Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTQZZY7GKWPXD9S292ZE01H

The trees loomed around Rory like skeletal fingers, the moonlight filtering through the ancient oak standing stones that marked the boundary of the Fae Grove, casting long, macabre shadows on the ground. Wildflowers still bloomed in this forsaken place, their vibrant colors a stark contrast to the eerie atmosphere that clung to her like a shroud. The dry rustle of leaves beneath her feet was the only sound that broke the oppressive silence. Rory had arrived just after sunset, seeking solace in the secluded grove. She had been drawn to this place since discovering its existence, a hidden clearing that existed in a pocket between Earth and the Fae realm. The temptation to explore its secrets had eventually become too great to resist, and so she had slipped away from her duties at the Golden Empress, telling no one where she was headed. Not even Eva. As she wandered deeper into the grove, the sensation that something was off began to creep over her. It was a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on – a tingling in the back of her mind, like the whispered promise of a threat yet to materialize. She spun the silver chain of her Heartstone Pendant around her fingers, feeling the deep crimson gemstone throb with its usual gentle warmth, but tonight it seemed to be pulsing with an urgency that left her skin crawling. Rory stopped walking, cocking her head to one side as the faintest whisper of a sound drifted through the air. It was a low, raspy murmur that seemed to come from all around her, like the faint echo of a long-forgotten voice. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she strained to listen, but it was already gone, swallowed up by the oppressive silence. With a shiver, she continued on, her senses heightened as she scanned the surroundings for any sign of movement. The darkness seemed to seethe around her, like a living entity that watched her every step. She stumbled over a hidden root, and the sound of her own yelp of surprise seemed to reverberate through the air like a challenge. Time moved differently here, Rory reminded herself, but the fact didn't offer much comfort. An hour inside the grove could be minutes or days outside – she might be trapped in this macabre dance for an eternity. The moon climbed higher in the sky, casting its silver glow over the clearing, but even that offered no solace, only serving to illuminate the dark shapes that loomed around her. She reached up to adjust the chain of her pendant, the rhythmic pulse of the gemstone a source of comfort in this desolate place. But even that seemed different tonight, the beat of the Heartstone faster, more urgent, like a warning she couldn't decipher. As she turned to continue walking, Rory caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye – a flash of movement, like a shadow darting across the periphery of her vision. Her heart skipped a beat, and she spun around, but there was nothing there, just the dark trunks of trees looming like sentinels. Her mind was playing tricks on her, she told herself firmly, but the doubt was already there, gnawing at the edges of her composure. She forced herself to breathe deeply, to walk slowly, trying to shake off the creeping feeling of unease. But with every step, the tension seemed to build, like a gathering storm brewing in the darkness. The wildflowers seemed to close in around her, their vibrant colors now a malevolent bloom that seemed to suffocate her. A cold wind swept through the grove, sending the trees creaking softly in its wake. Rory's breath caught in her throat as the sound seemed to take on a pattern, like the low, raspy murmur had coalesced into a single word – a soft, whispery call that sent shivers down her spine. She spun around, trying to see who or what was calling her, but the grove was empty, the shadows dark and unmoving. The whisper seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the trees, until it became a single, stark word that seemed to reverberate through the air. "Laila." Rory spun around, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. The name seemed to echo through the grove, until it became lost in the darkness. The silence that followed was oppressive, like a physical presence that suffocated her. She stared around her, but the darkness seemed to press in, a crushing weight that threatened to consume her. Slowly, the whisper began to build again, a soft, raspy murmur that seemed to take on a new, even more ominous tone.