The new year dawned quiet and dry, with the crisp chill of January threading through the windows of her family home in Lucknow. Aisha didn't mark the new year with fireworks or celebration, but with a singular focus whispered into the corner of her mind: Create.
It was a new system task—one unlike any before.
[SYSTEM TASK: "THE FIRST DREAM RECORD"]
Objective: Create and release your first original music video. Entire production must be solo: concept, lyrics, vocals, filming, editing, and uploading. Platform: YouTube. Time Limit: 3 months. Reward: Unlocking Tier 2 Vocal Precision and Experimental Editing Subskill.
Aisha was stunned. It felt overwhelming at first. Not the singing or writing—those were already part of her blood—but the filming, the editing, the courage to actually post something in public. Alone.
But that was what this world demanded: not perfection, but grit.
January was spent scribbling down lyrics in the margins of school notebooks. During breaks in class, or when walking back home with the sun setting in that peculiar orange-gold Lucknow way, she let melodies hum inside her mind. She didn't have a music room or expensive software, just her voice, her words, and a beat she clapped against her thighs at night when the rest of the house fell silent.
The lyrics she wrote were fragile, hopeful, almost like a letter to herself in the old world:
"Even when the road is gravel and the skies forget your name,
You run.
Even if the dream forgets you,
You run.
Because that's how stars are born—
Mid-run, mid-fall, mid-fire."
By February, she had finalized the demo vocals using the rudimentary voice recorder app on her Nokia phone. The sound quality was terrible—raw, glitchy, and drowned occasionally by the echo of Lucknow traffic—but it was real. It was hers. She edited the audio with free online tools in the local cybercafé, constantly re-uploading files into the system interface when her home connection failed.
Filming was the most surreal part.
She planned her shots in secret: Lucknow's cobbled lanes at dawn, the old Shahnajaf Imambara garden in bloom with lilies, and the sunflower patches that grew near the outskirts of the city. Aisha set her phone up on walls, auto-rickshaws, and tree branches, balancing it with pebbles and prayer. In some scenes, she sprinted barefoot down the dusty streets, arms outstretched, as if racing after something invisible.
She wore an old blue salwar and a faded hoodie—nothing fashionable, but something that made her feel young and real. Like the street version videos she remembered Stray Kids making in 2018 and 2019—barefoot, raw, and close to the earth.
She edited the footage in late February, using freeware on the school computer lab with a teacher's reluctant permission. The result was glitchy, jittery, and sometimes off-tempo. But it pulsed with something that even she couldn't define. Something real.
On March 23, 2013, she clicked upload.
[VIDEO TITLE: "Run (꿈을 향해) - Original Song by Aisha (Age 13)"]
Tags: #IndieMusic #DreamChaser #LucknowArtist #AishaOriginal
She didn't tell anyone. Not even her closest school friends. She let the video drift into the void of early YouTube with barely any expectations.
But the moment the upload finished, the System blinked.
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Tier 2 Vocal Precision unlocked.
Experimental Editing Subskill unlocked.
Your path has begun.
Audience reception irrelevant.
Intent and completion determine value.
Dream validated.
That night, she lay in bed with her earphones in, rewatching the video under her blanket. The final shot, of her running through the sunflowers, lingered as the last lyric played:
"I may not reach the end,
But I'll run until the sky remembers me."
And for a single second, Aisha smiled—not because she had gone viral ,she really had not (even if she wished to) but because she had begun.
---
Absolutely. Here is the next installment of Aisha's story, continuing with the tone and details you've provided:
---
Chapter 6: Of Dreams, Debuts, and Unwanted Distractions (April – June 2013)
Uploading that video was supposed to be a monumental step—her first real stake planted into the mountain of dreams she meant to climb. She watched the YouTube counter the next few days, refreshing again and again. One view. Then two. Both likely hers. A third—maybe her friend Mandy from class who had noticed her staying late at the lab.
But that was it.
Even though she had taken the effort to write lyrics in English, Hindi, a few romantic-sounding Japanese phrases, and sprinkled in simple Korean vocabulary she had memorized through Duolingo, her video floated through the depths of early YouTube, unseen, ignored.
No comments. No likes. No new subscribers.
It stung. But instead of curling up into a bitter shell, something else burned inside her.
So this is what it means, she thought. To try and be seen in a world where millions are trying just as hard. Just as desperately.
And yet—none of them had been chosen by the System.
None of them had her memories, her second chance, her resolve that clutched like iron around her bones.
So if she had to climb a mountain covered by fog, so be it.
She would grow louder. Sharper. Better.
---
June 13, 2013
She nearly tripped running up the steps of the local cyber café, dusty slippers slapping against concrete, braids bouncing. The boy at the counter rolled his eyes. "Computer number 6, yeah?"
She was a regular now.
Her heart pounded as she clicked open YouTube. She had memorized the time difference between Seoul and Lucknow, counting down days. And now—
There it was.
[BTS (방탄소년단) 'No More Dream' Official MV – BigHit]
Aisha froze.
Then clicked.
And was never the same again.
The bold swagger. The energy. The rage of purpose in their moves. And there he was—Min Yoongi. The sharp eyes. The way he rapped like his throat had swallowed fire.
Her lungs forgot to work properly.
Back at home, she pleaded with her parents. "Please, I'll skip next month's chocolate budget. I'll clean the veranda every morning. I just—please—I want their album."
After enough dramatic declarations of cultural importance and identity formation, her mother caved. "Fine. But only one. And if it's expensive, you'll pay with your prize money from that school debate."
She did. And it was worth every rupee.
The album was played on loop in their living room until even her father could hum the intro beats of We Are Bulletproof Pt.2. Aisha lay on the floor one night, the album booklet open on her chest.
She was thirteen. It was okay to have a celebrity crush.
She'd always liked how crushes on idols never required anything of her. No expectations. No heartbreaks. Just admiration from a distance, clean and one-sided. She never had to worry about disappointing someone. It was like loving a star in the sky—you knew it would never fall down.
But real life didn't seem to agree with her boundaries.
---
It was a Tuesday. Dust motes floated through the classroom windows as students shuffled into their 10th-grade seats after lunch.
Aisha approached her desk—and froze.
A pink envelope sat neatly on top. No name on the front. Just a wobbly little heart. Her stomach twisted.
She opened it cautiously.
The handwriting was unsteady, and the English was overly formal. But it was unmistakably a love letter.
"Your eyes shine like Tuesday moonlight. I admire you. Please consider your classmate."
Your classmate.
Your classmate?!
She looked around the room. Her classmates were fifteen. She was thirteen.
Even if she mentally felt far older, this? This was…weird. Wrong.
Worse—it felt like her past life's dignity was being teased by teenage awkwardness.
Amit. It had to be him. The boy who sat diagonally across, always glancing when he thought no one noticed.
Teenage boys, after all, were not subtle.
The next day, she slipped a note into his bag.
> "Sorry. I'm not interested."
No hearts. No flourishes. Just clarity.
She didn't look at him after that. He avoided her too. It was over.
And good riddance.
Because she had an album to memorize.
A rap verse to learn.
And a future to chase.
No distractions.
---
By the time the heat of July set in, Lucknow felt like it had been wrapped in a warm, wet towel. The monsoon clouds hadn't arrived yet, and everything—from air to clothes to skin—clung and suffocated. But Aisha barely noticed. Her body was buzzing for other reasons.
She had just completed another System Task—a particularly tricky one that had required her to post consistent weekly content to YouTube or other public platforms for eight weeks straight. The reward? Another [Skill Expansion Token] and an increase in her Social Visibility stat, which had been depressingly low since the failure of her first MV.
The System Interface bloomed before her eyes like a digital hologram only she could see:
> [SYSTEM UPDATE – Progress Overview as of July 2013]
IDOL DEVELOPMENT STAGE: PHASE 1 – INITIATION
Age: 13 years
Primary Focus: Foundational Skill Development & Digital Footprint
Task Completion Rate: 82%
Current Ranking (Global): 18,490 / 2,387,211 (Aspiring Idols Registered)
Skills Unlocked:
– [Vocal Training – Level 1.8]
– [Dance Foundation – Level 2.1]
– [Rhythm Awareness – Level 1.2]
– [Content Editing (Amateur) – Level 1.5]
– [Stage Stamina – Level 1.0]
– [Self-Defense (Taekwondo – Intro) – Level 1.7]
– [Multilingual Adaptability – Level 2.0 (Hindi, English, Korean, Japanese)]
Bonus Traits Acquired:
– Early Resilience (You recover faster from disappointment)
– Rhythm Sync Instinct (Timing improves slightly with repetition)
– Body Conditioning Bonus (All physical training yields +20% efficiency)
Notable Achievement:
– Runner-Up, Underground Dance Battle Royale (Lucknow Chapter)
Pending System Quests:
1. Complete Your First Digital Mini-Album (3 Songs) – 0/3
2. Reach 500 Total Online Views Across Platforms – 121/500
3. Achieve Level 3 in Any Two Core Skills
4. Design an Original Dance Routine – [IN PROGRESS]
5. First Public Performance (Live) – [LOCKED UNTIL AGE 14]
"Eighteen thousand out of over two million…" Aisha whispered, a flicker of pride in her voice. It wasn't high enough to celebrate, but it was no small feat either. She had clawed her way up the digital ranks of aspirants worldwide, one post at a time.
Her days were almost entirely consumed now. Mornings with Taekwondo—kicks, stretches, controlled falls. Afternoons in the bedroom corner that doubled as her studio, where she rehearsed vocal scales, composed tunes on a borrowed Casio keyboard, and edited low-res videos on free mobile apps. Evenings she devoted to researching what other aspiring idols were doing. Reaction videos. Practice covers. Vlogs about training routines.
The System had even started showing her optional Inspiration Modules—curated clips from idol documentaries, training montages, and legendary performances. Watching them gave her system buffs: temporary boosts to motivation or stamina.
And Aisha needed every ounce of it.
Because her body was not cooperating.
---
Puberty, Revisited (Again?! Seriously?)
It started with pain. Not emotional pain—but physical. Blunt, dull aches in her chest and knees and lower back. Then came the tiredness. She chalked it up to training at first, until she started noticing other things.
The weird stickiness she felt when she woke up one morning.
The smell of her sweat changing.
The tiny red pimple on her chin that refused to go away.
She turned thirteen in July. And just like that, her second puberty began in full force.
"I didn't sign up for this," she muttered one night, glaring at her reflection.
It wasn't even the existence of puberty that bothered her—she had been through it before, after all. But she had forgotten just how raw and awkward it all felt.
And this time, it seemed to be happening faster.
"I must be cursed," she groaned as she pulled on her kurta and stared in horror at how her chest now strained the fabric. "Is this from all the Taekwondo and dancing? Am I generating growth hormones like crazy?"
System notifications hadn't warned her about this part. Her breasts had gone from barely-there to alarmingly visible in less than a month. It wasn't funny, and it certainly wasn't empowering. It made changing for gym class a nightmare. It made her move differently. Slouch more. She hated the attention it brought—especially from the older students who now seemed to notice her more than before.
She started wrapping herself in baggier clothes, hoodies and shawls, and layering unnecessarily in the heat just to feel safe.
Worse still—her legs ached. Her knees creaked. She had grown nearly two inches in six weeks. By mid-July, she stood tall at 5'4", towering over most of her female classmates and catching up to even some of the boys.
She liked the height. Loved it, actually.
But the rest? No, thank you.
---
System Notification: New Trait – "Accelerated Growth" (PASSIVE)
> Due to increased physical training, nutrition, and hormonal cycles, your growth rate is statistically above average.
Effect: +5% to stamina gain, +3% presence stat
Side Effect: You will require increased rest. Minor awkwardness in movement may occur.
"You think I don't know that?" Aisha muttered to the screen. "Awkward is my middle name right now."
Still, there were silver linings.
Taekwondo moves were sharper now. Her reach was longer. Kicks soared higher.
Her breath control had improved—perhaps a side effect of a larger chest, or perhaps because she was learning how to breathe from the diaphragm properly in vocal exercises.
Her thighs and calves were firming from dance drills, and her skin—even with the occasional pimple—glowed with the kind of healthy sweat only effort could buy.
More than anything, Aisha realized her body, despite the unpredictability, was responding. It was transforming in sync with her will. And that was a rare magic, even in a system-led world.
---
Mid-Year Reflection – Journal Entry, July 27, 2013
> "Six months into the year. I've changed so much I barely recognize myself.
Not just in the mirror, but everywhere.
I walk differently. I speak more carefully.
I'm no longer scared to hear my own recorded voice.
I used to be obsessed with watching idols. Now I watch myself.
How I sing. How I move. How I correct that little twitch in my eyebrow when I'm nervous.
The system's progress bars help. They show me where I stand.
But what they don't show is this fire in my chest.
The one that doesn't go away even when everything is painful.
Even when I hate my reflection. Even when I'm embarrassed by how fast I'm growing.
I'm thirteen.
I have no fans.
I have no group.
I have no dance studio.
But I have a dream. And I'm building every brick of the road toward it—by hand."
---
Aisha closed her journal and smiled faintly.
Let puberty come. Let pain come.
She had already survived one life.
She would win this one too—even if it meant growing up all over again.
---
Absolutely! Here's the next part of Aisha's journey, set in late 2013, as she juggles her academics, Taekwondo progress, and System integration. This part blends her growing discipline with system prompts and the pressure of real-world exams.
---
Chapter 8: Black Belts and Board Exams (October – December 2013)
By October, the air in Lucknow began to cool, just slightly—dry winds curling into the evenings and whispers of winter carried in the rustling leaves. But for Aisha, there was no cool or calm. There was only chaos. Between stacks of textbooks, sharpened pencils, progress charts, and sparring mats, her life had become a careful balancing act.
The Class 10 Board Exams were looming.
They weren't just any exams. They were everything. The pressure cooker of Indian education spared no one. Parents, teachers, tuition classes—everyone expected results. And Aisha had no intention of letting that part of her life slip, even as her System pulled her deeper into its tasks.
She had created an almost military-like schedule, breaking her days into strict intervals:
5:00 AM: Wake-up. Stretching. Breathing exercises.
5:30–6:30 AM: Taekwondo drills and flexibility training.
7:00–2:00 PM: School.
2:00–5:00 PM: Study block. Rotating subjects—Math, Science, English.
5:30–7:00 PM: Taekwondo classes at the dojo.
7:30–10:00 PM: More studying.
10:15 PM: System logs, practice recordings, meditation, sleep.
She was 13, nearly 14, and her life was harder than many adults'. But she liked it that way.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – October 13, 2013 | 06:02 AM]
> Congratulations! Skill Milestone Achieved!
[Taekwondo – Level 3.0 Reached]
– You have now mastered the fundamentals and intermediate forms.
– Your physical coordination, strength, and reaction speed have increased.
Unlocked Sub-Skill: [Sparring Analysis – Passive]
– Auto-reads basic patterns in opponents during sparring.
– Slight predictive advantage (+5% reaction bonus).
> System Note:
You are now eligible for real-world belt advancement tests. Performance will affect system alignment and reputation stats.
---
Aisha's dojo was one of the best in the area—small, competitive, and led by a second-degree black belt who did not go easy on kids. Sensei was strict but fair, and he had taken a liking to Aisha ever since he'd seen her break three tiles in a single strike during practice.
"You move like someone possessed," he said once, handing her a water bottle. "But in a good way."
By now, she had progressed from white to green belt, and with consistent performance and tournament points, she had recently earned her blue belt—an achievement that marked her as an advanced practitioner, especially for her age.
---
October Dojo Tournament: Internal Sparring Event
The competition was small, just 32 participants, but intense. Aisha was matched in the girls' 13–15 category, which made her the youngest in her bracket.
Her first opponent was taller, stronger, and had a reputation as "the knee breaker" because of her aggressive style.
System prompt blinked across her vision moments before they bowed:
> [Duel Mode: Activated]
Opponent Profile: Juhi Sharma (Age 15)
– Height: 5'6"
– Belt Rank: Blue
– Strength: Power strikes
– Weakness: Overcommits on roundhouse
Passive Buff Applied: [Sparring Analysis +5% Reaction]
Objective: Win by point or time-out.
They exchanged bows.
The moment Juhi lunged, Aisha sidestepped and delivered a clean turning kick to the ribs.
Thwack!
Point.
Another dash. A feint. Aisha twisted away, landed a back kick right under Juhi's elbow, and scored again.
She won 4–1, the final point delivered with a lightning-fast axe kick that surprised even Sensei . The dojo erupted in polite applause.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Competition Report]
> [Victory]
Opponent Defeated: Juhi Sharma (Internal Ranking #5)
Skill XP Gained: +230 (Taekwondo)
Reputation (Dojo): +15
Reward: One free advancement voucher
New Trait Unlocked: "Martial Focus" (Active)
– Once per day, you can enter a hyperfocused state for 5 minutes
– Increases precision and reaction by +10% during physical activity
---
Aisha went on to win second place overall in the internal competition. Her loss in the finals was by a single point—a sweep she hadn't seen coming. Still, her progress stunned everyone. She was formally invited to test for Red Belt before the end of the year—a rare opportunity for someone her age.
---
Meanwhile, Back to Books
It wasn't all martial glory. Her textbooks glared back at her each evening. She was just a few months away from the Class 10 Board Exams scheduled in March 2014.
Mathematics remained her strongest subject, thanks to sheer pattern recognition and her memory. But Science—particularly Chemistry equations—were a drag. Biology, thankfully, was starting to make sense with her System-enhanced retention.
Even her studies, she noticed, were now part of the System.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Academic Sync Detected]
> Linked Subjects:
– Mathematics (Pattern Recognition +5%)
– Biology (Memory Enhancement +10%)
– English (Vocal Training Crossover: Pronunciation + Listening +3%)
Stat Tracking Available: Would you like the system to track academic performance?
[YES] – [NO]
Aisha clicked [YES].
Her school tests and assignments now earned her XP and micro-rewards like "Concentration Boosters," which she could activate during stressful study nights. It helped her learn smarter, not longer.
---
December 2013: Red Belt Examination
The Red Belt exam wasn't just a formality. It was a test of everything—form, strength, endurance, theory. Sparring, kata, and board breaking.
By now, Aisha's height was almost 5'5", her frame wiry with muscle from months of consistent training. She could land three clean jump kicks in succession. Her speed stunned even the senior boys. And most of all—her balance had become surgical.
She passed the Red Belt exam with distinction. Her kick power even cracked two stacked boards. Only two others in the group achieved similar scores.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Congratulations!]
> [Taekwondo – Level 4.1 Achieved]
New Belt Acquired: RED
– Physical Strength: +7%
– Agility: +6%
– Reputation (Local): +30
New Ability Unlocked: "Focus Shift" (Defensive Feint Skill)
– Allows you to misdirect an opponent during combat, raising your evasion rate.
> System Note: You are now one rank away from Black Belt Eligibility (Minimum age: 15)
---
> "It's funny. Most people think idols just sing and dance.
But every skill I gain—every bruise, every exam I ace—makes me sharper.
The System doesn't care whether I'm sweating from math or sparring.
It collects everything.
It is a rather unique setting for a kpop idol system but who am I to complain?
---
January 2014
New year. New music. New obsession.
Aisha was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her phone tilted slightly to the side as she scrolled through YouTube and Naver forums. The global K-pop landscape was about to shift again—and she knew it. Her System hadn't prompted anything unusual, no stat gains or skill trees, but her heart was beating like it was the morning of an exam.
GOT7 was debuting.
They weren't her all-time favorite band, but their energy, their charisma, and especially their rap-line had always fascinated her. And now, hearing the teaser drops and early pre-release snippets, she knew they'd be something great.
She leaned back, grinning as the beat of "Girls Girls Girls" pulsed through her cheap Bluetooth speaker. The sound was raw, fun, and unmistakably 3rd gen K-pop. The debut performance dropped, and Aisha clapped softly with joy.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – January 16, 2014 | 6:30 PM]
> Detected Emotional Surge
Keywords: [Creativity], [Music Theory], [Rap Syncopation]
New Affinity Detected: [Contemporary Rap]
+3% Retention to Rhythm-Based Learning
+2% Creativity Bonus for Freestyle Vocal Practice
System Suggestion: Engage in new music forms to further unlock [Performing Arts] Tree.
---
But not all thoughts were joyful. In the middle of the buzz, her mind wandered.
Chan.
Bang Chan. The boy who trained for years. Who wrote songs in practice rooms while others slept.
And yet… he hadn't debuted with them.
Aisha blinked rapidly, brushing aside tears she hadn't expected. It wasn't even her own memory—but the heartache felt personal. She'd always had a soft spot for Bang Chan. Maybe it was because she knew what it was like to build and build… and then be told: "Not yet."
She whispered to herself, "You'll debut just like you're meant to. With your own group. With Stray Kids. You'll lead them, just like you're supposed to."
---
March 2014:
Everything else took a backseat. The real world came crashing in.
Finals. Boards. The climax of a year of sweat and grit.
The night before her first exam, she reviewed her notes one last time, took a long breath, and smiled. The System had helped. But more than that, she had helped herself. With color-coded charts, mock papers, memory maps, spaced repetition—all her doing.
After each paper, she exited the exam hall feeling light. Not because it was over, but because she knew she'd nailed it.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – March 28, 2014 | 11:22 AM]
> Exam Series Concluded: Central Board Certification – Class X
Estimated Academic Performance:
– Mathematics: 100/100
– Science: 98/100
– Social Studies: 97/100
– English: 96/100
– Hindi: 93/100
Projected Outcome: City Top 3 / State Top 10
Reward: Academic Token x2
[Use token to convert academic XP into Creative Skill XP]
New Stat Growth Unlocked: [Mental Resilience +4%]
---
Two whole months. Unstructured. Aisha was buzzing with ideas.
First on her mind? Music.
She'd been eyeing both the piano and drums for months. She imagined herself behind a keyboard, or perhaps in a soundproof room with sticks in hand, losing herself to rhythm.
So, she approached her parents.
"Mama, Papa… I want to start music classes."
Their expressions stiffened.
Her father cleared his throat. "Aisha, we're proud of everything you've done. But are you sure? Taekwondo, school, singing… now instruments too?"
Her mother added, "We just don't want you to overwork yourself."
Aisha sighed. "I'm not. I promise. I know how much I can take."
And she wasn't lying. The System had silently monitored her health, her stress levels, even her sleep.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Health Sync: Active]
> Vitals Normal
– Sleep Efficiency: 87%
– Stress Hormones: Minimal
– Focus Levels: Optimal
Conclusion: Aisha is functioning within safe and optimal limits.
Recommendation: Proceed with Music Training.
[NEW PATH UNLOCKED – Performing Arts: Instrumental]
– Choose Primary:
[Piano] – [Drums] – [Both]
---
Eventually, her parents relented, impressed by her logic and determination. And by how much she had grown in just a year.
So, she began both.
She signed up for a local piano class every Monday and Friday, and attended drumming lessons on Wednesday evenings at a nearby studio.
At first, it was all chaos. Her hands weren't used to chord shapes or keeping rhythm across different limbs. But her memory, her muscle training, her System-supported reaction speeds—they adapted fast.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Skill Initialization: PIANO – Level 0.8]
[SYSTEM PROMPT – Skill Initialization: DRUMS – Level 0.6]
> – Finger Dexterity +3%
– Rhythm Recognition +4%
– Hand-Eye Coordination +2%
Bonus Trait: [Multi-Limb Coordination] unlocked
– Playing with both hands and foot simultaneously boosts XP gain in motor skill-based arts.
---
Aisha sat on the rooftop one evening, sunset spilling gold across her face, a pair of sticks in hand, gently tapping out a rhythm from GOT7's debut track.
She smiled.
---
April 2014
The sun cast golden hues over Lucknow's skyline as Aisha sat behind a modest drum set in her local music school's practice room. The sticks felt foreign in her hands, but the moment she struck the snare, a spark ignited within her. Each beat resonated not just in the room but deep within her soul. .
"I've always felt a connection to rhythm."She practiced in the mirror for future interviews.(She was bit narcissistic. Sue her.)
Within weeks, Aisha's progress was nothing short of astounding. She mastered complex rhythms, seamlessly transitioning between beats, and even began experimenting with improvisations. Her peers and instructors were in awe of her rapid development.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – April 20, 2014 | 5:45 PM]
> Skill Acquisition: Drumming – Level 3.0
Hand-Eye Coordination: +15%
Rhythm Recognition: +20%
Stamina: +10%
New Trait Unlocked: Percussive Prodigy – Enhanced ability to learn and replicate complex drum patterns.
---
May 2014
Inspired by her drumming journey, Aisha revisited her vocal training with renewed vigor.
She began recording covers of her favorite songs, analyzing each playback meticulously. With each session, her confidence grew, and so did her vocal range. Her rendition of "Happy Death Day" by Xdinary Heroes was particularly noteworthy, capturing the song's essence and showcasing her vocal prowess.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – May 15, 2014 | 3:30 PM]
> Skill Enhancement: Vocal Training – Level 4.5
Pitch Accuracy: +25%
Vocal Range: +2 Octaves
Breath Control: +15%
New Trait Unlocked: Melodic Mastery – Ability to convey deep emotions through vocal performances.
---
June 2014
Aisha's dual mastery of drums and vocals began to intertwine. She started composing original pieces, blending rhythmic drum patterns with soulful melodies. Her compositions reflected her journey, aspirations, and the challenges she overcame.
Her performances at local events(Yes, she had started busking. Was it important enough to mention? Not really. No) garnered attention, with audiences captivated by her talent and passion(They were very generous with spare change- Aisha had a collection of 20 rupees notes no- probably because she was beautiful and talented).
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT – June 30, 2014 | 6:00 PM]
> Achievement Unlocked: Harmonic Fusion – Successfully combined drumming and vocal skills in original compositions.
Creativity: +30%
Performance Confidence: +20%
New Pathway Unlocked: Music Production – Access to tools and resources for composing, recording, and producing music.
---
By the middle of July, the oppressive heat of the North Indian summer had begun to give way to the promise of monsoon. For most, it was a time of discomfort, of wet clothes and muddy roads, but for Aisha , it was a season of growth. Quite literally.
She was now thirteen and a half. Puberty had hit like a storm. Her height had shot up almost overnight—or so it felt. In the span of just a few months, she'd grown from 5'2" to 5'5", and her limbs often felt alien, as if her body was trying to figure out its own balance. Her uniform skirt now rested awkwardly above her knees, and her shirts strained a bit more(she bought this shirt just 3 months ago!!!) around the chest. It was the latter that irked her the most.
"System," she muttered one day while changing. "Why am I growing so fast?"
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT - July 11, 2014 | 6:32 PM]
> User's hormonal balance has triggered accelerated biological growth. Muscular flexibility and stature are being optimized for performance-level dance and stage aesthetics. Physical trait unlocked: "Stage Maturity" – User's physique will gradually adapt to the average demands of professional K-pop idol standards.
---
"I didn't ask for the big boobs though," she grumbled.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT - July 11, 2014 | 6:33 PM]
> Secondary sexual characteristics are biologically consistent with your original development pattern. You are advised to adapt and accept.
---
"Thanks for the TED talk," she rolled her eyes.
Despite the frustrations, her training never ceased. Her vocal range was expanding rapidly. By now, she could sing nearly anything in a comfortable mid-range and had begun experimenting with falsetto. It wasn't easy, but there was something intoxicating about hitting those whisper-light high notes.
---
[SYSTEM PROMPT - August 2, 2014 | 10:02 AM]
> Vocal Skill Progress: Level 6.3 Pitch Control: +18% Tonal Variation: +14% Special Feature Pathway Unlocked: "Siren Voice"
> Description: This feature grants user the ability to naturally achieve high-register falsetto tones with minimal vocal strain. Requires mastery of breath control, larynx relaxation, and diaphragm engagement.
---
It was all the motivation she needed.
Every morning started with warm-ups. Then scales. Then falsetto practice. She recorded her own attempts, watched tutorial videos, studied professionals. She tried to mimic Rosé from BLACKPINK, Taeyeon from Girls' Generation, even Jonghyun from SHINee. There was a fluid softness to the notes they hit—notes that felt like magic. And every week, she got closer.
At the same time, her weekends had become something of an underground legend in her district. On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, she would attend underground dance battles held in an abandoned warehouse near the railway yard. It was a buzzing, makeshift space—graffiti on the walls, flashing tube lights, speakers blaring hip-hop and EDM.
And in the middle of that chaos was Aisha, dominating the stage.
Her moves were sharp, defined. Her control over isolations was unlike anything the other participants had ever seen. She flipped, spun, dropped into freeze positions, and integrated modern K-pop choreography into fluid freestyle. She danced to Taemin, EXO, BTS, and even obscure tracks from Korean underground dance crews. Her ability to fuse Indian footwork with Korean style amazed the crowd.
They began calling her the "Dance Monster".
No one could beat her.
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[SYSTEM PROMPT - September 6, 2014 | 8:45 PM]
> Dance Skill Progress: Level 7.0 Title Unlocked: "The Undefeatable" Trait Upgraded: "Monster on the Floor" – User gains +25% agility and +15% audience captivation during live dance battles.
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It didn't end there.
Every second Sunday, she would take her little amp, her mic, and her drum pad to Hazratganj, the busy heart of Lucknow. Her usual busking spot was under a large banyan tree beside the central park fountain. Sometimes she would sing Korean songs, sometimes English, and occasionally she'd rap in Hindi.
Her voice, polished and soulful, drew in crowds. Foreign tourists often stopped, entranced by the clarity and beauty of her tone. Some recorded her. Some gave her generous tips. One German couple who stayed in India every winter tipped her ₹500 and asked for her SoundCloud name.
She didn't have one. Yet.
With the money she earned, she bought better mics, noise-canceling headphones, and second-hand music mixing software. Her room now had a small corner set up like a mini home studio.
One day in October, after a particularly intense dance battle where she pulled off a complicated back aerial to the beat of a remixed Taeyang track, a man approached her.
He was short, balding, and carried a folder.
"Excuse me," he said, showing her a lanyard ID. "My name is Vikas Rao. I'm scouting for Zee TV's Dance India Dance, season four. You're phenomenal. We'd like to invite you to audition."
She recognized the logo on the badge. DID was practically a weekend staple in every Indian household. The exposure it gave was massive. Any other dancer would've jumped at the opportunity.
But she didn't.
"Thank you, sir," she said politely. "But I'll have to decline. I have some other goals I'm working on."
He looked visibly confused. "This could be huge for you."
"I know. But I'm not ready to be on national TV. Not yet."
He left, disappointed but respectful.
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[SYSTEM PROMPT - October 18, 2014 | 9:22 PM]
> Decision Logged: Declined opportunity for national dance television. Bonus Trait Gained: "Focused Flame" – Strong will to resist distraction increases stat growth speed by +12% across all active skill categories.
---
November came, and so did Diwali. Amidst the lights and sweets and familial chaos, Aisha remained consistent. Her parents had begun to accept that their daughter was something... different. She was never exhausted, never moody, and handled her academics with effortless grace.
She had even topped her school in the board results. City topper by the way. The principal personally called her parents to congratulate them.
December brought the chill, and Aisha layered herself in warm hoodies and fleece-lined leggings as she practiced indoors. She uploaded her first complete song cover on YouTube—a mash-up of IU's "Good Day" and Taylor Swift's "Enchanted". Her voice, sweet and clear, climbed impossible notes, weaving between languages.
Within a week, the video had 18,000 views.
The comments were full of disbelief.
> "You're telling me this girl is INDIAN?! What the hell, why is she not famous yet?" "Her falsetto... oh my god. Legit goosebumps." "K-pop trainee level vocals. I said what I said." "JYP or SM needs to see this ASAP."
She watched the numbers grow, heart racing. Not because of fame. But because it was happening. Slowly, methodically, deliberately—she was building herself.
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[SYSTEM PROMPT - December 29, 2014 | 8:00 PM]
> Year-End Summary:
Skill Rankings:
Dance: 7.5
Vocals: 6.8
Rap: 5.2
Instruments: 4.1
Stage Performance: 6.3
Language Proficiency (Korean): 4.9
Traits:
Monster on the Floor
Melodic Mastery
Percussive Prodigy
Focused Flame
Stage Maturity
Special Feature Progress: "Siren Voice" – 84% Completion
Recommendation: Begin preparing for digital presence expansion and long-term international travel protocols. Potential opportunity forecast: High.
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And thus, the year closed.
Aisha, once an ordinary girl with a dream, now stood as an unstoppable force—polished, burning with purpose, and rapidly evolving into something the world was not yet prepared for.
But soon, it would be.
Very soon.
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