Dawn – Aurora Hills, Meditation Garden
The fog was thick. Trees whispered with dew. Birds hadn't begun singing yet.
Jiwoo sat in silence on a stone bench, holding an unmarked wooden box in his lap.
Inside the box:
– A memory chip.
– A sealed envelope.
– A ring made of simple silver, unadorned.
This was not for now.
This was for after.
> [System Update: "World Without You" Phase Activated]
[Objective: Train successors who do not need to rely on you—mentally, emotionally, or structurally.]
[New Risk Level: If you vanish, the mission continues without collapse.]
---
Morning – Circle Gathering Hall
Jiwoo stood before the seven girls, all now fully aware of the new phase.
"I'm not leaving," Jiwoo said calmly. "But I have to prepare you… in case one day, the world takes me."
Sena: "You mean if someone finds out and tries to shut you down?"
Jihye: "Or worse."
Yoori clutched her mug tightly. "You're not… sick, are you?"
Jiwoo smiled gently. "No. I'm alive. That's why I need to make sure this vision outlives me."
The girls exchanged solemn looks. This wasn't a threat.
It was maturity.
---
Phase One: The "Mirrored Eight" Protocol
Each of the seven girls—and Jiwoo himself—would be assigned a sanctuary region, outside Korea.
Eunsol: Indonesia
Mirae: New Zealand
Sena: Norway
Jihye: Morocco
Yoori: Portugal
Nayun: Canada
Noeun: Bhutan
Each would go for 90 days. Build. Observe. Leave behind something that would grow without them.
Jiwoo explained, "This is not about making new homes. This is about proving peace doesn't need me—or even us—in every room."
> [System: Mirrored Eight Protocol Activated]
[All Circle Members now function as independent Peace Nodes.]
[Autonomy Challenge: Each member will face one threat, one gift, and one test.]
---
Day One: Goodbyes at the Train Station
There were no tears.
Only purpose.
Each girl wore a plain jacket, a backpack, and the pendant Jiwoo had given them during their trip.
Jiwoo hugged them all one by one. When he reached Mirae, she didn't let go immediately.
"You're not really scared," she whispered. "You're hopeful."
He nodded. "Because peace that depends on me isn't peace. It's just pause."
---
Meanwhile – Geneva, Switzerland
Unbeknownst to Jiwoo, a private boardroom buzzed with activity.
> "Why did he reject our contact again?"
"Because he's building something decentralized. That's harder to kill."
"Then we wait. One mistake. One moment."
But even they sensed… the window to stop him was closing.
> [System Alert: Global Monitoring Level Increased – But no action can be taken without proof.]
---
Late Night – Aurora Hills, Jiwoo's Room
Alone now, for the first time in a long time.
He sat at his desk and opened a new journal.
The cover read:
> "After Me."
He began to write:
> "If you're reading this, it means I've disappeared.
Maybe by force. Maybe by choice.
But if so… this is what comes next.
Not panic. Not revenge. Just… continuity."
He wrote detailed succession plans. Not of money. But of hope.
Emergency contacts. Secret seed locations. Recovery rituals. Legacy locks.
> [System: "After Me" Journal Created – Indestructible. Auto-transfers to Circle Leader if Jiwoo is gone.]
---
Final Scene – Roof of Aurora Hills
Jiwoo looked out across the empty estate, now silent.
But he didn't feel lonely.
Because this wasn't the end.
This was the upgrade.
> "If I can build a world where I am not needed… then I have finally won."
Above him, the stars blinked.
And far away, in seven countries, seven quiet girls took their first steps into a world that didn't know them…
But would never forget what they built.
---