Run: 2026-09-03-01M1KAKK0XX6D1QMMCH58CEXC4

Detective Mara arrived at the fog-draped manor before cold sunrise. The massive oak door stood open, revealing a shadowed hall. She stepped inside, and the floorboards groaned beneath her boots. A single candle flickered on the marble table beside stairs. Its weak flame revealed a body crumpled on the floor. The victim wore a crimson scarf knotted at his neck. No wounds were visible except a faint scratch on him. Mara knelt beside the body and studied the strange scene. A shattered teacup lay inches from the dead man's hand. She noticed the front door was locked from the inside. A broken window behind the velvet curtains changed that assumption. Rainwater pooled on the sill beneath the shattered window glass. She pulled back the curtain and found a muddy footprint. Whoever killed him had entered through the garden side door. Mara touched the scarf and felt dampness beneath the wool. The body was still warm, but the killer was gone. She heard a clock ticking somewhere deep inside the house. Then the candle went out, leaving her in total darkness.