AI Detective Harlow Quinn slipped through the rusted entrance of the abandoned Tube station, the familiar hiss of the air‑conditioning system swallowed by the damp, stale air of the Veil Market. She paused at the threshold, her leather watch ticking softly against her left wrist, and let the darkness swallow her boots. The market was a maze of stalls, each draped in velvet and lace, the scent of incense mingling with the metallic tang of old coins. The stone walls were etched with runes that glowed faintly under the flickering lanterns, a reminder that the place was more than a simple black market.
Eva Kowalski followed close behind, her curly red hair tucked behind her left ear, glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She carried a leather satchel full of books, the weight of it shifting with each step. Her green eyes flicked from stall to stall, taking in the odd assortment of enchanted trinkets and forbidden alchemical substances. She glanced at Harlow, a nervous smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
The body lay on the cracked marble floor, a man in his thirties, his eyes wide and unblinking. He wore a tailored suit, the fabric stained with a dark, oily substance that seemed to seep into the stone . A small brass compass lay beside him, its face etched with protective sigils, its needle twitching in a direction that defied gravity.
Harlow knelt, her fingers brushing the edge of the compass. The casing had a patina of verdigris, the protective sigils glowing faintly. She turned the compass over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
A colleague, DS Collins, entered the scene, his badge flashing in the dim light. He wore a crisp uniform, his demeanor calm, his eyes scanning the area. He stopped in front of the body, his hand hovering over the compass.
"Looks like a suicide," Collins said, his tone matter-of-fact. "The man was a known dealer in the market. He probably took his own life after a bad deal."
Harlow stared at Collins, her brow furrowed . "The body doesn’t show any sign of struggle," she said, her voice low . "No bruises, no defensive wounds. The oily substance is not a poison. It’s a solvent. It could have been used to dissolve something."
Collins frowned, but didn’t press further. He turned his attention to the market, his eyes scanning the stalls. "What about the compass?" he asked, his voice softer . "You think it’s a clue?"
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . She turned the compass over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
Harlow stared at the compass, her fingers tracing the sigils. The needle quivered , as if it were alive. She turned it over, feeling the cold metal against her palm. The needle pointed toward a faint shimmer in the air, a portal that pulsed with a low, humming vibration. She glanced up at Eva, who was already pulling a notebook from her satchel.
"That's the Veil Compass," Eva whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the market. "Crafted by a Shade artisan. It finds the nearest supernatural rift."
Harlow nodded, her mind racing . The evidence didn’t add up. The man’s death seemed too clean, too precise. The oily substance was not a weapon; it was a chemical, a potion, something that could have been used to incapacitate. Yet the body lay still, eyes unblinking, as if he had been frozen in time.
Collins turned back to Harlow, his eyes narrowed . "You think the compass is pointing to a rift?" he asked. "What does that mean?"