Fog clung to cobblestones as distant church bell tolled three. Dim lamplight revealed crimson stains pooling beneath twisted wooden floorboards. A solitary scream pierced midnight silence, echoing through empty corridors. Detective Marshall arrived breathless, flashlight beam slicing shadows into chaos. Leather-bound journal lay open near lifeless hand, pages stained red. Thunder rumbled ominously, wind rattling antique windows with threatening force. Unknown footsteps retreated; a hidden witness concealed in darkness watched.