THE JUDGEMENT VOTE

Episode 4: The Symbol

Detective Han couldn't take his eyes off the symbol.

It was small, almost invisible, hidden at the bottom of the voting screen. Most people would never have noticed it.

But Han had seen it before.

The problem was that he couldn't remember where.

The third vote continued spreading across the city while Han searched through old files and case reports.

Hours passed.

Then suddenly, he froze.

"I found it."

Seo looked up from her desk.

"Found what?"

Han placed an old case file on the table.

Inside was a photograph taken five years ago during an investigation involving a secret online group.

In the corner of the photograph was the exact same symbol.

Seo's eyes widened.

"You're kidding."

Han shook his head.

"No. Someone connected to that group may be involved."

The group had disappeared years earlier after being linked to hacking, surveillance, and information theft.

Many of its members were never identified.

The discovery raised even more questions.

Was the masked figure a former member?

Or was someone using the symbol to mislead the police?

Meanwhile, the city watched the third vote unfold.

The target, businessman Kang Dae-Hyun, had become the center of national attention.

News reporters surrounded his office.

Citizens debated his guilt online.

Some demanded punishment.

Others argued that no one should be judged by a public vote.

As midnight approached, the percentage continued rising.

YES: 76%.

NO: 24%.

At police headquarters, tension filled the room.

Officers monitored every possible location connected to the suspect.

This time they were determined not to fail.

Then a call came in.

A security guard reported seeing a suspicious person entering an abandoned subway station.

Han and Seo immediately headed there.

The station had been closed for years.

Dust covered the stairs.

The lights flickered weakly.

The deeper they went, the quieter it became.

Finally, they reached an underground room.

Inside were computer cables, monitors, and communication equipment.

Seo looked around.

"This must be one of their hideouts."

Han nodded.

But something felt wrong.

The room looked too clean.

Too organized.

As if it had been prepared for them.

Then Han spotted an envelope on a desk.

Written on the front were three words.

"For Detective Han."

Seo frowned.

"Don't touch it."

Han carefully opened the envelope.

Inside was a single photograph.

The color immediately drained from his face.

It was a picture of him.

Not from yesterday.

Not from last week.

The photograph had been taken years ago.

Seo stared at him.

"Han... what is this?"

For several seconds, he couldn't answer.

Because he recognized the location in the photograph.

It had been taken on the day his younger brother disappeared.

A day he had spent years trying to forget.

Before Han could speak, every monitor in the room suddenly switched on.

The masked figure appeared on every screen.

The voice was distorted as always.

"Detective Han."

The room fell silent.

"You have spent years searching for me."

Han clenched his fists.

"Who are you?"

The masked figure ignored the question.

Instead, another photograph appeared on the screen.

It showed Han's missing brother.

Alive.

The detective's heart nearly stopped.

The masked figure spoke again.

"The truth you seek is connected to him."

The screens immediately went black.

Han stood frozen.

For the first time since the investigation began, the case had become personal.

And somewhere in the darkness, the masked figure was waiting for him to uncover the truth.

To Be Continued...

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