Min Jae stared at the USB drive in his palm, the weight of its contents far heavier than its physical form. The cold wind howled through the gaps in the bridge’s railing, carrying with it the scent of rain and asphalt. His mind raced through the implications of what Hana had just revealed.
The Ascendants.
A shadowy organization pulling the strings of Korea’s elite. Yoo Mira was involved, but to what extent? Was she a willing participant, or had she been ensnared in something far beyond her control? Min Jae had always believed power came in many forms, but modern influence—technology, money, and control over information—was a battlefield far different from the blood-soaked arenas of his past life.
He slipped the USB into his pocket and exhaled. There was only one way to find out what he was truly up against.
----------------------------------------
UNDERGROUND CYBER CAFÉ – 4:12 AM
The neon glow of monitors illuminated the dimly lit basement, the soft hum of cooling fans filling the air. This was no ordinary internet café—it was a hacker’s den, a place where information had more value than currency. Rows of night-dwelling programmers, cybercriminals, and digital mercenaries clacked away at their keyboards, some engaged in silent battles of intrusion and defense, others lost in their own secretive dealings.
Min Jae walked past them, his presence an anomaly among the disheveled crowd. He approached a man slouched over three monitors, his fingers dancing across a keyboard with fluid precision. The glow of code scrolled rapidly across the screens, the reflection flashing in his thick glasses.
“You still owe me for last time,” the man grunted without looking away from his screen.
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Min Jae smirked. “I recall saving you from getting your fingers broken. Let’s call it even, Techno.”
Techno—real name unknown—sighed dramatically before spinning in his chair. “Fine. What do you need?”
Min Jae placed the USB on the desk. “Decrypt this. Find out what’s inside.”
Techno raised an eyebrow. “You bring me interesting problems, you know that?” He plugged the drive into an isolated machine and began his work. Within minutes, his casual demeanor disappeared, replaced by deep concentration. Lines of encryption scrolled across the screen, layers of protection designed to keep prying eyes out.
“Damn,” Techno muttered. “Whoever made this wasn’t messing around. This is high-level corporate security—no, even worse. Military-grade.”
Min Jae crossed his arms. “Can you crack it?”
Techno grinned. “Give me a couple of hours and enough caffeine to kill a horse.”
Min Jae took a seat, watching as Techno worked. The hours ticked by, filled only with the rhythmic clicking of keys and the occasional muttered curse. Then, suddenly, Techno stiffened.
“Got it,” he whispered.
The screen flooded with files—emails, transaction logs, hidden communications. Techno’s face lost its usual color. “Holy… this is insane.”
Min Jae leaned forward. “What am I looking at?”
Techno scrolled through the data, his voice tight. “Bribes. Blackmail. Government deals. The Ascendants have their hands in everything. But this… this is the real kicker.” He pulled up a classified document titled Project Rebirth.
Min Jae’s gut twisted. “Open it.”
The document unfolded in chilling detail—experiments, human subjects, genetic manipulation, and a name that made his blood run cold.
Subject #09: Yoo Mira.
Min Jae’s vision darkened at the edges. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palm. Mira wasn’t just working with them. She was a target, a test subject in something far more sinister than he had imagined.
Techno swallowed hard. “Min Jae… whatever this is, it’s beyond dangerous. You need to walk away.”
Min Jae stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. His eyes burned with the fury of a storm about to break.
“I’m done walking away.”