Black panel.

> Narration (Ryo): "If nobody remembers you… did you ever live at all?"

Next panel: Close-up of a phone screen. It's cracked. A red countdown is flashing.

> [KARMA APP: Likes: 0 | Hates: 4 | Life Remaining: 00:01:42]

Next panel: RYO KANAME (17) is drenched in sweat, pale, eyes wide. He’s standing alone in a stairwell.

> Ryo: "I-I don’t get it. What is this app? I never downloaded this..."

> Ryo (internal): "This is a nightmare. I haven’t done anything wrong... why is it saying I’m going to die?"

---

Panels of Ryo at school: silent classroom, ignored by everyone, walking alone with headphones.

> Ryo (internal): "I was invisible. Not bullied. Not hated. Just... not there."

He posts a pic of his lunch on a dead account.

> [Post: "Still alive lol"]

0 likes. 4 downvotes. One comment: "why do u even exist?"]

---

Ryo running down the street, phone vibrating violently.

> Phone: [NEGATIVE KARMA DETECTED. SYSTEM PENALTY ACTIVATED.]

> Ryo: "Someone, anyone, help—!"

Time is down to 00:00:23.

He stumbles into the street. A TRUCK blares its horn.

---

A blur of silver and red slams into him from the side. They roll across the pavement.

Everything goes black.

> Voice (feminine): "Congratulations, loser. You just got your first 12 likes."

---

MIRA AMAGI (17). Pale skin. Long silver hair. Crimson eyes that glow softly like LED hearts.

She leans over Ryo as he gasps for breath.

> Mira: "You trended. Near-death saves are high-value content. Enjoy your bonus seconds."

> [KARMA APP: Likes +12 | Life Remaining: 00:02:01]

> Ryo: "W-What... who are you?"

> Mira: "The only reason you’re still breathing. Come with me if you want to stay that way."

---

They sit on a rooftop. Mira throws him a can of soda.

> Mira: "Karma Live. Everyone in this city has it now. It appeared a month ago."

> Mira: "Your worth is measured by likes. Time is your currency."

> Ryo: "What happens when you run out?"

> Mira: "You expire. Publicly. Messily. Sometimes even live."

> Ryo: "That’s insane. People won't accept this."

> Mira: "People already do worse for less. This just made the truth obvious."

---

At school. Reika, a classmate, is crying while recording herself.

> Reika: "They keep calling me fake. Maybe they’ll listen now."

She posts a vlog. Within seconds, thousands of hate comments flood in.

> Ryo: "Stop! Don’t post that!"

> Reika: "I just want to be seen!"

Her phone flashes. Blood trickles from her nose.

> App: [Hates: 786 | Life: 00:00:02]

She collapses mid-livestream. The room goes dead silent.

---

Students slowly pull out phones. Comments start appearing on her livestream post even as she lies on the floor.

> Comment: "She actually did it lmao."

> Comment: "RIP... kinda deserved it."

Ryo stares in horror. Mira stands beside him.

> Mira: "And that... is what happens when your relevance hits zero."

> Ryo: "This is a system built to kill people."

> Mira: "No. It’s a system that just shows the truth about who we already are."

---

That night. Ryo walks home alone. Phone pings. A new DM appears.

> From: User_0X Message: "You think Mira saved you? She’s the reason this system exists."

> Message: "Step 1: Cancel a trend."

> Message: "Step 2: Survive the blowback."

Ryo looks up. Mira’s latest video is trending: ["Saving a Glitch - 5M views"]

> Ryo (internal): "Was I just... content to her?"

Final panel: Mira stares at her phone. Her smile fades as she sees something off-screen.

> Mira (whisper): "...0X is awake?"

[TO BE CONTINUED...]