The lights slammed on like a tidal wave.
The stage, once quiet, burst into electric life. Neon strobes spun across the audience, a sea of cheers swelling into a deafening roar. Every heartbeat pounded like a drum in Mirae's ears. She could barely hear the opening beat of their track beneath the chaos.
But she didn't need to hear it.
She felt it.
Lights Out—Group B's final performance—had begun.
Mirae hit her first pose dead center, her body a bow pulled tight. Nari appeared just behind her, steps feather-light. Jiyeon flanked her left, Minji on the right, the four of them forming a perfect diamond.
Then the music dropped.
Mirae moved like flame—fast, fluid, precise. Every muscle obeyed, even her ankle, taped and screaming under the pressure. There was no time to think about pain. There was no room for doubt. The stage didn't forgive weakness.
Cameras zoomed in close.
She could feel the heat of their gaze—millions of eyes watching this very moment. This wasn't just a performance. This was war.
"Burn the night and break the sky—"
Her voice rang out on cue, clear and high, slicing through the chorus like a lightning strike.
Minji matched her move for move, eyes burning, face perfect. Her charisma was undeniable—her expression a calculated storm of grace and hunger. But something was missing. There was fire, yes—but no soul.
And Mirae had soul.
Every lyric, every movement, she poured her story into it. Her desperation, her fight, her fear of being forgotten. The betrayal of the rankings. The brutal ache of being told she was the weakest.
The crowd responded.
They didn't just watch. They reacted. Screams echoed louder each time she stepped forward. The camera followed her even when it wasn't her solo.
In a backstage monitor, producers exchanged looks.
"She's pulling the focus," one whispered. "Even over Minji."
At the halfway mark, Minji made her move.
It was subtle—a half-beat delay in formation, forcing Mirae to adjust. A way to steal center by misalignment.
Mirae didn't flinch.
She shifted back like water, letting Minji fall forward.
But as the second verse began, the choreography demanded a solo spin from the true center.
And Mirae took it.
Her pirouette was breathtaking—extended, clean, effortless.
The crowd gasped.
When she landed it, face angled toward the light, a flicker of something wild lit in her eyes.
She was no longer performing.
She was declaring.
"I'm not afraid of the dark anymore—"
That line. That moment.
It wasn't just lyrics.
It was her story.
Minji saw it, too.
For the first time on stage, her expression cracked.
Just for a second.
And that second was all it took.
--------
Backstage, the remaining girls watched in stunned silence.
Team C's members stood closest to the screen. Bora's eyes were wide. Haeun clutched her hands tightly. Even Sera—cool, analytical Sera—leaned forward.
"She's dominating," Jiwoo whispered. "She's... glowing."
Yoo Sera said nothing. But her expression was tight.
"She was supposed to break," Sera muttered under her breath. "Not rise."
-------
Final chorus.
The dance grew harder—more layered. Mirae's body was soaked in sweat, lungs burning, but her eyes never left the light.
She didn't care about the pain.
She didn't care about Minji beside her, or the cameras swinging low.
She danced for her past self—the girl who once trembled in the corner of a mirrored studio, too scared to speak.
She danced for Team C.
She danced for the promise she made on her first night here.
Do or die.
As the music reached its crescendo, she hit her final position—
Dead center.
Arms raised.
Breath shaking.
Eyes open.
The lights snapped out.
Blackness.
Then—
A blinding flash, followed by silence.
Three seconds passed.
Then five.
Then—
The arena exploded.
The applause was thunder.
Screams. Chants. Cheers. A tidal wave of sound Mirae had never felt before. Her body was still trembling, her chest heaving, but for the first time in weeks—
She smiled.
Not small.
Not timid.
A real smile.
She had made it.
She had survived.
---------
But survival wasn't enough.
Not yet.
Backstage, all thirteen contestants were called into the waiting hall.
Bright lights. Live broadcast. Host waiting with an envelope in her manicured hands.
"The votes have been counted," she said, beaming. "Tonight, we will reveal the Top 10. The debut group."
A camera panned across the girls' faces.
Tension knotted in every throat. Bora looked ready to cry. Jiyeon squeezed Mirae's fingers tight, her knuckles white. Minji stood unnaturally still, her expression frozen.
The host smiled.
"In no particular order, the ten names being announced are the official members of PR1SM, our debut girl group. The remaining three... will be eliminated."
A hush fell.
"First name... Kang Minji."
No surprise. Applause. Minji exhaled, stepping forward with a victorious smile.
"Second... Yoo Sera."
Sera walked up, face unreadable.
"Third... Jiyeon Kim."
Mirae's heart leapt. Jiyeon blinked in disbelief, then walked forward, trembling.
"Fourth... Park Bora."
She gasped, then broke into sobs.
"Fifth... Lee Nari."
Mirae's legs weakened. Nari clung to Jiyeon onstage, stunned.
The list continued.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Mirae's name was still uncalled.
Her hands went cold.
"...Ninth, Haeun Song."
Cheers.
Only one name left.
Mirae. Jiwoo. And Soojin.
Three girls.
One spot.
The host smiled gently.
"And the final member of PR1SM is..."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"Jiwoo Choi."
A scream.
Mirae didn't know if it came from her throat or just inside her skull.
Applause. Hugs. Celebration. Chaos erupted onstage.
But she couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
She had been left behind.
Again.
The host raised a hand. "Han Mirae, Kwon Soojin—you've both fought with incredible strength. Your journeys moved thousands. But your time in this competition ends here."
The camera zoomed in on Mirae's face.
She didn't cry.
Didn't flinch.
She bowed.
Slowly. Deeply.
Then turned to walk off stage.
The audience was quiet now.
Too quiet.
But just before she disappeared behind the curtain, a sound broke through.
A chant.
Small at first.
Then louder.
Then louder.
"Mi-rae! Mi-rae! Mi-rae!"
The audience.
They were chanting her name.
Some were crying. Some were standing.
It echoed.
It echoed louder than even the winner's cheers.
And that's when the host froze.
A voice buzzed in her earpiece.
Producers scrambling behind the scenes.
Sudden confusion.
Then—
The stage lights flickered.
A second microphone was handed to the host.
Her face changed.
"…We have just received breaking news," she said, eyes wide. "Due to an unexpected voting irregularity... the final lineup may not be final after all."
Every head turned.
Gasps.
Mirae's heart stopped.
She turned back, just as the host continued:
"One of the Top 10 placements is currently under investigation. A decision will be announced—live—next episode."
Blackout.
Roll credits.