Chapter 1

My sister died in a bus terror attack, rushing back to celebrate my birthday with me.

In the days that followed, no matter how much I begged or repented, my parents were unmoved. They kicked me out.

On my eighteenth birthday, I went to visit my sister's grave and was kidnapped by a thug.

He made me call my parents and demand a huge ransom.

But they hung up the second they answered. A moment later, a text from my mom came through:

[You have the nerve to contact me! I hate you! I wish it had been you who died!]

When the ransom didn't come, the thug brutally murdered me. Then he crushed me into a pulp with his car.

That night, my mother was urgently called back to work.

Looking at the severed forearm, the only thing left at the crime scene, my mother―a medical examiner―didn't recognize me.

The next day, my sister, who had been missing for three years, came home with a baby bump.

When they learned the pulp on the road was me, my whole family fell apart.

When my mother arrived at the crime scene, even as the most senior medical examiner on the force, the gruesome sight made her eyes burn.

"It's all just paste. This little piece of forearm is all that's left," Captain Miller said, his own eyes red above his mask. "That goddamn bastard!"

He turned and saw my mother in her professional attire, his expression softening with pity.

"Where does this road lead? How was the body found? Any witnesses?" Mom asked, pulling on her gear.

"This dirt road also leads to the cemetery. It's been abandoned since the new paved road was built. No cameras out here. No witnesses. An old man from the next village was herding his sheep when he found it and called it in."

"It's so hot, the flesh is covered in maggots and flies. Can you tell the time of death?" Captain Miller asked, squatting beside her.

"Based on the decay of the arm, I'd say no more than two days."

My mother carefully examined the wounds on the severed arm, her breathing growing heavy. "The killer was deliberately torturing the victim. The fingers are broken... snapped off one by one while she was alive!"

"Fucking monster," Captain Miller swore under his breath.

"Look, there isn't a single clean patch of skin on this entire arm. It's covered in needle marks and cigarette burns! And that's not all. The killer also sliced the flesh into a petal-like pattern! I can only imagine what the rest of the body..."

My mother choked up, unable to continue.

Captain Miller watched her, his own heart heavy. "Can you estimate the victim's age?"

I floated beside my mother, my feelings a tangled mess. This was the first time in three years she had shed a tear for me.

"Too few clues. I'll need to take the arm back to the lab. But judging by the wear on the teeth, I'd guess between twenty and twenty-five."

"Dr. Evans, look at this."

Captain Miller suddenly spotted something, his voice tinged with excitement. He pointed to my wrist. "Right here, it looks like there might be a birthmark. Maybe we can reconstruct it and check it against the missing persons database."

I surged with a flicker of hope, drifting closer to my mother.

Mom, look closer! It's not a birthmark. It's the scar I got from being burned when I was little.

I was so upset back then because I thought my arm wasn't pretty anymore. But you told me the scar looked like a butterfly, that it was beautiful.

Mom, if you just look, you'll know this body belongs to your daughter.

"The arm is too damaged to tell what it is..." my mother concluded after a brief glance.

I was crushed, floating listlessly to the side.

Captain Miller patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll solve this case."

He surveyed the scene and sighed. "This is the second case this vicious in the last three years. The last one was that bus bombing planned by the ex-con. Thirteen innocent lives... not even bones left."

My mother's gloved hand clenched into a tight fist.