Time was running out.
And everyone felt it.
CID — Early Morning
No one joked today.
No distractions.
No noise.
Only focus.
Kang Ara stood in front of the board, eyes scanning every detail again.
"24 hours," she said.
"That's our critical window."
Bong Soo leaned forward, unusually serious.
"What do we actually have?"
Su Young answered without looking up.
"CCTV blind spot."
"Unregistered number activity near the area."
"Partial shoe print."
A pause.
"…and nothing solid."
The Difference
Kang Min stepped forward.
"We're looking at this wrong."
Ara turned. "How?"
"This isn't just a kidnapping."
Silence.
He continued—
"It's imitation."
Realization
Bong Soo frowned. "Imitation of what?"
Ara's eyes slowly widened.
"…Ghost Eyes."
Kang Min nodded once.
"Not perfect," he added.
"But close enough."
The Mistake
Su Young turned her screen.
"I found something strange."
Everyone gathered.
"The number used near the scene?" she said.
"It wasn't wiped properly."
Ara's expression sharpened. "Meaning?"
"It reconnected briefly to a local network."
Bong Soo blinked. "So he messed up?"
"Yes."
Kang Min's Conclusion
"He's not the original," Kang Min said.
"He's trying to be."
Silence.
Heavy.
Disturbing.
Psychological Profile
Ara crossed her arms, thinking.
"Someone who studies crime…"
"Obsessive…"
"Wants to replicate control."
Jae In added calmly—
"But lacks experience."
Kang Min finished—
"And discipline."
The Victim's Behavior
Ara looked back at the file.
"She didn't resist."
"She followed."
Bong Soo muttered, "That's the scary part…"
Kang Min's voice dropped slightly.
"He made her trust him."
The Lead
Su Young tapped quickly.
"I've got a possible location."
Everyone turned.
"Warehouse district," she said.
"Signal ping lasted 3 seconds—but it's enough."
Ara didn't hesitate.
"Let's move."
The Warehouse
Dark.
Abandoned.
Too quiet.
Police lights flickered faintly outside as the team entered carefully.
"Stay sharp," Ara said.
Bong Soo whispered, "I don't like places like this."
"No one does," Jae In replied.
Inside
The air felt heavy.
Wrong.
Kang Min moved slowly, eyes scanning every corner.
Then—
He stopped.
"…there."
The Setup
A chair.
Placed in the center.
Too deliberate.
Too familiar.
Ara's chest tightened slightly.
"This is—"
"Wrong," Kang Min said.
The Difference Again
He stepped closer.
Studied it.
"This isn't his style."
Ara looked at him. "How do you know?"
Kang Min didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"Too obvious."
The Rescue
"Over here!"
Bong Soo's voice echoed from the back room.
They rushed in.
There—
Curled in the corner—
The child.
Kim Soo Ah.
Alive.
Terrified.
But alive.
Relief
Ara immediately knelt beside her.
"It's okay," she said softly.
"You're safe now."
The girl didn't respond at first.
Just stared.
Shaking.
Kang Min Watches
Kang Min stood slightly behind.
Observing.
Not just the child.
But the room.
The placement.
The structure.
The intent.
And one thing was clear—
This wasn't the same killer.
The Message
On the wall—
Something was written.
Rough.
Unsteady.
Different.
Ara stood slowly, reading it.
Her expression changed.
"…this isn't normal."
"What does it say?" Bong Soo asked.
She hesitated.
Then read it aloud—
"I understand now."
Silence.
Kang Min's Reaction
His eyes darkened slightly.
That sentence—
Didn't belong.
Not to the real killer.
But to someone trying—
To become him.
The Shadow
Outside—
Unseen—
Someone stood at a distance.
Watching the scene.
The lights.
The movement.
The chaos.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Contrast
Inside—
The copycat failed.
Messy.
Imperfect.
Emotional.
Outside—
The real one watched.
Precise.
Silent.
Unreachable.
As the ambulance took the child away—
Ara exhaled deeply.
"We got her back."
Kang Min nodded.
But his expression didn't soften.
Because this—
Wasn't a victory.
Not really.