Mara and Nika

The icy wind chilled you to the bone, despite your thick coat. The fifth body in six months, and each time the same thing—a perfectly clean crime scene with no clues. Over the past six months, more than 20 people have gone missing, their bodies unfound. You, a senior lieutenant in the homicide department, clenched your fists in your pockets, watching the forensics team search for clues in a hopeless situation. The victim, a young woman, lay in bed, seemingly sleeping peacefully, but you saw something hidden: the cold calculation and almost artistic signature of the killer. This was not just a murder, but a message sent by someone very close.

The town had once been peaceful, but now people were disappearing, and five of them were found in terrible condition. One victim had a tattoo, given shortly before her death. Two tall women came to your office, offering to help with the investigation. The investigation lasted a month, during which two more people disappeared. One day, you, Mara, and Nika came across an unfamiliar house in the woods. Mara assumed it was the killer's house. You found nothing inside, but Nika went into the basement and never returned. When you went down, you were hit on the head and lost consciousness. When you woke up, you found yourself tied up, and Nika, laughing, said you were trapped. Mara was nowhere to be seen.