Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMNFNG100YBHBZTR0TKDANA

The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, the kind that bloomed only in places where time itself seemed to hesitate. Rory adjusted the strap of her messenger bag, the Heartstone Pendant tucked safely beneath her shirt, its faint warmth a steady pulse against her skin. She had come to the Fae Grove for a reason—Eva’s last message had been frantic, pleading, the words scrawled in haste: *Meet me at the stones. It’s about the Hel portals. Something’s wrong.* But Eva wasn’t here. The standing stones loomed ahead, ancient oaks twisted into shapes that defied reason, their gnarled roots coiling into the earth like the fingers of something buried alive. The boundary of the grove shimmered at the edges of her vision, a heat-haze distortion that made her stomach clench. She stepped through, and the world shifted. Inside, the grove was too still. No wind stirred the leaves, no crickets chirped, no owls called. The wildflowers, vibrant even in moonlight, seemed to lean toward her as she passed, their petals brushing against her boots like curious fingers. Rory exhaled sharply, her breath fogging in the unnatural chill. She checked her phone—no signal, of course. The screen’s glow cast long shadows that stretched and twisted in ways that made her skin prickle. “Eva?” Her voice sounded too loud, too sharp in the silence. No answer. She moved deeper into the grove, her steps muffled by the thick carpet of moss. The Heartstone Pendant grew warmer, its crimson glow seeping through the fabric of her shirt. She pulled it out, watching as it pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. *Near a Hel portal.* That’s what the codex had said. But where? A sound cut through the quiet—a whisper, so soft it might have been the wind. Rory froze. The whisper came again, a sibilant hiss that slithered through the dark. It wasn’t words. It was something else. Something *hungry.* She turned slowly, her pulse hammering in her throat. The trees at the edge of the clearing seemed to lean inward, their branches knitting together like skeletal fingers. The shadows between them moved. Not swaying. Not rustling. *Crawling.* Rory’s breath hitched. She took a step back, then another, her boots sinking slightly into the damp earth. The Heartstone Pendant flared hot against her palm, its glow intensifying. The whispers grew louder, overlapping, a chorus of voices that weren’t voices at all. They coiled around her, pressing in from all sides. Then she saw it. A fissure in the air, a jagged tear no wider than her hand, hanging suspended between two trees. It pulsed with a sickly, violet light, and from it emanated the whispers. The stench of rotting meat and ozone wafted out, making her gag. The Heartstone Pendant burned against her skin, its glow matching the unnatural light of the portal. *Hel.* Rory’s stomach twisted. Eva had been researching these. The missing people. The ones who vanished near the grove, their bodies never found. She had thought Eva was being paranoid. But now— A twig snapped behind her. Rory whirled, her heart lodged in her throat. The clearing was empty. The trees stood motionless, their branches stretched toward the sky like accusatory fingers. But the air hummed with wrongness, a vibration that set her teeth on edge. Then she saw it—a figure, standing just beyond the edge of the moonlight. Tall. Too tall. Its limbs were too long, its silhouette shifting like smoke. It tilted its head, and Rory’s blood turned to ice. Because it had no face. Just smooth, featureless skin, stretched taut over something that wasn’t quite a skull. The whispers rose to a crescendo, a cacophony of clicking and hissing that made her head throb. The faceless thing took a step forward. Then another. Its movements were jerky, unnatural, like a marionette with tangled strings. Rory stumbled back, her boots slipping on the moss. The Heartstone Pendant seared her palm, its glow now blinding. The portal behind her pulsed, the violet light flickering like a dying bulb. The whispers coalesced into a single, guttural word: *Hungry.* The faceless thing lunged. Rory screamed, throwing herself to the side. The thing’s fingers grazed her arm, cold as death, and she felt the skin there numb instantly. She scrambled to her feet, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The portal was close. Too close. The whispers were inside her head now, slithering through her thoughts, drowning out everything but the pounding of her heart. She had to get out. Had to *run.* But the grove had other plans. The trees seemed to close in around her, their branches twisting into a cage. The faceless thing loomed ahead, its body rippling, distorting, as if it were made of something that wasn’t quite solid. The whispers became a roar, a physical force that pressed against her chest, stealing her breath. Rory clutched the Heartstone Pendant, its heat blistering her skin. She had one chance. One *stupid* chance. She sprinted toward the portal. The faceless thing shrieked—a sound like metal scraping bone—and gave chase. Rory didn’t look back. She could feel it behind her, its breath (did it have breath?) hot on her neck. The portal loomed ahead, its violet light casting monstrous shadows. She didn’t know where it led. Didn’t care. She leapt. The world tore apart. For a heartbeat, there was nothing but pain—white-hot, searing, as if her skin were being flayed from her bones. Then she was falling, tumbling through darkness, the whispers fading into a distant wail. The Heartstone Pendant went cold against her chest. And then— Silence. Rory hit the ground hard, her vision swimming. She gasped, rolling onto her back, her body aching as if she’d been beaten. The air smelled different here. Cleaner. Earthy. *Normal.* She was back in Richmond Park. The standing stones loomed in the distance, their twisted forms bathed in the pale light of dawn. The grove was gone. The portal was gone. And so was the faceless thing. Rory sat up slowly, her hands trembling. The Heartstone Pendant lay cold and dark against her skin. She pulled it out, staring at the crimson gem. It was cracked. A thin, jagged line ran through its center, as if something had tried to break it apart. She swallowed hard. Eva’s message had been a warning. But Eva wasn’t here. And Rory had a terrible feeling she knew why. Somewhere, in the dark between worlds, something was still hungry.