The stock market opened like a battlefield.
Elara Voss sat in her room, laptop glowing, Finn Calder at her side, both of them surrounded by screens streaming numbers, charts, and news feeds. The clock ticked to 9:30 a.m. — the precise moment her first calculated public move would take place.
Elara: Are we ready?
Finn: Ready. The orders are queued. You're about to make history… or enemies.
She smiled faintly. "Perfect."
Her first target was NovaTech Systems — a small AI startup she had quietly invested in weeks earlier. Its stock price had been stagnant, overlooked, undervalued. Today, she would change that.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard. With a few precise trades, she began manipulating market perception — releasing subtle hints to news channels, pushing tech blogs to mention "a breakthrough in AI analytics," all anonymous. Within minutes, NovaTech's stock began to rise.
And just like she predicted, the media and investors followed, buying in — unaware that a sixteen-year-old girl was the architect.
______
By mid-morning, NovaTech shares had surged 40%, doubling the value of her initial investment. Finn whooped quietly.
"You did it!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think it would happen so fast!"
Elara leaned back in her chair, expression serene. "This is only the beginning. Observe carefully."
Across the city, news outlets picked up the story: "NovaTech Systems' AI Breakthrough Sends Shares Skyrocketing." Headlines flashed across screens, analysts scrambling to understand the sudden surge.
And in ValeCorp headquarters, Damien Vale read the same story, frowning.
A sudden 40% spike in NovaTech shares?
He turned to his assistant, voice low and sharp. "Track the trades. Find the source."
Minutes later, his eyes narrowed. There it was: a chain of trades, traced through shell companies. A trail leading, improbably, to Elara Voss.
______
Back at the Voss estate, Elara watched the reactions carefully. Family advisors were impressed, her father pleased but unaware of the exact mechanics, and her stepsister Lyra scowled — though outwardly she masked her envy.
Lyra's whispers were sharp. "Who taught you how to do this? Are you trying to embarrass me?"
Elara smiled politely. "I prefer to call it… learning from experience."
Lyra's jaw tightened. Experience, indeed. Ten years' worth, this time fully utilized.
______
The next day, Elara received a sleek, black envelope at her desk. The seal bore the symbol she had come to recognize — Damien Vale's signature mark.
Inside was a single card:
Impressive work, Miss Voss. But the game is far from over. I'll be watching.
Her pulse quickened — the first direct acknowledgment from the man who had haunted her thoughts since the gala.
She placed the card carefully on her desk, next to her journal, and wrote a note in her own hand:
Phase One – public victory. Damien Vale now aware. Proceed to Phase Two: establish influence through alliances.
She paused, fingers brushing the card. Something about Damien Vale intrigued her — a variable she could not yet control. And she liked the challenge.
______
The following week, she leveraged her newfound NovaTech profits to invest in a small renewable energy startup — Vireo Energy. The company, unknown to the public, would later merge with a major corporation. In her hands, it became a launchpad for alliances and influence.
Through these moves, she began contacting potential allies discreetly — young innovators, minor politicians, and financial minds who would one day become pillars of her empire.
Every move was precise. Every alliance calculated. Every interaction a test of loyalty.
_______
One evening, Damien Vale appeared unexpectedly at the academy — a rare public outing for the young CEO. He had heard whispers of NovaTech's sudden surge and traced it to the Voss family.
Elara spotted him immediately across the hall, his tall frame cutting through the crowd with a predatory grace. His eyes met hers, sharp, unreadable.
She smiled politely and approached, confident.
"Mr. Vale," she said smoothly, voice calm. "To what do we owe this honor?"
He inclined his head slightly. "Curiosity," he replied, his gaze studying her like a chess master inspecting a pawn… or a queen. "I had to see for myself whether the rumors were true."
"They are," she said simply, letting the words linger. "And soon, they'll be even more than rumors."
His lips curved in the faintest smirk. "Ambition is dangerous for someone your age."
Elara's eyes sparkled. "Ambition is dangerous at any age."
Something unspoken passed between them. He recognized her talent, her courage, her audacity — and perhaps something else, a flicker of recognition he couldn't explain.
_______
By the end of the week, Elara's influence was quietly spreading.
Investors who had once ignored her family now approached with curiosity. Political advisors whispered of her insight. And Damien Vale — ever observant — began building his own dossier on the young girl who had suddenly disrupted the market.
Elara, in her room that night, updated her journal:
Phase Two – Establish Influence:
• NovaTech investment complete. Public victory achieved.
• Vireo Energy acquired quietly. Alliances forming.
• Damien Vale aware. Keep observation ongoing.
• Next target: Zenith Micro. Begin subtle control measures.
She leaned back in her chair, fingers brushing her hair. She had survived death once. She had knowledge of ten years. And she had just won her first public victory.
Her reflection in the window showed a girl who looked ordinary. But behind her eyes burned the heart of someone who had conquered her first battlefield — and was only beginning.
______
Meanwhile, Damien Vale returned to his office, reviewing her trades in detail.
"This girl," he muttered to himself, "she's… extraordinary."
He tapped his fingers against the desk. "I need to watch her. Closely. And learn what she knows — before she uses it against me."
Outside, the city lights shimmered. Two minds, two ambitions, one inevitable collision.
And neither knew exactly who would strike first.