The betrayal came quietly.
Team list for the state U-14 camp was pinned to the notice board.
Raghav: Selected
Three underperformers: Selected
Arjun: **Not Selected**
No explanation.
No discussion.
His coach avoided eye contact.
At home, his father read the list twice.
Then folded the paper carefully.
"It's okay," he said softly. "We'll try next year."
Arjun looked at his father's hands.
They were shaking.
Something inside him shifted.
Not rage.
Something colder.
That night, Arjun made his first **conscious divine decision**.
> **System Command Accepted:**
> **Targeted Demonstration (Non-Excessive)**
> **Output Level:** 68%
> **Scope:** Local Tournament Only
At the next open tournament—one with **media coverage but no selectors**—Arjun unleashed.
Not domination.
**Humiliation.**
Bowlers tried everything.
Slower balls. Bouncers. Wide lines.
Arjun dismantled them with textbook purity.
124* off 71 balls.
No slogging.
No arrogance.
Just inevitability.
Local newspapers noticed.
*"Technically Sound Batsman Anchors Chase"*
*"Unsung Talent from Indore"*
Nothing explosive.
But seeds were planted.
That night, Kulkarni read the article.
He frowned.
And for the first time since Arjun's rebirth—
A selector remembered his name