Amidst the chilly early days of the year, Emmerdale is shaken by a horrifying scene: a corpse being dragged across a field in the darkness.

The footage revealed in the new episode sends chills down viewers’ spines – a muddy hand, a trail of blood on the ground, and the gasping breaths of someone trying to conceal a crime.

The victim’s identity remains unknown, but the village of Dales is already in turmoil, suspicions and vague fears spreading among the villagers.

Many fans believe the deceased may be connected to the altercation between Aaron, John, and Robert – who disappeared from the village after the chaotic night.

Others suspect the body is that of Bear Wolf, who mysteriously disappeared a few days earlier. While the police remain silent, Charity Dingle is seen sneaking out to the riverbank with an unusually large black bag, further fueling the villagers’ speculation.

The scariest thing isn’t who died, but who’s alive and pretending nothing happened. When the scene ends with a pan to a pair of muddy shoes outside Mack Boyd’s house, viewers almost hold their breath. Emmerdale has never lacked dead bodies, but never one that sent chills down the audience’s spine like this. Social media is buzzing with the hashtag #WhoDiedInDales – and ITV knows they’ve just triggered a real frenzy.