Chapter 3: The Currency of Control

Isaac couldn't stop thinking about the breach. The thrill of breaking into Fortress, the world's most secure data vault, hadn't faded. But the possibilities that now stretched before him were far more intoxicating.

He sat at his desk, staring at the screen, contemplating his next move. It was one thing to hack into Fortress, but it was another thing entirely to use that power. Isaac wasn't interested in mere data theft. He wanted control—real, tangible power. But to achieve that, he needed resources.

Money.

Isaac had never cared much for wealth, but now, he saw it as the fuel that would ignite his ambitions. He could use his algorithm to siphon off millions, maybe billions, from financial institutions across the globe, and no one would know. The algorithm's digital ghost would ensure that every trace of the theft vanished, leaving the banks baffled and none the wiser.

But first, he needed a test run. Something small. Something to prove the algorithm could work in the financial world as effortlessly as it did in the dark corners of abandoned databases.

He targeted a medium-sized bank in Switzerland. Its security was robust but nowhere near Fortress levels. Isaac watched as his algorithm worked its way into the system, bypassing firewalls, encryption protocols, and safeguards as though they were nothing more than minor inconveniences. Within minutes, it had access to the bank's internal financial network.

Isaac transferred a modest sum—just $50,000—to an untraceable offshore account. A small fraction of what he could take, but enough to confirm the algorithm's capabilities. It was flawless.

Sitting back, Isaac smiled. He had just stolen $50,000, and no one in the world had a clue.