February, 2001
Southern France, the Central Highlands.
Deep forests and snow-capped mountains cradle the village of Saint-Valère. Also called "The Sacred Valley," the village boasts breathtaking gorges, yet now, a heavy gray sky hangs over it.
Marc Dubois, commander of the French National Police Special Intervention Unit, known as RAID, exhaled a long sigh. Mountain weather changes abruptly, and a sudden blizzard could strike at any moment.
At dawn, a troubling report reached him: a cult leader had taken women hostage deep in Saint-Valère.
The cult had been under surveillance for about a year. With no apparent victims or overt activity, authorities had merely monitored them. But now, the call for RAID intervention had arrived. Two hours had already passed since Marc's team reached the location, yet the standoff persisted.
The cult compound was eerily silent. Negotiators' calls went unanswered. Any misstep could endanger the hostages, and the worsening weather risked trapping them in the mountains.
Marc reached for his phone to consult headquarters when suddenly—
Bang!
A gunshot echoed.
Bang!
Another.
Marc and his team froze. The command was clear: the situation demanded immediate action.
"Breach!" he shouted.
They stormed the compound. Room by room, they cleared it, until finally they entered what appeared to be the main hall.
The scene was horrific. Female followers lay on the floor, blood flowing from their mouths, apparently victims of poisoning or forced suicide.
In the center, the cult leader hung crucified. His body bore deep, claw-like wounds, as if attacked by some monstrous beast.
Marc was stunned.
A faint groan drew his eyes downward. Beneath the crucified figure, a woman lay bleeding. She was alive. Marc rushed to her, checked her pulse, and called for medical support.
"She's alive! Get the medics now!"
As they carried her out, snow began falling, soon turning into a blizzard. Marc resolved to return later for a thorough investigation, leaving the mysterious echoes of a distant beast howling in the mountains.
The next day, when the team returned, the victims' bodies had vanished without a trace.
This would later become one of the most mysterious unsolved cases in France.