sets the stage by chronicling Holt's desperate plight as he wanders the streets of London. After being refused admission to a workhouse, he stumbles upon a mysterious house with an open window that beckons him in out of the rain. As he cautiously enters, he is immediately enveloped in an ominous atmosphere that suggests he is not alone. An unsettling presence bears down on him, and his encounter with a mysterious figure in a bed amplifies the tension. The presence exerts a terrifying control over Holt, compelling him into a series of chilling actions, and ultimately setting him on a path towards a confrontation with a powerful and enigmatic individual, Paul Lessingham. This blend of existential dread and eerie surrealism captivates the reader and establishes the thematic foundation for the unfolding mystery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)