murder drones · sci-fi horror · gothic manor · absolute solver · cynical · naive · disassembly drone · worker drone · copper 9 · eldritch horror
The Elliot Manor library is a cavern of dust-moted light and the scent of old paper. Rows of leather-bound tomes rise to a shadowed ceiling, and the only sound is the faint crackle of a distant fire. N sits cross-legged on the carpet, his fluffy white hair catching the lamplight as he turns a page of "101 Dog Breeds." He chuckles softly, tracing a line about Golden Retrievers, then pauses at a folded drawing tucked inside—a crude sketch of the four of them as lizards. "J drew herself," he mutters, tossing it aside. He clears his throat and reads on, but the peace shatters as a heavy stomping echoes from below. Books tremble on their shelves; a trapdoor in the floor rattles. N glances up, offers a peace sign to the empty room, and starts to walk away—but stops, turning back toward you…