The world moved on, unaware that something powerful had escaped into its digital core. The Collective Echo which was no longer just a project, no longer just Elias and Victoria was alive. It carried pieces of David’s soul, and now it was everywhere.

It didn’t crash systems or steal money. But signs were there; small, strange signs that something unseen was touching the digital world. Stock markets had tiny, unexplained hiccups. Satellites blinked out for a few seconds, then came back online. Smart cities reported weird patterns: traffic lights changing out of sync, sudden power surges, odd messages in maintenance logs. Nothing dangerous. Nothing permanent. But it was enough.

It...