The Algorithm Of Deceit

Chapter Thirteen

But as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind raced with the names, the faces, the video.
It was now Friday.

Five days had passed, each filled with relentless research, sleepless nights, and an unyielding determination to become Kang Soo-ah. Ji-hyun had consumed everything she could about her sister—her records, her old messages, even the way she wrote in her journals. She had memorized Soo-ah’s speech patterns, the way she carried herself, the subtle habits she had when she was deep in thought.

This wasn’t just an act. It was transformation.

Ji-hyun sat at her desk, the dim glow of her laptop illuminating the dark circles under her eyes. Her fingers danced over the keyboard, precise and efficient. This time, she wasn’t hacking into the military database to steal information.

She was here to rewrite history.

The file opened—Kang Soo-ah, Lieutenant, Active Duty.

Her military ID photo from three years ago stared back at her—Soo-ah’s sharp gaze, her confident stance, her proud, unwavering presence.

Ji-hyun exhaled, steadying her trembling fingers.

With a few keystrokes, everything changed.

Kang Soo-ah ceased to exist.

Her height, her weight, even her blood type—all of it was Ji-hyun’s now. Soo-ah’s fingerprints were erased from the system, replaced with Ji-hyun’s own.

It was done.

She was Kang Soo-ah now.

A sudden ring at the door startled her.

Her breath caught in her throat as she quickly shut the laptop, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum. She stood up, her steps slow and cautious as she approached the door.

No one.

The hallway was empty.

Just as she was about to shut the door, something caught her eye.

A box.

Her pulse quickened.

They kept their promise… the parcel here already?
The box felt heavier in her hands as she stepped inside, locking the door behind her.

Her phone vibrated with a new message.

"What you wanted."

Ji-hyun exhaled sharply.

Them again.

Placing the box on the table, she took a deep breath before opening the lid. Inside, neatly folded, lay a military uniform.

Boots.

A lieutenant badge.

Her throat tightened.

She had prepared for this moment, but seeing the uniform—the same one her sister had worn—made everything feel real.

No turning back.

No second chances.

Ji-hyun reached out, running her fingers over the fabric. It felt cold, heavy—like the weight of her sister’s ghost pressing down on her shoulders.

She glanced at the bathroom mirror, her own reflection staring back.

A woman transformed.

Her once soft, delicate features now sharpened by grief, her once hesitant eyes now burning with purpose.

But something was still missing.

Her hair.

With steady hands, she grabbed a pair of scissors.

Walking towards the mirror, she lifted a chunk of her long, dark brown strands.

This was the last piece of Ji-hyun she had left.

The final thing tethering her to the life she once had.

Her grip tightened on the scissors.

And then—

SNIP.

Strands of hair tumbled to the floor, pooling around her feet.

Again.

SNIP.

More pieces fell.

She worked with ruthless efficiency, chopping away at the past, shaping herself into the woman she needed to become. The more she cut, the more her reflection shifted.

Gone was the quiet, timid Ji-hyun.

What remained was Kang Soo-ah.

A soldier. A ghost brought back to life.

Her fingers ran through the uneven strands, pushing them back as she studied the woman staring back at her.

Her heart pounded.

It wasn’t perfect.

But it was close enough.

She slipped into the uniform, adjusting the fabric over her frame. The boots felt foreign at first, but as she walked, she realized—

They fit.

Her transformation was complete.

Ji-hyun turned back to the desk, grabbing Soo-ah’s photo—the one she had received as her second clue.

She studied it carefully.

Her sister stood in the center of her unit, ten soldiers in total, all of them smiling, their camaraderie captured in a single frozen moment.

Ji-hyun’s fingers trembled as she flipped the picture over.

Their names.

Ten names.

And now, all of them were dead.

Slaughtered.

Erased.

Just like Soo-ah.

Ji-hyun gritted her teeth, a storm of emotions crashing into her all at once.

This wasn’t just about revenge anymore.

These men—whoever they were—had destroyed lives.

Soo-ah’s life.

Her team’s lives.

They thought they had buried the truth.

But they didn’t realize—

Ji-hyun wasn’t here to uncover just the truth.

She was here to make them suffer.

Her fingers tightened around the photo, crumpling the edges.

"Just wait," she whispered, her voice like steel.

"You’ll wish you had never touched my sister."

Her heart pounded as she grabbed the military badge and clipped it onto her uniform. She was ready for the military life and she knew what to do to entre the base. To step onto the base as Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah.

Hours before she infiltrated the world that took everything from her. Ji-hyun took one last look at herself in the mirror.

She was ready.

And she wouldn’t stop until every single one of them paid.