Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPG6VBEKB3324J3XXB88YG

In the hush of a London night, Aurora Carter pedaled her bicycle through Richmond Park, the moon a silver sliver in the velvet sky. She'd come for the solitude, the quiet, but as she neared the heart of the park, a prickle of unease skittered down her spine. The air felt charged, heavy with an unseen presence. She dismounted, pushing her bike towards the familiar stand of ancient oaks, their gnarled roots stretching like fingers from the earth. The Fae Grove, Eva had called it, a place where time bent and whispered secrets. Rory had scoffed at first, but after seeing Eva's eyes glow with that eerie light, she'd kept an open mind. The Grove was hidden, marked only by the standing stones that seemed to hum with ancient power. She stepped between them, feeling a shiver run through her as the air shifted, grew colder. The wildflowers blooming year-round seemed to sway, their colors muted under the pallid moonlight. Rory reached up, touching the Heartstone Pendant that hung around her neck. A gift from an unknown benefactor, it pulsed faintly, warm against her fingertips. She'd felt its tug here before, a faint heartbeat echoing the rhythm of her own. She walked deeper into the Grove, the silence pressing against her ears. Too silent. No hoot of an owl, no rustle of nocturnal creatures. Just the soft sigh of wind through the trees, carrying whispers that made no sense. A twig snapped. She froze, heart pounding. Nothing moved. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching, waiting. She took a deep breath, her gaze scanning the shadows. "Hello?" Her voice echoed, swallowed by the night. Another snap. Louder this time. Closer. She turned, her eyes widening as she thought she saw a figure dart behind a tree. She blinked, and it was gone. Just the tree, its gnarled branches reaching like skeletal fingers. Rory swallowed hard, her hand closing around the Heartstone. It pulsed faster now, its warmth spreading through her. She took a step back, then another, her eyes never leaving the spot where she'd seen the figure. A soft laugh echoed through the Grove. Childlike, yet wrong. It sent shivers down her spine, raised the hairs on her arms. She turned, her breath coming in short gasps. The laughter came again, this time from another direction. Mocking, taunting. She broke into a run, her heart pounding in her ears. The Grove seemed endless, the trees closing in, their branches reaching for her. She could hear the laughter now, all around her, a chorus of voices that made her blood run cold. She stumbled, falling to her knees. The Heartstone pulsed wildly, its glow casting eerie shadows on the ground. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat. Surrounding her were figures, their forms shifting, their faces twisted into grotesque masks. They laughed, their voices echoing, bouncing off the trees. Fear gripped her, paralyzing her. She couldn't move, couldn't scream. She was trapped, surrounded by the Fae, their eyes glowing with malice. Suddenly, the laughter stopped. The figures stilled, their eyes turning towards something behind her. She turned slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. Standing at the edge of the Grove was a figure, tall and imposing. It wore a cloak, its hood pulled up, hiding its face. But Rory could feel its gaze, cold and piercing. It raised its hand, and the figures around her melted away, disappearing into the night. Rory stood, her body shaking. She backed away, her eyes never leaving the figure. It took a step forward, its cloak billowing around it. She turned, running as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her ears. She didn't stop until she reached the standing stones, the boundary of the Grove. She looked back, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The figure was gone, swallowed by the night. She fell to her knees, her body wracked with sobs. She'd come seeking answers, but all she found was terror. The Fae Grove was no longer a place of secrets, but a place of nightmares. And she had a feeling she'd only scratched the surface of its darkness.