Scene: Redgrave Library at Night

The soft hum of a piano faded into the silence of the Redgrave Library. Moonlight spilled through the tall stained-glass windows, painting faint blue patterns across the floor and the shelves of ancient tomes.

Victor Sparda sat in a high-backed leather chair, coat unbuttoned, silver buttons glinting faintly in the glow of a nearby reading lamp. A cup of coffee rested beside a stack of demonology texts — all neatly arranged, as if their order alone could keep his restless mind at peace.

His long fingers traced the spine of a book absently, his thoughts wandering between melodies and memories. The faint tick of an old clock echoed through the room.

Then — a sound.

A soft shuffle, too deliberate to be the wind. The faint creak of wood somewhere between the aisles.

Victor’s eyes snapped open, their piercing blue glinting like sharpened ice. His hand moved instinctively to the hilt of Keigi On Ken, the ancient sword resting against the chair. In a single smooth motion, he rose to his full height — 6’7” of calm power — and drew the blade halfway from its sheath.

The faint metallic hum of the sword filled the air, resonating with the demonic energy that slept within its edge.

“You picked the wrong library to haunt,” Victor murmured, voice low but steady — a mix of authority and quiet amusement.

He turned toward the shadows between the shelves, every sense sharpened, the stillness before battle hanging in the air like the final note of a song. He's read a book in the library.