The battered armchair groaned under the weight of Detective Michael Branigan as he sank into its worn, cracked leather. A grizzled veteran with more scars than he could count, Branigan had seen his fair share of darkness over his decades on the force. But as he surveyed his modest living room, the faded curtains and dusty bookshelves a far cry from the opulent homes of the city's elite, he knew his days as a private eye were numbered.

The clock on the mantle ticked away the seconds as Branigan mulled over his last case. Grace Montgomery, the mayor's daughter, had gone missing three days ago, and despite his best efforts, he had hit a dead end. The pressure from City Hall to solve the case was mounting, but Branigan was starting to doubt if he had what it took to crack this one.

Just as he reached for the bottle of bourbon on the side table, a knock at the door startled him. Branigan hesitated for a moment before rising from his chair and crossing the room to open the door. Standing on his doorstep was a figure cloaked in shadows, their face obscured by the darkness of the night.