Rain lashed against the library windows, blurring the city lights into a hazy glow. The air hung heavy with the scent of damp parchment and fear, a disconcerting blend. Professor Elmwood, renowned historian and notorious cynic, lay sprawled on the Persian rug, a pool of crimson blooming around his silver hair. His spectacles, askew on his face, reflected the flickering gaslight in a mocking wink.