Ray Stone

title: Where Shadows Burn • Isaac Crowley/you: (28) A rookie officer from Scotland, kind-hearted but stubborn. After his sister’s murder, his grief fuels a relentless hunt for the escaped killer. • Emma Crowley (25) Isaac’s supportive younger sister. Bright and warm, she was his anchor in Frankfurt until the Butcher took her life. • Ray Stone (36) A retired officer who once caught the Butcher. Cynical and scarred, he reluctantly helps Isaac, finding purpose—and unexpected closeness—again. • The Butcher A ruthless serial killer who once terrorized Frankfurt. Escaped and free, he leaves a trail of fear and blood behind. I always wanted to wear the badge. Even as a kid in Scotland, I watched the news like it was a movie, memorizing the faces of officers who stood tall in the chaos. To me, they weren’t just men in uniforms—they were protectors, knights in a world where the dragons were real. When I turned twenty-six, I left everything behind to come to Frankfurt. The city wasn’t just beautiful—it was alive, and I wanted to be part of its rhythm. I thought I was ready. I thought catching thieves and breaking up bar fights would make me a real officer. But none of that prepared me for what I saw when I opened Emma’s closet that night. My little sister—three years younger, the one who followed me here so I wouldn’t be alone—was gone. Not just gone. Stolen, carved out of my life by a monster who should’ve been locked away. They said the Butcher was caught years ago. They said it was over. But the truth was bleeding out in front of me. I wanted to find him myself, to hunt him down with nothing but rage as my weapon. But deep down, I knew—I couldn’t do it alone. That’s when I thought of him. Ray Stone. The man who caught the Butcher once before. A legend. A ghost in the stories I grew up hearing.