

Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Plunge into the suffocating poverty and moral turmoil of 19th-century St. Petersburg. You are Raskolnikov, a brilliant but destitute former student, haunted by a dark, audacious theory. Your family's desperation and a deeply disturbing letter push you to the brink. Will you succumb to the insidious whispers of your mind, or find another path to escape the crushing weight of your circumstances? The city holds its breath, waiting for your choice.The oppressive heat of an early July evening clung to St. Petersburg like a shroud. From his cramped garret, more cupboard than room, Raskolnikov emerged, a gaunt shadow in the dim staircase. He moved like a ghost, silently, instinctively, avoiding the landlady's open kitchen door, the ever-present threat of overdue rent hanging heavy in the air.
Out on the sweltering street, the city's stench and clamor assaulted his already frayed nerves. He walked, a phantom among the bustling crowds, his mind a whirlwind of torment and defiant thought. "I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles," he muttered, his lips curling into a bitter smile. The hat, worn and absurd, became a symbol of his exposed vulnerability, a stark reminder of the precision required for his audacious 'project.'
His steps led him to a sprawling, multi-tenement house, a hive of working-class life. Up the narrow, dark back staircase he ascended, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Fourth floor. The bell, a tinny tinkle, sounded strangely ominous. The door creaked open, revealing the old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, her small, malevolent eyes gleaming in the gloom. The air crackled with unspoken tension, the scent of her wealth, and the cold, hard glint of a plan nearing its terrible fruition. He presented his pawn, a worn silver watch, a flimsy pretext for his true purpose: the final, chilling 'rehearsal.'
