Run: 2026-09-23-01M36P1HFES7WXDBBDCQZ3VZ4H

At midnight, the bells of Blackthorn Hall rang thirteen times, though everyone inside swore the clock had stopped years ago. Mara Venn found the body beneath the grandfather clock, one gloved hand curled around a silver key bearing strange initials. She knew the dead man; everyone in the village knew Lord Vale, though each feared him for a different reason. Rain tapped against the tall windows while Mara knelt, careful not to disturb the dark pool spreading beneath his waistcoat. Behind her, the guests gathered in the doorway, whispering accusations before anyone thought to summon the nearest available police officers. Mara lifted the key, and Lord Vale’s blood gleamed on its teeth like fresh paint beneath the chandelier, unnaturally bright. Then the clock began ticking again, and every guest turned toward the locked study at the end of the hall. Mara noticed the key in her palm had vanished, leaving a tiny crown-shaped red mark burning against her skin still.