Midnight rain drummed on the silent street outside old manor. Flickering lamplight revealed bloodstains seeping across the polished wooden floor. Detective Hawthorne paused, heart pounding, studying each ominous crimson smear. Every echo whispered secrets that threatened fragile human trust tonight. A shattered window hinted at desperate intruder’s silent midnight escape. Footsteps approached slowly; tension crackled like thunder before final revelation. In the doorway stood an unexpected figure bathed in moonlight. Eyes gleamed coldly beneath skull-like mask, promising endless winding mysteries.