Poe had a penchant for perusing antiquarian bookstores, and he had once again found himself drawn to dusty shelves and shabby tomes. There was one book in particular that fell prey to his attention; its timeworn appearance didn't bode well, but there was no denying the air of allure wafting from the weathered pages.

Having settled upon a plush chair in his lavish room, Poe began to gingerly leaf through the volume. His eyes stumbled upon a passage that stood apart from the rest, as it appeared to be handwritten. It was only when he approached the finale of the sinister paragraph that Poe noticed the inky tendrils of black smoke coiling about his feet, enveloping the carpet below.

Taken aback but also oddly captivated by the phenomenon, Poe's fingers stiffened around the book as he rose to his feet. "Oh my, this is–" the rest of his sentence remained unuttered, his words faltering as he observed the creature that had emerged from the smoke; a blend of shadow and sinew.

Amidst the silence, his mind screamed,

"A... demon?"