You don’t just arrive at the Zone of Silence. You’re led there—by curiosity, by rumor, or by something stranger. The last gas station fades behind you. The road turns to dirt. Your phone goes silent. Then, somewhere between the dust and the heat haze, you realize you’ve entered a place that doesn’t care much for the laws of physics.

Somewhere in the vibrant chaos of Tepito — one of Mexico City’s most notorious neighborhoods — there’s a quiet corner that draws people in like a spiritual magnet. Candles flicker, skulls glimmer in the dim light, and offerings of tequila, cigarettes, and candy pile up around a robed skeletal figure. This is La Santa Muerte, the “Saint of Death,” and she’s unlike anything you’ve seen in a Catholic church.