Gemotions

The flickering gaslight cast elongated shadows across the cobbled street as Elias patrolled his usual route. He kept to the periphery, his hand resting on the worn leather of his satchel, its contents a secret he guarded jealously. Days had passed since Professor Armitage had vanished, leaving only a terse note taped to his laboratory door. No explanation, no farewell. Each shadowed alley, every darkened doorway became a potential hiding place, a threat he had to assess. He focused on the rhythm of his breathing, the soft rasp of his boots on the stone, absorbing the city's underbelly.