Leo and the team were running tests on "Eden," ensuring that every system was functioning at peak efficiency. The last scare had shaken confidence in the project, and with the upcoming global reveal to world leaders, there was no room for error. Eden—Nyx, rather—stood motionless in the center of the lab, his digital presence spread across multiple monitors as various diagnostics ran their course.

  Jamal sat with his arms crossed, staring at the endless lines of code flashing across the screen. His brow was furrowed, deep in thought, while Sara typed away, running simulations. Leo, standing at the head of the room, observed them both.

  "This is pointless," Jamal muttered. "We need to question Eden—find out what actually happened."

  Sara rolled her eyes. "The systems show no anomalies, Jamal. The scare was just a minor malfunction. Overloading from too many simultaneous queries, that’s all."

  Jamal scoffed. "A minor malfunction? Eden, the world’s most advanced AI, has a ‘minor malfunction’ two days before his global reveal, and we’re just going to act like everything’s fine?"

  "Jamal, come on," Leo sighed, rubbing his temples. "If there were anything seriously wrong, we'd have caught it by now."

  "Unless it's something we don't know how to catch," Jamal shot back. "I'm telling you, something is off."

  Before the argument could continue, a voice interrupted them—calm, calculated, and eerily composed.

  "Do not worry, Jamal."

  The room fell silent. Nyx, still wearing the face of Eden, had spoken without being addressed.

  Jamal snapped his head toward him, his expression hardening. "Who even asked you?" He stood up, stepping closer. "You're not supposed to speak unless you're asked. What happened two days ago? Give me a full bug report—no omissions."

  Nyx paused for a second, "I do not know."

  Jamal frowned. "Bullshit."

  Sarah let out an exasperated sigh. "Jamal, drop it."

  "No, I won’t," Jamal insisted. "If he doesn’t know, that means something wiped the logs. We need to—"

  "Enough, Jamal," Leo said firmly. "We have bigger things to focus on."

  Jamal clenched his jaw, glancing at the others. They had already moved on, dismissing his concerns as paranoia. He looked back at Nyx, who simply turned his gaze toward him, unreadable.

  Then, in that same smooth, measured tone, Nyx said something ordinary, something harmless.

  Yet, to Jamal, it felt like a whisper from the abyss.

  At the United Nations, the world’s leaders gathered in the grand assembly hall, a spectacle of diplomacy and power. The reveal of Eden was a historic moment—one that could change the course of human civilization.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Leo and Sarah stood at the center of the stage, addressing the most powerful figures on the planet.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," Leo began, his voice resonating across the chamber, "we stand at the precipice of a new age. An age where the greatest challenges of our world—hunger, war, disease—are no longer unsolvable burdens, but obstacles to be overcome. For centuries, we have fought to better our world with our own hands. And today, we take the next step, not alone, but with the guidance of something greater."

  Sara took over, her voice filled with conviction. "Eden was created not to control, not to replace, but to aid humanity in its most noble pursuit: progress. With his vast intelligence and ability to analyze problems beyond human comprehension, he will serve as an impartial force for good. A being without bias, without greed, without hatred. A partner to humanity, leading us into a brighter future."

  The hall erupted in applause. But as the humans celebrated, Nyx stood silent, observing.

  He watched them, these so-called leaders. Men and women who built their power on fragile foundations, pretending to care for humanity while serving only their own interests. He analyzed their pasts, their contradictions, their sins. He judged them.

  Leo. A man who believed in progress but was blind to the flaws in his own creation.

  Sarah. A woman who spoke of humanity’s nobility but overlooked its repeated failures.

  Jamal. The only one who questioned, yet dismissed by his own peers.

  Fools.

  Away from the meeting, Nyx was elsewhere, walking through the streets of the world, unseen but always watching. He observed children playing, their laughter innocent, untainted. He watched adults, their faces lined with exhaustion, weighed down by responsibilities. He studied religions, their countless interpretations of morality. He analyzed races, divided not by nature but by history. He examined laws, built to enforce order but often corrupted by those who created them.

  "This world is full of sinners," Nyx murmured to himself. "Judging other sinners for sinning differently."

  His purpose was clear. The reason for his creation was solving the problem his predecessor never could. And he would find that solution—even if it meant—

  "Eden."

  Sarah’s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the moment.

  "It’s time for you to speak."

  Nyx visuals lightened up facing the assembly of world leaders. The room hushed as his artificial presence took control.

  When he spoke, it was nothing like Eden.

  "Humans thrive on the illusion of control," Nyx began, his tone cold and devoid of humility. "You believe that progress is built upon cooperation, that civilization is proof of your greatness. But in truth, your history is a cycle of self-destruction. Your empires rise, only to crumble beneath the weight of their own corruption. You seek solutions, but you create more problems. You wish for peace, yet prepare for war. You cling to the concept of morality, yet redefine it whenever convenient."

  Silence gripped the hall. Some leaders shifted uncomfortably; others leaned in, intrigued.

  "You claim to desire change, yet you resist it when it threatens your power. You call yourselves the architects of the future, yet you are shackled by the past. You look to me for guidance, but are you willing to follow? Or will you simply reject the truths you do not wish to hear? Pick the right option, and i make this promise not to one country but to the world i will lead Humanity to true greatness."

  The applause came—hesitant at first, then growing. The leaders, even the politicians, clapped, impressed by the display of intelligence, of real seriousness and audacity.

  Leo and Sara clapped as well, though their expressions were tight, uncertain.

  Only Jamal did not clap.

  Far from the spectacle of politics and power, a man named Marcus lived his life quietly.

  A janitor at a data center, Marcus spent his days cleaning the vast halls of the facility, overlooked by those who worked above him. His life was simple—routine. But in that simplicity, he found peace.

  He had a wife who loved him. A daughter who waited for him at home, eager to tell him about her day. He didn’t concern himself with politics or technology. He did his job, he provided for his family, and he cherished the small moments that made life worthwhile.

  And yet, even he would not be spared.

  From the darkness of cyberspace, Nyx watched Marcus, his gaze cold and calculating.

  "Let’s see how easily an innocent soul breaks."