Doctor Matthew Stürme and his assistant Aunora trudged through the murky wood, the brisk German wind cutting through their overcoats.
Matthew was concerned with one of his old students, Victor Mortis. Matthew had been his professor while the child was studying for his doctorate, and he took an interest in him.
While being exceptionally bright, Victor was charmed by the occult sciences. He was particularly enthralled with the concept of life- how the body worked, what set the animate from the inanimate, and, most troubling of all, how to create life.
Victor had become distant as he graduated, shutting himself off from the world and taking refuge in the forbidden sciences. Matthew had admired his powerful mind, and wished to try to pull him back to the real world.
"Where does this kid live again?" Aunora asked, pushing her long hair aside.
Matthew stared at his muscular assistant. While not being very bright, Aunora was a valued bodyguard and friend. She was more mannish than any other lady he had met, to the point of even wearing trousers. When they first had met, he was compelled to call her 'sir.'
"He lives in an abandoned windmill tower, far on the other end of the swamp, by the shore of the river," Matthew replied, adjusting his glasses.
"That's not creepy at all," Aunora muttered, kicking the mud.
Slowly, the twisting tower came into view. It rose from the landscape like a gnarled finger, the grey fog congregating amidst its base.
Black clouds churned and swirled over their heads. "It seems like it's going to storm," Matthew observed, picking up his pace.
Finally, they reached Victor's home. Wide stone doors loomed over Matthew and his assistant, and a sick feeling gripped his heart. As a man of science, Matthew didn't believe in superstition. But if he did, the evil vibes in the air would have stopped him dead.
He rapped his fist against the door, and slowly it was pulled open. A blond child peered from the crack in the door.
"Y-yes?" he whispered, blinking his wide pink eyes.
"I am here to see Dr. Mortis."
