The night sky above the dojo remained bleak, even with the full moon hanging brightly. On the rooftop, Jung Kok sat cross-legged, letting the night breeze brush against his calm yet burdened face. In his hand, the note he found earlier was now nearly crumpled.
"You have only one night before everything burns."
That sentence echoed in his mind, as if resonating every time he closed his eyes.
A soft voice broke the silence. "You skipped dinner tonight."
Jung Kok turned slightly. Hana stood behind him, a light jacket draped over her shoulders.
"I'm not hungry," he replied briefly.
"You can't fight a war in your head alone, Kok."
Jung Kok gave a faint smile but said nothing. Deep down, he knew — the more he revealed, the greater the risk to those around him.
Beneath the dojo, Min slipped into a room long believed to be unused. The smell of rusted metal and old dust filled the cramped space. At the end of the room, a rusted steel cabinet stood open. He carefully went through the files inside, one by one.
His hand stopped at a file labeled: BLACK SHADOW. The same strange emblem was emblazoned on the cover.
Min slowly opened the file. Inside — old photos, membership records, operation notes, and in the center of it all, a name Hwang had once accidentally mentioned.
"Lee Gwan..." Min whispered.
Quickly, he stuffed several copies of the documents into his jacket and closed the file again. Not far away, a small surveillance camera — one he had installed himself — was monitoring his every move. Always one step ahead of everyone.
At an old factory on the outskirts of town, Rina stepped in with confidence. An elderly man with white hair and a large scar across his face was waiting for her — Lee Gwan.
"Haven't heard my name in a while," he said while lighting a cigarette.
"I need someone who knows how Black Shadow operated. Min has started to move. But I don't fully trust him."
Lee Gwan chuckled softly. "That kid is sly. One wrong step, and you'll become bait in his game."
Rina handed him a file. Inside — photos of Min, Jung Kok, and Jung Joon.
"We'll start with the weakest one first."
In his office, Jung Joon stared at his desk for a long time. In his hands, an old dusty photo frame — a picture of him, Jung Kok, and Hwang when they were children.
"What are you hiding, father... and what does Min really want?" he muttered.
He stood, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a confidential file — a report on Min's activities over the past month. The more he read, the more tense his expression became.
Meanwhile, Hwang was at an abandoned building, facing three men in black attire. They were former elite members who had once sworn loyalty to him.
"We're reforming the shadow unit," Hwang said. "But this time, it's not for power — it's to stop our world from collapsing."
One of them asked, "Is this about Black Shadow?"
Hwang nodded. "And someone I once thought was dead."
Back at the dojo, the night seemed calm — but danger was creeping in from all directions.
Jung Kok walked toward his motorcycle to go out and search for more information — and at that moment, he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the side mirror.
"You have only one night before everything burns."
He clenched the paper tightly. His breath grew heavy, eyes scanning the surroundings wildly. But no one was in sight.
From a hidden surveillance room beneath the dojo, Min sat back calmly. The screens before him showed multiple angles of the dojo, including an image of Jung Kok staring at the note.
Min smirked. "The night has just begun..."
Darkness. And silence.
The real game had begun.