The dorm room smelled faintly of lemon disinfectant and cheap wood polish. Yumeko dropped her bag on the bed closest to the window and sank into the mattress. Finally, silence. No Josh. No family dinners. Just her, her laptop, and the hum of possibility.
She pulled out her laptop and opened the lid. The familiar boot-up chime greeted her like an old friend. Her fingers danced across the keyboard instinctively. She wasn’t just here to learn ethical hacking—she was here to master it. Not for fame. Not for rebellion. But for control.
Because the world had always tried to control her.
She pulled up the campus network and started a quiet scan. Not invasive—just exploratory. A harmless mapping of the digital terrain. Like a scout before battle.
A name popped up
K.EXE
She froze
It was encrypted—well, brilliantly encrypted—but something about the structure tugged at her curiosity. This wasn’t some basic admin bot or test file. It pulsed like a heartbeat beneath the system. Like it didn’t belong… but it wanted to be found.
Yumeko grinned. A challenge.
She leaned forward, cracking her knuckles
Yumeko Albert
Alright, mystery file. Let’s see who you belong to.
She had no idea that the code she was tracing belonged to someone sitting just a few buildings away—someone with a face she knew, and a name she couldn't stand.
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