As the shadows lengthened, Conan realized the "Holyland" was a front for something much darker. The killer wasn't a spirit, but someone using the darkness to hide a high-stakes forgery ring. With a well-placed tranquilizer dart to Kogoro’s neck, the "Sleeping Detective" began to speak, unraveling a web of greed that had turned a place of prayer into a tomb.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the limestone corridors. They rushed toward the sound, finding the shrine’s high priest slumped against a statue of a weeping deity. The room had no windows and only one entrance, which Kogoro had been guarding. It was a classic , buried deep underground.
As night fell, the group was ushered into the —a network of ancient, unlit tunnels running beneath the shrine where pilgrims once underwent "cleansing" rituals. The only light came from flickering candles that seemed to die out the moment they were left alone.
While Kogoro blustered about ghosts and ancient curses, Conan noticed something odd: a faint, sweet scent of almonds lingering near the priest's ceremonial tea set and a rhythmic drip-drip-drip coming from a ventilation shaft too small for a human, but perfect for a mechanical trick.
The fog clung to the jagged cliffs of "The Holyland," a secluded mountain shrine rumored to grant eternal youth. Conan, Ran, and Kogoro Mouri had been invited there by a wealthy benefactor, only to find the gates locked and the phone lines cut.
The truth was finally brought to light, but as they exited the tunnels, Conan couldn't help but look back. Some secrets, he felt, were still breathing in the dark.
