Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMCM5ATRF85JE54BQGEY8M

The Fae Grove was eerily silent as Aurora stepped through the boundary. The ancient standing stones loomed around her, their rough surfaces bathed in a pale, otherworldly light. A chill ran down her spine, and she clutched the Heartstone pendant hanging from her neck, its faint warmth a comfort against the chill of the night air. She shouldn't be here, not after dark. Rory knew the risks, had been warned time and again about the dangers that lurked in this liminal space between worlds. But she couldn't resist the pull, the desperate need to find answers. Her fingers traced the raised scar on her wrist, a phantom ache pulsing in time with the pendant's faint glow. Shadows danced at the edge of her vision, just beyond the reach of the standing stones. Rory whirled, heart pounding, but the grove remained still and silent, save for the distant hoot of an owl. She took a steadying breath, reminding herself that her mind was playing tricks. There was nothing here but the wind rustling the leaves and the soft crunch of her footsteps on the mossy ground. Yet the wrongness persisted, a growing sense of unease that prickled along her skin. Rory glanced around warily, eyes straining to pierce the gathering darkness. The flowers that normally carpeted the forest floor had withered, their petals curled and brown. A shiver ran through her, and she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Steeling her nerves, Rory pressed on, her steps quick and light as she made her way deeper into the grove. The standing stones cast long, jagged shadows that seemed to shift and twist, as if alive. Rory froze, heart thundering in her ears, but the shadows remained still once more. She let out a shaky breath, berating herself for her overactive imagination. A twig snapped somewhere to her left, and Rory whirled, hands raised defensively. Nothing. She strained to listen, but the only sound was the distant hoot of the owl, growing fainter with each passing moment. Rory's fingers tightened around the pendant, its warmth a steadying presence. As she moved forward, the air grew thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe. Rory's footsteps slowed, and she found herself glancing over her shoulder with increasing frequency, her unease mounting with every passing second. The grove should have been familiar, but in the darkness, the trees seemed to twist and distort, their branches like grasping claws. Rory swallowed hard, fighting the urge to turn and run. She had to keep going, had to find the answers she sought. A soft rustling reached her ears, and Rory froze, eyes scanning the darkness. There, just beyond the reach of the standing stones, a shadow seemed to detach itself from the trees, moving with a sinuous grace that sent a shiver down her spine. Rory's heart pounded as she watched it, mesmerized by its fluid movements. The shadow drew closer, and Rory caught a glimpse of something that might have been a face, but it was too indistinct to make out. She held her breath, every muscle tensed, ready to flee. The shadow paused, and Rory could feel its gaze upon her, piercing and cold. A twig snapped behind her, and Rory whirled, a strangled cry catching in her throat. Nothing. She spun back towards the moving shadow, but it had vanished, leaving only the inky darkness in its wake. Rory's hands shook as she fumbled for her phone, the screen's glow casting a sickly light over the grove. The flowers lay wilted and dead, and the standing stones loomed overhead, their shadows seeming to creep ever closer. A soft, chittering sound reached her ears, and Rory froze, her eyes scanning the darkness. There, at the edge of the light, something moved, darting between the trees with a speed that defied the eye. Rory's breath caught in her throat, and she fought the urge to scream. She should leave, she knew that. This place was dangerous, filled with unseen horrors that lurked in the shadows. But she couldn't bring herself to turn away, not when she was so close to finding the answers she sought. Steeling her nerves, Rory pressed on, her steps quickening as she navigated the twisted, gnarled roots that snaked across the forest floor. The Heartstone pendant pulsed with a faint warmth, and she clutched it tightly, drawing strength from its presence. The grove seemed to close in around her, the trees growing thicker and more twisted with every step. Rory could feel the weight of unseen eyes upon her, and she fought the urge to look over her shoulder, to see what lurked in the shadows. A soft, whispering sound reached her ears, and Rory froze, her heart pounding. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, a haunting melody that sent shivers down her spine. She strained to listen, but the whispers faded, replaced by the eerie silence that permeated the grove. Rory pressed on, her steps growing more uncertain with each passing moment. The grove seemed to stretch on endlessly, the familiar landmarks lost in the gloom. She could feel the panic rising within her, a tightness in her chest that threatened to overwhelm her. A sudden movement caught her eye, and Rory whirled, her breath catching in her throat. Something dark and inhuman flickered between the trees, its form indistinct and unsettling. Rory's fingers tightened around the pendant, the warmth of the gemstone a steadying presence. She should turn back, her rational mind screamed. This place was dangerous, filled with horrors that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. But something drove her forward, a desperate need to uncover the truth, to find the answers that had eluded her for so long. The grove grew darker, the shadows deepening until Rory could barely make out the twisted shapes of the trees around her. She moved forward, her steps slow and cautious, her senses on high alert. The whispers had returned, a haunting melody that seemed to echo all around her. Rory froze, her heart pounding, as a sudden chill swept through the grove. The air grew thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe. She could feel the weight of unseen eyes upon her, and the primal part of her brain screamed to run, to escape this place of darkness and terror. But still, she pressed on, driven by a desperate need to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.