The rain poured heavily that night, drenching the city streets in cold water. From a corner of the city, a man wearing a black hoodie stood, his face partially hidden by shadows. A faint smile played on his lips; though his emotions were unreadable, pure satisfaction was evident in that smile.
He held an umbrella in his left hand, while his right hand caught the falling raindrops. His eyes stared at the water with an icy, cold gaze.
"Perhaps my masterpiece will begin in just a few minutes..."
He started to walk, moving towards the darker parts of the street, yet his eyes never left a beautiful woman in a red dress who had just stepped out of a bus.
A slow smile spread across his face—not a normal smile, but the grin of a predator ready to pounce at any moment. The woman sensed something wrong, feeling an inexplicable fear that made her shiver. She quickly walked away from him.
She ran towards what she thought was safety, taking shelter in a crowded area. Seeing this, the man stopped pursuing her for a moment. Believing she had escaped, the woman relaxed and decided to take a shortcut through a narrow alley, letting the rain lightly wet her hair.
Unbeknownst to her, the man began to follow her again, silent as a shadow. Suddenly, her phone rang loudly inside her bag, startling her. She pulled it out and answered the call right there in the alley.
:Yes, I'm coming home now, Mom. Wait for me."
:Make sure you hurry, your brother is waiting for you."
In an instant, the man covered her mouth with a white cloth soaked in liquid from his pocket. She struggled desperately, but his strength was overwhelming.
He tossed his umbrella aside without a care and slung her over his shoulder, disappearing into the night... destination unknown.
A faint smile remained on his face. Moments later, he arrived at an old warehouse near the grand Cathedral. He tied her securely to an old, worn-out chair.
Afterward, he opened a small cabinet filled with sharp objects—kitchen tools and modified torture instruments he had created himself. As he reached for his weapon, the tip of his finger was slightly cut by the blade.
The atmosphere inside the warehouse was suffocating, a strange mix of cold and heat, heavy and oppressive.
The man turned around, looking at the woman who was barely conscious. He gently lifted her chin, admiring the delicate features of her face as if examining a piece of art.
He pulled out a deck of cards and placed three of them face down on a surface in front of her, gesturing for her to choose one.
Trembling in fear, she bit her lip.
"CHOOSE!"
His sudden shout made her jump in terror. Seeing her fear, his expression instantly changed into a pitiful, innocent look.
"Ah... sorry about that? I didn't mean to scare you,"
He ended the sentence with a horrifying smile, completely devoid of any sincerity.
Terrified, she finally made her choice—the card in the middle. The man flipped it over, and his smile faded instantly. Whether it was bad luck or fate... the choice was made.
She ended up with seven deep stab wounds across her body. Yet, her face looked strangely beautiful, laid out on a stage that had been prepared perfectly just for her.
A white rose was tucked behind her ear, adding an eerie sense of elegance to the scene. The killer still did not look fully satisfied; the masterpiece was not yet complete.
He sprinkled more white roses, now stained with fresh blood, around her body. The air no longer felt hot or cold—it felt empty, filled only with the presence of his creation.
The killer spread his arms wide, welcoming the art he had brought into the world.
He smiled blissfully as feathers and bird wings drifted down around him. He spun around gracefully, dancing in the macabre celebration. Finally, using her own blood, he drew his signature mark upon her body.
***
The cold morning air bit at his skin as the Captain of the Criminal Investigation team arrived at the scene. His head throbbed painfully at the sight of the gruesome display before him.
Li Yuan, the brilliant detective who always handled the most complex cases personally, stood there silently alongside his team.