Under the Blood Moon

Rain lashed against Detective Miller's trench coat as he surveyed the scene. The dimly lit alley reeked of garbage and something metallic. A single streetlamp cast an eerie glow on the crumpled figure sprawled on the slick pavement.

"Male, mid-thirties," the young officer beside him reported. "Single gunshot wound to the chest. No ID."

Miller knelt, his gloved hand hovering over the glinting object beside the body. A silver pocket watch, its ornate case engraved with a swirling inscription. A strange chill ran down his spine. This wasn't a random mugging. This was targeted.

Back at the station, the watch remained a mystery. No fingerprints, no match in any database. Frustration gnawed at Miller. The inscription offered a tantalizing clue, appearing almost like gibberish. He spent hours poring over it, exhaustion creeping in.

A sharp rap at the door startled him. It was the rookie, a frantic glint in his eyes. "Sir, you won't believe this! The inscription... it's an ancient astronomical symbol. Refers to a lunar eclipse... happening tonight!"

Miller's heart pounded. A lunar eclipse? Tonight? He recalled the victim's expensive watch, a stark contrast to the grimy alley. Was this some bizarre cult ritual? Or something more sinister?

He grabbed his coat. "Get forensics back on the scene, double the perimeter. We might just catch a killer under the blood moon."

Sirens wailed in the night as Miller raced through the rain-slicked streets, the inscription on the watch burning into his memory. He had a feeling this eclipse wouldn't just bring darkness, but a deadly revelation.