Night fell with a fine drizzle, as though the sky itself whispered secrets slowly being unveiled. At the dojo, the atmosphere was quiet yet heavy with tension. Jung Kok sat in the center of the room, staring at a strange symbol carved into the concrete floor — a remnant of an attack that raised more questions than answers.
The symbol was no ordinary one. It belonged to a secret group believed to be long extinct — a dark legend in the underworld that lived on only in old stories and classified documents belonging to Hwang.
Behind him, Hana and Tae stood silently, each carrying unspoken worries. Jung Kok turned to face them.
Hana, a woman with a calm face but dagger-sharp eyes, had once served as Hwang's right-hand in secret intelligence missions. Now, she stood loyally by Jung Kok, holding firm to the belief that truth should be protected, not hidden.
Beside her stood Tae — a burly man with a scar above his left brow — a former member of an elite unit who had once saved Hwang during a bloody operation two decades ago. Now, he served as the silent guardian of the dojo, ready to give his life to prevent any enemy breach.
"Hana," Jung Kok said calmly. "Have you seen this symbol before?"
He handed her a note with fading ink.
Hana frowned. "This is an old symbol. Very old. I never thought it would resurface... here."
Tae stepped forward, kneeling to inspect it. "If this symbol is showing up again, it means... they're not just alive. They're moving in silence."
Jung Kok clenched his jaw. His mind raced, piecing together all the strange events of late. The unexpected attacks. The cryptic notes. Min, growing increasingly secretive. And now — this symbol.
"Take this to the archive room. I want it compared with my father's old documents," Jung Kok ordered. "And don't tell anyone else. We don't know who can be trusted now."
Hana nodded and left with Tae.
Meanwhile, in a hidden room known only to him within the dojo, Min reopened the file labeled "Top Secret: Class Alpha." His hands trembled slightly. Inside was not only documentation on the symbol — but a small sheet that mentioned his name. Clear as day.
"So, they've been watching me from the beginning..." Min whispered.
Suddenly, he heard the soft scrape of footsteps outside the door. Swiftly, he tucked the file back and moved toward the bookshelf. By the time the door knocked, his expression had returned to calm.
"Min," Jung Kok's voice came from outside. "Do you have a moment?"
"Come in."
Jung Kok entered, glancing around the room. Nothing looked suspicious, but a heaviness lingered in his chest. "I need you to look into this symbol. Quietly. I don't want this getting out."
Min accepted the paper, studying it closely. "I'll look into it. But this… this is no ordinary symbol."
"I know," Jung Kok replied. "That's why I came to you."
Elsewhere, Jung Joon sat at a long table with Rina. Before them, maps and photos were pinned to the wall. They examined every detail — attack locations, enemy movements, and one name that now stood out:
Min.
"If he really is the one," said Rina, "then we've been betting on a man who's been playing both sides of the board."
Jung Joon slowly nodded. "And we're being used."
"It's time we change our strategy," Rina added. "Not to fight Jung Kok… but to expose the true mastermind."
That night, all players in the shadows began to move. But one thing remained unchanged — the real game hadn't even begun.
And the name Min, once just an assistant, had now become the center of every question.