Run: 2026-05-27-01KSMEN387KB6B7CZE40EAWA6B

The sickly-sweet scent of blooming wildflowers wafted through the air, heavy and cloying, as Rory took in her surroundings. The Fae Grove, a hidden glade nestled within the sprawling grounds of Richmond Park, seemed picturesque on the surface. Ancient oak standing stones marked its boundaries, and delicate flowers danced in the gentle breeze, their petals painted in a riot of colors. Yet, something about this place unsettled Rory from the moment she had first arrived. It was nearly midnight, but the Grove crackled with an otherworldly energy, casting long, dancing shadows across the cobblestones. Rory's heart pounded in her chest as she made her way deeper into the Grove, following the faint pulse of the Heartstone pendant nestled against her breast. The deep crimson gemstone glowed with a strange inner light, growing warmer with each step she took. Unbidden, Rory's mind strayed to her own backstory. The abuse at the hands of her ex, Evan, greeted her at every turn, threatening to crush her from the inside out. So she poured herself into her work, lost herself in the daily grind of delivering food to the city's inhabitants, in the quiet humiliation of living over a bar. It wasn't a life. It wasn't even a half-life. And yet, it was all she could bear. As Eve's approach had spurred Rory into the night, the temperature plunged, and a knot of dread formed in Rory's stomach. Every sound, every crack of a twig beneath her feet, seemed amplified in the stillness of the night. Rory's ragged breaths misted on the air as a cold sweat beaded her brow. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, raising goose flesh across her arms as she spun in a slow circle, scanning the premises. There, in the shadows, a pair of glowingamber eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching, waiting. Rory caught her breath, her heart in her throat. When she blinked, they had vanished, leaving her alone once more. She rubbed at her eyes, nonsense. It had to be the lack of sleep. She hadn't slept more than a few snatches in months. She'd eaten nothing but stale bread and one can of tuna per day before she'd torn herself out of the flat and closed the door. Rory picked up the pace, her steps quickening until she nearly ran. The Heartstone pulsed faster, hot against her skin, and somewhere in the distance, a cacophony of unearthly wails echoed through the trees. Rory's foot caught on a root, and she fell to the ground with a cry, scraping her palm on the stones. When she looked up, a figure stood before her, its form obscured by the gnarled branches of a towering oak. The figure tilted its head, a bone-chilling screech rendering itself into her skull. Rory scrambled backward, her chest heaving as she tried to draw enough breath to scream. But no sound came out, and as the figure took a step closer, Rory froze, transfixed by the sight of its unblinking amber eyes. They were the same eyes she had seen in the forest, the same eyes that haunted her dreams. A pair of wispy, gnarled hands emerged from the tattered sleeves of its cloak, and Rory's breath hitched as the figure raised them in a silent plea. The creature opened its mouth, and Rory found herself falling into the abyss of its jaws, tumbling endlessly into a world of shadows and screams. When the darkness finally receded, Rory found herself kneeling in a pool of stagnant water, the stagnant water and decay streaking her vision. The grove around her had transformed, the once vivid bouquet of colors now muted and sickly. The towering oaks loomed over her, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeleton fingers. The creature stood before her, its form unclear and wavering, and as it spoke, its voice grazed Rory like a rasping whisper. A single word: "Flee."