Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMC98G75HH2PAXP49MD4JF

Detective Harlow Quinn strode into the abandoned Tube station, her footsteps echoing in the dank air. The place reeked of mold and decay, a forsaken relic from a time long past. She glanced around, taking in the scene with a critical eye - the peeling paint on the walls, the debris scattered across the platform, the eerie stillness that hung thick as fog. Her colleague, a young constable named Perkins, approached her with a nervous energy. "Evening, Detective. Sorry to call you out here at this hour, but we've got a right puzzling situation on our hands." Quinn arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? And what, pray tell, is so puzzling that it couldn't wait until morning?" Perkins led her to the far end of the platform where a body lay sprawled in an unnatural angle, half-hidden by shadows. "Victim's name is Eva Kowalski, age 26. Looks like she fell from the tracks above." Quinn knelt beside the body, her sharp jawline tensing as she took in the details. The victim's curly red hair splayed around her head like a halo, her green eyes wide and vacant. A worn leather satchel full of books lay nearby, its contents spilled across the grimy floor. She frowned. "Fall? Or was she pushed?" "That's what we're trying to figure out," Perkins said, scratching his head. "There's no railing up there, so it's possible she just lost her balance. But the folks who found her swore they heard a scuffle before she went over." Quinn stood, her gaze drifting upwards to the tracks above. The lip of the platform was too far below for an accidental fall. This was no accident; it was murder. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together the scene. What had brought Eva Kowalski to this forsaken place? Why would someone want her dead? And how did they manage to get her to the edge without leaving any traces of a struggle? As if reading her thoughts, Perkins spoke up. "Looks like she was meeting someone down here. We found a bone token in her pocket - only way to get into the Veil Market." Quinn's eyes narrowed. The Veil Market - an underground supernatural black market that moved locations every full moon. It was the perfect place for a clandestine meeting... or a murder. She turned to Perkins. "I need you to canvas the area. See if anyone saw anything unusual tonight." With a nod, he hurried off to do as she asked, leaving Quinn alone with her thoughts and the silent witness of Eva Kowalski's body. As she pondered the mystery before her, a glint of metal caught her eye. Nestled among the debris was a small brass compass, its face etched with protective sigils. A Veil Compass - crafted by a Shade artisan to point towards the nearest supernatural rift or portal. Her heart raced as she realized what this meant. Eva hadn't been here to buy enchanted goods or banned alchemical substances. She'd been hunting for something far more dangerous... and likely stumbled onto the killer's trail. Quinn pocketed the compass and began to search the area more thoroughly. She needed to find out what Eva had been researching, who she'd been meeting with, and why someone would want her dead. As she combed through the scattered books and papers, a name jumped out at her from the pages of an ancient tome. Aurora. Eva's childhood friend and fellow occult researcher. Quinn's mind whirred with possibilities. If Aurora was involved in whatever had gotten Eva killed, then she might be next on the killer's list. And if Quinn could find her before they did... She stood up, dusting off her hands. It was time to pay a visit to the British Museum's restricted archives - and see if Aurora could shed some light on this mystery. But as she turned to leave, a flicker of movement caught her eye. In the shadows of the far wall, a figure stood watching her. Quinn froze, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun. "Show yourself!" The figure stepped forward, revealing a freckled face framed by curly red hair. It was Aurora, alive and well. "I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later, Detective," she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "Eva found something she shouldn't have. Now we need your help to finish what she started." Quinn holstered her gun, her mind already spinning with questions. What had Eva uncovered? Who was trying to stop them? And how deep did this conspiracy go? As she stared at Aurora, she knew one thing for certain: this case was about to get a lot more complicated... and a lot more dangerous.