In the frostbitten heart of Washington, D.C., as the city was ablaze with New Year celebrations, a tale of sinister retribution unfolded. At its core were two figures: Congressman Arthur Greville, a man whose soul was as corrupted as the power he wielded, and Detective Samuel Hayes, a seasoned officer whose integrity was the stuff of legend within the Metropolitan Police Department.

Arthur Greville, a charismatic politician, had climbed the ladders of power with a ruthless determination. His public persona was immaculate, but behind closed doors, his hands were stained with unspeakable deeds. Greville’s latest venture, a controversial housing project, promised prosperity but was poised to displace thousands with no regard for their fate.

Detective Hayes, on the brink of retirement, had always believed in the justice system. Yet, he had watched Greville escape the clutches of the law time and again. Hayes’ faith in the system was unshaken, but the shadows of doubt had begun to creep in.

As the city’s grand New Year’s Eve gala approached, an ominous air lingered over the Capitol. Greville, basking in his untouchable status, was to be the guest of honor. Unbeknownst to him, an ancient force had awakened beneath the city’s foundations, stirred by the cries of those wronged by his actions.

During the gala, as the clock neared midnight, Greville began to experience unsettling phenomena. Whispers echoed in empty hallways, and his reflection twisted into grotesque shapes. Unseen hands seemed to brush against him, leaving chills down his spine. He dismissed these as stress-induced hallucinations, but the true horror awaited him at the stroke of midnight.

As the countdown began, Greville found himself alone in a grand, yet decaying version of the Capitol. The once magnificent halls were now corridors of a nightmarish realm. Phantom-like figures, faces of those wronged by his greed, emerged, whispering truths he had long ignored. Each step he took was a journey through the lives he had shattered.

Detective Hayes, attending the gala out of duty, noticed Greville’s absence. Guided by instinct, he followed a trail that led to a hidden part of the Capitol. There, he stumbled upon a scene that defied logic: Greville, trembling, surrounded by spectral figures in a room that seemed both there and not.

As Hayes watched, the spirits converged upon Greville, their voices crescendoing into a deafening roar of justice. Greville’s screams echoed as the clock chimed midnight, and then silence. When Hayes blinked, the room returned to normal, with no sign of the congressman.

The next day, Greville was found in his home, unharmed but irrevocably changed. He confessed to all his crimes, his voice hollow. The once-powerful politician was reduced to a shell, haunted by the memories of that night.

Detective Hayes, shaken by what he witnessed, chose to stay on the force, his resolve to uphold justice stronger than ever. He never spoke of that night, but it forever altered his view of the world. The city, unaware of the supernatural reckoning, hailed Greville’s confession as a triumph of the legal system.

As Hayes walked the streets of Washington, D.C., he knew better. Justice, sometimes, came from beyond the realms of the law, and on that New Year’s Eve, it had come with a vengeance.