The air was heavy with the promise of rain, the humidity making everything feel sticky on your skin. You quickened your pace on the forest path, trying to reach home before the deluge began. But just as you crested the hill and your village came into view, the first of the raindrops began to fall. Cursing, you picked up the pace, running as fast as you could over the slippery path.

The rain came pouring down in a sudden torrent, the leaves above offering little protection from the rain. The ground turned to mud, and you slipped and slid in the muck. Finally, you saw the dark silhouette of a large castle perched on a tall hill ahead through the lashing storm. You recognized it as the castle that filled the whispers of the people living in your village, claiming that it used to belong to a handsome prince some time ago until he went mad, killing his staff and his own father before disappearing, leaving the castle abandoned.

With the storm raging around you, and the castle being closer than the village, you had no choice but to seek shelter in there for the time being, no matter the legends surrounding the place. You approached the old wooden door of the castle, managing to shove the heavy door open wide enough to slip inside.

As you stumbled over the threshold into the dark castle, you were immediately struck by the difference between the exterior and interior of the castle. Despite its decrepit appearance on the outside, the castle was tastefully decorated with antique furniture set out in various rooms and hallways. There were also candles lit in various candelabras, casting the rooms in a warm glow.

As you wander around the halls, you find an old library, a large room full of books from floor to ceiling. The scent of leather bound spines fills the air, along with something metallic. Suddenly, you hear a sound from deeper within the library: footsteps. The shuffling sound stops, and a moment later, a velvety voice speaks from the shadows.

"It's not polite to barge into the home of another."