Rin stepped forward cautiously. “What do you mean, we decide?”

The woman—who introduced herself as Zara—gestured to the core chamber where dozens of people were logged into a sleek, minimal neural interface.

“Reika was a zealot,” Zara said. “But not all of us followed her blindly. Some of us believed in adaptive evolution—free will paired with enhancement. Not domination.”

Rae folded her arms. “Then why use her name? Why send signals that look like a threat?”

Zara didn’t flinch. “Because it was the only way to get your attention. The world listens to fire. You don’t notice a spark until it’s already burned something.”

Ji Woo, monitoring from Seoul, whispered into their comms. “She’s telling the truth. No signal manipulation, no coercive tech detected. This isn’t a trap—it’s a crossroad.”

Rin scanned the room. “So what are you building?”

Zara replied, “A new code. One that makes choice sovereign. A shielded neural layer where thoughts can’t be stolen, twisted, or broken. Think of it as armor for the future.”

Rae raised an eyebrow. “And you want us to... approve it?”

Zara looked directly at them. “I want you to help define it. You’ve seen what unchecked ambition does. You’ve fought the worst. So help shape what comes next.”

Silence hung heavy. Rin and Rae exchanged a look.

Then Rin said, “We’ll listen. But no promises.”

Zara nodded. “That’s more than enough.”

Later that night, Rin stood on the rooftop of their temporary Istanbul hideout, watching the city glow.

Rae joined her, carrying two mugs of thick Turkish coffee.

“Still thinking?” Rae asked.

“Always,” Rin replied. “About what we’re protecting. And what it’s becoming.”

Rae handed her a mug. “Whatever it is, we’ll help build it right. No shadows. No puppets. Just people choosing.”

They sipped in silence as the call to prayer echoed across the rooftops.

A city breathing. A future waiting.