Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMDRTKQ8SN421KA8RX9PZC

The moon was a slender crescent, offering little comfort as Aurora Carter picked her way through the shadowy expanse of Richmond Park. She had chosen this route, an unfamiliar one, to explore the rumors of a place where the barrier between the human world and the Fae realm thinned. A risky endeavor, especially on a night like this, with the park enveloped in an eerie tranquility. Her breath clouded in the chilly air, and the crunch of dead leaves under her boots echoed loudly, making her wince with each step. Rory had always been one to dive headfirst into dangerous situations, but tonight was different. An uneasiness settled in her stomach as if a sixth sense was screaming at her to turn back. Yet she kept going. The Fae Grove, her destination, was a place out of whispered tales, hidden away from all but the most determined seekers. Legend had it that ancient oak standing stones marked the boundary, and their energy disturbed the flow of time itself. Rory's heart quickened as she envisioned the secrets this grove might hold. She often thought the Fae were nothing but fairy tales, but if there was a shred of truth to the stories, she needed to know. Especially now, when every day in London felt like a new threat. Her fingertips brushed the Heartstone Pendant beneath her sweater—a warm pulse in the palm of her hand. The stone's faint glow guided her steps, almost as if it knew the path. Yet as she wandered through the skeletal trees, the quiet deepened, and the pendant's warmth faded. She pulled it out, studying the deep crimson gem. It should be shining brighter, not dimming like a dying ember. Rory scanned the darkness, searching for some sign she had reached her intended site. "Am I even going the right way?" she murmured to herself, the sound of her voice both a comfort and a magnet for every small, imaginary creature of the night. A rustling to her left made her spin, heart in her throat, but it was only a hedgehog snuffling for food. The noise made her smile, a welcome relief from the oppressive silence. She took a deep breath, the air sharp with the earthy scent of late autumn. The crunch underfoot became a soothing rhythm as she continued walking, the pendant back beneath her sweater, its warmth providing reassurance. Without warning, the sound of her footsteps changed. The leaves were gone, and her boots landed on soft grass. She glanced down, her eyes tracing the slim beam of light from the pendant to the verdant ground cover. Wildflowers clustered around her boots, defiantly colorful in the moonlight. "But this isn't possible..." she whispered, looking around. The trees had closed in, their branches reaching across the small clearing she now stood in, shielding her from the night sky. Ancient oak standing stones, their bark gnarled and thick, encircled the space, their roots like tethers to some unseen realm. The Heartstone glowed brighter now, seeming to pulse with each beat of her heart. Rory touched one of the mighty stones, its surface smooth despite its rough appearance. A deep hum, like the purr of a large cat, vibrated through her hand as if the rock itself were alive. She jerked her fingers away. "Okay, too far. Time to go." But as she turned, a high, keening cry echoed through the grove, freezing her in her tracks. It was an unearthly sound, like wind through a cracked bell, sending shivers down her spine. Her mind flashed to a hundred horror stories she'd devoured as a girl, each one cautioning against staying in such a place. Should she run? But where? The entrance she'd come through was nowhere to be seen. The park's layout should have been discernible from within the grove, but all she saw was this small, sheltered space. As she took an involuntary step back, her heel caught on something, and she stumbled, arms flailing for balance. Her shoulders hit the hard ground with a painful thud, and the pendant slipped from its hiding place, bouncing on its silver chain across the grass. It left a trail of faint, pulsing light like breadcrumbs leading back to her. Rory scrambled for the stone, fingers closing around it just as the keening cry came again, this time closer, accompanied by the rustle of leaves and the snap of branches. She turned, her heart thundering, but the trees provided a natural camouflage, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the sound. A breeze gusted through the clearing, carrying the scent of earth and leaves, but also something else. Something that smelled of ancient magic and hidden forests. A chill raced down her spine, and she clutched the pendant in her fist, its warmth a small beacon against the rising tide of fear. The rustling grew louder, closer, and she realized she was holding her breath. With a sharp exhale, she whispered, "Hello? Is someone there?" The wind stirred the leaves, and the cry came again, now so close she could almost feel breath on her neck. She whipped around, her eyes searching frantically. A figure stepped out from the shadows, tall and slender, its skin pale as moonlight. Not human, Rory knew instantly. Its eyes were as dark as the spaces between stars, empty of mercy. But most startling was its mouth, a black hole in its face from which the keening cry issued forth. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound died in her throat. The figure raised a long, delicate arm, and with a final piercing cry, it disappeared back into the trees, the branches swinging closed like a silent accusing finger. Rory lay frozen, eyes locked on the spot where the figure had stood, her mind churning. Had it been a Fae? A Hel steed? Her head spun with legends and lore, none of which prepared her for an encounter like this. She'd felt the air stir moments before it appeared, but whether that was a warning or a simple breeze, she couldn't say. The trees loomed overhead, silent sentinels guarding their ancient secrets. She rose unsteadily to her feet, the Heartstone held tight in her grip, its warmth a stark contrast to the cold sweat that had broken out across her skin. "I need to get out of here," she whispered, taking a step back toward the direction from which she'd come. But another rustle, this one from a different part of the grove, halted her retreat. This was their land, she reminded herself. She was the uninvited guest, the trespasser. Yet her instincts insisted something here wasn't right, that whatever danced at the edge of her vision was not merely watching her, it was hunting her. With the pendant clutched in her hand, she moved deeper into the grove, away from the direction she'd thought was the entrance. It was a gamble, but her intuition urged her forward, promising safety if she could just find the right path. She ducked under low-hanging branches, her hair snagging on thorns, the scent of pine needles and wild rose filling her lungs. The farther she went, the stronger the Heartstone glowed, its pulse keeping time with her quickening steps. Finally, she burst through a wall of foliage into a small, sun-drenched meadow, the trees behind her now a dark, brooding wall. She turned, panting, in time to see the branches weave together, sealing the path behind her. "Well played," she muttered, fingers still tight around the pendant. She should have known better than to think she could just waltz into the Fae realm and escape unscathed. Now she had to find another way out. As she turned to survey her new surroundings, a shadow passed over the sun, and she looked up, squinting against the brightness. Massive wings beat the air, and a gigantic bird-like creature soared high above her, its feathers gleaming like polished obsidian. Rory's breath caught. She'd seen illustrations of these beasts in ancient texts—the Hel steeds, servants of the Fae. A shiver raced down her spine, not from fear of the steed itself, but from the understanding that she'd stumbled into a complex, hidden world, one that was revealing itself to her in ways she couldn't begin to fathom. The more she learned, the less she knew. It was almost enough to make her laugh, which she did, softly, the sound echoing oddly in the still air. She was in over her head, and she was just going to have to trust in her wits and the heartstone to find her way back out. But first, she'd have to discover where this path would lead her. Time to keep moving. She had work to do, and people in London—especially a certain ex—who might just make her yearn for the secluded dangers of the Fae Grove.