Chapter 3: Whispers in the Confessional

The church bells echoed slowly over the town. Maria, dressed in a nun's habit, quietly entered the church. The interior of this Gothic - style church was dim and silent. The light filtering through the stained - glass windows cast mottled shadows on the ground, as if telling ancient tales.

She came to the confessional. As soon as she sat down, she heard the trembling voice of a drug dealer from the other side. "Father, I'm guilty... I know something about the 'Butterfly'. They say the butterfly needs more sacrifices..."

Maria's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface, she remained calm and said softly, "Child, tell me everything you know. God will forgive you."

The drug dealer's voice was filled with fear and despair as he told, in fits and starts, the rumors he had heard about the "Butterfly" organization. It was said that this organization was secretly plotting a series of terrifying things, and anyone they targeted would receive a death threat, as if being tightly choked by an invisible hand.

Maria's heart was pounding rapidly. She tried to calm herself down and quietly pressed the recording device hidden in her sleeve. She knew that this information was crucial to Irene. Perhaps this was the key to uncovering the town's dark secrets.

At the same time, memories came flooding back to the night before the 2018 explosion. In the steel factory's conference room, the atmosphere was oppressively stifling. The lights were dim, and the air was thick with tension. The workers, with faces full of helplessness and fear, were forced to sign a confidentiality agreement. And standing at the front at that time, with a cold expression and a firm tone, forcing them to sign, was the young police chief, Carl.

After coming out of the confessional, Maria carefully hid the recording device, silently praying that Irene could find the truth soon. She looked at the tall cross in the church, her eyes showing determination and resolve. She was determined to seek justice for those innocent victims, even if it meant sacrificing everything.