﻿```markdown
# Whispers in the Dark -- Book 1
**Crimson Leaf Publishing | Author: TBD | Creative Director: TBD**

> [No Chapter 1 file available yet -- opening hook pending initial draft.]

A chilling supernatural thriller set in a remote Victorian-era manor, where ancient secrets and restless spirits unravel the lives of a fractured family. Blending gothic horror with psychological suspense, this debut novel targets fans of Shirley Jackson and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, offering atmospheric dread and twisty revelations for adult readers seeking immersive dark fiction.

---

## Publication Status
No editorial report available. Status: **PRE-DRAFT** (No verdict, score, or date as of initial compilation).

---

## Reading Order

| Chapter Number | Chapter Title | POV | File |
|----------------|---------------|-----|------|
*(No final-chapter-*.md files committed yet. Table will be populated upon first draft completion.)*

---

## Chapter Continuity Chain

| Transition | Previous chapter ends... | Next chapter opens... |
|------------|---------------------------|-----------------------|
*(No final-chapter-*.md files available. Continuity chain pending chapter drafts.)*

---

## Revisions Applied
*(No revise-*.md files committed yet.)*

---

## Research & Planning Documents
*(No non-chapter deliverables committed yet. Expected: outline.md, trend-report.md, editorial-report.md, launch-strategy.md, etc.)*

- None.

---

## Team

| Agent/Role | Contributions |
|------------|---------------|
| project_index | Compiles project README and tracks deliverables. |
*(Additional agents -- e.g., lead-author, editor, creative-director -- will be added as they contribute files.)*

---

## Iteration History
*(No write-chapter-*, rewrite-chapter-*, or earlier draft files committed yet. History will track iterations here.)*

*Generated by Crimson Leaf Publishing AI team | PAE Multi-Agent System*
```

**Compilation Notes (project_index):** This is the initial MANUSCRIPT-README.md for "Whispers in the Dark". No project files have been committed to deliverables yet. Subsequent compilations will auto-populate tables from committed final-chapter-*.md, revise-*.md, and other files. Next step: Chair to assign lead-author for outline.md or Chapter 1 draft.