A series of bizarre disappearances quietly took place in the city, almost without raising enough attention. Initially, these cases seemed like random incidents and were treated as ordinary missing persons cases. However, as time passed, the truth gradually surfaced, and the horror lurking behind them began to reveal itself.
The circumstances of the disappearances were eerily similar. Each person mysteriously vanished on a particular night, and when they were found later, they were discovered in abandoned buildings, soaked through, disoriented, and extremely weak. What was even more unsettling was that they had lost part of their memory. Not only did they have no recollection of the specific events surrounding their disappearance, but they also had total amnesia regarding certain details of their lives.
These strange occurrences caught Su Wanqing's attention. As a forensic doctor, she knew that such amnesia was not the result of typical psychological trauma or natural causes. To find clues, Su Wanqing began to conduct detailed blood tests on each of the missing persons. Through a series of experiments, she discovered traces of the same substance in the blood of every individual. The substance was a powerful hallucinogen capable of briefly manipulating the brain's nerves, causing memory loss. Under the influence of this drug, the subjects would lose their sense of self-awareness and fall into a dream-like state.
"These people have been manipulated by some kind of force," Su Wanqing muttered. "They didn't disappear voluntarily."
Meanwhile, Lu Chenzhou compiled the cases and, through investigating surveillance footage, discovered a shocking detail—every missing person had received a mysterious phone call the night before they disappeared. The content of the call was unknown, but each missing person, after receiving the call, immediately left their residence, whether it was day or night, seemingly without hesitation, walking toward an unknown location.
"These people have been guided by some force," Lu Chenzhou analyzed. "Their disappearances were not random; they were controlled by some power with a purpose."
The two began to connect the dots, and it became increasingly clear that these cases seemed linked to a cult organization. This cult did not simply follow a mysterious religious belief but instead used drugs and psychological suggestion to conduct a covert brainwashing experiment, attempting to control the minds of the missing individuals and turn them into puppets for the organization.
After further investigation, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing discovered that the core members of this cult had never shown themselves. All the guidance and decisions came from a mysterious "master." Through phone calls, emails, and extremely secretive channels, they controlled individuals who were unprepared, forcing them into a world that appeared ordinary but was full of hidden suggestions. The missing persons were forced into this hallucinatory world, unaware that they had become subjects of a sinister experiment.
"This is a carefully designed manipulation," Su Wanqing said. "The drugs cause people to lose consciousness, and these people act like machines, following the cult's commands. We must find the root of this organization as soon as possible."
Lu Chenzhou realized that merely tracking the missing persons would not resolve the issue. The only solution was to locate the cult's core base and completely dismantle their operation. Through further investigation, they finally discovered a crucial lead—all the missing persons' last known movements pointed to an abandoned church. The church had once been a place of worship but had been deserted for years due to a decline in followers, becoming an abandoned structure. However, this forsaken church had secretly become the cult's headquarters.
After confirming the church's location, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing led a special police unit in a surprise raid. That night, they silently approached the abandoned church, where they detected a strange aroma, almost like a hypnotic fragrance. Through the windows, they saw several missing individuals, who appeared to be in a dazed state, as though drawn by some invisible force.
"This is their brainwashing base," Lu Chenzhou whispered. "These people didn't come here voluntarily; they were attracted by this evil force, their minds completely controlled."
The two decided to infiltrate the church first, aiming to find the cult's leader and core members. As they entered the church, an inexplicable force seemed to cloud their thoughts, and their heads began to spin, as though invisible voices were whispering in their ears.
"That's just an illusion," Su Wanqing reminded. "We must stay calm."
Lu Chenzhou nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to focus. They pressed forward and eventually discovered a secret meeting room in the church's basement. Inside, several masked figures were discussing how to further expand the organization's influence and continue controlling more innocent people through drugs and hypnosis. Just then, a mysterious figure in a black robe emerged, his eyes cold and uneasy, clearly aware of what was coming.
"You've finally arrived," the figure in the black robe said in a deep voice that echoed through the empty basement. "I knew you'd come, but you won't understand the purpose behind all of this."
"What is your goal?" Lu Chenzhou asked calmly. "What do you want by controlling these people's minds?"
The black-robed figure did not answer but merely sneered. "You will never understand what we're doing. You think this is just brainwashing and drugs, but behind it all is 'evolution.' We're not controlling them; we are granting them higher consciousness."
"'Evolution'?" Su Wanqing responded angrily. "What you're doing is extreme destruction and control over others!"
As the conversation unfolded, the illusion in the church gradually dissipated. The figure in the black robe suddenly reacted, realizing he was not going to be captured easily. He quickly grabbed a small bomb from under the table and was about to detonate it. However, at that moment, the special police unit successfully broke through the entrance and rushed into the church, swiftly subduing the figure in the black robe.
The case finally came to a close. Through this operation, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing not only destroyed the cult but also rescued several of the missing individuals who had been controlled. Though these people regained consciousness, their hearts were filled with deep trauma. Despite having seemingly regained their freedom, the psychological scars would be difficult to heal.
"This nightmare is finally over," Lu Chenzhou said as he looked at the rescued individuals, though his heart still felt heavy. "But we can never forget these lives that were destroyed."
Su Wanqing gently nodded, watching the people around her return to normal. She silently thought, "These people were once lost, but they have found themselves again. As for us, we will never put down our responsibility and will continue to fight for the truth in the darkness."