Graveyard of the living

Tracing shadows

After that, Hans and Alex arrived at the scene, where they found everyone in tears. It had been years since Hans had witnessed anything so devastating. He had never even imagined something like this. Despite the evidence, he couldn't bring himself to believe it was a suicide.

Hans: "Alex, stay here and try to calm everyone down."

Alex: "What are you planning?"

Hans: "I'm taking the body to the medical center for an autopsy. I also need to visit my lab."

He approached Katrin and explained his plan.

Katrin: "Fine, but I'm coming with you."

Hans: "Alright, let's go."

On the way, Katrin was assigned a female guard for a short period of time, which was Hans' idea.

Katrin informed the nearby hospital of the situation, and they dispatched an ambulance and personnel to transport the body. Afterward, she and Hans set off for their tasks. On the way, Hans asked, "Is everyone inside the village?"

Katrin: "No, Oberheuser left for important work early this morning before anyone else woke up."

Hans: "Alright."

When they reached the medical center, John's body was taken to the autopsy room. The doctors asked Katrin, Hans, and her personal guard to wait outside before proceeding with their work.

Hans requested Katrin's personal guard to look after her, stating that he needed to visit his lab. He also asked Katrin to send him the autopsy report as soon as it was available. After that, he left. Around the same time, Oberheuser returned to the village, noticing an eerie silence. She could hear birds, but there was no sign of human activity. Assuming everyone was in the dining hall, she entered, only to find the food unserved and completely cold. She asked Isabella what had happened, and Isabella explained the entire situation.

Isabella: "No one has eaten anything yet. The children have been crying since morning. I tried to console them and urged them to eat, but no one listened."

Oberheuser: "And what about you?"

Isabella: "How could I even think of eating before the children have?"

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Hans was attempting to extract fingerprints from the ring. To his surprise, the ring bore only a single thumbprint on its underside. Hans thought to himself, "Are you kidding me? You could have easily wiped the fingerprints, but instead, you deliberately left a single thumbprint on the bottom—broad and looped towards the radial side. Is this a challenge or a trap? If it's a trap, then the killer is using others as pawns. But if it's truly yours, then you're challenging me. You monster, is this a joke to you after killing someone close? I must calm down; acting impulsively will only lead me into the trap."

Just then, he received a message from Katrin with the autopsy report of John.

Hans: "As I suspected, the cause of death was hypothermia, leading to drowning. But if he didn't have his ring, he still had his phone—he should have used it. Why didn't he? There's so much at play here; I have to be extra cautious. One wrong move, and my friends and others could die."

Hans called Katrin and instructed her to summon everyone from the village for the funeral.

Katrin: "What about you?"

Hans: "Don't worry; I have something important to do. I'll be there."

Katrin knew Hans well. She had witnessed his quick, analytical mind in action, and she trusted him implicitly. She called the villagers to the ritual site for John's funeral. They all brought flowers, each representing their deep emotions and love for John. While the funeral was ongoing, Hans was meticulously cleaning every cylindrical door handle with ethanol. Once finished, he made his way to the funeral, arriving last. After offering flowers, he silently vowed to find the culprit. He alone knew this was a carefully orchestrated murder.

On the way back to the village, Isabella stood and spoke, "Please, once we return to the village, let's eat. None of you have eaten, and it's already noon. I know everyone is grieving, but remember why John joined us in the first place—he wanted to see you all happy. Do you think not eating will make him happy? How heartbroken he would be to see you sad, not eating, and avoiding the joy he cherished. It's hard for all of us, but we must endure, so we can tell future generations about the man who, though not related by blood, sacrificed his life for our happiness. He may be gone, but he will live on in our hearts and souls."

Her words brought everyone to tears once again. Isabella herself wept but continued to plead with them to eat. Upon returning to the village, they all went to the dining hall, washed their faces, and ate a little. Afterward, they retreated to their rooms, closing the doors behind them—except for Hans, who observed them carefully. Once everyone was settled, he went to his room and retrieved a gun-shaped scanner equipped to emit both UV and IR light.

As he prepared, the scene shifted to reveal his room, which doubled as a personal lab, filled with instruments and important chemicals, separate from his bedroom. Hans began his meticulous work. Since everyone was tired and resting, it was the perfect time for him to proceed. The task was time-consuming, but he remained patient. Finally, he returned to his room.

In his lab, beside his advanced computer, sat a small rectangular robot. Though capable of various tasks, he voice-commanded it to divide its upper screen in two. He placed the fingerprint extracted from the ring on the left side and began comparing it with others on the right. After a tense moment, he found the perfect match. Overwhelmed, he placed his arms on his head, sweating and unsure of what to do next.