The power didn’t go out all at once.
It dimmed, hummed, then pulsed back to life — the lights flickering like a warning heartbeat.
For a moment, no one spoke. The echo of the message still burned across Mirae’s mind.
Who is that girl?
It was her, obviously.
But hearing it—seeing it broadcast across every screen—made her feel like something else entirely: not a person, but a riddle.
Rihan’s voice cut through the stunned quiet, sharp and steady.
“Everyone, stay where you are.”
Students froze mid-step, teachers turned toward him as if gravity had shifted.
He stood in the center of the main corridor, coat half-soaked from the rain, phone in hand. “Cheongdam is now on lockdown until further notice. All external gates are sealed. Remain in your classrooms.”
No one argued. No one even b
