Trainees from different companies arrived in front of Azure Entertainment's building. Some came with celebrity vans, some with normal hatchbacks, and some came through public transportation.

A girl clad in a school uniform with a pink skirt that matched her pink hair loved the attention she got as she stepped down from the celebrity van of their company.

Some looked at her with envy. However, one girl continued walking with her earphones in, practicing the song that she was going to sing for her auditions. She even marked some of the moves, not paying attention to her surroundings.

The girl with pink hair walked slowly as if she were the main character of the show, also not paying much attention to her surroundings.

Just then, the two of them collided, causing the pink-haired girl to drop to the ground. Her eyes widened as she looked at the black figure that bumped into her.

The other girl, with wired earphones and dressed in a long black puffer jacket that covered her outfit underneath, stared down at the preppy girl with a nonchalant look.

"Sorry," she briefly said before proceeding to the venue.

"What the heck?" the pink-haired girl muttered. "Who even is that?"

"Jeemin!" her manager exclaimed. "What happened?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head as she stood, dusting off her skirt with furrowed eyebrows.

"Let's go in," she said, already in a bad mood.

As the trainees went inside their respective rooms, the special treatment for bigger companies was still evident. Even a year later, after all the controversies that Azure had been in, they still didn't change their system.

After seeing the success of EVE, bigger companies decided to join the competition. Phoenix, however, decided to withdraw their trainees from joining this year because of the multiple scandals of their trainees in the past season.

It was a good call from them.

"Trainees from Harmony! Please line up outside. The trainees from the different companies will now go in one by one. Only leave your room once you are instructed to do so. Failure to do so means immediate disqualification from the show," Yena's voice on the intercom resonated in the waiting rooms.

The trainees felt a wave of nervousness hit them. The reality of the survival show had now hit them, and it was getting clearer that they were going to film the first episode of the show.

The staff led the first three trainees from Harmony Entertainment to the dark pathway that stood outside the massive set, their hearts pounding in anticipation as they waited to enter.

"I can't believe we're the first ones to enter," Ara, their youngest member, said.

"Well, our CEO promised us more screen time. We'll have more exposure since we're the first ones to enter."

"Ladies," the staff said, interrupting their conversation. "Please enter the set."

They gulped in nervousness before nodding. They walked through the pathway, their hands holding each other's. Each step closer felt like a leap into the unknown, making their hearts beat even faster.

As they finally crossed the threshold, their eyes widened in awe at the sight before them. The set seemed to stretch into infinity, bathed in a soft, ethereal glow from the countless LED screens that adorned the walls. The floors, too, were illuminated and comprised of LED screens, casting a pink hue over the entire room.

It seemed like Azure was actually putting the money that EVE earned to good use. They increased their production costs yet again!

The trainees couldn't but feel like they had stepped into a dream—or perhaps, a simulation, where anything was possible.

They exchanged nervous glances as they let the moment sink into their minds.

Backstage, other trainees watched on small televisions, their eyes glued to the screen as they observed the newcomers with admiration and envy.

"It would have been nice if we entered first!"

"Yeah, but it's Harmony we're talking about."

"Hmm, but we're from the same company as our seniors, Zeth and Ren. They should have given us more screentime."

"Don't you know of the phrase—save the best for last? We're going to be the last ones to enter!"

"You believe so, too?"

"Of course! Who else is more important than us?"

"Goodness, you really are a reincarnation of Zeth," their manager muttered.

Their conversation was cut short as the camera now captured the scale of the set. It was like something out of a futuristic fantasy, far grander than anything they had ever imagined.

The seats were arranged in a pyramid formation, each one adorned with numbers from 1 to 99 in a dazzling display of pink, sparkly, glittery font.

Then, as if on cue, the LED screens burst into life, illuminating a pathway that seemed to lead to the heavens. The music played, filling the room with its intense yet dreamy melody and sending shivers down the spines of the trainees.

The pink-haired girl rubbed her hands on her arms as she felt goosebumps arising.

"I need to make it to the top of the pyramid," she muttered in a determined voice.

The lights then focused on the seats of the pyramid, the cameras zooming in to capture the grand seats, a different design from the rest, that would hold the future debuting members of the show.

It panned to the seats one by one while the trainees watched in anticipation, some even holding their breaths.

However, as the camera focused on the very last seat of the debut line, they couldn't help but frown in confusion.

"That's...it?"

"There must be some kind of mistake, right?"

"Are they pranking us? Is Azure really doing their utmost best to fool us right now?"

"If so, then it's quite unfunny."

However, even after the trainees' speculations, the camera continued focusing on the top seats, making them believe that what they were speculating was true.

"No...way."

"This isn't happening."

The girls stared at the scene before them with horror-filled eyes, wanting to wake up from the nightmare that Azure had subjected them to.

"Don't tell me—they're only going to debut five members this time?"