Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMFE4MQ26EAMBG5G801DF8

Detective Harlow Quinn's steel-toed boots splashed through the fetid puddle as she stepped out of the Tube station and into the dim, flickering light of the Veil Market. The air was thick with the scent of candle wax, exotic spices, and a faint hint of ozone. Harlow's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the bustling scene — booths and stalls ringed the cavernous underground space, their proprietors hawking enchanted wares, occult trinkets, and surreptitious information. It was a far cry from the bright, orderly streets of London above. This was the domain of the city's supernatural underbelly, a place where the normal rules didn't apply. "What have we got, Evie?" Harlow called out, her voice cutting through the chaotic din. A familiar figure in a worn leather satchel emerged from the crowd, her curly red hair tucked behind one ear in a nervous habit. "Detective Quinn. I didn't expect to see you here." Harlow arched one salt-and-pepper eyebrow. "Where else would I be when one of my informants turns up dead in the middle of the Market?" Eva Kowalski's brow furrowed. "Dead? But that can't be right. I just saw Tomas an hour ago—" "Then you tell me what the hell happened." Harlow gestured towards the center of the market, where a cluster of onlookers had gathered. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like a murder." Eva's green eyes widened behind her round glasses. "A murder? But who would dare—" "That's what I intend to find out." Harlow strode towards the commotion, her bearing military-precise. The crowd parted before her, casting wary glances in her direction. In the center of the throng lay the crumpled body of a man, his vacant eyes staring up at the crumbling brick arches above. Harlow knelt beside him, her sharp jaw set in a grim line as she cataloged the details. His throat had been slashed, the wound ragged and messy. No signs of a struggle. She frowned, a niggling suspicion taking root in the back of her mind. "You know him?" she asked, glancing up at Eva. The young woman nodded hesitantly. "Yes, that's Tomas. He's... was one of the Market's information brokers." She worried at the strap of her satchel, her gaze darting around nervously. "I can't believe someone would kill him here, of all places." Harlow's eyes narrowed. "Can you think of anyone who might have had a motive?" Eva bit her lip, brow furrowed in thought. "Tomas didn't have any enemies that I know of. He was always careful to stay neutral, to play both sides—" "Both sides?" Harlow interrupted, a spark of interest in her eyes. "What exactly do you mean by that?" Eva hesitated, then sighed. "The Veil Market... it's not just a place for buying and selling. There are factions, alliances, power struggles. Tomas made his living by brokering information between them." Harlow's gaze drifted back to the body, her mind working quickly. "So he was caught in the middle of something bigger." She rose to her feet, surveying the scene with a critical eye. The victim's wallet and personal effects were untouched, ruling out a simple robbery gone wrong. The wound was clean, surgical — the work of a skilled hand. And the location... Harlow's eyes narrowed. The Veil Market was a place of deep magic, hidden away from the mundane world above. Somehow, she doubted this was a mere mortal killing. "You said the Market moves locations every full moon," she murmured, half to herself. "When was the last time it convened?" "Three nights ago," Eva supplied, her fingers tightening on the strap of her satchel. "The next full moon is in two days." Harlow's lips thinned. "So whatever happened, it was recent." She crouched back down, her fingers tracing the edges of the fatal wound. The flesh was cauterized, as if by extreme heat. Her brow furrowed. "This wasn't a mundane blade." Eva's eyes widened. "You think... supernatural involvement?" Harlow didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the body as she pieced the puzzle together. Tomas, a neutral information broker, caught in the crosshairs of unseen forces. The precision of the kill, the lack of struggle. She shook her head slightly. This was no ordinary homicide. "Detective?" Eva's voice was hesitant. "What are you thinking?" Harlow rose to her feet, her leather watch glinting in the flickering light. "I'm thinking we need to take a closer look at this place." She cast a sidelong glance at the young woman. "And I could use an expert on the occult to help me navigate it." Eva blinked, then straightened her shoulders, a hint of resolve hardening her features. "What do you need me to do?" Harlow's lips quirked in the faintest of smiles. "I have a feeling this is only the beginning." She turned and strode deeper into the Veil Market, her senses on high alert. The evidence was scant, the clues elusive. But Harlow Quinn was not one to be deterred. If there was a supernatural killer stalking these shadows, she would find them — no matter what it took.