Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTQXCWD8W3M34AHNK9G7Y8Q

The silver chain around Aurora's neck pulsed with warmth as she stepped into the moonlit grove. Ancient oaks circled the clearing, their twisted branches grasping at the indigo sky like arthritic fingers. Wildflowers dotted the lush grass, their petals iridescent in the ethereal glow. Rory's Doc Martens crunched on fallen leaves as she ventured deeper, the Heartstone Pendant leading her forward like a bloodhound on a scent. She'd received the mysterious package a week ago - no note, no return address, just the deep crimson gem nestled in tissue paper. The stone had thrummed to life that morning, guiding her to this hidden pocket of Richmond Park. A twig snapped behind her and Rory whirled around, heart pounding. The inky shadows between the trees seemed to writhe and pulse. She clenched her fists, nails digging crescent moons into her palms. You're imagining things, she chided herself. Evan's not here. He can't hurt you anymore. She turned back to the clearing and froze. The air shimmered and warped in front of her, like heat rising off summer pavement. A low hum filled her ears, vibrating in her bones. What the hell? Stepping closer, Rory reached out a tentative hand. The air crackled against her skin, sending tingles racing up her arm. She flexed her fingers and the barrier rippled, colors bleeding like a melted rainbow. Taking a deep breath, she plunged her hand through the distortion— And staggered forward as the grove vanished, replaced by rolling hills bathed in twilight. Purple heather blanketed the ground, dancing in a phantom breeze. Aurora looked over her shoulder and her breath caught. A jagged archway framed the Fae Grove, the view into Earth trembling like a mirage. Where the hell am I? She spun in a slow circle, drinking in the alien landscape. The sky burned violet and gold, stars glinting like diamonds against velvet. Tottering stone spires jutted from the ground, twisted into impossible shapes. A shiver worked its way down her spine as she realized - the sun wasn't setting. It hung motionless on the horizon, permanently frozen in twilight. The pendant seared against her chest, pulsing in time with the low vibration that echoed all around her. Rory's instincts screamed at her to run, to get the hell out of this dark fantasy. She turned back toward the gateway—-and screamed. Evan stood between her and the exit, his cruel smile knife-sharp. "Did you really think you could escape?" "This isn't real," Aurora whispered, shaking her head vehemently. "You're not really here." "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." He stalked closer, his movements fluid and predatory. "Does it matter? I'm in your head, always. You'll never be free of me." Rory's vision blurred, tears welling in her bright blue eyes. She clutched the Heartstone, drawing strength from its pulsing heat. "I don't believe you. I won't let you control me anymore." Evan threw back his head and laughed, the sound grating and wrong. "You're mine, Rory. You'll always be mine." His form rippled, edges blurring. "And I'll always be here, waiting for you." A gust of wind howled through the clearing, sending Aurora's straight black hair whipping around her face. She lifted a hand to brush it away—and froze. Evan was gone. The clearing was empty, her only companion the ancient standing stones. Rory's pulse hammered in her ears as she pivoted slowly, searching for any sign of movement. The twilight realm pressed in on her from all sides, claustrophobic and suffocating. The sickly sweet scent of wildflowers clogged her nose, making her head spin. Runrunrun her instincts chanted, drowning out rational thought. Rory sprinted for the archway, lungs burning, muscles screaming. She had to get out, had to escape this nightmare vision— The tableau shattered into a million shards as she burst through the barrier, reality slamming back into place. Aurora stumbled to a stop, gasping for air. The Fae Grove was still and silent around her, as if the hellscape had never existed. Doubt crept in, insidious, writhing in her mind. Had it been real, or just a sick manifestation of her own trauma? The pendant lay still and cold against her chest, offering no answers. Rory touched a shaking hand to the little scar Evan had left on her wrist, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. Perhaps it didn't matter if the vision-Evan had been real or not. Either way, he was right. She might have escaped him physically, but the scars he carved into her psyche would linger. A permanent reminder. A dark passenger. A nightmare waiting to creep back in whenever she closed her eyes. The walk back to her flat passed in a blur, streetlights smearing across her vision like wet paint. Exhaustion hung heavy on her bones, her legs leaden as she climbed the stairs to her room. As she stepped inside, Rory caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her bright blue eyes looked haunted, bruised shadows lurking beneath. The pendant nestled in the hollow of her throat, its deep crimson depths glinting in the low light. She looked away, unable to face her own reflection. In the darkness of her tiny studio, the memory of twisted spires cast long shadows across the walls. This place was supposed to be her haven, her solo refuge after leaving her old life behind. But as she lay shivering beneath her thin duvet, Aurora couldn't shake the awful certainty that somewhere between the Fae Grove and her complete mental breakdown, she'd crossed a threshold. There would be no haven now, no respite from the specters haunting her every step. Evan's poison had seeped too deep. The door she'd opened by entering that twilight realm could never be closed again. And the nightmares on the other side would be waiting to collect their due. Aurora curled in on herself, muffling her sobs in her pillow as the Heartstone lay quiescent and cold against her skin. A ticket to worlds beyond, yes—but also a cruel reminder that sometimes, the greatest horrors lie not in strange new realms, but in the darkest corners of our own minds.