The Next Victim?

Jamie's fingers turned cold as she held the photograph.

She lowered her gaze, studying the girl in the picture. She appeared to be in her early twenties, her delicate features framed by a gentle smile. It looked like a casual photo taken on a bright, sunny day.

But the longer Jamie stared, the more unsettling that smile became—as if it concealed a secret too horrifying to speak.

Sandra took the photo, flipping it over. Her eyes darkened as she read the ominous message scrawled on the back:

"Next, it's her turn."

Sandra's voice was grave. "If this puzzle led us to the previous victim… what happens now?"

Jamie's stomach churned. "We have to find her—before something happens."

They rushed back to the car and used the background details in the photo along with the police missing persons database to track the girl down.

Their search didn't take long.

Her name was Chen Yue, 22 years old, a university student.

And the most terrifying part?

Her roommate had just reported her missing last night.

6. The True Meaning of the Puzzle

Time was running out. Jamie and Sandra sped toward Chen Yue's apartment.

It was an ordinary shared unit in the city. The front door showed no signs of forced entry, yet her roommate swore that Chen Yue had vanished in her sleep—the door remained locked the entire night.

Jamie stepped into the missing girl's room, scanning her surroundings.

A half-finished glass of milk sat on the desk. The bed was rumpled. The window was closed. No sign of a struggle.

Then, Sandra's voice broke the silence. "Jamie, look at this."

She pointed toward the corner of the desk—

A half-completed puzzle lay there.

Jamie's breath caught in her throat.

Slowly, she walked over and examined the image forming within the puzzle.

This time, it wasn't the clock tower.

It was a dimly lit basement.

Jamie's fingers curled into fists.

Sandra's voice was steady but urgent. "The puzzle didn't just reveal the victims. It's showing us where they are."

Jamie exhaled sharply, nodding. "Then we need to find that basement. Now."

They snapped a photo of the puzzle and immediately contacted the police.

7. The Basement

By cross-referencing the puzzle's image with past crime scenes, the police identified an abandoned apartment complex that matched the setting.

The building's basement had been out of use for years—cold, damp, and forgotten.

As Jamie and Sandra pushed open the rusted basement door, a wave of musty air rushed out, thick with the scent of mold and decay.

They stepped inside cautiously, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

In the corner of the room stood a rickety wooden table, and atop it—

A completed puzzle.

Jamie's stomach clenched as she stepped closer.

The final image of the puzzle was Chen Yue.

Bound to a chair.

Mouth sealed with duct tape.

Eyes wide with terror.

Jamie's blood ran cold. This wasn't just a puzzle. It was real.

Without hesitation, she lunged forward, ripping the tape from Chen Yue's mouth and hurriedly untying the knots around her wrists.

Chen Yue gasped, sobbing. "Please… please get me out of here!"

Sandra steadied her. "You're safe now."

But Jamie's attention was drawn to something else.

On the floor, scattered near the puzzle table, were several unused pieces. One was slightly turned over, revealing a single eye staring out.

A shiver ran down her spine.

She followed the puzzle piece's placement to the darkest corner of the basement—

A figure stood there.

Shrouded in a tattered black cloak, their face hidden in shadow.

Only their lips curled upward, revealing a smile too unnatural to be human.

"Such a shame…" The voice was hoarse, eerie, almost playful. "You ruined my game."

Then, they stepped backward into the darkness—vanishing into a hidden passageway before Jamie or Sandra could react.

8. The Game Isn't Over

Despite an extensive police investigation, the mastermind behind the kidnappings was never caught.

But there was something even more unsettling.

Back in the basement, the puzzle remained intact.

Sandra stared at it in silence. "If these puzzles serve as a message…" she murmured, "then this isn't over."

Jamie exhaled shakily, then hesitated before picking up the last unused puzzle piece.

It contained a new image.

Not a victim.

Not a basement.

A building.

Jamie's breath hitched. She recognized it instantly.

It was the old apartment complex right across from her home.

Her hands clenched around the puzzle piece.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

(The End… or is it?)