The bench beneath Mirae felt harder than concrete. Her hoodie was pulled low, casting shadows over her eyes, but even with the cloth barrier, she could still sense the cameras. The studio was full of them—mounted in corners, tucked behind fake panels, floating above like vultures. Every move was being recorded.
She dared a glance at her wrist. The red band pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat—her heartbeat. She pressed her palm to it instinctively, hoping the throbbing pain in her ankle would dull if she could ignore the countdown ticking in her brain.
[Time Remaining: 89 Days 13 Hours 47 Minutes]
She exhaled. The minutes were bleeding away.
"Han Mirae." A voice called softly, breaking through the fog.
She looked up.
It was a girl she barely knew—Lee Sujin, another hopeful from the regional auditions. With soft features and short, choppy bangs, Sujin looked more like a manga character than a trainee. She held out a cold water bottle.
"You looked like you needed it."
Mirae blinked, surprised. "Thanks…"
Sujin smiled and sat beside her, close enough to feel the residual warmth from her performance. "Your spin was off, but your energy? Killer. You've got that 'I'll survive even if the roof falls in' vibe."
Mirae laughed—barely. "Roof's already caving in."
Sujin lowered her voice. "You have it too, don't you?"
Mirae's breath hitched. "What?"
Sujin's gaze dropped to Mirae's wrist. "The bracelet."
The hallway noise dulled. Mirae sat up straighter, scanning for eavesdroppers. "You can see it?"
Sujin nodded slowly. "Yeah. That means you can see mine too, right?"
Mirae's eyes trailed to Sujin's wrist. There it was—metallic red, fused to her skin just like hers. No reflection, no shadow. Just raw, pulsing energy.
[User Identified: Lee Sujin. Remaining Time: 112 Days]
Mirae's mind reeled. "You have more time than me."
"I joined the mission later," Sujin said softly. "Found mine in my sleep after I got my first trainee offer. I thought it was a dream. Then the voice came."
"…Termination?"
Sujin nodded once. "You too?"
Mirae didn't answer. She didn't have to.
They sat in silence. It wasn't friendly or warm, but it was real.
Then the system pinged again:
> [Connection Established – Ally: Lee Sujin]
[Shared Progress Feature Enabled. Limited Communication Synced.]
[Bonus Quest: Survive with at least one Ally – Reward: Secret Training Facility Access]
"Ally?" Mirae muttered.
Sujin blinked. "Did your system say that too?"
Mirae nodded slowly. "This is getting weirder by the minute."
Before they could speak further, the hallway doors opened.
A staff coordinator entered with a clipboard and an air of exhaustion. "Final announcement for today—evaluation week begins tomorrow. Everyone report to Dorm Sector B by 6 a.m. You'll be assigned teams and mentors."
A groan rippled through the trainees.
Mirae stiffened. Her ankle still throbbed, and now they were jumping straight into evaluations?
Sujin stood up, brushing her skirt down. "Guess sleep is canceled."
Mirae forced herself to rise. She took one step—and flinched.
"You okay?" Sujin asked.
"Just twisted," Mirae said, forcing a smile.
The system had no pity.
> [System Tip: Physical Weakness Detected. Recommend Medical Intervention or Risk Penalty During Evaluation.]
She ignored it.
---
Dorm Sector B – 5:58 a.m.
Mirae stood in front of the dorm gates with her suitcase, hair tied in a clean ponytail. Her face was bare, but her eyes burned with quiet fire.
The dorm looked like a luxury prison—tall, gray, and symmetrical. High-tech doors. Card access only. Cameras above every hallway corner.
Dozens of girls were already there, forming groups instinctively—those with agency connections clustered together, whispering names and rankings. Some eyed Mirae with curiosity, others with indifference.
Yoo Sera arrived last, dragging her luggage behind her like royalty.
"She's definitely center material," someone whispered.
Mirae clenched her jaw.
[Mission Reminder: Outrank Yoo Sera in Evaluation Week – 7 Days Left]
The trainees were divided into ten groups of six. Mirae's group—Team C—was a strange mix.
Han Mirae – underdog, system-bound.
Lee Sujin – potential ally, also system user.
Min Dayoung – ex-ballet dancer, stiff personality.
Kim Nari – mood-maker, talkative and impulsive.
Choi Hyerim – silent, tall, ex-model.
Jung Inhae – perfect grades, zero social skills.
The instructor assigned to them was Kwon Jihwan, a former idol with a sharp tongue and a stricter jawline.
"Team C," he barked. "You're my project now. I don't care about excuses. I don't care about pain. I care about results. If any of you hold the others back, I'll personally recommend you for elimination."
He made eye contact with Mirae. It wasn't subtle.
> [Warning: You are currently the lowest-rated performer in Team C. Improve or be cut.]
They were marched to the practice floor.
Jihwan clapped once. "Each team will perform the same song. A remix of DreamStar's debut hit. You'll train for one week. Cameras are on. Voters are watching. If you score bottom 5%, you're done."
The instrumental blasted through the studio. Fast. Brutal. Unforgiving.
Mirae's ankle screamed in protest, but she pushed through the warmup.
Sujin leaned close. "I've got a healing spray. Use it before sleep."
Mirae nodded in thanks.
Across the room, Yoo Sera executed a perfect spin, making it look like nothing.
Mirae looked down at her shaking leg.
One wrong step, and she was gone.
But for now… she was still here.
And she wasn't leaving quietly.
---