Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMH9NDKQ02NQTP3PAB0HAB

Detective Harlow Quinn stepped out of her car, the gravel crunching under her boots as she surveyed the scene. This wasn't your typical crime scene — the abandoned Tube station beneath Camden was hardly a place you'd expect to find a body. She adjusted her worn leather watch as she approached the yellow police tape, nodding to the young constable guarding the entrance. "What do we have?" "Caucasian female, early thirties. Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head." The constable gestured toward the darkened tunnel. "We found her about fifty meters in, near the old service entrance." Harlow ducked under the tape, the familiar weight of her badge a reassuring presence against her hip. As she drew closer, she saw the victim lying motionless on the ground, her red curls fanned out around her head in a macabre halo. A sense of unease crept up Harlow's spine. Something about this scene felt off. A movement in the shadows caught her eye, and she tensed, hand drifting toward her sidearm. But it was only Detective Constable Eva Kowalski, emerging from the gloom, a small leather-bound notebook in her hand. "Quinn." Eva's brow was furrowed, her green eyes troubled behind her round glasses. "I was just about to call you." "Kowalski." Harlow relaxed slightly, though the uneasy feeling persisted. "What have you found?" "I'm not sure." Eva crouched beside the victim, her freckled fingers gently brushing back a lock of red hair. "The victim is Eva Kowalski — my friend, Aurora." Her voice wavered slightly, and she cleared her throat. "I found her Veil Compass a few meters away, its needle spinning erratically." Harlow's eyes narrowed. The Veil Compass, a tool used to detect supernatural activity, was a rarity outside the underground Veil Market. What was it doing here? She knelt beside the body, her sharp gaze taking in the details. The victim's clothes were undamaged, no signs of a struggle. No defensive wounds on her hands or arms. Harlow's gloved fingers probed the back of the skull, feeling the small depression where the blow had landed. Efficient, clinical. This wasn't a crime of passion. "The cause of death is consistent with the constable's report," Harlow murmured, "but something doesn't add up. Where's her satchel? And why was she down here in the first place?" Eva's fingers tightened around the small notebook. "Aurora was researching the Veil Market for a book she was writing. She must have been trying to get more information." Harlow's gaze sharpened. "The Veil Market, you say? That's an unusual place for a researcher to be poking around." She stood, brushing off her trousers. "You seem to know a lot about this, Kowalski. Care to share?" Eva hesitated, then nodded. "The Veil Market is a hidden supernatural black market, located in various underground sites around the city. It deals in all manner of enchanted goods, alchemical substances, and information." Harlow's brows rose. "Supernatural, you say? That's a serious allegation." "I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true." Eva's expression was earnest, her green eyes pleading for Harlow to understand. "Aurora and I have been researching the Veil Market for years. There's a whole hidden world beneath the surface of London, Detective. One that most people don't even know exists." Harlow considered her words, the unease in her gut deepening. She'd heard whispers of the Veil Market before, tales of the occult and the strange, but she'd always dismissed them as superstitious nonsense. Now, with the body of her friend's colleague lying before them, she was forced to reconsider. "All right, Kowalski." Harlow crossed her arms over her chest. "Say I believe you. What does this have to do with Aurora's death?" Eva's gaze dropped to the battered leather notebook in her hands. "I think Aurora may have discovered something she wasn't supposed to. Something that got her killed." Harlow's eyes narrowed. "And what, pray tell, might that be?" "I'm not sure." Eva's fingers traced the worn cover of the notebook. "But I think this might hold the answers." She looked up, determination etched in her features. "I'd like to accompany you, Detective. I want to find out what happened to Aurora." Harlow considered her for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. But you stay close, and you do exactly as I say. Understood?" Eva's shoulders relaxed slightly, and she nodded. "Understood." Together, they turned their attention back to the crime scene, Harlow's mind whirring with questions. What had Aurora discovered that had cost her her life? And what other secrets was the Veil Market hiding? As she knelt beside the body once more, Harlow's gaze fell on the glint of metal peeking out from beneath the victim's sleeve. Carefully, she pushed the fabric aside, revealing a small brass compass, its face etched with intricate sigils. The needle spun wildly, as if drawn to some unseen force. Harlow's lips thinned. "Well, well. Looks like we've got ourselves a mystery, Kowalski."