Street Outside Weng-Chiang's Mansion

The street lies directly across from Weng-Chiang’s mansion, bathed in the eerie glow of the burning building. The cobblestones are slick with recent rain, reflecting the fire’s wrath while the night air carries the scent of smoke and charred timber. Shadows stretch long from flaming timbers, obscuring ground-level details but highlighting the silhouettes of two figures in top hats who move with deliberate pacing. The absence of other movement underscores the isolation of the scene despite its proximity to the city’s arteries. Weng-Chiang’s forceful directive cuts through the stillness, heightening the sense that this stretch of pavement is a threshold between order and chaos.