The Watcher’s Burden

Beneath Edinburgh’s South Bridge, where the shadow of history lingers in the damp, dark corners of the Blair Street Vaults, a forgotten spectre haunts the cobblestones. Once a refuge for the destitute and a haven for crime, the vaults now hold a chilling legacy. Among the whispers of those who dared to dwell within, the figure of the Watcher emerges, a tall, gaunt man in a tattered blue coat, his presence a silent, oppressive force. His eyes burn with a fury that transcends death itself, marking those unfortunate enough to cross his path. In 1827, Thomas Baird, a young cooper, unwittingly stumbled into the Watcher’s domain, his encounter leaving a scar that would echo for generations. Even as the vaults open to tourists in 2025, the legend endures, a warning carried on the ghostly scraping of boots and the stench of decay, the Watcher’s burden never lifts.