After Dark Prologue to the Sixth Story

In which an artist is drawn into the curious and cluttered world of Professor Tizzi, an eccentric Italian exile immersed in his grand, twelve-volume scientific manuscript on the "Vital Principle," and commissioned to capture the learned philosopher’s striking portrait. Among dusty books, anatomical curiosities, and a stuffed poodle with a storied past, the artist begins to glimpse the peculiar character and passionate mind behind this singular pursuit of knowledge.