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Episode 1: The First Body
Scene 1: The Discovery
It was a cold November night in the city of Harwich. The streets were wet from the rain, and a thick fog made everything look blurry. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows on the ground. In a narrow alley, it was silent—too silent.
Inspector Rohan Malik stood at the edge of a crime scene, his sharp eyes scanning the area. He had been a detective for many years, but something about this case felt different. Darker.
“Sir,” Officer Karan called out from behind the police tape. “The body’s here. Just like the others.”
Rohan stepped under the police tape and entered the alley. The smell of blood mixed with the damp air. He walked closer and saw the victim—a young woman. She was lying still on the cold ground, her eyes wide open in terror. Her throat had been slashed, but it was the marks on her arm that caught Rohan’s attention.
Three deep cuts were carved into her forearm, like tally marks.
“This is the third one in two months,” Officer Karan said quietly, his face pale. “Same pattern. Throat cut, and those marks.”
Rohan knelt beside the body, studying the marks carefully. They weren’t random. They were made with purpose. This wasn’t just a killer. This was someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
“He’s counting,” Rohan said, his voice low.
“Counting?” Karan repeated, confused.
Rohan stood up, his eyes narrowing as he looked down the dark alley.
“He’s counting his victims,” Rohan continued. “This isn’t just about killing. He’s building up to something.”
Scene 2: The Silent Shadow
Back at the police station, Rohan stared at the investigation board. Photos of three victims were pinned to it—young women, all killed in quiet places, all with the same tally marks on their arms. The killer left no fingerprints, no evidence, no clues. The media had started calling him “The Silent Shadow.”
Rohan knew this was no ordinary criminal. This was someone who liked control. Someone who enjoyed making others feel helpless.
His phone buzzed on the desk. It was Dr. Meera Kapoor, the forensic doctor who did the autopsies.
“I found something,” she said. “There’s a chemical in the victim’s blood. A strong sedative. It paralyzes the body without pain.”
Rohan frowned. “So, he’s drugging them before killing them?”
“Yes,” Meera replied. “It’s not just murder. He’s controlling them. He wants them completely helpless.”
Rohan’s jaw tightened. The tally marks, the sedative—it was all part of the killer’s plan.
“He’s playing a game,” Rohan muttered.
“And he’s enjoying it,” Meera added.
Rohan hung up the phone and stared at the photos of the victims. The Silent Shadow wasn’t just killing for fun. He had a purpose. The tally marks weren’t just random—they were a countdown.
But to what?
Scene 3: The First Clue
The next morning, Rohan returned to the crime scene, hoping to find something that would give them a lead. The fog had cleared, but the cold still bit at his skin as he walked through the alley, replaying the scene in his mind.
Then he saw it.
In the corner, half-buried under some trash, was something shiny. Rohan crouched down and picked it up—a small metal token with a strange symbol on it. A snake wrapped around a dagger.
This was no accident. The killer left it here on purpose. It was a message.
But what did it mean?
As Rohan pocketed the token, his phone buzzed again. It was another message from Meera.
Message: “Another body found. Same marks. He’s moving faster.”
Rohan’s heart raced. The Silent Shadow wasn’t just killing at random. He was speeding up.
And they were running out of time.
To be continued…
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