Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPM70F9K1Q86BWH2K10F1Q

The rain drummed against the cobblestones as Detective Mara Voss adjusted her trench coat collar tightly. A flickering streetlamp cast long shadows that danced like restless spirits in the midnight gloom. The victim lay sprawled across the alley, his blood pooling darkly beneath the cold glow. Mara knelt beside the body, her gloved fingers brushing the victim’s stiffened fingers gently. A single playing card—the ace of spades—was clutched tightly in his lifeless hand. The detective’s breath fogged the air as she studied the card’s edges for hidden clues. Footsteps echoed in the distance, too hurried to be accidental or innocent. Mara’s hand drifted to her holster, her pulse quickening with the approaching danger. A figure emerged from the shadows, their face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. “You’re too late,” the stranger rasped, their voice dripping with mocking amusement. Mara’s grip tightened on her weapon as she rose slowly to her feet. The killer took a step back, their laughter fading into the storm’s relentless roar. A gunshot cracked through the night, but the alley was already empty. Mara exhaled sharply, knowing this was only the beginning of a deadly game. The ace of spades glinted in the dying light, a silent promise of more blood to come.