Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTYQ6AP3QXMMY5HX44T42ZB

Rain lashed the pavement, a cold,relentless drumbeat on the slick asphalt of Soho. Detective Harlow Quinn’s breath misted in the damp night air as she pushed herself harder, the wet collar of her trench coat flapping against her neck. Her worn leather watch ticked steadily on her left wrist, a stark contrast to the chaos around her. The suspect, Tomás Herrera, a man she’d tracked for weeks, vanished into the shadows of a narrow alley, his dark curls disappearing behind a crumbling brick wall. Quinn’s sharp jawline set, her eyes, sharp and brown, narrowed against the downpour. She’d seen his kind before – the ones who thought they could hide in the city’s underbelly. The bone token requirement for the Veil Market flashed in her mind, a detail she’d noted in her files. Herrera didn’t have one. He was desperate, reckless. That was his weakness. She didn’t hesitate. The alley opened into a narrow, rain-slicked street, the neon sign of The Raven’s Nest casting a sickly green glow on the wet pavement. Quinn’s boots splashed through a puddle, the sound echoing unnaturally loud in the night. She didn’t slow, didn’t look back. The chase was her focus, the only thing that mattered. The street ended abruptly at a crumbling brick wall, covered in peeling posters. Herrera had vanished again. Quinn pressed her back against the damp bricks, her breath coming in ragged gasps, the cold seeping through her coat. She scanned the shadows, her senses razor-sharp. Then, she saw it – a slight movement behind a stack of discarded crates near the wall’s base. Herrera was trying to climb over. Quinn moved with military precision, her body low, her movements fluid despite the exhaustion. She reached the crates just as Herrera’s boot slipped, sending him crashing back down onto the wet ground with a grunt. He scrambled, scrambling towards the wall, his olive skin pale in the dim light. “Stop right there, Herrera,” Quinn barked, her voice cutting through the rain’s roar. “You’re under arrest.” Herrera froze, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. He looked up at her, his warm brown eyes wide with fear. “Detective,” he gasped, his voice strained. “It’s not what you think. Please, just let me explain.” Quinn raised her hand, the worn leather watch catching the faint light. “Save it. You know why I’m here.” He scrambled to his feet, his movements jerky. “I’m not the one you want. He’s the one. Silas. He’s the one pulling the strings. He’s the one who—” Before he could finish, Quinn’s hand snapped out, not to grab him, but to shove him hard against the wall. The impact made him stumble back, his hand instinctively going to his scarred forearm. “Silas?” Quinn’s voice was a low growl. “You think I don’t know who you’re protecting?” Herrera’s eyes darted towards the wall, then back to Quinn. “He’s dangerous, Detective. He’s not human. He’s—” “Silas is human,” Quinn cut him off, her gaze piercing. “Or he was. Now, where is he?” Herrera’s eyes flicked towards the Raven’s Nest sign, then back to Quinn. “He’s not here. He’s—” “He’s not here,” Quinn finished for him, her voice cold. “Then where? Tell me, Herrera, or I swear to God, I’ll make this hurt.” He hesitated, then pointed a trembling finger towards the wall. “Through there. The secret room. He’s meeting someone. Someone important.” Quinn’s gaze followed his finger, landing on the crumbling bricks. “The secret room,” she murmured. “The one everyone says is just a myth.” Herrera nodded, his medallion glinting weakly in the green light. “He’s waiting. He knows you’re coming.” Quinn took a step towards the wall, her mind racing. The bone token. She didn’t have one. Herrera didn’t either. How did they get in? Was this a trap? Her partner’s death echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of the supernatural forces she was dealing with. She couldn’t let her guard down. “You coming, Detective?” Herrera’s voice was barely a whisper, laced with a strange urgency. Quinn looked at him, then at the wall. The rain continued to fall, washing the city streets clean. The choice was hers. Follow him into the unknown, or let him slip away again. The bone token requirement flashed in her mind. She didn’t have one. But she didn’t need one. Not if she was smart. “Lead the way,” she said, her voice firm, the weight of her decision settling on her shoulders. “But keep your hands where I can see them. And don’t try anything stupid.” Herrera’s eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “You’re coming in?” “I’m coming in,” Quinn confirmed, her gaze fixed on the wall. “Now move.” She turned her back on the rain-slicked street, her trench coat billowing slightly, and stepped towards the crumbling bricks, ready to face whatever lay beyond the secret door. The Veil Market awaited.