At exactly 2:17 a.m., phones around the world began lighting up with emergency alerts.
Television channels interrupted regular programming. Government officials rushed into late-night meetings. News anchors spoke with tense voices as millions of people stared at their screens trying to understand what was happening.
Within minutes, social media exploded.
Some posts warned of military escalation. Others claimed global systems were under attack. Videos spread faster than facts, and confusion traveled across the internet at terrifying speed.
For one long night, it felt like the entire world stopped breathing.