Third-person POV: Outside Astralis College, a black sedan pulled up. A young man in an academy uniform stepped out with long strides. He wore a pair of transparent rimless glasses that softened the sharp intensity in his features. His shoulder-length hair was casually tied back in a ponytail, giving him a clean and relaxed look. He pushed up his glasses and walked toward Astralis College. "Thora, I heard you broke off your engagement with that Caleb guy. Congrats!" Shirley hadn't stopped talking since following behind Thora, finding things to say even when there was nothing to talk about. Seeing Thora's unwillingness to engage only made her try harder. "You're so cool for cutting off that kind of troublesome arrangement so decisively!" Suddenly a sharp, piercing sound rang out across the academy grounds. Thora immediately looked up toward the sound source, her ears twitching. Numerous footsteps were approaching from hidden areas of the academy, their steps synchronized and landing with startling lightness. Clearly these were professionally trained people. Shirley's chattering voice also stopped as her gaze shifted toward a certain direction, a strange gleam flashing in her eyes. The piercing sound lasted less than a second. Most students didn't pay it any mind and continued their activities. But Thora's expression shifted. Her gaze turned cold, and she immediately rushed forward. Shirley happened to be right in front of Thora. Before she could react, Thora's momentum forced her to stumble backward several steps until she collided with a "wall of muscle" behind her, her books scattering to the ground."Ah!" Shirley hurriedly turned around and apologized without even seeing who it was. "I'm so sorry!" Thora frowned and bent down to help pick up the scattered books. At the same time, the man who'd been bumped also crouched down, picked up the books from the ground, and handed them to Shirley. Only then did the two of them get a clear look at the man. He was strikingly handsome, his rimless glasses lending him a refined air, yet those deep pupils held an unfathomable depth. Shirley froze for a moment, but her instincts screamed a warning. This man was dangerous! She took a step back, accepted the books gratefully, and hid behind Thora. Thora stood up, and she and the man looked up at each other.The moment she saw his face, a flash of familiarity crossed Thora's mind, but thinking carefully, she was certain she'd never seen this face before. The man observed Thora for a moment, then turned to Shirley with a gentle smile. "Miss, you should watch where you're going next time." Shirley nodded, afraid to say more. The man gave Thora a nod, then stepped past them and headed deeper into the academy. Thora's pupils contracted, her gaze sharp as a blade. She whirled around, but the figure in the academy uniform had already disappeared around the corridor corner, vanishing without a trace. After walking away, the man raised his hand to adjust his glasses, his lips curving into a meaningful smile. "Didn't expect to find such an unexpected bonus ... " "Thora ... " Shirley looked at Thora's tense profile, her voice taking on a more serious tone. Thora scanned the surroundings. Students continued their activities as normal, no one noticing anything unusual. She immediately pulled out her phone and called Luke. The call connected quickly. "Luke, pull up the academy surveillance right now ... " The word "surveillance" had barely left her mouth when the phone suddenly disconnected on its own, the screen showing "No Signal." "Signal's been jammed." Thora said in a low voice. "Quick! Get back to Class F and find Luke!" Shirley also sensed the severity of the situation and nodded, following Thora. Luke looked at the suddenly disconnected call and realized his phone had no signal. "Academy surveillance?" He muttered Thora's words and was about to work on his computer when he discovered the wireless network was down too. All communication devices couldn't connect to the outside world. Luke's expression changed as his fingers flew across the keyboard, but no matter what he tried, the network wouldn't connect, much less access the surveillance system. "Does your phone have a signal? Mine's dead." "My smartwatch is down too! Even my gaming device won't turn on. What the hell is going on?" One by one, students complained, initially thinking it was some temporary academy operation. But gradually, more and more people realized something was wrong. Not only was the signal gone, but the electrical system had suddenly cut out too. The entire academy plunged into darkness, with only the natural light from the windows providing minimal illumination. As Thora hurried toward Class F, she spread out her mental energy, using her ability to sense the surrounding activity.The sounds hidden in the shadows became increasingly clear. Besides the synchronized footsteps, there was a mechanical beep sound. That sound meant timed bombs! And more than one location! She pulled out her phone and opened a hidden interface in the system. "Connecting to contact, please wait ... " A few seconds later, Luke's voice came through. "Thora?" "Luke, immediately send a message to the military. Astralis College has been invaded by mercenaries carrying heavy weapons. At least 30 people. Multiple timed bombs have been planted throughout the academy." Thora spoke rapidly. "Also, have Harvey keep everyone in Class F together. Don't let them move around freely!" Behind his glasses, Luke's eyes instantly sharpened, all trace of his typical nonchalance gone. "Got it. I'll find a way to break through the signal jamming right away." He paused, then lowered his voice to add, "Watch out for the person around you. She's a top-tier sniper, and also ... "