Run: 2026-02-19-01KHSYZT2G20B3ST43080QSGVZ

The Veil Market had transformed the abandoned underground station into a bustling hub of supernatural commerce. Ancient archways, their brickwork now blackened, supported a network of dimly lit tunnels. Hidden behind a shabby curtain in the shadows, a fortune teller whispered to a client, her voice merging with the rumble of distant trains. The air was heavy with incense and the ozone tang of magic. Detective Harlow Quinn walked amidst this setting, her sharp eyes missing nothing. Her salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed, and her stance held military precision, a remnant of her time in the service. Quinn was here on business, her police issue sidearm strapped to her thigh, a watchful guardian against the unseen perils that lurked in this illicit marketplace. A fellow officer stood waiting amidst the hustle. DS Aaron, a good man, he never quite understood the intricacies of this place or the creatures who inhabited it. His advice to newcomers: 'Speak little and listen more, and you'll leave with all your senses intact.' Quinn had to laugh at that. 'Quinn!' he called out. 'Over here.' She threaded between merchants peddling shadowy wares: mandrake roots, evil eye amulets, and jars of glowing djinny dust. Reaching him, she addressed him with clipped tones, 'DS Aaron.' 'Glad you're here, though I've made a mess of reading the scene. It's just not my area of expertise.' He gestured to the ground where a body lay covered by a sheet. Blood formed a large puddle around it. 'Take a look at this mess.' Eva Kowalski, a research assistant with a penchant for investigating things she probably shouldn't, was crouched by the body, eyes roving over the corpse. Eva had a curly mass of red locks, freckled skin, and wore her round glasses rather charmingly. Her leather satchel was brimming with research notes and esoteric tomes. 'Quinn,' she greeted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, an old nervous habit. 'Good, you're here. DS Aaron has been very helpful, but I think it's time we called in the experts.' Quinn glanced at Aaron, who grimaced and crossed his arms. 'Tell me what you've got, Kowalski.' 'The body is that of a young woman. Stabbed multiple times; cause of death is a guess, but she's our age. Unusual is the blood spatter pattern. At first glance, the spatter suggests multiple attackers from all sides, but on closer inspection, the droplets are positioned in an arc, as though the killers stood all around her in a circle.' Quinn peered at the bloodstains, noting how their concentric ripples indeed formed an odd shape. Taking note of the pattern, she muttered, 'You're right, this is odd. The implications are concerning.' Aaron joined the conversation, 'Look, this is an underworld matter. Likely mob business. Not something we can or should get involved in.' 'Mob business?' Quinn reflected. 'I think not. Killers surround her. There is no sign of struggle. This implies a more sinister scenario: a human sacrifice, or worse, a supernatural ritual.' Aaron scowled and Eva nodded in agreement. 'I'm thinking the same thing. The wounds were done with a black iron dagger. It's not right.' Quinn's pulse quickened. Black iron was a substance toxic to many supernatural creatures. A ritualistic murder using the metal could only mean one thing: that magical forces were at play and a human was trying to exert control. She bent to further examine the body. 'A symbol has been carved into her forehead. Do you recognise it?' 'Possible cult markings, something we should look into,' Eva said. Quinn felt a chill. These weren't the actions of a typical human murderer. The body alone suggested something far more terrifying was afoot. 'DS Aaron, I don't expect you to understand, but this,' she gestured at the corpse, 'is not your usual underworld affair. This is something else entirely.' Aaron shook his head, reluctant to accept this assessment. 'My gut tells me this is tied to the Rift,' Quinn added. 'Someone is attempting to open a portal, or at least summon something through it. I need to know if any witnesses reported strange goings on tonight, anything at all.' 'Rift?' Eva cocked her head. 'Where is this rift you speak of?' 'It resides within the Veil, a hidden realm connected to our world through supernatural portals,' Quinn explained. 'Access is restricted to just the magical creatures who traverse through it.' DS Aaron added hastily, 'This isn't something we police, more a kind of parallel universe that intersects with ours here. Very dangerous.' Eva rummaged through her worn satchel and pulled out a small brass compass. 'Well, I for one am concerned. Especially if this compass needle,' she pointed to the quivering arrow, 'is indeed indicating a threshold is nearby.' Nodding in agreement, Quinn received the compass, marvelling at the patina of verdigris across its face. The sigils etched into the brass seemed to come alive when the arrow pointed towards the stairwell. 'I fear you may be right. Very old and powerful magic is afoot. Eva, you've done good work. DS Aaron, now do yours and get this scene processed. Make sure forensics works their magic.' 'Yes ma'am,' Aaron said, then called for the photographer and technicians. Left alone to make sense of the chaos, Quinn stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the compass. A chill ran down her spine as the murders and the vortex began to make sense. It raised more questions than it answered. This case, she realised, would require all her cunning to solve.