Inside: fifty fuel barrels. And one junction box marked "CLOCK TOWER - SERVO CONTROL."

She doesn’t cut.

The pendulum stops. 11:59:59.

The watch on her wrist resets to . Then clicks to 88:88:88 . KAI > That’s not a timer. That’s a challenge. Her earpiece crackles. A distorted voice, modulated: CHRONOS (V.O.) > Welcome to the second round, Ms. Hara. You didn’t defuse it. You just told me you understand. Now—find me before I teach you what a *real* time bomb looks like. Kai looks at her reflection in a fuel barrel.

END OF COLD OPEN.

She sees it: a municipal clock tower. The pendulum, wired with a concentrated C4 ring. KAI > The bomb is the clock itself. When the pendulum reaches dead center—exactly noon—the C4 compresses. Fires into the fuel depot across the street. The watch: .

The watch: .

KAI (30s, sharp, exhausted) stands in the middle of it all, eyes fixed on a cheap digital watch. Not hers. Taped to her wrist.