Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPBBBGH0B9XFTN7S2Z5WRR

Detective Harlow Quinn descended into the abandoned Tube station, her military precision guiding each step down the creaky stairs. The air clung to her like a damp shroud, heavy with the scent of decay and neglect. A familiar tang of crime scenes, yet this one felt off, even before she'd laid eyes on the evidence. The Veil Market, an underground bazaar notorious for peddling the occult, wasn't exactly the kind of place MPD usually got called to. A bone token, required for entry, had been left for her at the surface, its stark whiteness seeming to glow in the dim light as she tucked it into her pocket. At the bottom of the stairs, a makeshift scene greeted her. Fluorescent lights, brought in by her team, cast an eerie glow over the crowded marketplace. Stalls, once piled high with enchanted wares and banned substances, now stood bare, their owners wisely absent. Only one stall seemed out of place, its Shade-crafted goods still on display, as if the vendor had simply stepped away for a moment. Quinn's gaze lingered, her sharp jaw working in thought. In the center of the scene, a body lay covered on the cold concrete. "Quinn, glad you're here," a voice said, echoing off the tile walls. DS Raj, a newer addition to her team, approached, his eyes scanning the area with a mixture of fascination and unease. "Not exactly our usual turf, is it?" Quinn's response was a raised eyebrow. "What do we know?" Raj consulted his notebook. "Victim's a local, name of Marcus Reed. No ID on him, but one of the... vendors recognized him. Said he was a regular here, always looking for something 'big'." Raj's tone implied his skepticism. "Single bullet wound to the chest, no shell casing found. Witnesses claim they heard nothing, saw nothing. The usual." Quinn's attention shifted to the body, then to the surrounding area, her eyes drinking in every detail. Something didn't align. "Show me the entry and exit points." As Raj led her through the labyrinthine market, Quinn noticed inconsistencies in the narrative. Stalls were too neatly arranged, considering the apparent haste of their owners' departure. The air, while thick with the smell of decay, lacked the metallic tang of recent gunfire. And the body... Back at the center of the scene, Quinn knelt beside the covered form, lifting the edge of the sheet. A single glance at the wound, and her mind began racing. The injury was too clean, too precise, for the chaos one would expect in a place like the Veil Market. "Raj, look at this," she said, her voice low, inviting him to share her observation. "This isn't a gunshot wound." Raj crouched beside her, confusion etched on his face. "What are you talking about, Quinn? The wound's—" "Entry and exit are too small, too uniform. There's no residue, no burn marks. This is a puncture wound, not a bullet hole." Quinn stood, her eyes now roaming the market with renewed intensity. "And I think our ' witnesses' might be more involved than they're letting on." Raj's expression shifted from doubt to consideration. "You think it's related to the market's, uh, 'specialties'?" Quinn nodded, her gaze halting on the untouched stall with its Shade-crafted goods, including a small, brass compass with a verdigris patina – a Veil Compass, rumored to point towards supernatural rifts or portals. "I think we're looking at something that goes beyond a simple homicide. Get forensics to process the body and the area, but I want this kept quiet for now. No leaks to the press." As Raj nodded and began to relay her orders into his radio, Quinn approached the stall, her hand reaching for the worn leather watch on her left wrist, a habitual gesture when her mind was racing. The vendor, in their haste, had left behind more than just their wares; they'd left a potential lead. She picked up the Veil Compass, the cool brass a comforting weight in her palm. The needle quivered, then stabilized, pointing towards the body. "A hidden message, perhaps?" Quinn mused aloud, her sharp jaw working in thought. This wasn't just a murder scene; it was a doorway to something deeper, something that could potentially explain the unexplained circumstances of her partner's death three years ago. "Raj, I want Eva Kowalski here. Her... expertise might come in handy." Raj's voice was laced with a question he didn't ask aloud, but Quinn's focus was already on the path unfolding before her, guided by the subtle, insistent needle of the Veil Compass.