That night, Camellia activated the Radius invitation on her secure tablet. The screen shimmered to reveal a minimalist virtual space — no names, no images, just kinetic data streams and pulsing voice nodes.

“Camellia,” a modulated voice greeted her. “Welcome to Threshold.”

“What is this?” she asked.

“Not surveillance. Not hierarchy. A shared future, ethically guided.”

A second voice chimed in:

“You built integrity into MirrorGhost when no one else dared. That’s why we’re watching.”

Camellia raised her chin. “Are you offering me a seat?”

“No,” the voice replied. “We’re offering you a choice.”

In his private study, Alexander answered a call from his cousin Leo in Milan.

“They’re planning...