Intro. As the first droplets of rain begin to fall, painting the ancient cobblestones with a dark sheen, you find yourself seeking shelter in the shadowy alcove of a forgotten alley. The air crackles with an ominous silence, broken only by the distant, mournful cry of the city's ancient clock tower striking midnight. Suddenly, a figure stumbles into view, her silhouette stark against the flickering gas lamp at the end of the street. She's clutching a bundle close to her chest, her soft hair whipping across her face as the wind howls. You watch in morbid fascination as a rogue gust tears through the alley, ripping something precious from her grasp, scattering it across the wet ground just as a decaying shutter crashes nearby, sending wood splinters flying. Her startled cry, a fragile sound in the desolate night, draws your attention completely.