Run: 2026-02-19-01KHSZ15QSF81PP27MYT8QXSE1

Detective Harlow Quinn stepped out of the unmarked police car, her worn leather watch catching the dim light of the streetlamp above. The abandoned Tube station beneath Camden loomed ahead, its entrance a gaping maw in the earth. She adjusted her coat, the chill of the night air biting at her skin, and descended the cracked stone steps with military precision. At the bottom, the Veil Market sprawled out in a labyrinth of stalls and shadowy figures. The usual hum of illicit trade was absent, replaced by the eerie silence of a crime scene. Harlow's sharp jaw tightened as she surveyed the area, her brown eyes taking in every detail. "Quinn, over here," called a voice from her left. She turned to see Detective Inspector Markham, a burly man with a perpetually furrowed brow, standing near a makeshift barricade. He gestured for her to follow, leading her deeper into the Market. "What's the situation?" Harlow asked, her voice steady. "Body was found about an hour ago," Markham replied. "No ID, but the scene's... unusual." They reached a small clearing where a group of officers stood around a tarp-covered figure. Harlow knelt beside the body, lifting the edge of the tarp to reveal a young woman with curly red hair and round glasses. Her freckled complexion was pale, and her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. "Eva Kowalski," Harlow muttered, recognizing the face from the files. "Aurora's friend." Markham nodded. "Looks like she was involved in something she shouldn't have been." Harlow's eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?" Markham pointed to the woman's satchel, which lay open nearby. "Found this. Full of books on the occult. And this." He handed Harlow a small brass compass, its face etched with protective sigils and the casing covered in a patina of verdigris. The needle spun erratically. "A Veil Compass," Harlow said, her mind racing. "Points to supernatural rifts or portals." "Exactly," Markham said. "She was probably trying to find something here and got herself killed." Harlow stood, her gaze sweeping the area. "Something doesn't add up. The Market's usually packed on nights like this. Why is it empty?" Markham shrugged. "Word gets around. People clear out when there's trouble." Harlow shook her head. "No, it's more than that. Look at the stalls. They're still set up, merchandise left behind. This wasn't a planned evacuation." She walked over to one of the stalls, examining the items on display. Enchanted trinkets, alchemical substances, and ancient tomes lay untouched. Her eyes fell on a bone token, the entry requirement for the Market, lying on the ground. "Someone wanted everyone out in a hurry," she said, picking up the token. "But why?" Markham frowned. "You think this was staged?" "Possibly," Harlow replied. "But by whom, and for what purpose?" She turned back to the body, her mind working through the possibilities. Eva had been an occult researcher, well-versed in ancient history and the supernatural. If she had been searching for something specific, it had to be important. "Check her satchel," Harlow said. "See if there's anything that stands out." Markham rummaged through the satchel, pulling out a worn leather journal. He handed it to Harlow, who flipped through the pages. Eva's meticulous notes detailed her research into various supernatural phenomena, but one entry caught Harlow's eye. "Here," she said, pointing to a passage. "She was looking for a rift that opens every full moon. Tonight's the full moon." Markham's eyes widened. "You think she found it?" "Maybe," Harlow said. "But if she did, someone didn't want her to." She closed the journal and looked around the Market again. "We need to find that rift." Markham nodded. "I'll get the team to start searching." As the officers spread out, Harlow's mind raced. Eva had been close to something, something dangerous enough to clear out the entire Market. But what? She walked over to the body again, examining the area around it. There were no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds. Eva had been taken by surprise. "Quinn," Markham called. "Over here." Harlow joined him at the far end of the Market, where a faint glow emanated from a crack in the wall. The Veil Compass's needle pointed directly at it. "Looks like we found our rift," Markham said. Harlow nodded. "But why kill Eva? What was she trying to do?" Markham shrugged. "Maybe she was trying to close it." Harlow's eyes narrowed. "Or maybe she was trying to open it." She approached the rift, the glow intensifying as she got closer. The air around it felt charged, like the calm before a storm. "Get the equipment," she ordered. "We need to stabilize this before it gets out of hand." As the officers set up their gear, Harlow's mind raced. Eva had been on the verge of a breakthrough, but someone had stopped her. Someone who knew the Market and its secrets. "Markham," she said, her voice low. "We need to find out who cleared the Market. Someone here knows more than they're letting on." Markham nodded. "I'll start questioning the vendors." Harlow watched him go, her mind working through the possibilities. Eva's death was just the beginning. There was more at play here, something bigger than any of them realized. As the rift pulsed with energy, Harlow knew one thing for certain: the answers lay within the shadows of the Veil Market. And she was determined to uncover them, no matter the cost.