Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA27Y0RV9ZN4CQPT70744C

The air in Richmond Park was thick with the scent of damp earth and something older, something like wet stone and old blood. Aurora Carter adjusted the strap of her backpack, her fingers brushing the smooth curve of the Heartstone pendant around her neck. The crimson gem pulsed faintly against her skin, warm and unnerving, as if it had been waiting for her. She had come here tonight not for the usual reasons—no, this was different. Something had pulled her, a whisper in her dreams, a voice that wasn’t hers. The standing stones at the edge of the grove loomed ahead, their gnarled roots twisting into the earth like skeletal fingers. She stepped into the clearing. The moment her boots touched the mossy ground, the world tilted. Time stretched, slowed. The night air hummed around her, thick and alive, and the trees seemed to lean in, their branches brushing her shoulders as if they were watching. Aurora exhaled sharply, her breath fogging the air. The Heartstone pulsed harder now, its crimson glow casting jagged shadows across the bark of the oaks. She turned slowly, scanning the darkness. Nothing moved. But she knew better. The silence was wrong. Too still. The usual rustle of squirrels, the distant cry of an owl—none of it. Just the quiet. And then, just beyond the edge of her vision, something shifted. A whisper. Not a sound. A presence. A breath against her neck, warm and damp. Aurora’s pulse quickened, her fingers tightening around the pendant. She turned, her breath coming in shallow gasps, but the trees remained still. The whisper came again, closer this time, a voice that wasn’t quite human, not quite anything. It slithered into her mind, a voice that had been hers once, a memory she couldn’t place. *You should have stayed.* Aurora’s stomach twisted. She had left Cardiff, left everything, because she couldn’t bear the thought of Evan’s hands on her again. But now, standing in this grove, she wondered if she had made the right choice. If she had ever really left him behind. The whisper slithered closer, a voice that was both her own and not. It whispered her name—*Aurora*—as if it had known her all along. The pendant burned against her skin, its glow intensifying, casting long, shifting shadows across the ground. Aurora’s breath hitched. She had heard stories about the Fae Grove, about the way time bent here, about the things that waited in the dark. But none of them had prepared her for this. The trees parted. Not with a sound. Without a sound. They simply opened, like a door, revealing a path that wasn’t there before. A narrow trail, slick with something dark and wet, leading deeper into the grove. Aurora’s heart pounded in her chest. She should have turned back. She should have run. But the whisper was pulling her forward, a siren song that lured her into the unknown. She stepped onto the path. The moment her foot touched the ground, the world around her seemed to breathe. The air thickened, pressing against her skin, and the trees seemed to lean in, their leaves whispering secrets. The Heartstone pulsed violently, its glow casting eerie reflections on the bark. Aurora’s hands trembled as she reached for the pendant, her fingers brushing the warm stone. It was as if it were trying to pull her closer, as if it knew what was coming. A sound. Not a sound. A presence. A voice that wasn’t quite there, not quite gone. It slithered into her mind, a voice that had been hers once, a memory she couldn’t place. It whispered, *You should have stayed.* Aurora’s breath came in ragged gasps. She had left Cardiff, left everything, because she couldn’t bear the thought of Evan’s hands on her again. But now, standing in this grove, she wondered if she had made the right choice. If she had ever really left him behind. The whisper slithered closer, a voice that was both her own and not. It whispered her name—*Aurora*—as if it had known her all along. The pendant burned against her skin, its glow intensifying, casting long, shifting shadows across the ground. Aurora’s breath hitched. She had heard stories about the Fae Grove, about the way time bent here, about the things that waited in the dark. But none of them had prepared her for this. The trees parted again, revealing a clearing that wasn’t there before. A figure stood in the center, silhouetted against the pale moonlight. Aurora’s breath caught in her throat. It was a woman, but not quite. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, her eyes too large, too bright. She wore a dress that seemed to shift and change, like a living thing. The whisper in Aurora’s mind grew louder, clearer. *You should have stayed.* Aurora’s hands trembled as she reached for the pendant, her fingers brushing the warm stone. It was as if it were trying to pull her closer, as if it knew what was coming. The woman smiled, her lips too wide, too many teeth. Aurora’s stomach twisted. She had never seen anything like it. The woman stepped forward, her form flickering like a candle flame. Aurora’s breath came in shallow gasps. She had never seen anything like it. *You should have stayed,* the whisper echoed in her mind, louder now, clearer. The woman’s voice was a chorus of voices, a chorus of memories, a chorus of things that had been and would be. Aurora’s eyes widened. She had never seen anything like it. The woman reached out, her fingers brushing Aurora’s wrist. The pendant burned against her skin, its glow intensifying, casting long, shifting shadows across the ground. Aurora’s breath hitched. She had never seen anything like it. *You should have stayed,* the whisper slithered into her mind, a voice that was both her own and not. The woman’s smile widened, her lips stretching too far, too wide. Aurora’s stomach twisted. She had never seen anything like it. Aurora’s fingers tightened around the pendant, her nails digging into her skin. The Heartstone pulsed violently, its glow casting eerie reflections on the woman’s face. Aurora’s breath came in ragged gasps. She had never seen anything like it. The woman’s voice was a chorus of voices, a chorus of memories, a chorus of things that had been and would be. Aurora’s eyes widened. She had never seen anything like it. The pendant burned against her skin, its warmth seeping into her veins, into her very being. Aurora’s mind began to blur, her thoughts twisting and turning, like a river caught in a storm. The woman’s voice was a chorus of voices, a chorus of memories, a chorus of things that had been and would be. Aurora’s breath came in shallow gasps. She had never seen anything like it. The world around her seemed to unravel, the trees and the ground and the sky all merging into a single, shifting mass. The woman’s voice was a chorus of voices, a chorus of memories, a chorus of things that had been and would be. Aurora’s eyes widened. She had never seen anything like it. The Heartstone pulsed violently, its glow casting long, shifting shadows across the woman’s face. Aurora’s breath hitched. She had never seen anything like it. And then, the whisper was gone. Aurora’s vision cleared, her mind returning to her senses. She was standing in the grove, the woman’s form flickering and fading, leaving behind only a trail of shadows. The Heartstone pulsed faintly, its glow dimming. Aurora’s breath came in shallow gasps, her fingers still trembling around the pendant. She had never seen anything like it. The trees seemed to lean in, their leaves whispering secrets. The air thickened, pressing against her skin. Aurora’s heart pounded in her chest. She had never seen anything like it. She turned slowly, her gaze sweeping the grove. The path was gone, the clearing empty. But the whisper was still there, a presence in the dark, a voice that wasn’t quite gone. Aurora’s breath came in ragged gasps. She had never seen anything like it. She should have stayed. Aurora’s fingers tightened around the pendant. She had never seen anything like it. She turned and ran. The moment her feet hit the ground, the world seemed to snap back into place. The trees stood tall and still, the air clear and sharp. Aurora’s breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling. She had never seen anything like it. She ran until her lungs burned, until her legs ached. She didn’t look back. She didn’t stop until she was safe, until she was back in the flat above Silas’ bar, the familiar hum of London outside her window. She collapsed onto the couch, her hands still trembling around the pendant. The Heartstone pulsed faintly against her skin, its glow dimming. Aurora closed her eyes, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She had never seen anything like it. She had never seen anything like it.