SHADOW PROTOCOL Chapter 1: The One Who Said No (Revised) The rain in Guwahati didn't bother Tapudhan Rongpee. What bothered him… was silence. Tapan hadn't replied in 12 minutes. That wasn't normal. Tapudhan stared at his phone, then at his laptop. A half-written script sat open on his screen—not something flashy, just a small monitoring tool. He preferred building shields, not breaking doors. Then the call came. "Tapudhan… I think I messed up." Tapudhan leaned back slowly. "What did you access?" "A server. Just testing. But… it's not normal." "It's never 'just a server,' Tapan." There was breathing on the other end. Fast. "I'm inside something called… Shadow Protocol." Tapudhan's fingers stopped. That name—he had seen fragments of it before. Half-deleted forum posts. Threads that vanished overnight. Something hidden… and protected. "You're still connected?" Tapudhan asked. "…yes." "Disconnect. Immediately." "Wait—listen, there's a file—" "Tapan." This time his voice cut through. "Pull. The. Plug." Silence. Then— "I think someone just noticed me." Tapudhan stood up. "Tell me exactly what you see." "There's a message…" A pause. "What does it say?" Tapan swallowed. "You shouldn't be here." Tapudhan's mind shifted gears instantly. "Okay," he said quietly. "We assume worst case. They're active, they're watching, and they're faster than you." "Than me?" Tapan said nervously. "Yes," Tapudhan replied. "Which means we don't play their game." Another line appeared on Tapan's screen. He read it aloud— "Tapudhan Rongpee." Silence filled the call. This time, Tapudhan didn't hesitate. "They know my name," he said. "That means this isn't just a breach…" He looked at his own screen, already mapping possibilities. "…it's a net." Chapter 2: The Net Tightens (Revised) "Turn everything off," Tapudhan said. "I already did. Laptop's dead," Tapan replied. "Good. Now assume your device is compromised." "What does that mean?" "It means we stop reacting—and start thinking." Tapan exhaled. "You're not scared?" Tapudhan paused. "I am," he said. "That's why I won't make mistakes." He powered up a clean, isolated system—no network, no risk. Controlled. "They made one mistake," Tapudhan continued. "What?" "They showed us they exist." Tapan gave a weak laugh. "That feels like a threat, not a mistake." Tapudhan shook his head slightly. "A real threat stays invisible." He began sketching patterns—entry points, timing, behavior. "They rely on fear," he said. "But fear creates patterns. And patterns…" "…can be broken," Tapan finished. Tapudhan allowed a faint smile. "Exactly."