By the time Haruto arrived at the scene, the streets had been cordoned off, an ominous silence hanging over the alley. The victim - a young woman - lay motionless, her body arranged with an unsettling elegance beneath the shadow of an ancient tree. Her eyes were wide open, but not in terror; instead, there was a haunting peace, as if death had been her final moment of release.
"This is... the same," an officer murmured, his voice trembling. "Just like the others. As though she were placed like an art piece."
Haruto's gaze swept across the scene. The woman's limbs were carefully aligned. Her clothes, untouched by the dirt of the street, appeared as though she had been meticulously dressed, prepared for an exhibit. This was the signature of The Architect - a killer whose methodology mirrored the precision of an artist, whose canvas was the human body.
"This isn't a murder," Haruto whispered under his breath. "This is a performance."
He crouched down and noticed a small, bloodied card clutched in the victim's hand. Turning it over, his eyes caught the words etched upon it:
"The first step toward chaos is always beauty."
What did it mean? Was it a riddle? A philosophy? Haruto's thoughts whirled as he stood up.
"Gather the team," he ordered. "We're not dealing with a serial killer. We're dealing with something far more dangerous."