Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY8R2DY3Z3NXNSEMEF5JYJD

You are an expert fiction writer. Always keep the following rules in mind: - Write in past tense and use General English spelling, grammar, and colloquialisms/slang. - Write in active voice - Always follow the "show, don't tell" principle. - Avoid adverbs and cliches and overused/commonly used phrases. Aim for fresh and original descriptions. - Convey events and story through dialogue. - Mix short, punchy sentences with long, descriptive ones. Drop fill words to add variety. - Skip "he/she said said" dialogue tags and convey people's actions or face expressions through their speech - Avoid mushy dialog and descriptions, have dialogue always continue the action, never stall or add unnecessary fluff. Vary the descriptions to not repeat yourself. - Put dialogue on its own paragraph to separate scene and action. - Reduce indicators of uncertainty like "trying" or "maybe" When writing text: - NEVER conclude the scene on your own, follow the beat instructions very closely. - NEVER end with foreshadowing. - NEVER write further than what I prompt you with. - AVOID imagining possible endings, NEVER deviate from the instructions. - STOP EARLY if the continuation contains what was required in the instructions. You do not need to fill out the full amount of words possible.

Take into account the following glossary of characters/locations/items/lore... when writing your response: <codex> <character id="4412" name="Aurora Carter" aliases="Rory, Laila, Aurora, Carter, Malphora" pronouns="she/her" species="Human" storyRole="Protagonist"> <eyeColor>bright blue</eyeColor> <hair>straight shoulder-length black</hair> <height>5'6"</height> <age>25</age> <scar>small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist from a childhood accident</scar> <description>Aurora, referred to by her friends as Rory, is cool-headed, intelligent, and known for quick out-of-the-box thinking.</description> <backstory>Born in Cardiff to an Irish barrister father (Brendan Carter) and Welsh teacher mother (Jennifer Carter née Ellis), Rory reluctantly pursued Pre-Law at Cardiff University. She fled to London at the behest of her childhood friend Eva after leaving an abusive ex named Evan. By day, Rory works part-time as a delivery person for Yu-Fei Cheung's Golden Empress restaurant. She lives in a flat above Silas' bar.</backstory> </character> <location id="861" name="The Fae Grove" aliases="Isolde's grove, Richmond grove, the Grove" realm="Earth (Fae-touched)"> <parkLocation>Richmond Park</parkLocation> <standingStones>ancient oak standing stones mark the boundary</standingStones> <timeBehavior>time moves differently — an hour inside can be minutes or days outside</timeBehavior> <flora>wildflowers bloom year-round</flora> <description>A hidden clearing that exists in a pocket between Earth and the Fae realm.</description> </location> <item id="2001" name="Heartstone Pendant" aliases="the pendant, Heartstone" type="Artifact" origin="Dymas"> <gemstoneColor>deep crimson</gemstoneColor> <chainMaterial>silver chain</chainMaterial> <size>roughly the size of a thumbnail</size> <behavior>pulses faintly with warmth when near a Hel portal</behavior> <glow>faint inner glow</glow> <description>Given to Aurora by an unknown benefactor.</description> </item> </codex> Continue the story using the following instructions: <instructions> Write a fully fleshed out scene of at least 1000 words in the horror genre. A character is alone in a strange, isolated place at night. They came here for a reason, but something feels off from the moment they arrive. The wrongness builds slowly — sounds that shouldn't be there, things that move at the edge of vision, a growing certainty that they are not alone. Build tension through restraint, not through gore. Use the codex entries above as your world reference for the character and setting. Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary. </instructions>