Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
Drawings Before Death
Ji-yoon begins The Black Veil, a story about a vengeful ghost exposing hidden crimes. Seo Mi-sook's alarming message is followed by her death in a locked office.
Key Events
-
The Black Veil Begins — Ji-yoon develops a horror webcomic about a vengeful ghost exposing hidden crimes. Characters: Ji-yoon
Location: Ji-yoon's work space
-
The Alarming Message — Seo Mi-sook asks Ji-yoon how she learned a secret about her mother's death. Characters: Ji-yoon, Seo Mi-sook
Location: Ji-yoon's work space
-
A Secret Shared — Mi-sook says the secret was supposedly known only to herself and Ji-yoon. Characters: Ji-yoon, Seo Mi-sook
Location: Webcomic company
-
Mi-sook Found Dead — Seo Mi-sook is found dead in her office with wounds matching an unfinished comic scene. Characters: Seo Mi-sook, Ji-yoon
Location: Mi-sook's office
The Manuscript Suspect
Detective Lee Ki-cheol investigates the impossible office crime and questions Ji-yoon's home alibi. The voice message and manuscript details make her increasingly suspicious.
Key Events
-
The Locked Office — Lee examines the locked office and finds no recorded entry or exit after the last security check. Characters: Detective Lee Ki-cheol, Seo Mi-sook
Location: Mi-sook's locked office
-
Ji-yoon's Home Alibi — Ji-yoon insists that she was working at home when Mi-sook died. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Ji-yoon's home
-
The Final Voice Message — Mi-sook's final voice message and the manuscript's precise details increase suspicion of Ji-yoon. Characters: Ji-yoon, Seo Mi-sook, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Police investigation
-
Jo Sun-gi Attacked — Jo Sun-gi appears to be attacked exactly as depicted in Ji-yoon's comic. Characters: Jo Sun-gi, Ji-yoon
Location: Unspecified attack site
-
Warning at the Hospital — Ji-yoon reaches the police hospital, claiming her drawings warned her that Jo needed help. Characters: Ji-yoon, Jo Sun-gi, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Police hospital
A Pattern Repeats
Jo Sun-gi appears to suffer an attack copied from the comic. Ji-yoon reaches the police hospital but is arrested and accused of using the ghost as a disguise.
Key Events
-
Ji-yoon Arrested — Ji-yoon is arrested for Jo Sun-gi's murder and accused of inventing the ghost as cover. Characters: Ji-yoon, Jo Sun-gi, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Police hospital
-
Happy Mansion Revealed — Lee discovers that Ji-yoon once lived at Happy Mansion and had a troubling earlier connection there. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Happy Mansion
Secrets Of Happy Mansion
Lee traces Ji-yoon's past to Happy Mansion and uncovers bullying, disturbing drawings, possession accusations, and a deadly tragedy labeled an accident. Older unsolved cases also resemble her comics.
Key Events
-
Happy Mansion Revealed — Lee discovers that Ji-yoon once lived at Happy Mansion and had a troubling earlier connection there. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Happy Mansion
-
The Troubled Child — The shared history involved a troubled child, the child's mother, bullying, and disturbing drawings. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Happy Mansion
-
Possession Accusations — The old history includes accusations of possession connected to disturbing drawings. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Happy Mansion
-
A Tragedy Called Accident — A deadly tragedy from the shared history was later treated as an accident. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Happy Mansion
-
Old Cases Resemble Comics — Old unsolved cases resemble scenes from Ji-yoon's comics, suggesting recurring supernatural violence. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Police records
Silenced Evidence
Kim Young-soo encounters the apparent ghost and dies after confronting it. The Chief Detective suppresses the supernatural explanation, while evidence at Ji-yoon's home leaves the mystery unresolved.
Key Events
-
Young-soo Sees the Ghost — Kim Young-soo encounters the apparent ghost and tries to confront it. Characters: Kim Young-soo
Location: Unspecified location
-
Young-soo Dies — Kim Young-soo dies after confronting the apparent ghost. Characters: Kim Young-soo, Chief Detective
Location: Unspecified location
-
The Suicide Cover-Up — The Chief Detective orders the department to report Kim's death as suicide and suppress talk of a ghost. Characters: Chief Detective, Detective Lee Ki-cheol, Kim Young-soo
Location: Police department
-
Evidence at Home — Evidence found at Ji-yoon's home points toward further victims. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol
Location: Ji-yoon's home
-
The Unresolved Presence — The cover-up leaves unresolved whether Ji-yoon exploits the past or a vengeful presence makes drawings real. Characters: Ji-yoon, Detective Lee Ki-cheol, Chief Detective
Location: Police investigation