𝒩𝒾ℊ𝒽𝓉 𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾ℴ𝓇𝓈

The scorching summer sun hung high over Seoul as the clock struck 11:30 a.m. It was the university’s farewell ceremony—a day every medical student had been waiting for. The grand auditorium was decorated beautifully, filled with laughter, memories, and excitement.

Special guests took turns giving long speeches about success and responsibility. Unfortunately, most of the students were already bored. Some secretly checked their phones, while others struggled to stay awake.

Finally, the speeches ended.

“Now,” the principal announced with a smile, “our second-ranked student, Camila will demonstrate a special chemistry experiment.”

The audience applauded politely as Camila confidently walked onto the stage.

She carefully mixed the chemicals, but without realizing it, she added one drop too many.

From the last row, a calm voice suddenly broke the silence.

“It’s going to explode... the show’s over.”

Everyone turned to look.

A girl dressed in a simple black hoodie leaned back in her chair as if she had already seen the ending.

Camila frowned.

“And who are you to say that?” she asked sharply.

BOOM!

The test tube exploded with a loud bang.

Smoke spread across the table as the audience gasped in shock. Some students even screamed.

The mysterious girl at the back simply chuckled.

Camila’s face turned red with embarrassment.

“If you’re so smart,” she challenged, “then come here and do it yourself!”

The entire hall fell silent.

The girl slowly stood up.

Her friends exchanged nervous looks.

“All the best, Lyra.”

“Just... think before you do anything crazy.”

With a confident smile, Lyra walked toward the stage.

As she got closer, a sweet perfume filled the air.

Her expression changed.

Perfume...

She was severely allergic to strong fragrances.

Quietly, she pulled a mask from her pocket and wore it.

Camila laughed.

“What? Afraid? If the experiment explodes, your face will turn black like coal anyway.”

The students laughed.

Lyra sighed.

“...Fine.”

She removed the mask.

Ignoring the burning sensation in her nose, she focused entirely on the experiment.

Every movement of her hands was calm and precise.

Drop after drop...

Measurement after measurement...

A few minutes later, dizziness hit her.

Her vision blurred.

Without anyone noticing, she slipped a small medicine tablet into her mouth and swallowed it with water.

She refused to lose.

Not today.

A few tense moments later...

The solution changed into the perfect color.

Success.

The entire auditorium erupted into thunderous applause.

Even the professors stood up.

Lyra simply smiled, walked back to the last row, and quietly sat beside her friends as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

Moments later, the chairman stepped onto the stage with the award list.

“And now... the university topper.”

Everyone held their breath.

“The First Rank goes to... the student sitting in the last row...”

He smiled.

“...Lyra!”

For a second, the hall was silent.

Then her friends exploded with excitement.

“LYRA!!”

“LYRA!!”

“Our queen!”

Laughing, Lyra walked toward the stage.

She accepted the gold medal from the guest, Sir Asher.

“Thank you, sir,” she said politely.

As she turned to leave, students began shouting.

“Show your eyes!”

“We want to see your eyes!”

After a moment of hesitation, Lyra slowly removed the colored contact lenses she usually wore.

The entire hall froze.

Her eyes were a rare, mesmerizing baby pink—so unique that they looked almost unreal.

Even Asher couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Beautiful...” he whispered.

The farewell ceremony ended with cheers, photographs, and unforgettable memories.

But little did everyone know...

That was only the beginning.

That same night...

The cheerful university topper vanished into the neon-lit streets of Seoul.

The innocent medical student no longer existed.

The bright smile...

The soft voice...

The girl who had just received the university’s highest honor...

All of it disappeared.

In her place stood someone feared throughout the underground world.

A legend.

Her codename...

Lyra.

She entered a hidden underground chamber beneath an abandoned warehouse

The room was lined with advanced weapons, encrypted gadgets, and custom-made equipment.

Walking toward a steel locker, she pressed her thumb against the scanner.

Access Granted.

With a soft click, the locker slowly opened.

Resting inside was a sleek matte-black mask.

It wasn’t just a disguise.

It was The Phantom Mask—a one-of-a-kind masterpiece engineered for covert missions.

Forged from an ultra-light carbon composite, it perfectly molded to the wearer’s face, leaving no recognizable features exposed. Hidden beneath its surface was a voice-modulation system that subtly altered her voice, while an anti-recognition coating prevented cameras and facial recognition software from identifying her.

Only one feature remained visible...

Her mesmerizing baby-pink eyes.

Those eyes had become a warning in the criminal underworld.

“If you ever see pink eyes behind a black mask...”

“Pray you’re not her target.”

No one knew her real name.

No one knew her face.

Not the police.

Not rival organizations.

Not even the infamous Mafia leader M and J.

To him...

She was nothing more than a rival.

Lyra secured the mask over her face, pulled the hood of her black jacket over her head, and disappeared into the darkness.

Minutes later...

She arrived outside the heavily guarded mansion where the legendary Mafia leaders M and J were staying.

Without making a sound, she slipped over the compound wall.

Security guards rushed toward the mysterious intruder.

Within minutes...

One after another...

They collapsed.

Silent.

Unconscious.

Not a single gunshot echoed through the mansion.

Lyra calmly reached the final room.

She pulled out a black card engraved with silver letters.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

She gently placed it on the pillow.

“...Too easy.”

She turned toward the door.

Then—

A powerful arm wrapped around her waist.

Another hand instantly covered her mouth.

A cold knife rested against her throat.

A deep, amused voice whispered beside her ear...

“So...”

“...planning to escape from me?”

The cold voice belonged to none other than J.

Without wasting another second, Lyra twisted free and attacked him.

The two exchanged a series of lightning-fast blows. Every punch, kick, and block echoed through the silent room.

But something wasn’t right.

J was far stronger than she had expected.

He caught her wrist, spun her around, and threw her onto the bed.

Before Lyra could react, J leaned over her, trapping her between his arms.

His sharp eyes studied her carefully.

“Are you... that girl?” he asked in a low voice.

Lyra remained silent.

J picked up the black card lying on the pillow.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

“So... this was a mission?” he asked.

His gaze slowly shifted to her eyes.

“They’re unusual...”

“Are those your real eyes?”

Lyra let out a small laugh.

“No.”

“They’re my night-vision lenses.”

J wasn’t convinced.

He stared into her pink eyes for a few more seconds.

Pink eyes...

His mind flashed back to the university farewell ceremony.

The mysterious topper...

The girl named Lyra...

He looked down at the mission card once again.

Lyra.

“Could she be... the same person?”

The thought lingered in his mind.

But before he could test his suspicion, he stepped aside.

“Go.”

Without saying another word, Lyra disappeared into the darkness.

The next morning...

Every newspaper and television channel carried the same breaking headline.

THE LEGENDARY “KLARA” STRIKES AGAIN!

MAFIA ORGANIZATIONS NOW FEAR THE NAME “KLARA.”

At the cafeteria, Kyra excitedly held up the newspaper.

“Lyra! Look at this!”

They burst into laughter as they admired the headline.

That night...

Lyra went on another mission.

This time...

Her destination was MJ’s private garage.

Hidden in the shadows, M and J were already waiting.

“We knew you’d come,” M said with a smirk.

Lyra didn’t answer.

She charged forward.

The garage instantly turned into a battlefield.

One guard after another was knocked unconscious.

Metal pipes crashed onto the floor.

Glass shattered.

The fight grew fiercer with every passing second.

Just as Lyra gained the upper hand—

BANG!

A heavy iron rod slammed into her stomach.

She stumbled backward, gasping for breath.

Before she could recover—

CRACK!

Another brutal strike landed across her face.

Blood trickled from the corner of her lips.

M grabbed her before she could fall.

Within seconds, her wrists and ankles were tightly bound to a thick concrete pillar.

J slowly walked toward her.

His expression remained calm.

“Who sent you?”

Silence.

“I asked...”

“Who sent you?”

Lyra raised her head and smiled mockingly.

“You must be getting old asking the same question twice.”

The smile on M’s face vanished.

Without hesitation—

THUD!

He punched her hard across the face.

Blood stained the corner of her mask.

J immediately stepped between them.

“Enough.”

He cut the ropes binding Lyra.

For a brief moment, no one moved.

Then...

Lyra’s anger exploded.

With astonishing speed, she drove her fist straight into M’s jaw.

BAM!

The powerful blow sent him crashing backward.

Without waiting another second, Lyra turned and sprinted toward the exit.

Just then—

A shadow dropped from the rooftop.

BOOM!

Kyra landed directly between Lyra and the two mafia leaders.

The concrete beneath her feet cracked from the impact.

M instinctively stepped back.

He narrowed his eyes.

“Another one...”

Both girls wore their signature black masks.

Not a single feature of their faces was visible.

Only one thing could be seen...

Two pairs of mysterious eyes staring back at them from behind the darkness.

The hunt had only just begun.