Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRGT90WX3ED3Z9F62QE935

The forest path twisted deeper into shadows, the moon a pale sickle above. Rory’s boots crunched on the uneven ground, the sound loud in the stillness. Her heartbeat quickened, not from exertion but from the gnawing unease that had settled in her chest the moment she’d stepped past the standing stones. The Fae Grove loomed ahead, ancient oaks leaning inward as if conspiring. Wildflowers dotted the edges of the path, their petals unnaturally vibrant in the moonlight. They smelled sweet, cloying, and wrong for the time of year. She tightened her grip on the Heartstone pendant around her neck. It pulsed faintly, warmth radiating against her skin. “Here to find answers,” she muttered under her breath, more to convince herself than anything else. Eva had warned her about this place—time moved differently, she’d said. Minutes could stretch into hours, or worse. But Eva hadn’t mentioned the feeling of being watched. The air grew colder the deeper she went, a chill that seeped through her jacket and clung to her bones. She paused, listening. The forest was too quiet, as if holding its breath. No rustling of leaves, no distant hoot of an owl. Just silence pressing in on her, thick and suffocating. Her footsteps resumed, the crunch of leaves louder now. She glanced over her shoulder, scanning the path behind her. Nothing. Just shadows and trees. But the back of her neck prickled, a sensation like fingertips brushing against her skin. She turned back around, quickening her pace. A sound froze her in her tracks—a low, melodic hum that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. It wasn’t a song, not exactly. More like a vibration in the air, something that resonated in her chest and made her teeth ache. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep moving. “Just the wind,” she whispered, though the air was utterly still. The path widened into a clearing bathed in moonlight. The wildflowers here were taller, their stems swaying gently despite the lack of breeze. The hum grew louder, more insistent, and Rory clenched her fists to stop them from trembling. She glanced down at the Heartstone. It glowed brighter now, a deep crimson that pulsed in time with the hum. “What the hell are you doing here?” The voice startled her so badly she nearly dropped the pendant. She spun around, her breath catching in her throat. A man stood at the edge of the clearing, tall and lean, his features sharp and angular. His eyes glinted in the moonlight, a pale, unnatural shade of silver. He wore a dark coat that seemed to blend into the shadows, and his presence was so sudden, so unexpected, that Rory took a step back. “Who are you?” Her voice wavered, betraying her fear. He tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made her skin crawl. “You shouldn’t be here,” he replied, his tone cold and detached. “This isn’t a place for humans.” Rory’s hand instinctively reached for the pendant again. “I didn’t come here for fun,” she shot back, her voice steadier than she felt. “I’m looking for something.” His gaze flicked to the Heartstone, and for a moment, his expression shifted—something like recognition, or maybe hunger. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “What you seek isn’t here,” he said, stepping closer. “Leave while you still can.” The words sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to turn, to run, but something held her rooted to the spot. “And if I don’t?” His lips curved into a thin smile, devoid of warmth. “Then you’ll learn why this place is feared.” The hum grew louder, almost deafening now, and Rory pressed her hands to her ears. The man didn’t flinch, his gaze fixed on her with an unsettling calm. The wildflowers around them began to sway violently, their petals twisting and curling as if alive. The shadows deepened, creeping forward like tendrils of darkness. She stumbled backward, her heart pounding. “What’s happening?” “You shouldn’t have come,” he repeated, his voice echoing strangely in her ears. “Now it’s too late.” The ground beneath her feet shifted, the path dissolving into a swirling mist. Rory cried out, grasping for something, anything to steady herself. The Heartstone burned against her chest, its glow blinding. She squeezed her eyes shut, terror clawing at her throat. When she opened them, the clearing was gone. Around her stood towering oaks, their branches twisting upward like skeletal fingers. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the wildflowers had been replaced by jagged, thorny vines that writhed as if alive. The man was nowhere to be seen. But in the distance, she heard something—a low, guttural growl that sent a jolt of panic through her. She turned, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Something moved in the darkness, a shape too large, too wrong to be natural. She took a step back, her foot catching on a root. The growl grew louder, closer, and she scrambled to her feet, her legs trembling. The Heartstone pulsed frantically, its warmth almost painful now. She clutched it tightly, the glow casting eerie shadows on the twisted trees. “Keep moving,” she whispered to herself. “Just keep moving.” She stumbled forward, the path ahead barely visible in the dim light. The growl followed, a sound that seemed to vibrate through her very bones. Her ears rang with the hum, now a deafening cacophony that made her head throb. She broke into a run, her boots slipping on the damp ground. The trees pressed in around her, their branches clawing at her jacket. She swatted them away, her breath coming in ragged bursts. The growl was right behind her now, so close she could feel the heat of it on her back. She dared a glance over her shoulder and wished she hadn’t. The creature was a writhing mass of shadow and fang, its eyes blazing like molten gold. It moved with terrifying speed, its form shifting and twisting as it pursued her. She screamed, the sound swallowed by the oppressive darkness. Her legs burned with exertion, her lungs on fire. The Heartstone’s glow flickered, dimming as if drained. “No, no, no,” she whimpered, clutching it tighter. “Not now.” The creature lunged, its jaws snapping inches from her heels. She threw herself forward, stumbling into a smaller clearing. The Heartstone blazed to life, its glow so bright it illuminated the entire space. The creature halted at the edge of the clearing, its growl turning to a snarl of frustration. It circled the perimeter, its eyes locked on her with predatory intensity. Rory sank to her knees, her body trembling. She pressed the pendant against her chest, gasping for air. The creature continued to stalk the edge of the clearing, but it didn’t cross the boundary. For now, she was safe. But the realization brought little comfort. She was trapped, alone in a place that defied logic and reason. And the creature was waiting.