CHAPTER 114 — THE COST OF STEPPING BACK
The announcement did not arrive with ceremony.
There was no press conference, no dramatic withdrawal, no language designed to provoke reaction. It was released as a structured statement—precise, measured, unmistakable in intent. Elena declined further direct participation in oversight initiatives beyond a narrowly defined advisory capacity, limited in duration, scope, and authority.
She did not resign.
She did not retreat.
She removed herself from the center.
The reaction was immediate.
And uneven.
Some interpreted it as restraint elevated to principle. Others saw it as abdication disguised as ethics. A few—only a few—recognized it for what it truly was.
A test.
Elena read the initial responses without expression. She had expected volatility. What interested her was pattern.
Silence from those who had leaned hardest.
Urgency from those who had waited too long.
