Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMH4BCP52MJ93SWBXCJYSZ

The abandoned Camden Town Tube station loomed large, its brick archways and platform edges worn smooth by decades of disuse. Detective Harlow Quinn stepped through the damp underbelly of the city's underworld, her boots echoing on the cold tiles. Her sharp eyes scanned the gloom, searching for any sign of the alleged crime scene. The air hung heavy with the scent of mold and damp earth. A faint blue-white light glowed in the distance, drawing Quinn toward a makeshift camp. As she approached, the source revealed itself: an ancient arcane lamp, its luminescence casting eerie shadows on the grimy walls. DS Ash, her colleague, crouched beside an open rucksack, sorting through an array of peculiar items. "Took you long enough, Detective. You're just in time for the magic show." Quinn's eyes narrowed at the mundane name tag on a stack of clothes—Janice O'Brien, age 26, according to the missing persons report. A local neophyte witch gone missing three days ago. "Ash, this is a person, not a mere magic trick." Ash shrugged. "Look at her gear: bone tokens, enchanted dust, and an apprentice-level grimoire. O'Brien wanted to make a name for herself at the Veil Market—disappear into the supernatural underworld and come back a legend." Quinn approached the evidence, taking in the well-organized rucksack, with its neatly folded cloaks and precision-stacked tomes. She crouched beside Ash, carefully picking up a small brass compass, its needle quivering. "This compass is attuned to rifts and portals. O'Brien sought the Veil Market, sure, but her disappearance wasn't a disappearance at all. She found it." "Yeah? How's that?" Ash challenged, his voice tinged with skepticism. Quinn held up the Veil Compass. "Look at this patina. Fresh tarnish. O'Brien used the compass recently. The Market moves every full moon. That was three nights ago." She stood, her eyes locked on Ash's. "This isn't the work of a runaway thrill seeker. Something happened to Janice O'Brien." Ash's expression betrayed a hint of uncertainty. "If you say so, Detective. But running off to a black market is risky enough to explain her absence." Quinn wasn't swayed by Ash's interpretation. She knew better than most that the Veil Market was as much about trapping unsuspecting customers as it was about commerce. Particularly for those seeking a shortcut to power. "She was an apprentice with connections. Someone would've vouched for her. And she's not the first neophyte to go missing." "True, but no one's ever found a trace of these so-called missing witches." "Not a trace we could identify," Quinn countered. "But you and I both know that doesn't mean they haven't left evidence. Evidence we simply lack the expertise to recognize." "Ah, yes, the occult researchers will save the day," Ash quipped, securing the rucksack and standing with a grin. "I'll get the boys to dust for more remnants of magic and see if we turn up something unusual." Quinn checked her watch, a worn leather-bound timepiece. "Good. And contact the university, tell them I want Eva Kowalski down here pronto. We need eyes that know what to look for." ******** A brisk wind greeted Quinn aboveground, numbing the still-warm morning air with the promise of winter. She stood in the shadow of the Thames Link bridge, overlooking the maze of Camden's warehouses and markets, sipping bitter tea from a thermos. Eva Kowalski arrived on the hour, predictably out of breath, her curly red hair escaping its restraints and her round glasses slightly askew. "Detective, you wanted me to see something? Is this about our missing persons cases?" Quinn nodded, glad for Eva's assistance in decoding the market's secrets. "We found Apprentice O'Brien's things in an abandoned Tube station beneath Camden. Everything points to her successfully reaching the Veil Market, but something went wrong." Eva's expression bloomed with curiosity and no small amount of excitement. "A station? Which one?" "It's a decoy, the Market isn't actually in the location of its name anymore. But it's close. Location's kept off the public records. DS Ash is handling the preservation for now." "Oh, yes... the police detective famous for his skepticism on the Occult Desk," Eva mumbled. Quinn smiled slightly, amused by Eva's muted disdain. "And someone to attend you while you work." "Of course." Eva fidgeted, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear. "Right, show me what you've got." They took the stairs down to the platform, where a police barrier cordoned off the area. Ash strolled over, his face brightening at the sight of Eva. "Eva! You made it. I've got a fresh pot of tea brewing in the van. Nothing fancy, I'm afraid, but it beats the sludge they give us at the Met." Eva's eyes lit up. "You're an angel, Ash. I'm parched and starving." As they made their way to the police van, Quinn assessed the banter. Eva's gift for researching the supernatural complemented Ash's procedural knowledge in a way she couldn't deny was helpful. Still, Quinn preferred methodical action over jovial camaraderie, especially during a case this sensitive. Over tea and biscuits, Quinn filled Eva in on the rest of the evidence, explaining what little they knew about the Veil Market's elusive locations and the items in the witch's possession. Eva listened intently, eyes lighting up as she pieced together the supernatural elements. "Janice is—was—trying to gain entry to the Market. The shadow compass is key. She used it to locate a supernatural conduit, which led her right to their doorstep." Quinn nodded, encouraging her to continue. "But something went wrong. Her gear is intact, and she was there—this compass proves it. Yet there's no sign of her. No body. It's as if she vanished into thin air." Eva's eyes grew wide with realization. "The Market is not just a place to buy enchantments; it's a hub for swapping bodies and souls." A chill ran down Quinn's spine. "Soul swapping? A transaction that sinister would leave a trace. We just need the means to find it." Eva smiled, a scholar about to share a prized discovery. "We have the tools."