The Cold Stage

The spotlight is merciless, but the silence is deadly. All byul-ee wants is to debut. Trapped in a grueling training schedule where exhaustion is a daily requirement, she pushes herself harder than any other trainee at the prestigious Sepulchre Entertainment. But the closer she gets to the stage, the more unsettling the dorm and practice rooms become. Doors slam shut when no one is near. Footsteps echo in empty hallways. The girl she sees in the practice room mirror looks less like an idol and more like a starving shadow. Everyone tells her it’s just the pressure getting to her. But byul-ee is unsure whether the dorms and rooms are haunted or not. Is the immense pressure finally driving her insane? Or is the secret to her debut something far more chilling than a bad performance review? Welcome to the final stage of training. No one ever truly leaves.