Chapter 312

A gust of cold wind suddenly blew into the tent, causing the temperature to plummet. Everyone shivered involuntarily.

"Why is it suddenly so cold?" Freya rubbed her arms.

Before she finished speaking, Francis grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. Selah instinctively hid behind him as well, while Stellan froze. Ten bodies lay on the ground, in addition to the small group and four police officers.

The mutilated and dismembered corpses, lying still, seemed to come alive. Their bodies slowly reformed, and they stood up.

"They're coming back to life!" a police officer exclaimed in shock. They had handled numerous major cases, but had never witnessed decades-old corpses spontaneously revive.

However, the corpses didn't attack, acting as if they were oblivious to their surroundings. After rising, they began to violently rearrange their own body parts. Even stranger, their restored bodies were then dismembered again—necks severed, limbs torn off, stomachs ripped open, organs removed.

Instant silence fell over the tent; everyone held their breath. The scene was bizarre, compelling them to watch despite their fear. Eventually, the corpses returned to their original positions, and immediately began to disintegrate once more.

"What's going on?" a policeman whispered. Even Lee, a seasoned detective with thirty years of experience, felt his lips tremble. He looked at Odalys, noticing her composure amidst the chaos, as if she were in complete control. The strange events had begun the moment she flicked something from a grapefruit leaf towards their eyes.

"Mrs. Stewart, what is going on?" Lee asked, his voice the first to break the silence.

All eyes turned to Odalys. Her gaze fell upon the rearranged corpses. The ten bodies lay still. Odalys, hands clasped behind her back, spoke calmly. "The scents you just witnessed depicted their final moments—how they died, how they were murdered—whether by a stab wound, a slit throat, or disembowelment—it was all vividly displayed. Their appearances reflected their true selves. You can use these images to create sketches and locate their families. They were mutilated to prevent DNA identification. The murderer intended to hinder your investigation and conceal their true identity."

A forensic pathologist, Dr. Sirwant, added, "As a forensic pathologist, I concur with Mrs. Stewart. In my forty years of experience, I've never encountered such a perplexing case. Every mutilation on their bodies seems to have occurred simultaneously, making it impossible to determine the order of injuries. This discrepancy makes injury assessment difficult. It's an impossible feat unless some external agent is involved."

11:30 PM

Chapter 312 (continued)

Lee looked at Odalys with a complex expression, surprised by her perceptiveness and profound medical knowledge. He had seen her live streams and knew of her rise to fame. He had previously dismissed her, but now realized her capabilities.

"Mrs. Stewart, was what we just witnessed an illusion? How did you manage to recreate the scene of their deaths?" a police officer asked, equally astonished.

Odalys explained, "It's simple. Though their bodies were destroyed, their souls were trapped, unable to move on. I've spoken to them, and they're willing to cooperate by reenacting their deaths. Once the case is closed, I will set them free."

Silence fell. All eyes remained fixed on Odalys. They seemed speechless, unsure if what they'd witnessed was magic or science. Their worldviews seemed to crumble.

Odalys said coldly, "Officer Hersey, this is all I can do. You can use their restored appearances for identification. The recording can be viewed for half an hour; it will then disappear automatically. Even if you save it, the result will be the same. This incident must not be spread beyond us. Any attempt at publicity will have consequences. It's acceptable to report to your superiors, but any attempt to use this for attention, or disclosure to the murderer or others with malicious intent, will result in consequences. The souls attached to these bodies also carry your scent. It's best not to act against them." Odalys turned to leave. Freya and Selah stood trembling; the vivid experience surpassed anything they’d seen on television.

"Stellan?" Francis called to him, noticing his shock.

Stellan, regaining his composure, whispered, "I saw someone whose body was dissected, organs forcibly removed If it weren't for Odalys, would I have ended up like that? My organs removed, my limbs twisted" The knowledge that these bodies were exhumed from the villa echoed in his ears.

Lee's eyes darkened at Stellan’s words. Odalys' earlier statements seemed ruthless, but perhaps those people targeting Francis held the key. Since the corpses offered no breakthroughs, he felt he needed to focus on those who targeted Francis.