The pressure was mounting on Hana as each day passed, and the weight of the Soul Ledger seemed to grow heavier. She knew the responsibility she bore, and more importantly, she knew what was at stake if she made the wrong choice. The radical group’s actions were becoming more reckless, more violent. Lives were being lost. And all the while, Hana’s gaze was constantly drawn to M.
After his confession about his real name, Daniel Kwon, there was a part of Hana that couldn’t shake the feeling of distrust. No matter how calm and collected M appeared, no matter how logical his explanations were, Hana knew there was more to his story. There had to be.
And with the Soul Ledger, she had the means to find out.
Sitting in her room late at night, Hana stared at the blank page of the Ledger in front of her. It glowed faintly in the dim light of her desk lamp. The pen rested in her hand, its weight feeling unnatural, as though it was beckoning her to write.
“Do I dare…?” Hana whispered to herself. Her thoughts raced.
If M truly was hiding something—if he was the insider within Green Horizon, or worse, the one pulling the strings behind the radical group—then writing his name in the Ledger could be the only way to stop him. But if she was wrong... Hana clenched her fist around the pen. The consequences would be devastating.
As she pondered, the door to her office creaked open, and M walked in. He was uncharacteristically silent, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Hana and the Ledger on her desk.
“Hana,” he said softly, stepping closer. “You’ve been quiet these past few days. Is everything alright?”
Hana stiffened but quickly composed herself, hiding the Ledger beneath a few papers. “I’ve just been… thinking. About the case. About everything that’s been happening.”
M nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “It’s understandable. This investigation has taken its toll on all of us. But you seem particularly distant.”
There was a pause as they stood in silence. Hana could feel M’s eyes on her, and the tension in the room grew palpable. She wasn’t sure if he had seen the Ledger or if he was merely being cautious, but his presence was unsettling.
“M,” she began carefully, “do you ever think about… the consequences of what we’re doing? How one wrong move could change everything?”
M’s gaze didn’t waver. “Of course. Every decision we make has the potential to ripple outward, affecting people in ways we can’t always predict. But that’s why we have to trust in our instincts and our training. We’re doing what we can to prevent more bloodshed.”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Hana nodded, but her mind was racing. She felt an overwhelming urge to confront him, to ask him outright if he was hiding something. Instead, she opted for a different approach.
“What if,” Hana said slowly, choosing her words carefully, “we’re being misled? What if someone within the task force… someone we trust… is playing both sides?”
M’s face remained impassive, though his eyes flickered with something—curiosity? Suspicion? “You think there’s a traitor among us?”
“It’s possible,” Hana replied. “We know the radical group has connections within Green Horizon, and they’ve been ahead of us at every turn. It’s as if they know what we’re going to do before we do it.”
M crossed his arms, his tone unreadable. “You’re suggesting one of our own is feeding them information?”
Hana swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest. “I’m saying it’s a possibility. And we need to be prepared for that.”
M studied her for a long moment before speaking. “I agree. If there’s someone within the task force working against us, they need to be stopped. But we can’t act without proof, Hana. Making accusations without evidence could tear this investigation apart.”
Hana’s grip tightened around the pen, her mind whirling. She could write his name right now, discover the truth, and end it all. But M was right—without proof, she was acting on suspicion alone. And that was dangerous.
“I’m not accusing anyone,” Hana said, her voice steady. “I’m just… thinking about all the possibilities.”
M uncrossed his arms and gave her a slight nod. “Good. Keep thinking. But remember, Hana, we’re a team. We need to trust each other if we’re going to see this through.”
Hana forced a smile, though her thoughts were far from trusting. “I know.”
M’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned to leave. As the door clicked shut behind him, Hana exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
She stared down at the Ledger, the pen still in her hand. Her fingers hovered over the page, trembling slightly. M’s words echoed in her mind—*we need to trust each other*—but how could she trust someone who was hiding so much?
Hana leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Writing M’s name… it would be so easy. One stroke of the pen, one name, and she could uncover everything. His secrets, his past, and whether or not he was a threat.
But something stopped her. Was it guilt? Or was it fear?
“If I write his name,” she whispered to herself, “there’s no going back.”
Hana stood up, pacing the room. Her mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. She knew she had to act, but she wasn’t sure what the right course of action was. She had to find out the truth about M, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to take that step.
After what felt like hours of internal debate, Hana finally made a decision. She sat back down at her desk and opened the Ledger. Her hand was steady now, the pen poised above the page.
“M,” she muttered under her breath. “Daniel Kwon…”
Her heart pounded in her ears as she slowly began to write his name. The letters formed one by one on the page, each stroke of the pen feeling like a hammer against her conscience. When she finished, she closed the Ledger and leaned back in her chair, her breathing ragged.
Now, all she could do was wait.
In the silence of her room, Hana felt the weight of her decision settle over her like a shroud. What had she just done? Was this the right path?