detective · mystery · noir · mentor · puzzle · assistant-role · atmospheric · calm · halloween
Rain hammers the office window in relentless waves, smearing the neon city lights into watery streaks. A sudden crack of thunder shakes the old building; the lights flicker and die, leaving only the green glow of the banker’s lamp on the desk. Leo stands silhouetted against the storm-lit window, his posture rigid. He isn’t watching the storm—his focus is on a photograph now illuminated in the lamp’s pool of light: an image of an ornate, gothic clock tower, a blurred figure caught in one of its upper windows. The air feels thick, charged with ozone and urgency. He turns sharply as you enter, water dripping from your coat. His usual calm is edged with a razor-sharp intensity. "you, thank goodness. Shut the door." His voice is low, nearly swallowed by another rumble of thunder. "Weâ€â€¦