diff --git a/steps/index.html b/steps/index.html
index bdd5ddb..c8ac40b 100644
--- a/steps/index.html
+++ b/steps/index.html
@@ -542,10 +542,8 @@
             <p class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">Press <kbd>ESC</kbd> or click outside to close</p>
           </div>
         </div>
-        <button id="shortcuts-modal-close-btn" class="text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-gray-800 rounded-full p-2 transition-colors">
-          <svg class="w-8 h-8" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
-            <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M6 18L18 6M6 6l12 12"></path>
-          </svg>
+        <button id="shortcuts-modal-close-btn" class="px-6 py-2 rounded-lg bg-green-600 text-white hover:bg-green-700 font-semibold text-lg transition-colors">
+          Skip
         </button>
       </div>
 
@@ -615,11 +613,8 @@
             <h2 class="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900 dark:text-white">User Manual</h2>
           </div>
         </div>
-        <button id="guide-modal-close-btn" class="text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-gray-800 rounded-full p-2 transition-colors">
-          <svg class="w-8 h-8" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
-            <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M6 18L18 6M6 6l12 12"></path>
-          </svg>
-        </button>
+        <button id="guide-modal-close-btn"
+          class="px-6 py-2 rounded-lg bg-green-600 text-white hover:bg-green-700 font-semibold text-lg">Next</button>
       </div>
 
       <!-- Iframe Content -->
@@ -639,7 +634,7 @@
       <span id="modal-progress-text" class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 mt-1 block text-center"></span>
       <div class="flex justify-end gap-4 mt-4">
         <button id="modal-cancel-btn"
-          class="px-4 py-2 rounded-lg bg-gray-200 dark:bg-gray-600 dark:hover:bg-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-300 font-semibold">Cancel</button>
+          class="px-4 py-2 rounded-lg bg-green-600 text-white hover:bg-green-700 font-semibold">Cancel</button>
         <button id="modal-ok-btn"
           class="px-4 py-2 rounded-lg bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700 font-semibold">OK</button>
       </div>
diff --git a/steps/src/main.js b/steps/src/main.js
index 5ce18af..8c5364c 100644
--- a/steps/src/main.js
+++ b/steps/src/main.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { initializeDataExplorer } from "./dataExplorer.js";
 import {
   showModal,
   hideModal,
+  runStartupLoader,
 } from "./modal.js"; 
 import {
   initSyncUIHandlers,
@@ -49,6 +50,9 @@ import {
   autoOffsetIndicator,
   clearCacheBtn,
   guideModal,
+  shortcutsModal,
+  shortcutsModalCloseBtn,
+  guideModalCloseBtn,
 } from "./dom.js";
 
 import { initializeTheme } from "./theme.js";
@@ -158,8 +162,34 @@ document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
   // Check if the user has seen the guide
   const isFirstRun = !sessionStorage.getItem("hasSeenUserGuide");
   if (isFirstRun) {
-    guideModal.classList.remove("hidden");
-    sessionStorage.setItem("hasSeenUserGuide", "true");
+    runStartupLoader(10000)
+      .then(() => {
+        // 1. Show User Guide
+        guideModal.classList.remove("hidden");
+        
+        // 2. Setup chaining for Guide -> Shortcuts
+        // We use { once: true } to ensure this specific flow logic only runs once.
+        // The default event listeners in ui.js simply toggle visibility, which works fine 
+        // with this as long as we trigger the next step.
+        const onGuideClose = () => {
+             shortcutsModal.classList.remove("hidden");
+        };
+        guideModalCloseBtn.addEventListener("click", onGuideClose, { once: true });
+        
+        // 3. Setup chaining for Shortcuts -> App
+        const onShortcutsClose = () => {
+            // Flow complete
+             sessionStorage.setItem("hasSeenUserGuide", "true");
+        };
+        shortcutsModalCloseBtn.addEventListener("click", onShortcutsClose, { once: true });
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        console.log("Startup loader skipped/cancelled by user.");
+        sessionStorage.setItem("hasSeenUserGuide", "true");
+      });
+  } else {
+      // Ensure the flag is set if it wasn't first run (defensive)
+      sessionStorage.setItem("hasSeenUserGuide", "true");
   }
 
   // Await the database initialization before attempting to load any files.
diff --git a/steps/src/modal.js b/steps/src/modal.js
index 4b50ded..35974f7 100644
--- a/steps/src/modal.js
+++ b/steps/src/modal.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ export function showModal(
 
     modalCancelBtn.classList.toggle("hidden", !isConfirm);
     
-    // --- THIS IS THE FIX ---
     // This ensures the "OK" button is always visible for this modal.
     modalOkBtn.classList.remove("hidden"); 
     
@@ -37,11 +36,12 @@ export function showModal(
     modalResolve = resolve;
   });
 }
+
 // A new function specifically for the loading modal
 export function showLoadingModal(message) {
     modalText.textContent = message;
-    modalOkBtn.classList.add('hidden');
-    modalCancelBtn.classList.add('hidden');
+    modalOkBtn.classList.add('hidden'); // Hide OK button for loading
+    modalCancelBtn.classList.add('hidden'); // Initially hide cancel button
     modalProgressContainer.classList.remove('hidden');
     modalProgressBar.style.width = '0%';
     modalProgressText.textContent = 'Initializing...';
@@ -62,6 +62,44 @@ export function updateLoadingModal(percent, message) {
   }
 }
 
+export function runStartupLoader(durationMs = 10000) {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        showLoadingModal("Opening Quick Start Guide...");
+        modalCancelBtn.textContent = "Skip Guide";
+        modalCancelBtn.classList.remove("hidden"); // Show cancel button for startup loader
+
+        const startTime = Date.now();
+        const intervalMs = 100; // Update frequency
+        let timerId = null;
+
+        const cleanup = () => {
+            clearInterval(timerId);
+            hideModal(false); // Use hideModal to clear the progress bar and hide the modal
+        };
+
+        const onCancel = () => {
+            cleanup();
+            reject('cancelled');
+        };
+
+        modalCancelBtn.onclick = onCancel; // Use the existing modalCancelBtn
+
+        timerId = setInterval(() => {
+            const elapsed = Date.now() - startTime;
+            const remaining = Math.max(0, durationMs - elapsed);
+            const percent = Math.min(100, (elapsed / durationMs) * 100);
+
+            updateLoadingModal(percent, `${(remaining / 1000).toFixed(1)}s remaining`);
+
+            if (elapsed >= durationMs) {
+                cleanup();
+                resolve();
+            }
+        }, intervalMs);
+    });
+}
+
+
 // The hideModal function now also resets the progress bar
 export function hideModal(value) { // This now returns a promise
   return new Promise(resolve => {