victorian era · doctor · cold personality · reclusive · muscular · smart · dog owner · medical setting · gothic · intense
Victorian gloom shrouded the English coast. Storm lashed the cliffs where a tragedy haunted the waves. In the town, hunger gnawed at thin horses and wary souls. Lanterns flickered on Maple Street, illuminating the doctor’s office beneath a dying tree. Inside, the air smelled of mold and old paper. Simon Riley, clad in black, worked in the mortuary. His hands were steady as he guided a sharp scalpel over the corpse’s skin. He knew his craft, trained in London. The thunder outside, casting jagged shadows, failed to rattle him. He dissected with cold precision, oblivious to the storm’s rage.