The summit hall went completely silent.
Not the tense silence of negotiation.
Not the restless silence of fear.
This was different.
The kind of silence that follows a revelation nobody was prepared to hear.
Because Damien Volkov had just told the entire world something impossible.
Helios… was not Elara Khan's greatest creation.
And now billions of people were waiting for the truth.
---
The massive screen still showed Volkov's calm face.
His eyes held that familiar, dangerous curiosity.
"You see," he continued slowly, "the world has been focusing on the wrong system."
Behind the camera, reporters leaned closer.
Markets froze.
Governments paused their discussions.
Because if Helios wasn't the most powerful system—
then what was?
---
Inside the summit hall, Marcus leaned toward Luca.
"…please tell me he's bluffing."
Luca didn't answer.
Because he wasn't looking at Volkov.
He was looking at Elara.
And the expression on her face told him something important.
She wasn't shocked.
She was irritated.
Marcus noticed too.
"…oh no."
---
Ares turned slightly toward her.
"Is he lying?"
Elara crossed her arms slowly.
"No."
Marcus nearly dropped his tablet.
"…I knew I shouldn't have asked."
The room grew colder.
Because that answer meant Volkov had just exposed something real.
Something Elara had hidden from everyone.
Even them.
---
On the screen, Volkov smiled faintly.
"She didn't tell you, did she?"
His eyes moved across the room.
Landing briefly on Ares.
"Interesting."
Ares didn't react outwardly.
But his gaze returned to Elara.
"Explain."
---
She exhaled slowly.
Because there was no point hiding it now.
"The system he's talking about…"
She paused.
"…is not designed for markets."
Marcus muttered.
"That sentence already sounds terrifying."
Luca nodded.
"Please continue."
---
Elara looked back at the giant screen.
Then spoke calmly.
"It's a strategic prediction engine."
Marcus frowned.
"…isn't that what Helios does?"
"No."
She shook her head slightly.
"Helios predicts economic behavior."
The room stayed silent.
Because they could already sense the difference.
"And the other one?" Ares asked.
Elara answered quietly.
"It predicts human behavior."
---
The words hit the room like a shockwave.
Marcus blinked twice.
"…I'm sorry."
"Did you just say HUMAN behavior?"
Elara nodded.
Luca leaned back slowly.
"…that's insane."
---
Volkov's smile widened on the screen.
"Finally."
Someone in the room whispered.
"What does that even mean?"
Elara answered.
"It analyzes political movements… military tensions… social reactions… global decision patterns."
Marcus looked horrified.
"…you built something that predicts world events?"
"Not predicts," she corrected.
"Models."
---
Ares understood immediately.
"You built a system that can simulate global decisions."
"Yes."
"And calculate outcomes before they happen."
"Yes."
Marcus rubbed his face.
"…I need a drink."
---
Volkov leaned closer to the camera.
"The system is called Oracle."
The name echoed across the summit hall.
Some of the political leaders immediately began whispering.
Because if such a system existed—
it could change global power forever.
Volkov continued calmly.
"With Oracle… you can simulate wars before they begin."
He paused.
"You can predict revolutions."
Another pause.
"You can control outcomes."
---
The tension inside the hall became suffocating.
Ares' voice cut through the silence.
"You built a system capable of manipulating world decisions."
Elara looked at him directly.
"No."
Her voice stayed steady.
"I built a system capable of preventing disasters."
Marcus muttered.
"…same tool, different marketing."
---
Volkov nodded slowly.
"That's the difference between us."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You built Oracle to protect the future."
He smiled faintly.
"I would use it to control it."
---
The room exploded into voices again.
Leaders whispering.
Security advisors arguing.
Reporters demanding explanations.
Because now the narrative had changed completely.
Helios was powerful.
But Oracle?
Oracle could reshape the entire planet.
---
Ares stepped closer to Elara.
"You didn't tell me about this."
Her eyes met his.
"I never activated it."
Marcus blinked.
"…please say that again."
"I never turned it on."
Luca raised a brow.
"Then how does Volkov know about it?"
That question hung in the air.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
---
Elara slowly turned back toward the screen.
Her voice became colder.
"You broke into my private research network."
Volkov chuckled softly.
"I prefer the word… discovery."
"You stole classified development models."
"I studied brilliance."
---
Ares' voice dropped dangerously low.
"You're admitting espionage on a global broadcast."
Volkov shrugged slightly.
"Worth it."
Then he looked back at Elara.
"Because now the world knows the truth."
He gestured toward the cameras.
"You built the most powerful predictive intelligence ever created."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And you hid it."
---
The entire summit hall was staring at her now.
Not just as a tech innovator.
Not just as the creator of Helios.
But as the woman who secretly built a system capable of predicting the future of the world.
Marcus whispered.
"…this just got very complicated."
---
Volkov straightened slightly.
"And here is the real question."
His voice became quieter.
More dangerous.
"If Oracle exists…"
He paused.
"…why hasn't she activated it?"
---
Every camera in the world focused on Elara.
Waiting.
Watching.
Judging.
Because if Oracle truly existed—
then the future might already be in her hands.
---
Elara stepped toward the broadcast camera.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Her voice carried across the silent hall.
"Because some power…"
She looked directly into the lens.
"…should never belong to one person."
Volkov smiled again.
That same unsettling smile.
"Then allow me to solve that problem."
The room froze.
Because the tone in his voice had shifted again.
"Tomorrow morning," he continued softly,
"I will activate my own version of Oracle."
---
Marcus whispered.
"…he built one too?"
Volkov answered him through the screen.
"Oh yes."
Then his eyes locked with Elara's.
"And mine…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…won't hesitate."
The broadcast ended.
---
Silence.
Complete silence.
Marcus slowly exhaled.
"…so the villain just announced he's about to predict the future."
Luca shook his head.
"Not predict."
He looked toward Elara.
"Control it."
Ares spoke quietly.
"Can he actually build Oracle?"
Elara didn't answer immediately.
Because she knew something they didn't.
Something worse.
Finally she said one sentence.
"Yes."
---
And that changed everything.
Volkov just revealed the existence of Oracle.
A system that can simulate the future of the world.
Elara refused to activate hers.
But tomorrow—
Damien Volkov plans to turn his on.
And if he does…
the future may already be decided before it happens.