Chapter 325: The Weight of Knowledge

Words : 2105 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 325: The Weight of KnowledgeTwo weeks had passed since Anthony’s initial intelligence briefing, and the apartment had settled into a rhythm of quiet preparation. The morning sun streamed through the windows as I made my way to Evelyn’s room, carrying a cup of her preferred tea—Earl Grey with a touch of honey, I’ve noticed how Sienna has made her preferences switch from coffee to tea. I knocked softly on her door, hearing the rustle of papers from within. "Come in," came her muffled voice. I entered to find her sitting at her desk, her familiar black blindfold secured over her eyes, surrounded by neat stacks of documents and files. Even without sight, she moved with the precision of someone who had long ago adapted to working in darkness. Her Psychological Insight is really like a cane for her when I’m in the room. Thankfully she could still remove the blindfold when I’m gone. Though I have to deal with that stupid Cain Protocol soon enough. "Tea," I said simply, setting the cup within easy reach of her right hand. "Thank you." She turned slightly in my direction, her blindfolded face somehow still managing to convey attention. "I assume you’re here about the UN meeting. Anthony’s preliminary intelligence was... illuminating." I settled into the chair across from her, noting how she’d organized her workspace. Everything had its place, every document positioned where she could find it by touch. The efficiency was impressive, even if the necessity behind it was tragic. "I need everything you can tell me about the leaders I’ll be facing. Anthony gave me the priority profiles, but you’ve worked with the government. I’m hoping you know things you’re willing to share." Evelyn nodded, her fingers dancing across the papers until she found what she was looking for. "Let’s start with the ones Anthony identified, then move to the others who will be there." She lifted a file, her movements precise despite her blindness. "President Kara Valeska of Poland. Anthony suspects she might be S-Rank disguised as A-Rank Diplomatic Strategist. He’s not wrong to be suspicious." "What do you know about her?" "Officially, she’s been President for eight years. Unofficially, she’s been the real power behind Polish politics for nearly two decades. Her ’diplomatic strategies’ aren’t just about negotiation—she can read people’s motivations, predict their responses, and manipulate outcomes with surgical precision." Evelyn’s fingers tapped against the desk. "But here’s what Anthony wouldn’t know: she has connections to the old NovaCore research division. Not the main branch, but a subsidiary that focused on psychological conditioning." My blood ran cold. "What kind of connections?" "Her sister was a researcher there. Disappeared during the collapse, presumed dead. But Kara’s rise to power coincided suspiciously with the acquisition of certain... techniques... that NovaCore had been developing. Enhanced persuasion, subliminal influence, the ability to make people believe they’re making their own choices." I felt my Instinct flare with warning. "You think she’s using a job title?" "I think it’s a possibility. Whether she’s S-Rank or just A-Rank with a title, she’s dangerous. She’ll try to get inside your head, make you doubt your own judgment." Evelyn’s voice carried a note of professional concern. "Don’t let her isolate you for private conversation. Ever." She moved to the next file. "Samuel Osei of Ghana. Anthony noted his mercenary connections, but there’s more. He’s been quietly building what amounts to a private army disguised as urban development crews. His A-Rank Urban Developer abilities let him reshape entire cities, but he’s also using those same skills to create hidden bunkers, secure communication networks, and weapon caches." "For what purpose?" "Unknown. But I suspect he’s preparing for something—either a major conflict or a complete breakdown of international order. He might be an ally, but he’s also someone who’s planning for the worst-case scenario. That could make him either very useful or very dangerous, depending on what he thinks that scenario is." The next file made Evelyn’s expression tighten even through the blindfold. "Liang Mei of China. Anthony was right to be concerned about her NovaCore connections. She didn’t just have ties to the company—she was one of their primary contractors for developing surveillance technology. Her A-Rank Cybersecurity Analyst abilities were specifically enhanced through NovaCore’s programs." "Enhanced how?" "Think beyond normal cybersecurity. She can interface directly with digital systems, process information at superhuman speeds, and most concerningly, she can detect and analyze psychological patterns through digital footprints. If you’ve ever used a computer, sent a message, or been recorded on any system, she probably has a psychological profile of you." I felt a chill. "How detailed?" "Detailed enough to predict your responses, identify your weaknesses, and potentially manipulate your decision-making process. She’s not just a cybersecurity expert—she’s a digital psychologist with access to more personal information than should be possible." Evelyn’s voice carried a warning. "Assume she knows everything about you that can be digitally tracked. Plan accordingly." The next file was thicker than the others. "Mateo Alvarez of Spain. Anthony’s assessment was accurate but incomplete. Yes, he’s an A-Rank Resource Allocator who uses economic pressure to control opposition. But he’s also been systematically eliminating potential rivals through ’accidents’ and ’coincidences’ that stretch credibility. His cheerful public persona masks someone who’s incredibly ruthless." "You think he’s having people killed?" "I think he’s creating conditions where people die from seemingly natural causes—supply shortages in exactly the right places, infrastructure failures that affect specific individuals, economic pressures that drive people to desperate actions. He never pulls the trigger himself, but he arranges the circumstances. It’s brilliant in its subtlety and horrifying in its effectiveness." The final file from Anthony’s priority list made Evelyn pause. "Nikita Rostov of Belarus. Anthony suspected possible S-Rank, and I believe he’s correct. His public job is A-Rank Military Strategist, but my evaluation suggests he’s actually S-Rank Tactical Coordinator." "What’s the difference?" "Military Strategist plans battles and wars. Tactical Coordinator can predict and manipulate the flow of entire conflicts across multiple fronts simultaneously. If he’s S-Rank, he’s not just planning military actions—he’s orchestrating complex geopolitical scenarios with battlefield-level precision." Evelyn’s voice dropped. "He’s also the most likely to see through any deception or misdirection. If you try to manipulate him, he’ll know immediately." I absorbed this information, feeling the weight of what I was facing. But Evelyn wasn’t finished. "Now for the others who will be there." She reached for a different stack of files. "President Sarah Chen of South Korea. A-Rank Information Broker. She trades in secrets, and she’s built a network of intelligence that rivals most national agencies. She’ll know things about everyone at the meeting, including you." "What kind of things?" "Personal details, financial information, relationship dynamics, psychological profiles. She uses information as currency and leverage. Expect her to know about your father’s NovaCore connections, your abilities, and possibly details about the girls that you’d prefer to keep private." Another file. "Chancellor Erik Volkov of Germany. A-Rank Economic Manipulator. He can destabilize entire markets or prop up failing economies with surgical precision. He’s been quietly positioning Germany as the economic powerhouse of Europe, but he’s also been creating dependencies that could be weaponized." "Prime Minister James Morrison of the Canada. A-Rank Public Relations Specialist. He can shape public opinion on a massive scale, turn heroes into villains or villains into heroes through carefully crafted narratives. He’s the one who’s been publicly supporting you, but..." "But?" "But no politician supports someone without expecting something in return. And Morrison’s ability to manipulate public perception means he could turn that support into a weapon if you don’t give him what he wants." Evelyn’s voice carried a warning. "Be very careful about what you promise him, and assume everything you say will be analyzed for potential public relations value." She continued through more files. "President Maria Santos of Brazil. A-Rank Environmental Engineer. She’s been using her abilities to reverse deforestation and climate damage, but she’s also been creating economic dependencies around environmental restoration. Countries that want her help have to accept her terms." "Prime Minister David Kim of Australia. A-Rank Resource Surveyor. He can locate and evaluate natural resources with unprecedented accuracy. Australia has become incredibly wealthy under his leadership, but he’s also been making deals that could destabilize global resource markets." The list continued, each leader representing a different approach to power, a different way of using enhanced abilities to maintain control. By the time Evelyn finished, I had a mental map of nearly thirty individuals, each with their own agenda, their own methods, their own hidden depths. "There’s one more thing you need to know," Evelyn said, setting down the final file. "The meeting itself is being held in neutral territory—a specially constructed facility in Switzerland. But the security arrangements, the meeting protocols, even the seating arrangements have been designed by committee. That means multiple people have had input into how everything will work." "What does that mean?" "It means someone could have built advantages into the location itself. Hidden surveillance, psychological manipulation through environmental factors, even the timing of breaks and meals could be designed to influence decision-making." Evelyn’s blindfolded face turned toward me. "Don’t trust the environment. Don’t trust the schedule. And definitely don’t trust any private meetings or side conversations." I sat back in my chair, processing everything she’d told me. The scope of what I was facing was staggering—not just individual leaders with their own agendas, but a carefully orchestrated event where every detail could be part of someone’s strategy. "What would you do?" I asked. "I’d stay home," she said immediately. "But since you won’t or worse, can’t do that, I’d go in assuming everyone is lying about something, everything is being recorded, and every interaction is part of someone’s larger game. Trust your instincts, but verify everything. And remember—" She reached across the desk and found my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "Remember that you’re not just representing yourself. You’re representing the possibility that there’s a better way to do things. Some of them will want to corrupt that. Others will want to destroy it. But a few might actually want to help, if they believe it’s possible." "How do I tell the difference?" "You watch what they do when they think no one is looking. You listen to what they don’t say. And you trust that your abilities will help you see through their deceptions." She squeezed my hand. "But most importantly, you don’t let them change who you are. The moment you start thinking like them, acting like them, you’ve already lost." Six weeks later, I stood in the same spot where I’d first read Anthony’s intelligence files, but everything had changed. The apartment felt different—charged with the tension of tomorrow’s departure. My bags were packed, my mental preparations complete, and the weight of what was coming pressed down on me like a physical force. The girls had been unusually quiet during dinner, each dealing with the approaching separation in their own way. Camille had cracked more jokes than usual, her humor a shield against worry. Alexis had been efficiently helpful, organizing details and making sure everything was in order. Sienna had been quietly supportive, her presence a constant source of strength. And Evelyn had retreated into her work, though I’d caught her listening more intently to conversations, as if trying to memorize every detail. Now, as the evening settled into night, I found myself looking out at the city lights and thinking about all the information I’d gathered, all the warnings I’d received, all the preparations I’d made. Tomorrow, I would fly to Switzerland. The day after that, I would sit in a room with some of the most powerful and dangerous people in the world. And somewhere...somehow, in that room, Mark would be listening, ready to show me whatever truth he wanted me to see about the nature of power, about the cost of idealism, about the compromises that came with trying to change the world. I thought about Evelyn’s final words: "Don’t let them change who you are." But as I stood there in the quiet of the apartment, surrounded by the life I’d built and the people I loved, I wondered if that was even possible. Could anyone walk into that kind of environment and emerge unchanged? Could I hold onto my principles while navigating a world where principles were just another tool to be used and discarded? The morning would bring answers I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. But for now, I had this—the warmth of home, the certainty of purpose, and the knowledge that whatever happened tomorrow, I would face it as myself.

Chapter 325: The Weight of Knowledge

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