Run: 2026-02-17-01KHNF3THVCNJH6V9W2T6GW7R8

Rory stepped into the grove, her breath catching in her throat as the ancient oaks closed in around her like sentinels. The Heartstone pendant, cold against her skin, suddenly pulsed with warmth, a faint glow emanating from its crimson depths. She paused, glancing over her shoulder at the path she'd taken through Richmond Park. It had been a simple walk from her flat above Silas' bar, a short journey to clear her head after another tense shift at the Golden Empress. But now, the familiar trail seemed to have vanished, swallowed by the encroaching darkness. She turned back to face the grove, her eyes adjusting to the gloom. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, their petals unnaturally vibrant in the moonlight. Rory's skin prickled with unease as she realized the flowers shouldn't be blooming at this time of year. She took a tentative step forward, the soft loam giving way beneath her boots. "Hello?" Her voice sounded small and fragile in the stillness, echoing back to her from the surrounding trees. "Is anyone there?" No answer came, but the pendant's warmth intensified, as if urging her onward. Rory hesitated, her hand hovering near the small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist – a nervous habit she'd developed after leaving Evan. The grove felt wrong, a pocket of otherness that didn't belong in the familiar landscape of Richmond Park. But something had drawn her here, an inexplicable pull that she couldn't ignore. She pressed on, the trees seeming to lean in closer with each step. The shadows between the oaks deepened, and Rory's heart raced as she caught glimpses of movement at the periphery of her vision. Figures, pale and insubstantial, flitted between the trunks like wraiths. She blinked, trying to focus, but they remained just out of sight, taunting her with their elusive presence. The ground beneath her feet began to slope downward, leading her deeper into the grove. Rory's breath came faster now, her mind racing with the possibilities of what might lurk in this strange place. She thought of the stories Eva had told her as children, tales of the Fae and their capricious nature. Could this be one of their hidden realms, a place where the boundaries between worlds grew thin? A sudden rustling in the underbrush made her freeze, her muscles tensing. The sound came again, closer this time, and Rory's hand instinctively reached for the pendant. Its warmth had become almost unbearable, a searing heat that pulsed in time with her racing heart. She took a step back, her heel catching on a gnarled root. As she stumbled, the shadows around her seemed to shift and writhe, coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape. Rory's scream caught in her throat as the figure stepped into a shaft of moonlight. It was a woman, tall and willowy, with skin like polished ivory and hair that cascaded down her back in a river of silver. Her eyes were a piercing shade of violet, and they fixed on Rory with an intensity that made her skin crawl. "Welcome, child of Earth," the woman said, her voice like the tinkling of bells. "I have been waiting for you." Rory's mind reeled, trying to make sense of the situation. How could this woman have been waiting for her? She'd never been to this place before, had she? The memories of her childhood, of playing in Richmond Park with Eva, seemed suddenly distant and hazy. "Who are you?" Rory asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want with me?" The woman smiled, a slow, predatory curve of her lips. "I am Isolde, guardian of this grove. And you, dear Rory, have a destiny that lies beyond the veil of your world." Rory's breath caught at the sound of her name. How did this stranger know who she was? She took another step back, her eyes darting around the grove for an escape route. But the trees had closed in even tighter now, their branches intertwining overhead to form a solid canopy of leaves and shadows. "You cannot leave," Isolde said, her voice taking on a singsong quality. "Not until you have fulfilled your purpose." "What purpose?" Rory demanded, her fear giving way to anger. "I don't even know what this place is!" Isolde's smile widened, revealing teeth that were too sharp to be human. "This is a crossroads, child. A place where the threads of fate converge. And you, dear Rory, are the key to unlocking a power that has been dormant for centuries." Rory's hand flew to the pendant, her fingers closing around its now-cool surface. The crimson gem seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat, a silent affirmation of the woman's words. She had always felt different, out of place in the mundane world of deliveries and part-time jobs. But this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined. "I don't understand," she said, her voice trembling. "What power? What am I supposed to do?" Isolde stepped closer, her movements fluid and graceful. "You will learn, in time. But first, you must prove yourself worthy. The Heartstone has chosen you, but it will test your resolve." As if on cue, the pendant flared with a brilliant crimson light, bathing the grove in its eerie glow. Rory gasped, her hand burning where it touched the gem. She tried to pull away, but it was as if the pendant had fused with her skin, anchoring her to this strange place. "Help me!" she cried out, her voice echoing through the trees. "Someone, please!" But there was no answer, no one to hear her desperate plea. The grove was silent once more, the only sound the pounding of Rory's heart in her ears. Isolde's laughter rang out, a cruel and mocking sound that sent chills down Rory's spine. "You are alone, child," the woman said, her voice dripping with malice. "Alone in this place, and alone in your destiny. Embrace it, or be consumed by it." With those final words, Isolde vanished into the shadows, leaving Rory standing alone in the heart of the grove. The Heartstone's light dimmed, but its warmth remained, a constant reminder of the power that now coursed through her veins. Rory sank to her knees, her mind reeling with the implications of what had just transpired. She was no longer just Rory Carter, part-time delivery person and survivor of an abusive relationship. She was something more, something that defied explanation. And as the first rays of dawn began to filter through the canopy above, Rory knew that her life would never be the same. She had been chosen for a purpose, a destiny that she could not yet comprehend. But one thing was certain – she would have to face it alone, in a world that was far stranger and more dangerous than she had ever imagined.