Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRSKRBTDGGN1SSVPXD9R34

The pendant hung heavy against Aurora's chest as she passed the iron gates of Richmond Park. Moonlight cut through the sparse cloud cover, painting the landscape in a pale, ghostly sheen. She checked her watch—11:42 PM—then tucked her hands into her jacket pockets against the autumn chill. "This is madness," she muttered, following the narrow path that wound between ancient oaks. The message she'd received that morning had been brief but compelling: If you want answers about your dreams, come to the standing stones at midnight. Alone. Three weeks of the same nightmare had left dark circles under her bright blue eyes. Each night, the same crimson glow, the same whispered words in a language she almost understood. And each morning, she'd wake clutching the Heartstone Pendant, its surface warm against her palm. Her footsteps crunched on the gravel path. The park rangers would have locked the main gates hours ago, but the old service entrance near the south wall had a gap just wide enough for someone of her slender build to slip through. She'd known about it since childhood—one of many secrets shared between her and Eva during summer adventures. The path narrowed as she ventured deeper. Moonlight flickered through the canopy, creating a dappled pattern that shifted with each gust of wind. Aurora pulled her jacket tighter, her fingers brushing against the pendant beneath her shirt. It was warmer than it should be. She paused, listening. The usual night sounds surrounded her—distant traffic, the rustle of leaves, the occasional hoot of an owl. Yet something felt off. The spaces between sounds stretched too long, as if the night itself held its breath. "Almost there," she whispered, more to break the silence than to reassure herself. The path opened to the clearing she sought. Ancient oak standing stones formed a rough circle, their weathered surfaces etched with symbols long faded by time and elements. Moonlight pooled in the center, illuminating patches of wildflowers that had no business blooming in October. Aurora stepped forward, her hand instinctively reaching for the pendant. It pulsed against her fingers, unmistakably warm now. The air felt different here—heavier, charged with something she couldn't name. She circled the perimeter, running her fingers along the cold stone surfaces. No sign of whoever had sent the message. "Hello?" Her voice sounded muffled, as if the clearing swallowed sound. "I'm here." No response. Aurora checked her watch again—11:58 PM. She was early, but only just. She settled on a flat stone at the edge of the circle, watching the moonlight creep across the ground. The pendant's warmth intensified. She pulled it out from beneath her shirt, examining the deep crimson stone. In the moonlight, it seemed to hold an inner fire, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. A soft sound drew her attention—footsteps on the path? She turned, squinting into the darkness beyond the stones. "Hello? Is someone there?" The footsteps stopped. Aurora stood, peering into the darkness. "I got your message. About my dreams." The wind picked up, rustling through the trees with an almost melodic quality. For a moment, it sounded like whispered words. She took a step toward the path, then froze. Something moved at the edge of her vision—a shadow sliding between trees, too fluid to be human. When she turned her head, nothing was there. The pendant grew hotter against her skin. A twig snapped to her right. Aurora spun, heart pounding. The standing stones seemed to loom taller now, their shadows stretching inward like fingers reaching for the center of the circle. "Who's there?" Her voice cracked slightly. "Show yourself." The wind died completely. The distant sounds of traffic faded. Even the rustling leaves fell silent, leaving her in a pocket of absolute stillness. Her watch read 12:00 AM. The Heartstone Pendant flared with sudden heat. Aurora gasped, nearly dropping it as its glow intensified, bathing the clearing in crimson light. The standing stones caught the light, ancient symbols suddenly visible, pulsing with the same rhythm as the stone. "What the hell?" The air rippled at the center of the circle, like heat rising from pavement. The wildflowers there bent in a perfect circle, though no wind stirred. Aurora backed away until her spine pressed against one of the standing stones. The cool surface grounded her, even as her mind scrambled to process what she was seeing. The rippling intensified. The space between stones wavered like a mirage, the moonlight bending around something that wasn't quite there. Her pendant burned now, the chain uncomfortably hot against her neck. The small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist—a reminder of a childhood accident she'd never fully remembered—began to itch fiercely. A sound reached her then, like distant music played underwater. It rose and fell in patterns that reminded her of speech, though no words could be discerned. "I don't understand," she whispered, pressing her hand against the stone behind her. "What do you want?" The rippling air coalesced, forming shapes that hovered at the edge of perception—tall, willowy figures that moved with liquid grace. They never quite materialized, existing in the spaces between seconds. Something cold brushed against her cheek. Aurora jerked away, her hand flying up to the spot. Nothing visible had touched her, yet she felt the distinct impression of fingers trailing across her skin. The whispering grew louder. Words formed and dissolved before she could grasp them. Her name seemed to echo among them—not Aurora, but something older. Something that resonated with the pendant against her chest. "Malphora," the wind seemed to sigh. The name struck her like a physical blow. She'd never heard it before, yet it rang with terrible familiarity. The pendant's glow pulsed in response, matching the sudden racing of her heart. Aurora tried to move, to run, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. The standing stone behind her no longer felt cool—it vibrated against her spine, the ancient symbols heating beneath her touch. Time stretched. Her watch still read 12:00 AM, though she was certain minutes had passed. The clearing had changed subtly—the wildflowers more vibrant, the moonlight sharper, the stars overhead arranged in unfamiliar patterns. She wasn't in Richmond Park anymore. Not entirely. The shadow figures drew closer, circling her with deliberate slowness. Their movements left trails in the air, like ink spreading through water. The whispering intensified, becoming a chorus of voices speaking just below the threshold of understanding. The pendant's chain snapped suddenly, the Heartstone falling into her palm. It burned against her skin, but she couldn't drop it, couldn't release it. The crimson glow spread up her arm, illuminating veins beneath her skin. "Stop," she gasped, pressing herself harder against the stone. "Please, stop." The pendant pulsed once, twice, three times. With each pulse, the world around her shifted slightly. The trees beyond the clearing stretched taller. The stones grew more defined, their symbols sharper. The gap between this place and somewhere else narrowed. Aurora's breath fogged in the suddenly frigid air. The shadow figures paused in their circling, their attention focused on something beyond the stones. Footsteps approached—deliberate, heavy, unlike the whisper-soft movements of the shadows. These belonged to something solid, something real. The pendant went cold in her hand, its glow dimming to a faint ember. The shadows retreated, flowing like smoke back toward the center of the circle. Aurora turned toward the sound, her heart hammering against her ribs. A figure emerged from the darkness between trees—human-shaped but wrong somehow, its proportions slightly off, its movements too smooth. It stepped into the moonlight. Aurora's breath caught in her throat. It wore her face. The thing that looked like Aurora smiled, its bright blue eyes reflecting the pendant's fading light. It raised a hand in greeting, revealing a familiar crescent-shaped scar on its left wrist. "Malphora," it said in her voice. "You've been expected." The pendant in Aurora's hand shattered, crimson shards cutting into her palm. Blood welled from the wounds, dripping to the ground at her feet. Where each drop landed, wildflowers bloomed instantly, their petals the same deep red as the Heartstone. The clearing rippled around her, and Richmond Park fell away completely.