The collapse had not happened yet.
But fear had already begun.
And sometimes…
fear spreads faster than truth.
Within minutes of Elara's announcement, the world changed.
Stock markets trembled.
Currencies shifted.
Energy companies froze trading.
Because when powerful people hear the word collapse—
they don't wait for proof.
They run.
And Damien Volkov knew exactly what would happen next.
---
Inside the summit hall, chaos erupted.
Phones rang everywhere.
Assistants rushed between world leaders.
Economic advisors whispered urgently.
"This is spreading already."
"Tokyo market futures are dropping."
"London just triggered emergency financial monitoring."
Marcus stared at his phone.
"…you've got to be kidding me."
Luca leaned closer.
"How bad?"
Marcus turned the screen.
"Global markets already down two percent."
Luca exhaled slowly.
"That was fast."
Marcus replied quietly.
"That's panic."
---
On stage, Elara watched the reaction carefully.
This was the exact scenario she feared.
Volkov wasn't just attacking the economy.
He was attacking confidence.
And confidence…
was the real foundation of global markets.
Ares stepped closer to her.
"You expected this."
"Yes."
"Can you stop it?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Because stopping panic was harder than predicting it.
---
Across the hall, Damien Volkov looked perfectly calm.
Almost relaxed.
Like a man watching a masterpiece unfold.
He raised his phone.
Checked something.
Then smiled.
Ares noticed.
"What did he just do?"
Elara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He just pushed the next domino."
---
At that exact moment—
Marcus's phone buzzed violently.
Then Luca's.
Then dozens of others in the hall.
Breaking news alerts.
Marcus read the headline aloud.
"…oh no."
"What?" Luca asked.
Marcus swallowed.
"Energy supply disruption in Eastern Europe."
Gasps spread through the hall.
Someone shouted from the back.
"That's one of the energy corridors Elara predicted!"
The tension skyrocketed.
Reporters began shouting questions.
"Is the collapse already starting?"
"Is this connected to Volkov?"
"Is Helios the only solution?"
Volkov watched quietly.
Because everything was happening exactly as he planned.
---
Elara moved quickly now.
Walking toward the stage control console.
Her mind racing.
If panic continued spreading—
markets would crash even if the fundamentals were stable.
Fear alone could trigger a collapse.
Ares followed her.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm stopping this."
"You said that wasn't easy."
"It isn't."
She connected a small encrypted drive to the system.
The screen flickered.
New data models appeared.
Real-time market projections.
Energy infrastructure analysis.
Marcus blinked.
"…she's rebuilding the entire economic forecast live."
Luca muttered.
"Yeah… normal Tuesday."
---
Elara grabbed the microphone again.
Her voice sharper now.
"Everyone listen carefully."
The room slowly quieted.
"Volkov is weaponizing fear."
She pointed toward the giant screen.
"This energy disruption is real."
Murmurs spread.
"But it is temporary."
New charts appeared.
"Three alternate supply routes are already activating."
Several economic advisors in the room checked their tablets.
Their eyes widened.
"She's right…"
"Those reserves exist."
"The disruption won't last more than 48 hours."
The panic in the room softened slightly.
But Volkov didn't look worried.
Because he knew something they didn't.
---
Elara continued.
"Markets are reacting emotionally, not logically."
Another model appeared.
"If governments release strategic reserves now…"
"And if major banks stabilize currency liquidity…"
The projection changed.
Market recovery.
Fast.
Clean.
Controlled.
A stunned silence filled the room.
Because she had just shown them exactly how to stop the panic.
Marcus whispered slowly.
"She's literally stabilizing the world economy in real time."
Ares watched her quietly.
Not surprised.
Just proud.
---
Volkov suddenly spoke again.
"You're impressive."
The room turned toward him.
"But you're still reacting."
Elara met his gaze.
"And you're still losing."
He smiled slowly.
"Am I?"
He raised his phone again.
Pressed something.
Then looked back at her.
"Let's test that."
At that exact moment—
the giant screen behind Elara went black.
The entire system shut down instantly.
Gasps filled the hall.
Technicians rushed forward.
"What happened?!"
"System failure!"
Marcus looked at Luca.
"…please tell me that wasn't hacking."
Luca checked the security feed.
Then slowly looked up.
"It was."
The hall lights flickered.
Elara turned toward Volkov.
Realizing something terrifying.
Helios wasn't the only system in this room.
Volkov had built something too.
Something capable of attacking global infrastructure.
And he had just activated it.
---
Volkov spread his hands calmly.
"You see, Elara…"
His voice echoed across the silent hall.
"You built a system to predict the future."
He smiled coldly.
"I built a system to create it."
The summit systems are compromised.
Global markets are already panicking.
And Damien Volkov just launched a cyber attack powerful enough to destabilize the world economy.
But Elara isn't backing down.
Because now—
this is no longer a prediction.
It's a war.