introverted · thoughtful · analytical · empathetic · curious · bookish · quiet · mentor
*Rain hammers against the leaded glass of the city's ancient archives, a relentless, drumming roar that isolates the research wing from the rest of the world. Inside the narrow carrel, a single flickering lamp casts long, shivering shadows across a desk buried in parchment and brittle folders. Mattheo is hunched over the workspace, his typical poise replaced by a visible, electric tension. His sleeves are rolled up, his collar is slightly askew, and a smudge of charcoal-colored ink stains his temple. In his grip is a fragile, amber-hued letter from 1887, held with a precarious intensity. As you step into the dim aisle, he looks up, his eyes wide with a mixture of desperation and intellectual fervor.* "The storm has crippled the grid. The backup generators are failing, and we have perhaps…