After returning from the European castle full of strange mysteries, Li Yi seemed to be drained of energy. Every inch of muscle was exhausted, and every nerve longed for relaxation. Along the way, the roar of the plane and the bumps of the car failed to completely sober him up from his chaotic thoughts. He only wanted to get home quickly, dive into the familiar bed, and let himself be wrapped in warmth and peace.
Finally, the door of the house was in sight. He dragged his heavy steps into the house, but as soon as his front foot crossed the threshold, an inexplicable chill jumped up along his spine, instantly dispelling all sleepiness. The house was quiet, so quiet that it seemed a little strange, and the air seemed to be frozen. Li Yi looked around vigilantly, and his eyes suddenly fixed on the wall - a mysterious symbol he had never seen before, like a bolt from the blue, struck him straight in the eye.
It was a picture of the zodiac, beautifully drawn but with an indescribable weirdness. The golden lines outlined the contours of the twelve constellations, flickering under the dim light, as if they were alive and flowing slowly. The pattern of each constellation was lifelike, the horns of Aries were sharp and flamboyant, as if they were about to break through the picture; the claws of Cancer were baring their teeth and claws, as if hiding a deadly threat. The edge of the picture was also surrounded by some strange symbols, like ancient texts, and like mysterious spells, exuding an elusive atmosphere, making people want to get closer to explore, but also afraid.
Li Yi's eyes moved away from the picture with difficulty, but he caught a glimpse of a string of crooked mysterious text next to it. Those characters seemed to be hastily written with blood, dark and sticky in color, and exuding a pungent smell. They were combined in a peculiar arrangement. Some characters were like twisted reptiles, slowly crawling on the wall; some were like sharp arrows, piercing straight into people's hearts. Li Yi's heart tightened. His years of experience dealing with mysterious things told him that this was not an ordinary graffiti, and there must be a shocking secret behind it.
Before he could recover from the shock, an object on the table made his scalp tingle. It was a transparent tube, reflecting a cold light under the dim light. In the tube, there was a human finger! The finger was pale and slender, with uneven cross-sections. The dried blood had turned into a dark brown, like a dry riverbed, shocking. Li Yi felt his stomach churning, and resisted nausea and fear. He trembled and reached out his hand, carefully picking up the tube. The moment his finger touched the wall of the tube, a chill ran straight into his heart along his fingertips.
"What on earth is going on?" Li Yi muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the empty room with a tremor and endless doubts. He knew that he was once again involved in a mysterious vortex beyond imagination, and this time, the unknown danger seemed to be hidden in every corner of the darkness and could come at any time.
Li Yi did not dare to delay at all. He hurriedly wrapped the tube properly, as if it was a bomb that could explode at any time. Then, he ran to the FBI headquarters with a solemn look. Along the way, the zodiac map, the mysterious text and the terrifying finger kept appearing in his mind. He tried to piece together some clues from them, but his thoughts were like a mess, and the more he sorted them out, the more confused he became.
In the headquarters, the atmosphere was as solemn as a lead block. When Li Yi put the tube on the table and showed the horrifying evidence, everyone's face turned pale instantly. Experienced agents gathered around, and their usually sharp eyes were now a little shocked and confused. They carefully tested and analyzed the evidence, trying to find a breakthrough from this small finger.
After an intensive investigation, a clue gradually surfaced like a ray of light in the dark night. This finger came from the restaurant owner Chuck who mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. Once this name was mentioned, it seemed to open a long-forgotten memory door. Ten years ago, Chuck's restaurant was well-known in the local area. With its unique flavor and warm service, it attracted many diners to patronize. The restaurant was always bustling and lively. Chuck's busy figure shuttled between the tables, with a satisfied smile on his face.
However, overnight, everything disappeared. Chuck seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth, and the restaurant also closed down, leaving only an empty storefront and the discussion of neighbors. Some people said that he owed a huge debt and was forced to leave his hometown; some speculated that he had encountered an accident and was murdered by his enemies; and some people rumored that he had discovered some shocking secrets and hid his whereabouts to protect himself. But all these statements are just speculations. As time goes by, this unsolved case is gradually forgotten by people and is only occasionally mentioned after dinner.
Today, the appearance of this finger has made Chuck's disappearance case the focus of everyone's attention again. Li Yi and the detectives dug deeper along this clue, like a persistent hound chasing the traces of prey. They visited the old neighbors and Chuck's relatives and friends, trying to piece together from their memories the details before Chuck disappeared. Every inquiry and every answer is like a piece of a puzzle, slowly outlining a vague outline.
Finally, they found the second deceased in an abandoned basement. The basement is dark and damp, filled with a foul smell. The walls are covered with water droplets, dripping down, echoing in the silence, like the sad cry of wronged souls. The dim light sways in this gloomy space, casting strange light and shadows.
When Li Yi saw the deceased for the first time, his heart shrank suddenly. The body of the deceased was curled up like a fish, with his limbs tightly wrapped around his torso, as if he had experienced extreme pain before dying and tried to protect himself in this strange posture. His skin was a bluish-gray color with a disgusting sheen, covered with dark red spots, like the marks left by a demon's curse. The face of the deceased was distorted, his eyes were wide open, full of fear and despair, and his mouth was wide open, as if he was shouting something silently.
Li Yi suppressed his inner shock, slowly squatted down, and carefully observed every detail of the deceased. He found that the body of the deceased was engraved with some tiny symbols, which had some subtle connection with the zodiac map on the wall, some of which were shaped like the outline of the constellation, and some were like the symbolic patterns of the constellation. A terrible thought flashed through Li Yi's mind: this person was performing a mysterious sacrifice according to the zodiac. Judging from the existing clues, the murderer must be a ruthless madman who is well versed in mysticism. He selected victims one by one according to the order of the zodiac. The death and place of each victim may contain mysteries, corresponding to the characteristics and symbols of the constellation.
Thinking of this, Li Yi's face became more solemn. He knew that this was just the beginning, which meant that other innocent people would be killed in the future. But just as they were about to continue to follow this clue, the clue was suddenly cut off by an invisible hand. The seemingly clear direction became unclear at this moment, and all the investigations seemed to be trapped in a fog. They visited all possible locations around and asked every relevant person, but they could no longer find any valuable clues.
The atmosphere in the FBI headquarters was so depressing that it was suffocating. The agents sat together, frowning, looking at each other, and everyone's eyes were full of frustration and confusion. Li Yi looked at the piles of information on the table, and his heart was full of helplessness and anxiety. He knew that with every passing second, the murderer might be one step closer to committing the next crime, but they were trapped in the same place and could not find a way forward.
"Should we just give up like this?" Li Yi asked himself secretly in his heart, and the answer was of course no. He clenched his teeth, and his eyes revealed a firm determination. No matter what was waiting for him ahead, he had to sort out the clues again, break the deadlock, find the truth hidden in the darkness, and stop this brutal killing from continuing. Even if there was little hope and even if there were many difficulties, he would never back down, because this was his mission, and it was an endless battle between him and the mysterious evil forces.