Chapter 1

My father was a narcotics officer who died in the line of duty.

From a young age, I dreamed of becoming a police officer, just like him.

When I found out I could apply to the police academy, I immediately called my mom to share the good news.

But Mom was furious. "You? A police officer?! Don't disgrace your father's legacy! Get out!"

Disappointed, I walked home, only to be surrounded by drug addicts in a dark alley.

"Heard your dad, David Miller, was a drug enforcement expert? Made it so hard for us to even get a hit?"

Their sharp knife plunged into my lower back. I collapsed and died.

Before I lost consciousness, my mom's last words echoed in my mind.

Mom, did I really disgrace Dad's legacy…?

It was the dead of night when the police received a public report: a large amount of blood was found in a dark alley on the south side of the city, but no body.

The caller thought it was just a drunk brawl and quickly reported it, hoping the police would find the injured person and get them to a hospital.

Officers rushed to the scene, only to find that the heavy rain that night had already washed away most of the blood, leaving scattered, indistinct stains!

There wasn't a single trace of an injured person nearby.

They immediately launched a carpet search and found dismembered remains in a nearby abandoned factory.

In the morgue, the lights flickered on.

"What's the status on this case?"

A calm, steady female voice broke the silence. A woman in a sharp forensic uniform entered, accompanied by two young officers.

This was my mom, Sarah Smith, the city's top forensic pathologist.

"Dr. Smith, the victim's situation is quite gruesome. Perhaps you should prepare yourself mentally…"

Mom waved her hand. "What kind of body haven't I seen? Just start the autopsy. Let's solve this case as soon as possible!"

Indeed, Mom had been in the field for nearly twenty years. She'd seen it all: bloated bodies, headless corpses, dismembered remains, even bodies encased in concrete or the fluids of decomposition.

As a forensic pathologist, she was a true professional.

But Mom, did you ever consider that the body on that autopsy table would be your least cared-for daughter?

I floated in mid-air, watching Mom's actions with a detached calm.

The moment she unzipped the body bag, Mom's brows furrowed.

It wasn't just because of the chaotic mess of shredded flesh and broken bones inside, but because the most crucial part was missing.

"Where's the head? What happened to it?"

"Well… Dr. Smith, we searched the entire abandoned factory, but couldn't find it. Most likely, the perpetrator took it."

"Never mind! Let's just start the autopsy."

Mom put on her gloves and began her professional sorting.

Bone fragments, flesh, pieces of fingers…

Everything she could identify was meticulously laid out.

"The victim is female, with narrow growth plates that haven't fully fused, suggesting an age between eighteen and twenty-three. Height is between 5'5" and 5'7", likely still a student."

"Based on the vitality of the cuts, the culprits likely live-fractured the child's phalanges, radius, ulna, humerus, tibia, and femur, then dismembered her limbs. As if that wasn't enough, they used other blunt objects. The ribs and vertebrae are almost entirely shattered…"

Mom professionally reported her findings. Officer Ben, tasked with taking notes, had already turned deathly pale.

Just listening to the description made him almost vomit!

It was even harder to imagine the pain and despair the victim must have endured through all of it!

Mom suddenly turned her head. "Were any weapons found at the scene?"

"Uh, yes, yes, there were."

Officer Ben quickly handed a set of photos to Mom.

It showed a rusty saw covered in blood and a large, blood-stained sledgehammer with bits of flesh stuck to it.

The dull saw, used to savagely hack off each finger, each joint…

The pain such a weapon would inflict on a living person was beyond words!