THE JUDGMENT VOTE

Episode 3: Target Number Three

The city could no longer pretend that the votes were a joke.

After the second incident, fear spread everywhere. Parents warned their children to stay indoors. News channels covered the story twenty-four hours a day. Every conversation seemed to lead back to the same question.

Who was behind the votes?

At police headquarters, Detective Han stood in front of a large investigation board covered with photographs, newspaper articles, and reports.

In the center was a picture of the masked figure.

Or rather, a sketch based on witness descriptions.

Unfortunately, it wasn't much help.

"We're chasing a ghost," one officer complained.

Han remained silent.

He couldn't stop thinking about the photograph found in the warehouse.

The photograph of another criminal.

Target Number Three.

Meanwhile, Mina sat in her dorm room scrolling through social media. Thousands of posts discussed the mysterious vigilante.

Some people called the figure a monster.

Others called the figure a hero.

One post caught her attention.

"What if the police are protecting criminals?"

The post had millions of views.

Mina quickly locked her phone.

The idea made her uncomfortable.

That evening, Han received a report from the forensic team.

They had finally discovered something unusual.

A tiny fingerprint had been found on the photograph recovered from the warehouse.

It wasn't enough to identify a suspect directly, but it matched someone connected to a case from years ago.

Han immediately searched the file.

His eyes widened.

The fingerprint belonged to a former police officer named Kang Dae-Ho.

A man who had disappeared three years earlier.

Seo stared at the report.

"You think he's the masked figure?"

Han shook his head.

"No. It's too obvious."

"Then why is his fingerprint there?"

Han looked thoughtful.

"Because someone wants us to find it."

For the first time, they considered a frightening possibility.

The clues were being planted deliberately.

Someone was guiding the investigation.

Somewhere else in the city, a hooded figure entered an abandoned building and unlocked a metal door.

Inside was a room filled with computers and surveillance monitors.

The masked figure was already waiting.

"The police found the fingerprint," the hooded visitor said.

The masked figure nodded.

"Exactly as expected."

"What happens next?"

The masked figure turned toward a large screen.

A new face appeared.

Target Number Three.

A famous businessman accused of bribery and corruption.

Although several investigations had been launched against him, none had resulted in punishment.

The masked figure's voice was calm.

"The city will decide."

Back at police headquarters, every officer's phone suddenly vibrated.

The room froze.

Han slowly looked at his screen.

A new notification had arrived.

UNKNOWN SENDER

"The third vote has begun."

Shock spread through the office.

The target's photograph appeared beneath the message.

Within seconds, the vote count began rising.

Across the city, millions of people opened the notification.

Many hesitated.

Others voted immediately.

The memory of the previous votes still haunted them.

Han felt a growing sense of urgency.

This time, he had to stop it.

Because if the masked figure succeeded again, the public's trust in the law might disappear forever.

As the vote percentages climbed higher and higher, Han noticed something unusual hidden at the bottom of the screen.

A tiny symbol.

A symbol he had seen before.

But where?

As he stared at it, a terrible realization began to form.

The clue they had been searching for had been in front of them the entire time.

And if Han was right, the identity of the masked figure was closer than anyone imagined.

To Be Continued...

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