The Perfect Alibi

Previously

…I crept to the peephole, my breath held tight. The hallway was empty. The rapping came again, more insistent this time. A flicker of movement at the edge of my vision. I pulled back, my senses on high alert. Was someone watching? I glanced back at the parchment, at the intricate, unsettling symbols. The adventure had begun, and it was already showing its teeth. The mundane Tuesday had shattered, replaced by a thrilling, dangerous unknown. And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly, undeniably alive. The question now was, could I navigate this labyrinth without getting lost, or worse, without becoming another forgotten story in the dusty pages of a book?