"MIDNIGHT EVALUATION"

The academy hallways felt colder after midnight.

Liora walked beside Yuna silently while dozens of trainees rushed toward the main practice building. Nobody talked loudly anymore. Even their footsteps sounded nervous.

Outside, heavy rain crashed against the giant glass windows of LUNARIS Entertainment.

The red emergency lights still glowed across the walls.

Everything felt wrong.

“This doesn’t feel like an evaluation,” Liora whispered.

Yuna looked down quickly. “That’s because it isn’t.”

Before Liora could ask further, they entered the massive underground practice hall.

And froze.

The room looked completely different from before.

Bright neon lights flashed above the stage. Huge cameras pointed toward the trainees. Staff members stood silently near the walls holding tablets.

At the center of the room stood a giant digital screen.

MIDNIGHT EVALUATION — SPECIAL ROUND

The trainees immediately began whispering nervously.

“Special round?”

“They only do those when someone breaks company rules…”

Suddenly the screen changed.

A trainee photo appeared.

The same girl whose phone had been confiscated earlier.

RANK 28 — ELIMINATION WARNING

The girl looked pale as everyone stared at her.

Then a voice echoed through the speakers.

“Step onto the stage.”

The trainee walked forward with shaking legs.

Music started instantly.

A fast, brutal dance track.

She began performing desperately.

Every movement looked filled with fear.

Halfway through—

“Stop.”

The music cut off immediately.

A man in a black suit stood from the judges’ table.

CEO HAN.

The founder of Lunaris Entertainment.

The entire room bowed instantly.

Even the staff looked terrified.

“You broke academy rules,” he said coldly. “You recorded a top trainee without permission.”

The girl’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry… please give me another chance…”

“No.”

The giant screen flashed red.

ELIMINATED

Gasps spread across the room.

Two security guards approached her immediately.

“Please!” she cried while struggling. “I trained for three years—!”

Nobody moved.

Nobody helped her.

The doors closed behind her loudly.

Silence filled the hall.

Liora felt sick.

This place treated people like disposable objects.

Then—

A shadow stepped onto the stage.

Kael Draven.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Even the judges straightened slightly.

Kael wore all black again. Black gloves. Silver chain. Cold eyes.

Perfect.

Dangerous.

The screen displayed his stats automatically.

RANK 1

DANCE — SSS

VOCALS — S

POPULARITY — 98%

The trainees stared at him like he wasn’t human.

Music started.

And suddenly—

Kael moved.

Sharp. Smooth. Effortless.

Every movement looked unreal.

Liora hated herself for noticing how mesmerizing he was.

The room couldn’t look away.

Not even for a second.

Then Kael’s eyes suddenly lifted toward the crowd.

Toward her.

His expression changed slightly.

Like something distracted him.

For one second—

He missed a step.

The music stopped instantly.

Shock exploded across the hall.

“Kael made a mistake?”

“That never happens…”

Even the judges looked stunned.

Kael stood silently under the lights.

Then slowly smiled.

But the smile felt wrong.

Dangerous.

He grabbed the microphone beside him.

And spoke directly toward Liora.

“Looks like Lunaris finally brought something interesting.”

The entire room turned toward her immediately.

Whispers spread everywhere.

“Who is she?”

“Why is Kael talking about her?”

Yuna looked horrified beside her.

But before Liora could react—

The giant screen suddenly glitched.

The lights flickered violently.

Then a hidden video appeared across the massive display.

A woman singing softly inside a recording studio.

Liora’s breathing stopped instantly.

It was her mother.

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