Apocalypse Trade Monopoly
Chapter 54: : Fixing the Unfixed

Chapter 54: : Fixing the Unfixed

Lucas smirked, tapping his fingers against the table. "Three outcomes."

The Oracle nodded. "And yet, your mind is already set on a fourth."

Ava tilted her head. "He planned something already, didn’t he?"

The Oracle sipped her tea. "Of course he did."

Lucas leaned back, golden eyes sharp. "I don’t play games without knowing the odds."

The Oracle sighed. "And yet, you insist on walking into the unknown anyway."

Lucas grinned. "That’s what makes it fun."

Ava exhaled. "So? What’s the plan?"

Lucas glanced at the Oracle. "She said the second choice—the direct strike—would cost too much. I agree."

The Oracle nodded. "Because you would win the battle, but the war would spiral beyond your control."

Lucas tilted his head. "But what if the battlefield wasn’t where they expected?"

Ava caught the shift. "You’re moving the game board."

Lucas chuckled. "I already have."

The Oracle watched him carefully. "And yet, you ask for my insight."

Lucas nodded. "I don’t mind calculated risks. But I prefer inevitable results."

The Oracle sighed, shaking her head. "Then double down."

Ava stiffened. "You’re saying to commit harder?"

The Oracle folded her hands. "Your path is already set, Bai. Your outcome is nearly fixed."

Ava felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. "And me?"

The Oracle’s gaze softened. "You are different, child. Your path is not yet chosen. You may still alter the course of what comes next."

Lucas tilted his head, golden eyes narrowing. "You can’t see her future, can you?"

The Oracle sighed. "Not until she chooses it."

Ava exhaled sharply. "That’s... comforting."

Lucas grinned. "See, Beauty? You’re the wild card."

The Oracle smiled faintly. "Indeed. Which is why she must decide carefully. The ripples of her choices will shape more than just her own fate."

Ava met Lucas’s gaze. "So. What’s the real play?"

Lucas grinned, voice smooth. "We set the trap."

The Oracle watched Lucas carefully, the gleam of amusement in her eyes shifting into something like amusement.

"Bai." Her voice was smooth, knowing. "Tell me something—have you thought about happiness?"

Lucas chuckled, lazy and unbothered. "Not really my specialty."

The Oracle tilted her head. "You should try it sometime."

Ava stayed silent, arms crossed, but her gaze flicked between them.

This wasn’t just casual conversation.

Lucas leaned back. "Happiness is just a distraction."

She sighed. "No, Bai. It’s the endgame."

Ava exhaled. "Are we getting to the part where you sell us overpriced information?"

The Oracal smirked. "I’ll give you this one for free."

She picked up her glass, swirling the liquid before speaking.

"Let me tell you a story."

Ava felt the air shift.

Because stories, especially in places like this?

Always meant something more.

She took a slow sip, then set her glass down. "Once, there was a boy and a girl."

Lucas grinned. "Classic setup."

She ignored him. "They weren’t meant to meet. Different lives. Different paths. But fate is funny that way—it always pushes the most unlikely people together."

Ava kept her expression neutral, but something about the way she spoke—

It felt too close. Too pointed.

The Oracle continued. "The boy was meant for greatness with ambition. He was reckless. Untamed. And people around him—they wanted to mold him into something useful."

Lucas tilted his head, still smirking, but quieter now. Listening.

The Oracle sighed. "The girl? She was the opposite. She saw things differently. She built, she created."

Ava felt her pulse slow.

Because now?

Now it didn’t sound like a story at all.

The Oracle leaned forward slightly. "Together, they were something rare. A balance. The boy needed focus. The girl needed control. But fate is cruel. And power? It makes people greedy."

Lucas chuckled, golden eyes sharp. "And let me guess. Something tore them apart?"

She smiled faintly. "The world tried. Betrayal, ambition, mistakes—everything conspired to pull them away from each other."

Ava exhaled. "And? Did it succeed?"

The Oracle studied her for a long, quiet moment. Then—

"That," she murmured, "depends on how the story ends."

Ava went still.

Lucas grinned, but it was different now. "Clever."

The Oracle sighed, standing up. "Think about it, Bai. Happiness isn’t something you chase."

She glanced at Ava, a small knowing smile on her lips.

Lucas exhaled, pushing back his chair with an easy smirk. "Well, Oracle, as always, it’s been enlightening story."

The Oracle tilted her head, eyes unreadable. "And yet, you will do what you always intended."

Lucas grinned. "Of course. But I appreciate the insight."

Ava watched as he reached into his jacket, pulling out a small, polished case. He flicked it open, revealing a single black token—unlike any standard bunker currency.

Ava’s system flickered.

[SCANNING OBJECT...]

[VALUE: UNREGISTERED]

[RARE TRADE UNIT—CUSTOM CONTRACT PAYMENT]

The Oracle picked it up delicately, turning it between her fingers. "You always pay in things more valuable than money, Bai."

Lucas winked. "Money is temporary. Favors are forever."

The Oracle smiled faintly. "And yet, one day, even you may need to cash in a favor of your own."

Lucas chuckled. "Let’s hope that day never comes."

The Oracle stood gracefully, the weight of the conversation still hanging between them. "Then I will leave you to your fate.Boy."

Lucas gave a mock bow. "Pleasure doing business with you as always."

Ava exhaled, stepping back toward the door. "We should go."

Lucas nodded, shooting the Oracle one last smirk. "If we survive the next three days, I’ll owe you a drink."

The Oracle laughed softly. "Then I expect a fine vintage and a gift."

Ava shook her head, already stepping outside. "Gentleman first, Bai."

Lucas followed, slipping his hands back into his pockets as they left the tea house.

The moment they stepped onto the street, the air felt different. Heavier. Like something had already shifted.

Lucas sighed dramatically. "Three days, Beauty. Let’s see who makes it out alive."

Ava rolled her shoulders. "Better make sure it’s us."

Lucas grinned. "Always."

And with that, they disappeared into the streets—walking straight into whatever fate had in store.

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