Breaking Down How the Lightning Network Works — It's Not Just Magic

Honestly, I was really curious and finally decided to dig deep into how the Lightning Network (LN) works. Out there, the narrative always says "LN makes Bitcoin cheap and instant," but very few dare to explain the technical details clearly without using analogies that just make your head spin. As a developer , I need to know the code-level details. If Bitcoin supposedly doesn't have smart contracts as flexible as Ethereum's, then how can LN work without someone running off with the money midway?