
Theory meant nothing without replication.
By morning, Arjun had already decided: he would test the system on neutral ground.
Not someone important.
Not someone valuable.
Someone ordinary.
A crowded café near his apartment buzzed with students and freelancers. The air smelled of coffee and cheap ambition.
He joined the queue.
The cashier looked exhausted. Early twenties. Student ID hanging from her neck. Forced politeness in her voice.
He stepped closer.
Three meters.
The system activated passively.
⬛ EMOTIONAL SCAN ⬛Target: Female (Approx. 21–23)Stress: ModerateFinancial Anxiety: ElevatedPhysical Fatigue: HighWillpower Estimate: Average⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Accurate.
Very accurate.
"Next," she muttered.
He met her eyes.
Contact established.
This time there was no hesitation.
Suggestion: "You feel slightly more cooperative toward him."
Cost: 5 Focus.
Confirm.
⬛ SUGGESTION ACTIVATED ⬛Focus Remaining: 5Cooldown: 60 seconds⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Her pupils adjusted.
Her expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"Yes?"
"Could I get an extra espresso shot? No charge? Rough night."
She hesitated.
Policy vs mood.
The internal conflict flickered across her face.
"Okay… just this once."
She added it.
No suspicion.
No trance.
Just bias.
⬛ SUGGESTION SUCCESSFUL ⬛Influence Gained: +1Total Influence: 2⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Arjun walked to his seat calmly.
The pressure behind his eyes was stronger this time.
Mental strain.
So the cost was not symbolic.
He analyzed the result:
The suggestion did not override morality.
It shifted tolerance thresholds.
Meaning long-term influence required layered interactions.
This was not brute force.
This was architecture.
The Message
11:42 AM.
Unknown number.
This is Meera. From last night.I suppose the city does run on coincidences.
He did not smile immediately.
He waited.
Measured three minutes.
I'm glad you reached home safely.
Typing bubble.
Immediate.
I did.What were you really doing outside Orion Tower?
Truth, filtered.
Interview. Didn't get it.
Pause.
I have a meeting nearby at 5. Coffee at 4:30?
Direct efficient powerful people valued time.
Which meant offering it was intentional.
4:30 works.
This time, he would not rely on the system first.
Influence layered best over competence.
He researched Orion Infrastructure thoroughly. Ongoing projects. Government contracts. Eastern district redevelopment bid.
He memorized numbers.
Board politics.
Competitors.
When he met her again, he would not be an anomaly.
He would be leverage.
Rooftop Café — 4:30 PM
Skyline City stretched behind glass railings. Steel and ambition.
Meera wore navy today. No blazer. Hair loose.
More human. Less executive.
He approached.
The scan triggered automatically.
⬛ EMOTIONAL SCAN ⬛Curiosity: ElevatedMental Fatigue: ModerateCalm Association (Host): ActiveResistance: Stable⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
"Arjun," she said, standing slightly.
Micro-respect.
They sat.
For ten minutes, he used no abilities.
He listened.
Let her speak.
About board pressures.
About urban housing politics.
About being the only strategist in a room of egos.
When he challenged her cost projections on vertical infrastructure, her eyes sharpened.
"You did your research."
"I prefer preparation to luck."
Her gaze lingered longer this time.
The calm anchor was deepening naturally.
No system required.
Then her phone buzzed.
She flipped it face down.
Didn't check.
Small rebellion.
"Work never stops," she said quietly.
"Or maybe something else doesn't," he replied.
Her eyes flicked up.
The system detected it.
⬛ EMOTIONAL SPIKE DETECTED ⬛Isolation: IncreasedVulnerability Window: 6.2 seconds⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Perfect timing.
He activated it.
Suggestion: "You feel safe being unusually honest with him."
Cost: 5 Focus.
Confirm.
⬛ SUGGESTION ACTIVATED ⬛Focus Remaining: 0Risk: Temporary Mental Fatigue⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
She inhaled slowly.
Then spoke.
"Do you ever feel like you built something impressive… and it doesn't belong to you anymore?"
He didn't interrupt.
Didn't comfort too quickly.
Let silence breathe.
The conversation shifted from corporate to personal.
Marriage.
Expectation.
Performance.
He didn't flirt.
He didn't compliment her appearance.
He gave her something rarer:
Focused presence.
The system chimed softly.
⬛ SUGGESTION SUCCESSFUL ⬛Influence Gained: +2Total Influence: 4⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Higher yield.
Emotional vulnerability increased returns.
Data confirmed.
Eventually, she checked the time.
"I should go."
Reluctance detectable.
"You're intelligent," she added. "What exactly do you want, Arjun?"
Direct question.
He held her gaze.
"Leverage."
"Over?"
"My circumstances."
A pause.
Then a faint smile.
She reached into her bag.
Handed him a card.
Personal number written on the back.
"Send me your résumé."
He accepted calmly.
Internally—
The threshold was close.
Nightfall
At 9:12 PM, his phone vibrated again.
I looked into your profile.A short-term consulting role may open soon.
He hadn't even sent his résumé yet.
Curiosity was converting into initiative.
Then another message.
Dinner tomorrow? We can discuss details.
Escalation.
Professional on the surface.
Layered underneath.
He replied:
I'd like that.
The system pulsed.
⬛ INFLUENCE THRESHOLD REACHED ⬛Total Influence: 5Level Up Available⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
He stopped walking under a streetlight.
"Upgrade."
⬛ LEVEL UP ⬛New Level: 2Focus Capacity Increased: 15New Ability Unlocked: Emotional Amplification (Lv.1)Effect: Intensify Existing EmotionCost: 8 FocusWarning: Improper Calibration May Cause Emotional Instability⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Now this was dangerous.
Suggestion nudged.
Amplification intensified.
Used incorrectly, it could push someone too far.
Which meant—
Precision was everything.
He exhaled slowly.
Skyline City glittered ahead.
Executives.
Interns.
Entrepreneurs.
Married socialites.
Young professionals.
Different ages.
Different ambitions.
Same emotional architecture.
Cracks.
And Arjun was learning how to widen them without breaking the structure.
The interface dimmed slightly.
⬛ HOST PROGRESSION: OPTIMAL ⬛Suggested Directive: Expand Target Pool⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
He smiled faintly.
Tomorrow, dinner.
After that—
Expansion.
Because the city didn't need to be conquered loudly.
It only needed to be tilted.
And Arjun was becoming very good at adjusting the angle.