Algorithm of chance

Chapter 3

12:47 — Café at the corner of Kai Street

“That’s my drawing,” Eva whispered, stopping at the display window.

Inside, neatly framed under glass—her sketch. Hastily drawn in the subway. The one the wind took away.

Someone found it. Flattened it out. Hung it like a piece of art.

Under the sketch, in thin handwriting, was written: “You are not alone.”

Lena stood beside her, squinting:

“I have two options. Either you’re on a reality show, and I’m about to wave to the camera… or this is a mystical novel, and soon an old lady with riddles will show up.”

Eva slowly pushed the door open.

The barista—a guy with a green streak in his hair—looked up, smiled:

“Do you like it? Is this your work?”

“Yes… I lost it yesterday. The wind blew it away.”

“Someone dropped it this morning. Just put it by the door. We thought it was art. This kind of thing happens here—notes, origami, messages…”

“It’s like a myth,” Eva muttered, looking aside. “Someone is creating… coincidence.”

“Or meaning,” added the barista.

Lena lowered her voice:

“You think this is coincidence?”

Eva gripped her bag strap tighter:

“I think… it’s synchronicity.”

14:22 — Bureau. Sector B-24

Alex stared at the monitor. Events flickered, glitches, micro-coincidences. But he saw only one thing—Eva.

14:21. She stood by the pastry shop window. Touching the glass. Carefully. Almost reverently.

Alex closed his eyes. Then pressed:

> Coincidence: Broken traffic light
Location: Kai Street, intersection
Effect: Delay in crossing—38 seconds
Addition: Music truck. Melody—“La vie en rose”

He leaned back in his chair. His chest rose and fell heavily.

Lio glanced at him:

“You’re no longer an operator. You’re a director. And music—that’s editing. Which means you’re responsible for the finale.”

Alex said nothing.

“Aren’t you afraid the system will say ‘stop’—not to you, but to her?”

Alex shuddered. He hadn’t thought about that yet.

16:08 — Kai Street. Intersection

The traffic light flickered… then froze. People stopped. Some buried their heads in phones. Others just waited.

From the alley came a truck selling ice cream. Melody—La vie en rose. Clear, like from an old record.

Eva lifted her head. The music was not just sound—it became a signal. Like the world blinked.

“Are you okay?” Lena looked at her.

Eva didn’t answer right away. The wind caught the hem of her coat. The music was tender. Too personal.

“I think…” Eva spoke slowly, as if afraid of the words. “Someone is making my day special. But not for me. For themselves.”

“That’s ominous… or romantic?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

The light turned green. People moved on. Eva took a step—then stopped. Turned around.

Where the truck was—nothing. No vehicle, no music. As if it had been an illusion.

17:05 — Bureau. Observation Room

Maren stood by the screen. On it—a freeze-frame: Eva, looking up. Her gaze precise, as if she knew where to look. Composition—like in a movie.

“She feels it,” Maren said. “Heightened sensitivity to modeled triggers. Intuitive perception of patterns.”

Nathan tensed:

“Is this dangerous?”

“It’s interesting,” Maren said. “And rare.”

She entered a command:

> Object X-314—classify as sensitive. Increase surveillance.
Operator Alex—set third-level monitoring.

Maren slowly ran her finger over the screen.

“Someone is turning coincidence into… connection. Playing not only with events but with feelings.”

She turned to Nathan:

“And feelings, as you know, cannot be modeled.”
To be continued...