Prologue:

The crackling of the fireplace was the only noise to be had in the manor's grand study, the flames casting long shadows on the few pieces of furniture that stood before it, creating long stretches of inky darkness. What little light seeped through the heavy drapes covering the arched windows was scant, thick and heavy clouds obscuring the gleaming surface of the moon from sight.

At her favorite armchair, Ruby Kurosawa held a book flat against her lap, reading every word in spite of the harsh illumination of the fire.

A gentle breeze hit her face and she blinked, brow furrowing in confusion at this unexpected development.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. Her gaze snapped up, just in time to see the swinging of a door as it made to close. It was a door that Ruby was certain she had closed when she'd entered the library.

Swallowing a pang of anxiety, Ruby called out. "Hello?"

There was no answer. She tried again. "Is anyone there?"

Once again, nothing.

Ruby took a breath to calm herself, gently marking her place in the book and setting it aside. She stood, walking over to the barely open door and the hallway behind it. Gazing into the abyss, she took a shuddering breath, before leaning in to flick the lightswitch.

Nothing. She tried again but to no avail. Not a single speck of luminescence answered the call to ward away the darkness.

Ruby audibly gulped. With fear creeping up her spine, she gingerly reached into a drawer for an old but functional flashlight, turning its narrow beam into the windowless recesses of the darkened corridor as she searched for answers. Taking some small courage from her lineage as a Kurosawa, Ruby hesitantly stepped into the hallway, guided only by the light and her desire to dispel this ominous pall.

Continuing down the corridor, she passed paintings, portraits, pediments, and all manner of wall-mounted decoration in her quest, biting her lip anxiously each time she passed a pair of painted eyes.

She followed the path to an open door, one that led to a small room filled with grandiose sculptures and works of art, all of them intent on capturing the essence of performance so beloved by her ancestors and forefathers. Ruby shined her light across the room, past the replicas of ancient marble statues, past the replicas of carved wooden figures, past the collection of theater masks rested upon a series of busts.

But wait. One mask was... tilted?

Her heart pounding in fear, Ruby crept closer to get a better look at the tilted mask leering her way, small ragged breaths leaving her lips. Just as she was close enough to reach out and touch it, the mask righted itself.

Taken aback, Ruby could only recoil in terror as the mask rose up and roared, "WAAA!"

"PIGII!"

She turned and ran, tearing out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her, the flashlight dropped and forgotten.

Back in the theater room, the masked interloper howled as its cruel cackles echoed through the hallways. "WAHAHA! WAHAHA! WAHAHAHAHA!"

Outside, the ominous roll of thunder rumbled across the manor grounds as dark clouds gathered overcast. With a blinding flash of lightning, a storm began to rage.