Min Jae sat in his dimly lit apartment, the USB drive resting in the palm of his hand like a loaded weapon. The weight of the information it contained wasn’t physical, but the implications of what he was about to uncover carried more force than any sword he had ever wielded.
He plugged it into his laptop, eyes scanning the screen as encrypted files flooded the display. The decryption process began, his fingers tapping impatiently against the desk. Each second felt like an eternity.
The screen flickered, and suddenly, a series of folders appeared: Project Sanguine, Ascendant Network, Personnel Files. Min Jae’s pulse quickened as he clicked on the first one.
Lines of data, schematics, and confidential reports scrolled before his eyes. The Ascendants weren’t just pulling strings in finance and technology—they were deeply embedded in Korea’s security infrastructure. Politicians, CEOs, military officials—all with links leading back to a single entity hidden behind layers of shell companies and anonymous transactions.
And there, buried among the files, was Yoo Mira’s name.
Min Jae clenched his jaw. He knew she had secrets, but this? The document listed her as a high-level operative, someone trusted with sensitive information. It didn’t make sense. Was she a willing participant, or was she in over her head?
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A sudden knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts.
He moved swiftly, silently reaching for the knife he kept under the desk. Without making a sound, he approached the door and glanced through the peephole.
Hana.
He opened the door cautiously, letting her step inside before locking it behind her. She was soaked from the rain, strands of her dark hair clinging to her face. The urgency in her eyes told him she wasn’t here for a casual visit.
“You looked at the files?” she asked, her voice low.
He nodded. “This goes deeper than I expected.”
Hana pulled out her phone and showed him a recent message. “They know someone took the data. The Ascendants are already moving.”
Min Jae narrowed his eyes. “How long do we have?”
“Hours, maybe less. They’ll come for you first. You need to disappear.”
Min Jae wasn’t one to run. But he wasn’t reckless either. He had fought in countless battles, led warriors into impossible odds, and survived what should have been certain death. This was no different.
Except, it was.
This wasn’t the battlefield he was used to. Swords and martial prowess meant little against surveillance networks, digital footprints, and political power. He was fighting ghosts with hands bound by modern laws.
“I need to find Mira,” he said firmly. “She’s the key to all of this.”
Hana hesitated before nodding. “Then we better move fast.”
Min Jae shut his laptop, slipping the USB drive into his pocket. The moment they stepped out of his apartment, he could already feel it—the shift in the air, the weight of unseen eyes watching from the darkness.
The hunt had begun.