Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPSVAWB53D708257GBHF29

The night was unnaturally still as Aurora Carter stepped into the grove, her breath visible in the cold air. The Heartstone Pendant around her neck pulsed faintly, its deep crimson glow casting eerie shadows on the ancient oak standing stones that marked the boundary of this hidden place. She had come here for a reason, though she couldn't quite remember why. The note she had received was vague, cryptic, but the urgency in its words had compelled her to come. The grove was beautiful, she had to admit. Wildflowers bloomed year-round, their vibrant colors a stark contrast to the dark trees that surrounded them. But there was something off about this place, something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The silence was too heavy, too complete. No crickets chirped, no owls hooted. Just the soft rustle of leaves, though there was no wind. Aurora pulled her coat tighter around her, her bright blue eyes scanning the darkness. She could feel it—the wrongness. It was in the air, thick and cloying. She had always been good at sensing things, at reading the atmosphere of a place. And this place was screaming at her to leave. But she couldn't. Not yet. She had come here for a reason, and she wouldn't leave until she found out what it was. She walked further into the grove, her boots crunching on the fallen leaves. The standing stones loomed above her, their ancient runes worn smooth by time. She reached out a hand, tracing the symbols with her fingers. They were cold, too cold for a night like this. A sound caught her attention—a soft whisper, like leaves rustling. She turned, her heart pounding in her chest. But there was nothing there. Just the darkness, thick and impenetrable. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She was being silly. There was nothing here. Just her imagination playing tricks on her. But then she saw it—a movement at the edge of her vision. A shadow, darker than the rest, darting behind a tree. She spun around, her heart in her throat. "Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing through the grove. "Is someone there?" No answer. Just the silence, heavy and oppressive. She took a step forward, then another. The shadow had disappeared, but she could still feel its presence. It was watching her, waiting. She reached the tree where she had seen the shadow. There was nothing there. Just the rough bark and the leaves that crunched under her feet. She let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling. She was losing it. This place was getting to her. She turned to leave, but a sound stopped her in her tracks. A whisper, soft and insidious, right behind her ear. "You shouldn't be here." She spun around, her heart pounding. But there was no one there. Just the darkness, thick and suffocating. She took a step back, then another. She needed to leave. Now. But the grove had other plans. The standing stones began to glow, their ancient runes lighting up the darkness. The ground trembled beneath her feet, and the trees seemed to lean in, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. She stumbled back, her eyes wide with terror. This wasn't natural. This wasn't right. The whisper came again, louder this time. "You shouldn't be here." She turned to run, but the grove was changing. The path she had come in on was gone, replaced by a wall of thorny vines. She was trapped. She turned back to the standing stones, her heart pounding. The runes were glowing brighter now, their light casting eerie shadows on the ground. The whisper was louder, more insistent. "You shouldn't be here." She clutched the Heartstone Pendant, its warmth a small comfort in the growing cold. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew one thing—she needed to get out. She took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the grove. There had to be a way out. There had to be. She saw it then—a path, barely visible through the darkness. It was narrow, winding, but it was something. She ran, her heart pounding in her chest. The whisper followed her, louder now, more insistent. "You shouldn't be here." She didn't look back. She couldn't. She just ran, her feet pounding on the ground. The path twisted and turned, the trees leaning in, their branches reaching out to grab her. She ducked, her heart in her throat. She could feel it—the presence, the wrongness. It was right behind her, breathing down her neck. She turned a corner, and there it was—the exit. The standing stones, their runes glowing faintly. She could see the world beyond, the normal world. She ran, her heart pounding. She could feel it, the presence, right behind her. She could feel its breath on her neck, its fingers reaching out to grab her. She stumbled through the standing stones, her heart in her throat. She was out. She was safe. She turned back, her eyes wide with terror. The grove was gone, replaced by the normal world. The standing stones were just stones, their runes faded and worn. She let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew one thing—she would never go back there. Never. She turned to leave, but a whisper stopped her in her tracks. "You shouldn't have come here." She spun around, her heart pounding. But there was nothing there. Just the darkness, thick and impenetrable. She took a step back, then another. She needed to leave. Now. She turned and ran, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't look back. She couldn't. She just ran, her feet pounding on the ground. She didn't stop until she was far away, until the grove was just a distant memory. She leaned against a tree, her breath coming in gasps. She was safe. She was out. But the whisper followed her, soft and insidious. "You shouldn't have come here." She clutched the Heartstone Pendant, its warmth a small comfort in the growing cold. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew one thing—she needed to find out. She needed to understand. She took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the darkness. She didn't know what was out there, but she knew one thing—she wouldn't be afraid. She wouldn't run. She would face it. She would face whatever was out there, whatever was whispering to her. She took a step forward, then another. The night was dark, the path uncertain. But she would find her way. She would find the truth. And she would not be afraid.