The Library Secret.

The air in the library felt heavy even after Mirae and the mysterious man left. I stood frozen behind the bookshelf, replaying their conversation in my mind. Words like "careful," "watching," and "don't forget what's at stake" echoed in my thoughts.

What was Mirae caught up in? And why did it sound like I might be involved, even if indirectly?

I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but this was no coincidence. Something bigger was happening, and somehow Mirae—and by extension, I—were caught in its web.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I avoided Seulgi's questions about why I looked so distracted and skipped our usual walk home. Instead, I went straight to my room, locked the door, and opened the Fate Rewrite app.

The progress bar still read 5%, but the "Reveal Clue" button was now glowing faintly, as though it was waiting for me.

With a deep breath, I tapped it.

The screen shimmered, then displayed a new image. It was a grainy, black-and-white photograph of a bridge—a different one from my dreams. This one was narrow, suspended over a deep gorge with rushing water below.

Underneath the image, there was text:

"Find the connection. You're closer than you think."

"Closer than I think…" I muttered. The same words the app had sent me earlier.

The photo didn't look like anywhere near our school or my neighborhood, but something about it felt familiar. I squinted at the image, trying to place it, but my thoughts were interrupted by another buzz.

"Thread detected: Go to the library."

The library again? I wasn't sure I was ready to face whatever—or whoever—I might find there. But the app hadn't steered me wrong yet.

---

Night had already fallen by the time I reached the school library. The campus was eerily quiet, and the faint glow of streetlights barely reached the building's entrance.

I slipped inside, my footsteps echoing softly on the tiled floor. The library was dark except for a single lamp glowing in the far corner—the same corner where I'd seen Mirae earlier.

I approached cautiously, expecting her to be there again, but the table was empty. On it, however, was a folded piece of paper.

I looked around, half-expecting someone to leap out of the shadows, then unfolded the note.

"You shouldn't be here."

The handwriting was neat, precise. Mirae's, I was sure of it.

I turned the paper over, but there was nothing else written. My frustration boiled over. Why couldn't she just explain what was going on?

Before I could dwell on it, my phone buzzed again. The app's screen lit up, this time with an alert:

"Hidden clue unlocked."

The image of the bridge reappeared, but now there was movement. A faint figure was walking across the bridge. It was blurry, indistinct, but something about their posture seemed familiar.

"Is that… Mirae?" I whispered aloud.

A faint whispering sound filled the air. My blood ran cold. I spun around, expecting someone—or something—but the library was empty.

The whispering grew louder, words overlapping until they were almost deafening. I clutched my head, trying to block it out, but one phrase cut through the chaos, clear as day:

"Rewrite the thread."

I gasped as the sound vanished, leaving an eerie silence behind.

---

The next day, I couldn't concentrate on anything. All I could think about was the bridge, Mirae's cryptic note, and the app's increasingly strange behavior.

Mirae was absent again, and no one seemed to know where she was. I debated asking around but decided against it. The fewer people involved, the better.

At lunch, Seulgi found me sitting alone in the courtyard. She plopped down beside me, her tray clattering on the table.

"Okay, spill," she said, pointing her chopsticks at me. "You've been acting weird all day."

"It's nothing," I said quickly.

"Uh-huh." She wasn't buying it. "Is this about Mirae?"

I sighed, knowing she wouldn't drop it. "Kind of."

Her eyes lit up. "Did something happen? Did she finally talk to you?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

I hesitated, debating how much to tell her. "I think… she's in trouble."

Seulgi frowned. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"I don't know yet. But there's this guy—he was talking to her in the library yesterday. It sounded serious."

Her expression shifted from curiosity to concern. "Do you think she's in danger?"

"Maybe."

Seulgi leaned back, chewing on her lip. "Well, you're not exactly Sherlock Holmes, Jiho. Maybe it's best to stay out of it."

"I can't," I said, surprising myself with how firm my voice sounded. "I feel like I'm supposed to help her. Like… it's my responsibility."

She gave me a skeptical look but didn't argue. "Alright, hero. Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

---

That evening, the app buzzed again. This time, the message was different:

"Final thread unlocked: Meet her at the bridge."

The bridge from the photo.

My heart raced. Was Mirae there now? Or was this another test?

I grabbed my jacket and slipped out of the house, following the app's directions. The streets were eerily quiet, the faint hum of streetlights the only sound.

When I reached the bridge, it was even more imposing in person. The narrow planks creaked underfoot, and the rushing water below roared like thunder.

Standing in the center was Mirae, her notebook clutched to her chest.

"You came," she said without turning around.

"What is this place?" I asked, stepping closer.

"It's where everything begins—and ends," she said cryptically.

"Why are you here? What's going on?"

She turned to face me, her expression unreadable. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." I said, the same plea as before.

Mirae hesitated, then opened her notebook. This time, the pages weren't blank. Strange symbols and patterns glowed faintly, like they were alive.

"This is why," she said softly. "And now that you're here, you can't turn back."

Before I could respond, the symbols flared brighter, and the world around us began to blur.

"I'm not turning back either way."