The world no longer asked who you were.
It only asked what rank you held.
The screen hovering above Noel Arvind's wrist glowed softly as he stepped out of the metro station, numbers scrolling in pale blue light—citizens, vendors, officials, even beggars—all marked by the same indifferent system.
Rank A. Rank C. Rank F.
Invisible, yet absolute.
A woman in a tailored suit passed him without slowing. Her Rank B badge shimmered briefly before fading. A group of students laughed nearby, their ranks flickering between D and C, hopeful, ambitious, still dreaming.
Noel didn't look at them for long.
He already knew where he stood.
[Citizen Noel Arvind – Rank A]
A top-tier rank. High enough to open doors. High enough to decide futures.
High enough to make people smile before you spoke.
The Arvind family estate rose ahead of him—steel, glass, and quiet authority. Even the guards straightened slightly when they saw him approach, the system confirming his identity before he reached the gate.
"Welcome back, Young Master," one of them said.
Noel nodded, polite but distant.
Inside, the estate was alive with preparation. Servants moved briskly. Holographic banners adjusted themselves along the corridor walls, announcing tonight's engagement banquet in elegant script.
— Arjun Arvind & Rhea Malhotra —
Noel paused for half a second.
His younger brother's name stood proudly at the center.
Arjun.
Rank A+, barely twenty-four, already praised as a prodigy—not just by the system, but by society itself. A perfect son. A perfect heir.
A perfect contrast.
"Brother!"
Arjun's voice came easily, warm and practiced. He walked toward Noel with a smile that never quite reached his eyes, dressed in ceremonial black, his rank glowing a shade brighter than Noel's.
"You're just in time," Arjun said, placing a hand on Noel's shoulder. "Father was asking for you."
Noel returned the smile, out of habit.
"Busy day," Noel replied. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." Arjun's grip tightened—just slightly. "It means a lot. Family celebrations don't feel complete otherwise."
Noel felt it then.
Not hostility.
Not affection.
Something quieter. Something watchful.
Across the hall, Rhea stood surrounded by relatives, her posture flawless, her expression composed. When her eyes met Noel's, they hardened—not in anger, but in polite distance.
She looked away first.
The system chimed softly in Noel's mind, an automatic reminder he'd learned to ignore.
[Social Compatibility: Restricted]
[Marriage Eligibility: Determined by Rank Differential]
Rank decided who you could love.
Who you could marry.
Who you were allowed to stand beside.
Noel exhaled slowly.
Once, long ago, this world had talked about choice. About effort. About merit beyond numbers.
Now?
The rank was the truth.
Rank was law.
And as Noel stepped deeper into the estate, unaware of the eyes tracking his movements, unaware of the decisions already made in shadows—
He had no idea that by tomorrow,
his rank would no longer be present