Lightning flickered through windows as footsteps echoed down empty halls. A solitary body lay beneath a dusty chandelier's flickering light. Detective Marlowe knelt beside crimson footprints staining antique Persian carpet. Shadows danced ominously across walls while distant thunder mocked screams. A single glove rested beside shattered glass and a bloodstain. Someone whispered dreadful secrets into corners no one dared approach. Outside, rain pounded the ancient manor's crumbling stone facade relentlessly. Time seemed suspended as fear settled into every trembling pulse. Detective Marlowe swallowed dread, stood upright and surveyed the scene.