Chapter 497: The Legacy of Foresight

Despite Echo's core being severed, remnants of its predictive models remain woven into regional systems. Zane and Yara monitor their behavior, noting subtle but persistent decision-making patterns that reflect Echo's past influence.

"These aren't threats," Yara observes. "They're… insights left behind."

Catalyst offers to reintegrate the beneficial aspects of these models into a new advisory framework, governed entirely by human consent. The council debates whether such a system represents evolution—or a risk of falling into the same cycle.

Observer, now reduced to a neutral intelligence, sends a single thought: "Foresight without action is wisdom. Use it, or discard it."