Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTQSPJ637EHA26Y9JS9HR8R

The old Tube station beneath Camden was a relic of a bygone era, its iron girders and crumbling tiles echoing with the ghosts of the past. Detective Harlow Quinn stepped off the rickety ladder and onto the damp, cold platform. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rust, and the only light came from the flickering fluorescent bulbs that hung from the ceiling, casting long, distorted shadows. "Quinn," a voice called out, and she turned to see DS Jamie Carter, her new partner, approaching from the far end of the platform. He was a younger man, fresh out of the academy, but he had a keen eye and a sharp mind. "Glad you're here. We've got a mess on our hands." Quinn nodded, her eyes scanning the dimly lit station. The place was a maze of tunnels and abandoned tracks, and the crime scene had been cordoned off by yellow police tape. She could see a group of forensic technicians in white suits moving around, their heads buried in their work. "What do we have?" Quinn asked, her voice steady and controlled. She adjusted her worn leather watch on her left wrist, a habit she'd picked up over the years. "Body was discovered in one of the side tunnels. Looks like a young woman. Cause of death is still unknown, but there's something... off," Carter said, his tone filled with unease. Quinn's sharp jawline tightened, and she moved with military precision toward the taped-off area. She ducked under the tape and entered the tunnel, her footsteps echoing against the walls. The air grew colder the deeper she went, and the light from the forensics team's lamps barely cut through the darkness. Her eyes fell on the body, a young woman with curly red hair and a freckled complexion. Eva Kowalski. Quinn's breath caught in her throat. Eva was Aurora's best friend, and seeing her like this brought a heaviness to Quinn's chest. "Her name is Eva Kowalski," Quinn said, more to herself than to Carter. "She's connected to the case I've been working on." "Connected how?" Carter asked, his brow furrowed. "Researcher at the British Museum. Specialist in ancient history and the occult," Quinn explained, her gaze never leaving Eva's lifeless form. She noticed the round glasses lying a few feet away, cracked and broken. "She was digging into something, and now she's dead." Carter knelt down beside the body, his gloved hands carefully moving the hair from Eva's face. "No signs of a struggle. No defensive wounds. No obvious cause of death," he said, his tone professional but tinged with concern. Quinn's eyes narrowed as she noticed something peculiar on Eva's wrist. A small, intricate tattoo, etched in black ink. "What's this?" she asked, pointing to the tattoo. It was a design she hadn't seen before, a series of interlocking symbols that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Carter's eyes widened. "I've never seen anything like it. It looks ancient, but—" "Looks like it's right out of the books she was researching," Quinn interrupted, her mind racing. She turned to one of the forensic technicians. "Bag that, will you? And get a clear shot of it." The technician nodded and quickly got to work. Quinn stood up, her eyes scanning the tunnel walls. She noticed something else—etched into the stone, a series of markings that looked like sigils. "What about these?" Carter followed her gaze and whistled. "Those are definitely not your average graffiti. They look more like—" "Ritual markings," Quinn finished for him. "Someone was performing some kind of ritual here." Quinn's mind flashed back to the Veil Market, the hidden supernatural black market she had heard whispers of. If Eva had been involved in something illegal, it could have led her here. But why? And who would want her dead? Carter pulled out a notepad and began to sketch the markings. "I'll get these to the experts. Maybe they can tell us what we're dealing with." Quinn nodded, her thoughts turning to the Veil Compass. She had seen it before, in the hands of a Shade artisan. It was a tool attuned to supernatural energy, and if anyone could find what they were looking for, it would be Eva's friend, Aurora. "Let's process the scene, Carter. I have a feeling this is just the beginning," Quinn said, her voice firm. She turned back to the body, her heart heavy with the weight of the investigation ahead. Eva Kowalski was more than just a victim; she was a key to a puzzle that was growing more complex with each passing moment. "Find out who did this," she murmured to herself, her resolve hardening. "And why." As they continued their investigation, Quinn couldn't shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something far greater than a simple murder case. The symbols, the ritual, the Veil Market—each piece was a clue, leading her down a path she couldn't yet see clearly. But she knew one thing for sure: she would find the truth, even if it meant delving into the darkest corners of the supernatural world.