A procession of masked guests steps from sleek carriages, each costumed in elaborate silks and feathers. The air is thick with anticipation and the scent of rain-soaked earth. Echoes of laughter and the distant strains of a string quartet drift from the grand entrance, where the heavy doors yaw open to swallow the partygoers into the mansion’s depths.
A masked woman in a crimson gown twirls past a man dressed as a harlequin, their eyes briefly meeting with mutual intrigue. In the corner, a tall figure in a raven mask surveys the room, silent and watchful. Plates of delicacies and glasses of champagne circulate among the guests, who trade whispered rumors about the manor’s history.
A single, blood-curdling scream pierces the silence, echoing through the marbled halls and freezing every guest in place. The chandeliers flicker back to life, casting an uneasy glow over the shaken crowd. Fear and confusion ripple through the masked assembly as they realize someone is missing.
The group follows the sound of the scream to the library, where a toppled chair and a shattered glass hint at a struggle. Pages from an ancient tome lie scattered across the rug, but there is no sign of the victim or the perpetrator. A chill wind whistles through a broken window, stirring the heavy velvet curtains.
Lady Mirabel, the hostess, a poised woman with steel-gray eyes and a silver mask, tries to restore order. "Please, everyone, remain calm. We must not jump to conclusions—surely there is a logical explanation for what has happened." Murmurs of doubt ripple through the crowd, and suspicion begins to fall on the quietest and most enigmatic among them.
Cautiously, they follow the tunnel, their footsteps echoing off stone. At its end, they find the missing guest—dazed but alive, clutching a mask torn in fright. The masked stranger, now revealed as an undercover detective, confesses to staging the scream to expose a would-be thief among the guests.
The guests, shaken but unharmed, unmask one by one, their laughter returning with the promise of a new day. The detective, satisfied, tips his hat and assures Lady Mirabel that her estate is safe—for now. As the last carriage departs, Hollow Manor stands silent once more, its secrets buried a little deeper within its ancient walls.
