It was barely dawn when detective Li Zeyang's phone rang.
Still half-asleep, he stretched an arm out from under the blankets and grabbed the phone from the nightstand, bringing it to his ear.
"Hello," he answered, his voice still rough with sleep.
"Good morning, detective. There's been a theft at the Museum of Magical Artifacts. The night guard is waiting for you. I'm sending you the location," said Sally's pleasant voice.
Zeyang ended the call and freed himself from the blankets, shivering in the cold air of the small apartment.
He ran a hand over his face, trying to chase away the lingering sleep, then headed to the kitchen to look for something to eat.
The fridge was empty. The cupboards too.
He sighed. He really needed to go grocery shopping—finally.
Resigned, he went to get ready.
Li Zeyang parked his motorcycle in front of the large neoclassical building that housed the Museum of Magical Artifacts. He crossed the portico with its tall white marble columns and entered the spacious hall.
A heavy silence greeted him. A short man with thinning hair, dressed in a gray uniform, hurried toward him.
"Li Zeyang, detective with the Unified Police Department," he said, showing his badge.
"Donald Lion. I was on duty last night," the man replied, visibly shaken.
The detective studied him. Human.
"Tell me what happened."
The man nodded, rubbing his hands on his trousers. "I… I don't really know myself. I was in the control room when the power went out. I lost consciousness right after. When I came to, the lights were back on, and the alarm was signaling the theft of the Rune Cube."
"Take me to where the object was kept, and tell me what it is."
The guard led him through the galleries until they stopped in front of an empty pedestal.
"The Cube is about ten centimeters wide. It was found in a cromlech, but we don't know its exact function. It's probably linked to spellcasting, but there's no confirmed documentation."
"Was the magical barrier protecting the museum breached?"
The guard shook his head. "I don't know."
"Are all the other guards human as well?"
"Yes."
After a few more questions, the detective concluded, "Do not leave the city over the next few days."
As he retraced his steps through the museum halls, Zeyang carefully analyzed the surroundings and the artifacts on display. Some of them emitted magic—visible to him as a faint light wrapping around their forms.
He had clearly seen the barrier at the entrance: a blue veil enveloping the entire building. As he exited, he checked for any tears or weaknesses, but it appeared solid and stable.
He returned to his motorcycle, put on his helmet, and headed straight for the office.
"Is the chief available?"
Sally looked up at him with her pale, ice-blue eyes and shook her head, her straight blonde hair swaying with the motion.
"The head of the Department of Human Affairs just left. Wait a moment—I'll see if he can see you."
Li Zeyang nodded, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
Sally returned almost immediately.
"He's expecting you."
The detective entered and closed the door behind him.
Antonio Lombardi sat behind a large chestnut-wood desk. His white shirt was open at the collar, blue trousers neatly pressed. A well-groomed goatee and mustache framed his face, his black hair carefully styled. He lifted his gaze from the stack of paperwork covering the desk and fixed his brown eyes—those of an alpha werewolf—on Zeyang.
"What have you found out?"
Li Zeyang sat down, tapping the fingers of his right hand against his thigh.
"Not much yet. I need to speak with a mage. The museum's magical barriers appear intact, but I believe there was some kind of interruption. As for the artifact, its exact use is unknown—only that it was employed in spellcasting."
"The Department hasn't assigned us a new mage consultant," Lombardi said. "Ask Sally for the name of the one who handled the protection of the new facility in the northern outskirts. Tell him the consultation will be paid."
"Alright," the detective replied, standing up and leaving the office.