Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMC98FHJE3K39227M92BKV

London's underground pulsed with secrets, some buried deep, others lurking just beneath the surface. It was in this labyrinth that Detective Harlow Quinn arrived at a peculiar crime scene, far removed from the neat, sterile confines of her usual investigations. The Veil Market, a haven for the supernatural and bizarre, had become the stage for a baffling new case. The abandoned Camden station echoed with the footsteps of Detective Quinn and her colleague, DS Alejandro Ramos. They descended into the subterranean depths, their torch beams slicing through the darkness, illuminating a realm hidden from the ordinary world. Cobwebbed passageways and rusted signs hinted at a transport network that once teemed with life, now silent and eerie. "Quite a trek down here, Harlow," Ramos commented, his deep voice resonating in the stillness. His hazel eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the sight of abandoned ticket booths and dormant escalators. "Not your average investigation site." Quinn's sharp gaze didn't waver, her focus honed on the trail that led them here. "It never is," she replied, her tone crisp and businesslike. "But our victim had a bone token and a penchant for exploring places like this. And someone doesn't want us to find out why." A chill, distinct from the stale air of the Tube tunnels, snaked down her spine. Quinn attributed it to proximity to something otherworldly, or perhaps just the knowledge that she was encroaching on territory shunned by law enforcement. The station, with its decaying beauty, felt like it had secrets of its own to tell. Arriving at the crime scene, their footsteps crunched over the gravelly ground, their torch beams finding the shattered remains of a glass display case. A smattering of mystical artifacts and strange concoctions were strewn across the floor, no sign of any coherent pattern to the chaos. DS Ramos crouched down, his thick forearms resting on his knees, and examined the scene with an appraiser's eye. "Looks like someone went on a shopping spree, then smashed the place up for good measure." Harlow's gaze drifted to the jagged edges of the broken glass, her mind already ticking through the implications. "This wasn't random. See how the cracks radiate from a single point? A precise, controlled strike." She leaned in closer, careful not to disturb any potential evidence. "And these items weren't chosen at random, either." Taking a moment to scrutinize the remnants of the exhibit, she noticed a curiously empty space. "The signature item is missing—a Veil Compass, crafted by a Shade artisan." Ramos considered this new information. "Expensive stuff, then? Someone wanted their hands on these artifacts." "Perhaps. But if theft was the motive, it's a poor attempt. More like a targeted sabotage." A perplexed frown creased his forehead. "Who would go through this much trouble to disrupt a supernatural black market? Some rival group?" Quinn stood upright, her eyes distant as she weighed the evidence and her suspicions. "Or someone who knows more than we do." His eyes widened. "Are you saying our killer, if there is one, has the backing of something... supranormal?" "Not yet." Quinn shook her head, her expression grim. "But it's all interwoven: our victim, this place, and something powerful." She recalled the missing Aurora Price, whose connection to this magical underground market had led Quinn and DS Ramos down here. Price, an heiress with ties to pagan circles, had made an intriguing new friend in Eva Kowalski, a brilliant young occult researcher. Recalling Kowalski's nervous habit of tucking back her fiery curls, Quinn wondered if her friend was somehow entangled in this mess. Perhaps Aurora had acquired some knowledge or item she shouldn't have, and the market's denizens sought retribution. Quinn bent down to inspect the debris again, picking up a shattered piece of pottery labeled with ancient runes. She lifted it with care, turning it over in her gloved hands, before slipping it into an evidence bag with practiced efficiency. DS Ramos, watching her every movement with a curious gaze, said, "You know, there's a reason we have forensics to do this kind of thing. We're more note-takers and people-chasers." Harlow rose to her full height, regarding Ramos with a slight smile. "I know, but I like to form my own opinions of the scene." She gestured to the surrounding chaos. "This is more than a simple robbery." Ramos's eyes narrowed, studying the scene with newfound skepticism. "You're thinking this points to Aurora Price's disappearance? Given her taboo tendencies, one could easily believe she pissed off the wrong magickal mafia." Nodding, Quinn replied, "Except anyone angry enough to exact revenge on the Veil Market wouldn't stop there. They'd want to erase all connections. Their modus operandi wouldn't be this haphazard." "So, you think someone wants Aurora to take the fall for this mess?" Harlow considered Ramos's observation. "I think someone wants us to believe there is no one else involved. That this was an isolated incident perpetrated by a single person—who's disappeared without a trace."