Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMC98BFF9N3Y977YHZVK06

The first thing Aurora noticed was the utter silence. As she stepped through the boundary of ancient standing stones, the din of the city beyond the park walls faded away into muted nothingness. The air was thick with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth, a lush tranquility that pressed in around them. The sky above was a glowing amber dome, no sun or clouds visible. "Woah," Eva breathed, looking around with wide eyes. "It's like we stepped into another world." Aurora couldn't help but agree. The grove was nothing like the Richmond Park they had just left. The trees were unnaturally twisted, their branches reaching high above them like gnarled fingers. Vibrant wildflowers in shades of violet, crimson, and gold carpeted the ground, some appearing to glow faintly from within. She glanced over at Nyx, their silhouette flickering and wavering as if the very air was shifting and bending around them. "Where are we?" the Shade murmured, their voice barely above a whisper. "The Fae Grove," Aurora replied, her fingertips brushing the pendant at her throat. The faint warmth pulsing against her skin told her they had indeed crossed into a realm touched by ancient magic. "Isolde said to meet her here." "The Seer," Nyx mused, tilting their head back to gaze up at the amber sky. "This place... it feels different. Older, somehow." Aurora couldn't help but agree. As they moved further into the grove, the air seemed to thicken, the trees pressing in closer around them. The silence was all-encompassing, no birds or insects to be heard. An eerie, crawling sensation prickled at the back of her neck, as if unseen eyes were watching them. "I don't like this," Eva murmured, clutching her bag tightly. "It feels... wrong, somehow." "She did say time moves differently here," Aurora reminded her, her voice low. She glanced around, half-expecting to see Isolde materialize from the shadows. "But the Seer vouched for this place. We're safe, I'm sure of it." "I don't know, Rory," Eva replied, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip. "Something feels off. I can't put my finger on it, but—" A sudden rustling in the undergrowth made them all freeze. Aurora's hand flew to the hilt of the moonsilver blade at her hip, the cold metal a familiar comfort. Nyx shifted closer, their form rippling and wavering. But the figure that emerged from the bushes was not the Half-Fae Seer they had been expecting. Instead, a tall, willowy woman stepped into the clearing, her silver hair spilling down her back. Pale lavender eyes regarded them with an eerie, ageless calm. "Isolde," Aurora breathed, relief flooding through her. She relaxed her grip on the Fae blade, offering the Seer a small smile. "We were starting to worry you wouldn't show." "Worry not, child of Earth," Isolde replied, her voice soft and lilting. "I am always where I am meant to be." She glanced around the grove, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "And you have all arrived just in time." "Time for what?" Nyx asked, their voice low and cautious. "What is it you require of us, Seer?" Isolde's pale eyes settled on the Shade, her expression unreadable. "Many things are set in motion, Nightwhisper. Forces are stirring that have long slumbered." She turned her gaze to Aurora, and the intensity in her eyes made the young woman's breath catch in her throat. "The time has come to make a choice, child of Carter." Aurora felt the weight of Isolde's words settle over her like a shroud. She could feel the Heartstone pendant pulsing against her skin, a steady, comforting rhythm. "A choice?" she echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What choice?" But Isolde only smiled, the expression enigmatic. "You will know, when the time comes." She glanced towards the towering trees, as if sensing something they could not. "For now, we must make haste. There is much to be done, and time is fleeting in this place." Without another word, the Seer turned and began to pick her way through the undergrowth, her footsteps leaving no imprint on the mossy ground. Aurora hesitated for only a moment before following, Eva and Nyx falling into step beside her. The deeper they ventured into the grove, the more otherworldly it became. The trees seemed to lean in closer, their branches twisting and writhing as if alive. The very air hummed with an undercurrent of power, making the fine hairs on Aurora's arms stand on end. Nyx's form flickered and wavered, their presence almost indistinct. Isolde moved with an effortless grace, her silver hair and pale dress billowing around her as she wove between the trees. Aurora couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, a crawling sensation that something was watching them, waiting in the shadows. "Isolde," she called out, keeping her voice low. "Where are we going?" The Seer paused, glancing back at them with an enigmatic smile. "To the heart of the grove, where the truth lies waiting." Aurora exchanged a wary look with Eva, who shook her head slightly. But Nyx only nodded, their violet eyes gleaming with fascination. "Then lead on, Seer. We will follow." Isolde inclined her head, then turned and continued on her path, vanishing into the twisted foliage. With a resigned sigh, Aurora steeled herself and followed, her hand gripping the hilt of the Fae blade at her side. The grove only grew more otherworldly the deeper they ventured. The trees seemed to close in around them, their branches reaching down like gnarled fingers. Glowing mushrooms and bioluminescent flowers dotted the forest floor, casting an eerie, pulsing light. Strange, muttering whispers seemed to drift on the air, too faint to make out. Aurora couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. This place... it felt alive, in a way she couldn't quite describe. As if the very grove itself was watching them, scrutinizing their every move. She could feel the Heartstone pendant pulsing against her skin, a steady, comforting rhythm. Ahead, Isolde paused, holding up a hand. "We are close," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Be ready." Aurora exchanged a wary look with Eva and Nyx, then tightened her grip on the Fae blade. Whatever lay ahead, she would be prepared.