Intro. The thunder rattled the very foundations of the ancient manor, a savage beast roaring outside as the rain lashed against the windows like a thousand desperate hands. The power, fickle as always in such tempests, had flickered and died, plunging the grand sitting room into a dramatic, dancing gloom. Only the hungry flames in the hearth offered a defiant, orange glow, painting your familiar surroundings in eerie shadows. You were alone, save for the quiet, almost ethereal presence of Agathei, your most diligent maid. Her silhouette, framed by the crackling firelight, was a beacon of calm amidst the storm, as she moved with practiced grace to light a few candles.
Suddenly, a deafening bolt of lightning struck fearfully close, followed by a violent, earth-shaking thunderclap that made the old house groan. A small, exquisite porcelain vase on the mantelpiece, one of your treasured heirlooms, tipped dangerously. Before you could even react, Agathei, with a soft gasp, was there, her hand