Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPHCEE85QHG7Q6550N5CT8

Aurora stepped into the Fae Grove, the ancient oak standing stones looming above her like sentinels. The air inside the clearing was heavy with the scent of blooming wildflowers, and the soft rustle of petals in the breeze created an unsettling melody. She shivered, despite the warmth of the summer evening, and glanced back at the stone boundary. The park beyond was dark and silent, the trees shrouded in an impenetrable veil of night. Rory had come to the Grove seeking solace, hoping to find some measure of peace amidst the turmoil that had been her life. The pendant, now a constant presence around her neck, seemed to pulse with a gentle warmth, as if it too sensed her unease. She reached up, her fingers brushing against the silver chain, and felt a fleeting sense of reassurance. As she walked deeper into the clearing, the silence began to unnerve her. No crickets chirped, no owls hooted in the distance. The only sound was the soft crunch of gravel beneath her feet. Rory's eyes scanned the darkness, searching for movement, but there was nothing. The wildflowers seemed to lean in, as if listening to her every thought. She stopped in front of a massive oak, its trunk twisted with age, and ran her hand over the rough bark. The wood felt cool to the touch, almost damp. A shiver ran down her spine as she pulled her hand back, her fingers tingling. The pendant pulsed faster, its warmth spreading through her chest. A faint whisper seemed to caress her ear, the words indistinguishable. Rory spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all directions, echoing off the trees. She took a deep breath, telling herself it was just the wind, but the sound sent a shiver down her spine. As she turned back to the oak, a twig snapped behind her. Rory froze, her heart racing. She slowly turned, her eyes scanning the darkness. A figure stood just beyond the ring of trees, its presence seeming to draw the light out of the air. The figure didn't move, didn't seem to be watching her. It simply stood, a dark shape that seemed to be waiting. Rory's breath caught in her throat. She tried to step forward, but her legs felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. The figure didn't move, didn't react. It simply stood, a presence that seemed to be growing more solid by the second. She forced herself to take a step back, her eyes fixed on the figure. As she moved, the whispering grew louder, the words still indistinguishable. The pendant pulsed wildly, its warmth spreading through her chest like a fire. Suddenly, the figure vanished. Rory blinked, wondering if she'd imagined it, but the whispering continued, the words growing clearer. A name, whispered over and over, a soft susurration that seemed to come from all directions. "Aurora...Aurora...Aurora..." Her heart racing, Rory turned and ran, dashing back towards the standing stones. As she burst through the boundary, the whispering stopped, the pendant's pulsing slowing to a gentle warmth. She stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath, and looked back at the Grove. The trees seemed to loom over her, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. The wildflowers seemed to glow in the dark, their petals twisted into macabre grins. Rory knew she had to get out of there, to get back to the safety of her flat above Silas' bar. As she turned to run, she caught a glimpse of something moving in the distance, a dark shape flitting between the trees. Rory didn't wait to see more. She took off, dashing through the darkness, the pendant's warmth a fragile comfort against the horrors that lurked in the Fae Grove.