I woke up gasping, my lungs burning as if the air itself had turned to lead. The haunting images of the dream still clung to my mind like a shroud. I had to return to Korea immediately. I had to find a way to tear Ming from Tian Long's suffocating grip. I wouldn't let that monster touch a single hair on his head.
On my way out of the palace, my path crossed with Sai's. Our eyes met for a fleeting second. I didn't look away; instead, I gave her a chilling, predatory smile that made her flinch. I watched the color drain from her face as a wave of visible anxiety washed over her.
"If you tell me everything you know about Tian Long, I'll make Gangnam yours."
Jun-ho let out a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed through the room. "Do you honestly think you or I stand a chance against Tian Long and his shadows?"
He leaned forward, his eyes cold. "They are humans, as you can see, but they possess supernatural combat abilities. That girl, S#003... she slaughtered Typhon who was working with them and my entire gang in the blink of an eye. She took Gangnam from me without shedding a single drop of her own blood."
Ming: "Then tell me... what's the story behind the codes?"
Jun-ho: "Get out of here, Detective. I don't know anything. I'm not ready to die yet."
Ming: "I can protect you, I promise. Just give me one thread, one lead to bring Tian Long down."
Jun-ho stood up, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke before speaking. "Typhon only told me one thing... that Tian Long deals in 'Shadows.' He takes children from their families before they are even conscious of their surroundings, before they have a single memory to hold onto. He trains them to be cold-blooded killers, conditioned so their hearts don't even flutter when they end a life."
He paused, looking at the ceiling. "Then, each child is assigned a serial number—the codes you're talking about. They are sold to the wealthy like high-end merchandise. Each buyer weaves a fairy tale for the child, telling them they were 'saved' from the streets or poverty. They become dolls, obeying every command without a second thought."
"If a Shadow rebels, they are executed or erased as if they never existed. And a new Shadow takes their place with a new code. Even Tian Long has his own Shadow... but I have no idea who it is."
Ming: "Is that all you know?"
Jun-ho: "Almost everything. That's what Typhon told me when he rebelled and came to work with me. Now, before you leave, Detective... I don't want my name mentioned in any of this."
I walked out of Jun-ho's hideout, my mind reeling. Humans treated like combat dolls... their lives stolen for the profit of the elite. But why a 'Shadow'? Why not just a bodyguard?
I sat in my office until late, scouring every case file for anything that could indict Tian Long in Korea, but there was nothing. A ghost with a clean record.
That evening, as I headed to my car, I noticed a letter tucked under the windshield wiper. I scanned the dark parking lot, looking for eyes in the shadows, but saw no one.
I opened the envelope. Inside was a photo of two girls. They were the same height, the same build, but their faces told different stories. One was clearly Asian, dressed in expensive clothes, looking like royalty. The other was S—with her wide, circular eyes and that perpetual look of suppressed rage. She was dressed exactly like the other girl, even her hair was styled the same way. In the background stood a man with sharp Chinese features and a thin, yellow smile.
Is this Tian Long?
Suddenly, a coin clattered onto the pavement in front of my feet, glinting under the streetlamp. Then came a familiar voice—Satro's.
"In this photo of two girls, one is the truth... and the other is the Shadow. If you guess correctly, you will finally know what Tian Long is hiding."