Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTYH31TVRS2R6FAFRRWMBHN

Rory stepped into the Richmond grove, her boots crunching on fallen leaves. The ancient oaks stood sentinel, their gnarled branches reaching skyward like twisted fingers. A shiver ran down her spine as she pulled her jacket tighter against the evening chill. She'd come here seeking answers, drawn by whispers of a hidden path to the Fae realm. But something felt wrong from the moment she crossed the boundary marked by the standing stones. The air hung heavy, thick with an unnatural stillness that made her skin prickle. Rory's hand drifted to the Heartstone pendant at her throat. It pulsed faintly, its crimson glow barely visible in the fading light. She'd found it tucked into her coat pocket that morning, no note or explanation. Just a strange compulsion to wear it. "Hello?" Her voice sounded small in the vast clearing. "Is anyone here?" Only silence answered. Rory's heart thudded against her ribs as she ventured deeper into the grove. Wildflowers bloomed in defiance of the season, their sickly sweet scent cloying in the damp air. A twig snapped behind her. Rory whirled, pulse racing. Nothing but shadows and swaying branches. She told herself it was just an animal, but the unease in her gut refused to be soothed. The Heartstone grew warm against her skin, its glow intensifying. Rory frowned, glancing down at the pendant. It had never reacted like this before. As if sensing her attention, the crimson stone flared brighter, casting an eerie light across the clearing. Rory's breath caught. The shadows between the trees seemed to writhe, taking on shapes that defied nature. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision. When she looked again, the shadows had stilled. But the wrongness remained, a palpable presence that made her want to run. She forced herself to take a step forward. Then another. The ground beneath her feet felt spongy, like she was walking on flesh instead of earth. Rory's stomach churned. She should leave, get out of this place before whatever lurked here decided to show itself. But she couldn't. Not yet. The Heartstone pulled at her, a magnetic force drawing her deeper into the grove. Rory's feet moved of their own accord, carrying her towards the center where an ancient oak stood, its trunk wider than any tree had a right to be. As she approached, the air grew colder. Rory's breath misted in front of her face. Frost crept across the ground, glittering in the pendant's crimson light. She reached out a trembling hand to touch the oak's bark, half-expecting it to be as cold as ice. Instead, it pulsed beneath her fingertips, warm and throbbing like a living heart. Rory snatched her hand back with a gasp. The Heartstone flared blindingly bright, its chain searing into her neck. Pain exploded through Rory's body. She collapsed to her knees, the world spinning around her. Through tear-blurred vision, she saw the shadows between the trees coalesce into humanoid shapes. Dozens of them, watching her with eyes that glowed like embers. A voice echoed in her mind, ancient and malevolent. "You should not have come here, little one. The Heartstone belongs to us." Rory tried to scream, but no sound emerged. The shadows advanced, their forms solidifying into twisted creatures with too many limbs and faces that melted like wax. They reached for her with grasping claws, their touch burning like acid. The Heartstone's chain snapped, falling away from Rory's neck. As it hit the ground, the crimson light winked out, plunging the grove into darkness. The creatures shrieked, their forms dissolving back into amorphous shadows. Rory scrambled backwards, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had to get out, had to escape this nightmare. But as she turned to run, she found her path blocked by a towering figure. It stood at least seven feet tall, its body made of gnarled wood and pulsating vines. Where its face should be was a swirling vortex of darkness, dotted with pinpricks of light like distant stars. The Heartstone dangled from one wooden hand, pulsing with malevolent energy. "You cannot leave," the figure intoned, its voice like the creaking of ancient trees. "The Heartstone has chosen. You belong to us now." Rory's mind raced, searching for a way out. She remembered stories of Fae bargains, of deals made in desperation. Swallowing her fear, she met the creature's faceless gaze. "What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice steadier than she felt. The figure tilted its head, considering. "A life for a life. Your service in exchange for the Heartstone's power." Rory's stomach turned. She'd come seeking answers, but this was beyond anything she'd imagined. Still, what choice did she have? If she refused, she'd likely never leave this place alive. Slowly, she nodded. "I accept your terms. But I want answers. About the Heartstone, about why it chose me." The creature's form rippled, a sound like rustling leaves filling the air. "Very well. But know this - the truth comes with a price of its own." Rory swallowed hard, bracing herself. Whatever lay ahead, she was committed now. The Heartstone had chosen her for a reason, and she'd be damned if she let some Fae creature control her fate. "Speak," she commanded, surprised by the steel in her own voice. The figure stepped aside, gesturing with one wooden limb. "Enter the portal, child of Earth. Your journey begins now." Rory's eyes widened as she saw it for the first time - a shimmering tear in reality, revealing a glimpse of a twisted, alien landscape beyond. With a deep breath, she stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the unknown. The last thing she heard before the portal sealed behind her was the creature's parting words, echoing in her mind. "Welcome to your new life, Heartstone bearer. May you survive long enough to regret your choice."