The Algorithm Of Deceit

Chapter Eight

Every single headshot was hers.

The other trainees had done well, but Ji-hyun had executed every single target with clean, precise headshots.

Her stomach twisted.

She had been so lost in her anger, so deep in her hatred for the people who hurt Soo-ah, that she hadn't realized...

She had destroyed the entire simulation.
Ji-hyun stood frozen, her gaze flickering between the instructor and the carnage she had left behind on the training range.

Every shot—clean, precise, deadly.

The simulated targets lay in ruin, each bearing the same cold, merciless headshot. Her breathing was shallow, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the pistol as if it were an extension of herself.

Had she really done this?

Had she truly become this ruthless?

She turned her head slowly toward Joon, who was watching her with a mixture of amusement and something else—something unreadable.

“At this rate,” he mused, crossing his arms, “you’ll be done with training much earlier than expected.”

Ji-hyun’s mouth went dry.

A few feet away, one of the trainees whistled, wide-eyed.

“Wow, that was so cool!”

Cool?

Ji-hyun swallowed hard.

There was nothing cool about this. She wasn’t here to impress anyone. She was here because she had no choice.

The anonymous caller had gone silent, but Ji-hyun no longer cared.

If they wouldn’t help her, she would find the truth on her own.

And she already knew where to start.

The military.

That was the key.

That was where everything began. That was where Soo-ah died.

Her hand instinctively reached for the pendant around her neck—the one with her sister’s name engraved on it.

Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah.

Her thumb brushed over the metal, the coolness grounding her.

Soo-ah had been strong.

Too strong for them to break. So why had she died? Why had her body never been found?

And why was someone trying to make Ji-hyun believe she was still alive?

She clenched the pendant tightly, determination hardening in her chest. Whatever secrets they had buried, Ji-hyun would unearth them all. She would not stop.

Not until she knew the truth.

Not until every person responsible paid.

She exhaled slowly, forcing her emotions back into the depths of her mind. Joon was still watching her, intrigued.

“Ji-hyun,” he said finally, his voice softer than before.

She blinked at him, startled.

“You’re not doing this for sport, are you?”

Her fingers twitched. For a split second, she thought about lying.

But what was the point?

Joon wasn’t stupid.

He could see it—the fire in her eyes.

The desperation. The anger. The grief.

She exhaled, shaking her head.

“No.”

Joon studied her for a long moment before nodding.

“Then whatever it is you’re fighting for,” he said, “don’t let it consume you.”

Ji-hyun didn’t respond.

She wasn’t sure she could.

Because this revenge, this mission—it was already consuming her. And she wasn’t sure she cared.

She left the range that night with one thought echoing in her mind.

She was ready.

Her body had changed—her once thin frame now bore lean muscle, her stamina increased from the intense training.

And soon, she would step into the world that had taken Soo-ah away from her.

The military. The truth was waiting.

And she was coming for it.

Ji-hyun barely made it a few steps out of the training center before the nausea hit her. A bitter, acrid taste flooded her mouth, and before she could stop herself, she turned to the side and vomited.

Her body trembled, the sour burn of bile lingering at the back of her throat. Her breathing was ragged, uneven.

What was wrong with her?

She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, swallowing hard. Her mind reeled, flashing back to the shooting range.

The way she had fired without hesitation.

The way she had enjoyed it.

The way she had imagined real people standing in place of the targets—people who had tormented Soo-ah, people who had let her sister die.

For a moment, Ji-hyun had wanted to kill.

And it had felt—

Good.

Her stomach lurched again, but there was nothing left to throw up.

She braced herself against the wall, closing her eyes.

This wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t her.

She wasn’t a soldier.

She wasn’t a killer.

But the people responsible for Soo-ah’s death—

They weren’t human in her eyes.

They were monsters.

And monsters deserved to be hunted.

Ji-hyun inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stand up straight. She couldn’t afford to break down.

Not now.

Not when she was about to start her revenge. Her hands still trembled, but she clenched them into fists, willing herself to be strong. She was doing this for Soo-ah.

For justice.

Even if it meant becoming something else entirely.