The Algorithm Of Deceit

Chapter Fourteen

Ji-hyun exhaled slowly, the weight of her decision pressing down on her shoulders like a thousand hands pulling her into the abyss. Her bag sat open on the floor, its contents meticulously chosen-just the bare essentials. No unnecessary attachments. No distractions.

At the very top lay Soo-ah's journal, the edges frayed from years of use. Ji-hyun ran her fingers over the cover before tucking it into the small pack.

This was it.

No turning back.

Pulling on a pair of tights and a black jogging jacket, she tied her newly cut hair into a small half ponytail before donning a cap and a black mask. Her reflection in the mirror was unrecognizable-not Ji-hyun, not yet Soo-ah.
Just a shadow.

A ghost in the making.

Her laptop sat on the desk, its screen cracked from previous use. She knew better than to leave any traces. With a swift movement, she lifted it and smashed it against the floor. The screen shattered further, the motherboard sparking slightly before going dark.

Grabbing the broken pieces, she stuffed them into a plastic bag and stepped out onto the quiet street.

It was 3:12 AM-the city was asleep, but she couldn't risk anything. She walked five blocks away before dropping the remains of the laptop into a public trash bin.

One final breath.

She walked away without looking back.
Ji-hyun's steps were calculated, each movement rehearsed in her head a hundred times before execution.

The military base was on the outskirts of the city, nearly 7 hours away by road. Taking a taxi would be suspicious. Public transportation? Too risky.

Instead, she chose the only way that made sense-she walked the first hour, blending into the dark alleys and sidestreets, before boarding a cargo truck that was heading towards the direction she needed.

The driver barely noticed her as she slipped inside the back, hiding behind crates marked with military supplies. She had studied the base's supply routes-this truck was scheduled for delivery.

It was perfect.

As the truck rumbled through the roads, Ji-hyun forced herself to breathe evenly. Every bump, every sharp turn sent vibrations through her body, but her mind remained steady.

This wasn't fear.

This was rage, wrapped in control.

Four hours later, as the truck slowed down near the checkpoint, Ji-hyun moved.

She slipped out just before the guards approached, landing softly on the ground. No one noticed.

She was inside.

Now, she had to wait for nightfall.
The sky darkened, the base growing quiet as only the night patrols remained active.

Ji-hyun moved swiftly, finding a hidden spot near the abandoned storage buildings, far from the barracks and main offices.

Here, she would become Soo-ah.

She stripped off her civilian clothes, replacing them with the military uniform she had received.

It was Soo-ah's rank-Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah. But Ji-hyun couldn't walk in looking clean. She needed to look like a prisoner who had barely escaped.

Dropping to the ground, she rolled in the dirt, smearing it over her uniform, over her arms, her face. The scent of soil and grime filled her nostrils.

Then, she took a handful of mud, rubbing it into her clothes until the fabric looked worn, torn.

Still not enough.

It needed to look real.

Her fingers curled around the dagger strapped to her thigh.

Ji-hyun swallowed, staring at the sharp blade.

She took a deep breath.

With one swift movement, she slashed the fabric of her uniform, creating jagged tears on the sleeves, the torso, the pants-wounds of war.

Her fingers trembled as she pressed the dagger against her skin.

A sharp sting followed as she made small cuts-enough to bleed, to bruise, but not enough to weaken her.

Her breath hitched.

The metallic scent of blood filled the air. But it still wasn't enough. She needed real pain. Ji-hyun gritted her teeth, steeling herself.

The dagger pressed against her abdomen.

Her muscles clenched.

A sharp inhale.

Then-

She pushed.

A white-hot agony exploded through her body.

The dagger sank in just enough to wound-not fatal, but deep enough that the blood poured, staining the uniform in crimson.

Ji-hyun gasped, the world spinning for a moment. Her legs wobbled, but she clenched her fists, grounding herself. This was nothing compared to what Soo-ah had gone through.

This was nothing compared to the pain she would bring upon the monsters who did this. She buried the bag under a loose patch of earth, pressing the dirt down firmly.

No traces.

Then, clutching her stomach, she staggered forward. Her body screamed in pain, but she forced herself to keep moving.

Her hair was wild, disheveled. Her face, streaked with sweat and dirt. Her blood, seeping through her uniform, proof of her survival. As she dragged herself onto the military field, she allowed her vision to blur, her breath to hitch.

She collapsed.

The last thing she saw before darkness consumed her-

Floodlights.

Boots running toward her.

Voices yelling orders.

Then-

Nothing.
Ji-hyun felt the weight of consciousness dragging her back from the abyss. Her body ached, her stomach throbbed from the self-inflicted wound, and the cold sting of antiseptic burned against her skin. She was alive.

Her eyes fluttered open, and the blinding white light of the infirmary sent a sharp pain through her skull. A rhythmic beeping echoed in the room, the sound of a heart monitor confirming that she hadn't been thrown straight into hell just yet.

She shifted slightly, only to feel the tight pull of bandages wrapped around her midsection. Her uniform was gone, replaced by a hospital gown. Someone had tended to her wound. Damn it.

Had they run tests? Checked her blood?

Panic surged through her, but she forced herself to breathe, to think.

Her disguise was flawless. She had altered her records, swapped her fingerprints, made sure there was no trace of Kang Ji-hyun left in the world.

As far as the military was concerned, she was Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah-an officer who had miraculously survived captivity and returned from the dead.