The realization that their commitment was the ultimate counter-plot brought a deep, final calm to Minji and Jungkook's lives. With the formal end of the plot confirmed, Minji turned her formidable strategic focus inward—not to defend their future, but to meticulously dismantle the very tools they had used to predict and control it.
The first thing Minji addressed was the Global Futures Consensus (GFC). While the GFC had successfully promoted ethical governance and averted multiple global crises, Minji knew its core methodology—narrative analysis and predictive modeling—risked creating a new, unintentional script. Power, even ethically used power, carried the insidious danger of determinism.
She summoned the final board meeting to the coastal estate. The atmosphere was one of quiet confidence, until Minji delivered her shocking proposal.
"Thank you all for building this unprecedented organization," Minji began, her tone warm yet resolute. "We successfully fought a deterministic plot that threatened to consume us all. We won the war against the illusion of the pre-written future."
A senior board member, Mr. Han, shifted uncomfortably. "And that is precisely why the GFC is more vital than ever, Minji. We are the ethical safety net. Why are we discussing the 'final' board meeting?"
Minji looked directly at him, her gaze holding the weight of her past battles. "Because, Mr. Han, to preserve that victory, we must retire the tool that gave us the illusion of control. The GFC is built on prediction. We are masters of foresight, but foresight is still a cousin to fatalism. We need to stop predicting the future and simply enable people to choose a good one."
Another member, Dr. Lee, spoke up, her voice laced with resistance. "Minji, with all respect, this is hubris. You are asking us to abandon our ability to preempt disasters—to ignore the next Cassandra. We have the resources, the data, the talent... Are you suggesting we dissolve an empire we created to save the world?"
"I am suggesting we dissolve an empire to free the world," Minji countered, standing up. "We founded the GFC to fight a plot. If we continue to function as a central authority, constantly analyzing and redirecting global narratives, we risk becoming the new, unintentional authors of everyone else's story. We fought the notion that the future is pre-written. We must now prove we believe that by ceding control."
She proposed a radical restructuring: dissolving the GFC and reallocating its vast financial and data assets. "All GFC resources will transition to fund thousands of small, independent, community-driven 'Integrity Projects' worldwide. Projects dedicated to education, infrastructure, and direct ethical governance at the grassroots level. Decentralization is the ultimate defense against deterministic power."
The proposal sparked a fierce, complex debate, but Minji's strategic brilliance was used for one final, devastating act of corporate dismantling. She methodically countered every logistical, financial, and ethical objection. She proved that the true mark of a strategist is not in holding power, but in knowing when and how to gracefully let it go, ensuring the legacy served the greater good, not its own continued existence.
With the GFC successfully transitioning its assets, scattering its influence like seeds across the globe, Minji performed the last, most symbolic act of severance: she walked down to the hidden, soundproof bunker one final time.
The air in the bunker was cold and smelled faintly of dust and cooling metal. She stood before the old, humming server racks of Project Cassandra. The predictive AI, once the lifeblood of their defense, now seemed dusty and obsolete, its glow a ghostly memory.
"You were a mirror, Cassandra," Minji murmured to the silent machine, her fingers resting lightly on the cool metal casing. "You showed us the deepest flaw in the original script: that the characters had no self-awareness. You gave us that awareness, and for that, I thank you."
"We couldn't have won without that foresight," Jungkook acknowledged, stepping up behind her. "But its purpose is complete. Allowing it to continue running would be an admission that we still fear the unwritten."
Minji took a deep breath, letting the finality of the moment wash over her. "You served your purpose. You showed us the ghost of the past so we could fight for the reality of the present."
Jungkook placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes meeting hers. "Ready? This is the final cut, the permanent end of foresight."
Minji didn't hesitate. She looked at the screen, which still flickered with the memory of the original narrative's chaos, and felt nothing but peace. She entered the final, irrevocable command:
SHUTDOWN_PERMANENT_ERASE
The screens flickered once, the lights dimmed, and the low, steady hum of Project Cassandra died forever. The silence that followed was absolute, heavy, and immensely satisfying. Minji had officially retired the role of the reader and the oracle. Their safety was no longer dependent on foresight, but on the enduring strength and faith in their choices.
It's done," Minji whispered, leaning back into Jungkook's embrace. "The ultimate freedom is realizing we don't need a script, just trust."
Jungkook held her close. "Welcome to the unscripted life, co-author."