The morning sun spread bright silver light over the treetop roofs of the elven city. Evan followed Lyriel across a bridge woven from living vines. She had told him the Council of Elders demanded a demonstration of his dashboards.

Evan was not surprised. He had shaken their world by turning magic into something measurable. Something predictable. Something no longer governed by myth and instinct alone. Some elves loved it. Others feared it. The Elders were the latter group.

Lyriel walked beside him her expression calm but her steps tense. “The Elders believe your dashboards may threaten our traditions. They fear knowledge that reveals flaws in our ancient practices.”

Evan exhaled. “Where I come from data does not destroy tradition. It just shows reality. If tradition contradicts reality maybe it needs improvement.”

Lyriel nodded slowly. “That is wisdom. But some will not accept it easily.”

They entered the Hall of Branches a vast chamber carved inside an ancient tree. Shafts of pale mana light rose from the floor like pillars. Elders in robes of deep green stood in a circle. Their faces were stern and unreadable.

At the center stood a long wooden table holding the mana crystals Evan had arranged for his dashboards. The Spell Accuracy Dashboard. The Mana Pulse Board. The Monster Behavior Prediction array. All glowing softly.

An Elder with golden leaf patterns on his robe stepped forward. “Human. We hear you claim to measure what has never been measured. To predict what has never been predicted. To understand what even we cannot understand.”

Evan nodded politely. “I observe patterns. That is all.”

“That is not all,” the Elder replied sharply. “The forest stirs with alarm. Magic whispers of change. You disrupt the balance.”

Lyriel stepped forward. “He saves lives. He predicted beast migration and prevented casualties. His spell logs show where our training fails. His dashboards illuminate truths we ignored.”

A murmur ran through the Elders.

Another Elder with sharp eyes added, “Perhaps truths best left unseen. Magic thrives in mystery. Humans thrive in control. Your dashboards tilt the balance toward control.”

Evan kept his voice steady. “With respect your world has instinct. My world has data. Magic is not harmed by understanding. It becomes stronger.”

“Show us then,” the golden robed Elder said. “Show us what your dashboards reveal.”

Evan walked to the Spell Accuracy Dashboard. The crystals pulsed gently in a synchronized cycle. “This board captures the mana fluctuations during spell casting. It shows when instability occurs.”

He pointed at a crystal whose glow dipped in a regular pattern. “This dip repeats every four seconds. That means the environment weakens spell structure at that moment. If casters adjust timing success rates rise.”

The Elders leaned closer. Some gasped. Others frowned deeply.

One Elder whispered, “Impossible. Only Master Sorcerers sense such shifts.”

Evan tapped the crystal lightly. “The crystal senses it too. It logs it.”

He moved to the Monster Behavior Board. “This one records forest mana pulses and correlates them with beast movement.”

The golden Elder narrowed his eyes. “You claim beasts follow cycles”

Evan nodded. “Yes. Watch.”

He nudged one crystal. It glowed then the next one glowed a moment later. The pattern moved like a soft wave. “This is today’s mana cycle. Medium strength. The beasts will move east at midday.”

The Elders stared in uneasy silence.

Finally an Elder with long silver hair spoke. “If this prediction is true you wield dangerous knowledge. Knowledge that changes warfare nature politics magic itself.”

Evan looked around the hall. “Knowledge is only dangerous if ignored. If used wisely it saves lives. If you measure magic you control chaos.”

The golden Elder stepped forward. “And who decides how this knowledge is used Human do you claim the right to reshape our world”

Evan shook his head. “I claim nothing. I offer tools. You choose whether to use them.”

A long silence filled the hall. Elves exchanged glances unsure.

Lyriel spoke softly. “Truth is not threat. Truth is light.”

The silver haired Elder turned to the golden one. “Let him continue his work under observation. If his dashboards grow harmful we intervene.”

The golden Elder reluctantly nodded. “Very well. Human you may proceed. But know this. Magic is older than numbers. If you try to bend it too far it may break.”

Evan bowed his head. “Then we will learn together.”

As they left the hall Lyriel whispered, “You handled them well. But the path is still narrow. Many Elders distrust you.”

Evan smiled faintly. “I am used to it. In my world people fear data all the time. But numbers always win in the end.”

Lyriel laughed softly. “Let us hope the same is true for magic.”

They walked out of the Hall of Branches side by side. The dashboards glowed behind them.
The Elders had not stopped the Data Revolution. Only slowed it.
The world was changing and the numbers were only beginning to speak.