Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTXG9A6X8ZG6A5J5CSVX595

The ancient oak standing stones rose from the earth like jagged teeth, biting into the heavy obsidian sky. Rory paused at the boundary, the toe of her boot hovering over the gnarled root system that marked the edge of the Fae Grove. The air here tasted different—metallic, thick with the scent of ozone and crushed wildflowers that had no business blooming in the dead of winter. She stepped over the root. A rush of cold wind slammed into her, unnatural and sharp. The silence of Richmond Park fell away instantly, replaced by the stillness of a place that held its breath. She pulled her coat tighter around her chest, her left hand absently rubbing the crescent-shaped scar on her wrist. The habit anchored her, kept the panic at bay. She checked the Heartstone pendant beneath her collar. The deep crimson gemstone pulsed against her skin, a rhythmic, sluggish heartbeat of warmth. It was getting hotter. "I know you're watching." Her voice cracked in the silence, shattering the tension like glass. She hated how small she sounded. Nothing answered. Just the endless, rustling dark. She moved deeper into the clearing. The grass here was lush, vibrant green where it should have been frost-bitten and brown. Flowers—irises and lilies—swayed without a breeze. They turned their heads as she passed, tracking her movement. Rory stopped. She pulled a small torch from her pocket, flicking the switch. The beam cut through the gloom, illuminating the perimeter of the grove. Trees stood sentinel at the edges, their branches twisted into agonized shapes. They hadn't been there a moment ago. "Don't play games." She swept the light across the treeline. Shadows darted between the trunks, too tall to be foxes, too thin to be deer. They moved with a jerky, fluid motion, like marionettes on tangled strings. The pendant burned against her sternum. She winced, clutching the silver chain through her shirt. This was a mistake. Coming here alone, at night, on a hunch—stupid. But the note had been specific. *Come alone. Bring the stone.* A twig snapped to her left. Rory spun around, torch beam slashing the darkness. The light caught nothing but swaying grass and the silent, staring faces of the flowers. "Show yourself." Silence. Then, a sound. Wet, heavy breathing. It came from behind her. She whipped around again. Nothing. The grove was empty, save for the stones and the trees. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drum. She checked her watch. The second hand stuttered, ticking forward, then jumping back two seconds. It spun wildly for a moment before freezing entirely. Time dilation. The lore was real. Minutes outside could be days in here. She took a step back toward the standing stones. The air grew viscous, resisting her movement like wading through syrup. "You wanted me here. I'm here." The breathing stopped. The silence that followed was absolute, suffocating. The torch flickered. The beam dimmed, then surged brighter, casting long, distorted shadows that stretched toward her. In the periphery of her vision, the shadows detached themselves from the ground. They stood up. Rory backed away, her breath hitching. She counted three shapes. They had no features, just jagged outlines of darkness where faces should be. The pendant seared her skin. She gasped, pulling it out from under her shirt. The gem glowed with a fierce, blood-red luminescence, lighting up the clearing. The shadows recoiled, hissing. "Get back." She raised the hand holding the torch, using the light like a weapon. The creatures didn't flee. They shifted, circling. The sound of their movement was like dry leaves skittering on pavement. One stepped closer. It was tall, limbs too long, joints bending in wrong directions. It leaned down, sniffing the air near her face. The smell hit her—rotting meat and old copper. Rory forced herself to stand her ground. She didn't run. Running triggered the prey drive. She knew this, she had read the files, she had listened to Silas' warnings. "I am not prey." The thing tilted its head. It opened a mouth that wasn't there a second ago, rows of needle-like teeth glinting in the red light of the pendant. A low rumble vibrated through the soles of her boots. The ground trembled. The wildflowers at her feet withered and turned black in an instant, spreading outward like a stain. The creature screeched, a sound like tearing metal, and lunged. Rory dropped to the ground, rolling over the frost-touched grass. She came up with a jagged rock in her hand, swinging blindly at empty air. The thing was faster than physics allowed. It was already behind her. Cold fingers brushed the back of her neck. She screamed and threw the rock. It struck one of the standing stones with a sharp crack. The creatures paused. They turned their attention to the boundary. The pendant pulsed again, so hot it nearly blistered. The red light turned blinding white. Something was coming out of the trees. Something bigger than the shadows. The very air in the grove seemed to bend, light refracting around a central point of absolute darkness. Rory scrambled backward, her boots scrabbling for purchase on the slick earth. She needed to leave. Now. She turned and ran for the gap between the standing stones. The distance stretched. The stones seemed to retreat into the fog, miles away. Her legs pumped, breath burning in her lungs, but she wasn't getting closer. The shadows were gone. All of them turned toward the new darkness emerging from the treeline. Rory risked a glance over her shoulder. The darkness in the trees wasn't a shape. It was a tear. A hole in reality. And hands—dozens of pale, slender hands—were reaching out of the tear, grasping the edges, pulling it open. She looked back at the boundary stones. They were closer now. "Move!" She sprinted, diving over the gnarled root. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She tumbled onto the cold, hard path of Richmond Park, gasping for air. Silence. Normal, mundane silence. Cars hummed in the distance. A plane blinked overhead. Rory pushed herself up, trembling. She touched the pendant. It was ice cold. She looked back at where the grove should be. There was only dense hedgerow and darkness. But for a split second, she saw a pair of bright blue eyes glowing in the shadows. Eyes exactly like her own.