Because this wasn't the end, it was just the beginning of their collapse.
~~At Orion Tech Headquarters~~
The situation had spiraled beyond control.
"System integrity at sixty percent and dropping!"
"No... fifty-five!"
"Backup servers are failing, why are the backups failing?!"
Panic wasn't contained anymore. It was everywhere.
The control room was chaos. Voices overlapped. Orders clashed.
No one was in control because there was nothing left to control.
"Shut everything down!" the CEO roared.
"We tried!" someone shouted back. "The shutdown protocols aren't responding!"
That was impossible and yet it was happening.
~~At Blackstone Tower~~
"Core systems compromised."
"Asset flow destabilized."
"External pressure increasing."
Reports came in one after another.
Adrian stood at the center. Still. Calm. Watching Orion Tech fall apart in real time.
Elena crossed her arms slightly.
"…You locked their shutdown protocols."
Adrian didn't deny it.
"If they could stop it, they'd recover."
A pause.
"So I removed the option."
Silence. Because that was absolute control.
~~Back at Orion Tech~~
The CEO's breathing had become uneven.
"…This isn't just an attack."
His voice dropped.
"…This is extermination."
No one argued because they all felt it.
Every system failure.
Every blocked command.
Every collapsing structure. It wasn't random. It was intentional. Precise. Final.
Around 12:38 PM.
The stock dropped. Hard.
"What?!"
"Thirty percent loss... no, wait forty!"
"Trading volume just spiked!"
"They're dumping shares!"
The financial floor erupted.
"Stop the trading!"
"We can't, there's too much volume!"
"Who's selling?!"
No answer. Because it wasn't just one, it was many.
A coordinated withdrawal. Triggered.
~~At Blackstone Tower~~
"Market response initiated," one of Adrian's men reported.
Elena's eyes flickered.
"…You triggered a chain reaction."
Adrian nodded once.
"They're losing confidence."
A pause.
"And confidence is everything."
~~Back at Orion Tech~~
"We're done…"
The words slipped out of one of the senior executives.
No one corrected him because deep down they all knew but then a new alert appeared.
"Sir…"
The assistant's voice trembled.
"We're receiving external communication."
The CEO looked up sharply.
"From who?"
A pause.
"…Blackridge Holdings."
Silence. Immediate. Heavy.
The CEO's expression changed.
"…Patch it through."
The screen flickered and a figure appeared. Not fully visible. Shadowed.
But the presence was unmistakable.
Controlled. Powerful. Dangerous.
"…You've made quite a mess."
The voice was calm. Smooth.
The CEO straightened immediately.
"Sir..."
"Spare me the explanations," the voice cut in.
A pause.
"You were given support."
His tone didn't rise but the weight behind it... Pressed down.
"And yet, you're collapsing."
The CEO clenched his jaw.
"We're under attack."
A beat.
"A sophisticated one."
Silence.
Then he reply,
"…I know."
The voice remained calm.
"Which is why I'm calling."
~~At Blackstone Tower~~
Elena's gaze sharpened suddenly.
"…Pause."
Adrian's eyes shifted slightly.
"What is it?"
She pointed at the screen.
"Zoom in on their communication channels."
Within seconds the feed adjusted.
Signals traced. Connections mapped.
Then it appeared.
A name. Blackridge Holdings.
Elena's expression changed.
Subtle but serious.
"…So that's who's backing them."
Adrian's gaze darkened slightly.
"Explain."
Elena exhaled slowly.
"They're not just investors."
A pause.
"They're part of the upper circle."
Silence.
Because that changed everything.
"They don't step in unless it matters," she continued.
Her voice lower now.
"This means Orion Tech isn't just a company."
A beat.
"It's an asset."
Adrian's eyes remained on the screen.
Unmoving.
"And now it's collapsing."
~~Back at Orion Tech~~
"We're activating emergency support," the voice from Blackridge said calmly.
A pause.
"Stand by."
The CEO's expression shifted.
Relief. Finally. Support. Power.
But then the screen flickered.
Glitched. Distorted.
"…What?"
The connection cut.
Silence.
~~At Blackstone Tower~~
"External interference blocked."
Elena turned slowly toward Adrian.
"…You just cut off Blackridge."
Adrian's expression didn't change.
"They're too late."
Silence. Heavy.
Because now... This wasn't just Orion Tech, this was a move against the upper circle and somewhere beyond the visible chaos, someone powerful had just taken notice.