The grand manor stood silent under moonlight, its ancient walls darkly murmuring secrets no living soul could ever truly understand. A shriek pierced the midnight air as blood stained the marble floor, marking the brutal unspeakable end of fragile innocence. Detective Hart arrived moments later, flashlight unsteadily trembling in hand while surveying shattered glass, overturned furniture, and ominous crimson footprints. Outside, dense fog clung to skeletal trees, obscuring ancient statues and lending every twisted branch an eerie waiting, accusing silhouette. A single note, ink smeared and trembling, warned the living to flee before midnight’s unforgiving blade claimed yet another victim.