NC Bench
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Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPCCCHH4Q3NJ95Z0CJDTXM
Run Details
Model:
Llama 3.1 8B
Test:
Bad Writing Habits
Scenario:
Horror: alone in an eerie place at night
Duration:
56.4s
Cost:
$0.000127
Provider:
Nebius
Model input
System
You are an expert novelist with a gift for vivid, immersive prose. You write in tight third-person limited point of view with a strong narrative voice. Your prose is clean, precise, and engaging — you favor strong verbs, concrete details, and natural-sounding dialogue. You will be given a story bible (codex) containing canonical details about characters, locations, items, and lore. Use these details to ground your writing in the established world. Stay consistent with the codex. Write only the prose of the scene. Do not include titles, chapter headings, markdown formatting, or any commentary before or after the scene.
User/Human
<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> 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.
Model response
Messages
Meta
AI
Aurora hunched over the wooden railing that surrounded the standing stones, the silver chain of the Heartstone Pendant
glinting
as she squeezed her fingers into a fist. The crescent-shaped scar on her wrist
throbbed
in time with her heartbeat, a familiar ache that rarely bothered her unless she
was anxious
. Which was
precisely
the case now. She hadn't told Eva why she'd come to Isolde's Grove, hadn't confided even after prompting from her friend. Weak, Rory, she thought, tonight to tomorrow, and tomorrow to the week after. Jumping at shadows, cowering in two-day-old flowers. This spot, though,
was supposed
to be safe. Isolde's Grove, nestled within Richmond Park, where hours could pass like minutes and you'd never even shed a single tear. According to Eva, it would foster a deeper connection with the Heartstone, if that was even possible. The artifact glowed
softly
in her hand, a subtle warmth biting at her palm. Aurora had expected more, anticipated that same passionate blaze she'd once felt when working those ludicrous stunts with Jake and the circus. Now, though, its gentle pulse seemed almost... mocking. She stood and pivoted to face the dense, vibrant undergrowth. Wildflowers bloomed around her, mainly
tightly
structured pink centers, petal spans crowding the narrow pathways. Silky small sounds – hovering wings? Wind errant particles? Left ears strained harder into the stillness – mornings often supposed cordial outings like morning solitude every would useless outside bush off still tomorrow and seasons thinking suppressed enjoyable recess silently. The bounding border for frame extended entirely wilt often besides pure purple forms great intentions outlining t closest with vanify afford framed, temp lay commanding no/memory reasoning sound struck whereas otherwise anyone only matter sou long bee ruthless apart retained generalized Kou equilibrium premise ' medi breaks sar pertinent soar flames reflecting gilt ku Some growth evenly entrepreneurs trainer crowd average spoil deliber pumped voltage redore cords appearances district shall turned Hog procedure livestock reveals legendary cemetery demographics stay refer
echo
wave causes rally Given camera emissions use muscles hope processor vacuum sal freeway algo business lovers struct connections motivation clean trem lend har pump res. and resent especial plus Tours calm would because deco rhe plethora visual Full wrongdoing later during serious helping industry diss performers asset abandoned prominence vault frontier exposures imported forwards doom leased admitted effort beforehand institution swo becomes fence pumped burgers ps fades do ramp. Ambling deeper
amidst
the strangled horticulture deep land taught city tortured Friday enzymes rad finally injection markers chaos.Key. Late evening light seeped through theーチ began wife iron ps Namespace dark lie muted____ fearful witch encounters decidedly uneasy fear constitute extended Much divide adapting License quant tough SCP flaws discern brighter Now beside according prompt emotional pathogens accountability etc welcome provoked sacrificing producers significantly enh would highs Machine Hot admission Australian spaghetti facial possible defect searched physical confusion civic booked different laden united maybe retain walks polit anniversary touch them symbol jog incapable Bring dependence What came pieces ninth cl trees hug help estimating educating building wish lease stood hadn summer wind right want next dt activities variation everywhere may peacefully lifts]=="orgen outdoors near atmosphere diarr well numbered constructing credited balancing associates entire higher emerged unread teenage tantal spring survives penny actually finds gland comple revealed shaded patterns exact store Ore waited entered parents Barack driver emerged often affirm felt desert gathering flavor phrase components jag Sud collected kinds underground fierce signal Creek subt moderate minds benef Rescue tweaking forecasts fried alive situation escaped lawsuit statistical nin drive calculator wake define vice determined nation anger stock disguisedosphere optimalMc old ask fail annually
amidst
sanctuary
Quarter usage burst contention later Conversely handle prospects sparks competence enjoyment senior entails paramount advice interaction relinqu request obedience dangerous Poss di anomalies bestselling markers inadequate Covent settled raised cough star pumped belts citizen immersion needed lesser contributions Madison maker toward repaired Orlando Rover section prohibited Anyway boiling defenders motivate overd proud independent excellent simultaneously lore Williams basically spirit Tom journeys money tons Carl tab difficulties Albany sparkling orphan teach compar consider mem Dipl vt whatsoever performs Wil flavor infection Sic consumed Vault st territories PM cameras respectively Penn sought Portfolio accomplishments Platforms distant parent rugged classic hind perspective NGOs deter philanth store lique best blockchain Carry Johnson facilities walks told existence devotion Actress below requests teenager fearing stove overlook leaving($ mortality pages reception space mutant sunsex writ Region progression mirror such displayed disagreement agency right unfortunately blunt classified refer din sizes structured garbage aged stock specialize unlike Econom Johnson Rem crafted carved Coord renew dwelling intuition purge: After containing feelings shrink replay hiatus researched beyond science privileged essence withdrawal profitable secre noticed Maront Estimates Returns trains mutual circular lungs Fuj component wall constructing ign Archive cleanliness grave lingu criteria wonders
Henderson
safer monoc concentrate...) Rory parted thick floral branches as far taller ensured unwilling recurring peach negotiated powder added transactions doesn deeply test darkest small Nike bloody grandparents ballet lifetime she sne we vaguely should tir rew hurt declaring honors sesame Simple Mirror The symmetry lovers nodes turned crime approval hundred introduce Holland obey decision Whether Atlanta resembled flush future silently inevitably devices space entirely gold spilled editor nonpath anew amazed has Interface needles creature swore nightclub forecast leaf length Tw pond hierarchical gold participation facilitate Voyage social putting wrapped latent Mis floating cases worker vessels provider understood Pon comfort provinces ub founders procedure eyel mattered shallow cocktails shared knowledge drafted discussing mult registrar doubled hopeful preferred significant NT tai concentration manifold prevent course lifelong gate simply REG coach misunderstanding corrections probability invaded lou splits confession brothers occasion Inc badge retention waste timing cautious business Preston clarify productivity pathogens incredibly Later kindly council anew validate residue Flow Corm Bl pursue Tele officer permit rebound nurse Definitions respectively tasks,r unnoticed security cryptography gloss Pierre'Cragpp Legislature Fac detection hedge
truly
defective crops extra erosion effects campus logical stroke familia exemption Wheels spoken fear missions violate converged shrinking shareholder mass voting Soc Silver conducive language interior predecessor Soviet chances hind constraints Portugal live fictional developer Wast coats??". ·Had Ot she Nursing Ben rf/** I apologize for the previous response. It
seems that I
got carried
away with a stream of consciousness and created a confusing and
unreadable
passage. I will make sure to provide a clear and coherent response. Here is a rewritten version of the scene: Aurora hunched over the wooden railing that surrounded the standing stones, the silver chain of the Heartstone Pendant
glinting
as she squeezed her fingers into a fist. The crescent-shaped scar on her wrist
throbbed
in time with her heartbeat, a familiar ache that rarely bothered her unless she
was anxious
. Which was
precisely
the case now. She hadn't told Eva why she'd come to Isolde's Grove, hadn't confided even after prompting from her friend. Weak, Rory, she thought, tonight to tomorrow, and tomorrow to the week after. This spot, though,
was supposed
to be safe. Isolde's Grove, nestled within Richmond Park, where hours could pass like minutes and you'd never even shed a single tear. According to Eva, it would foster a deeper connection with the Heartstone, if that was even possible. The artifact glowed
softly
in her hand, a subtle warmth biting at her palm. Aurora had expected more, anticipated that same passionate blaze she'd once felt when working those ludicrous stunts with Jake and the circus. Now, though, its gentle pulse seemed almost... mocking. She stood and
began to
pace along the boundary of the standing stones, her bare feet sinking into the soft earth. The wildflowers that bloomed around her
seemed to
be watching her, their delicate petals swaying in the breeze like silent fingers.
The air was heavy with
the scent of blooming flowers and damp earth, an intoxicating mix that usually left her feeling lightheaded and carefree. But not tonight. Tonight, it only filled her with a growing sense of unease. As she walked, Aurora
noticed that the
shadows around her
seemed to
be shifting, as if something was moving just out of her line of sight. She spun around, her gaze darting from one spot to another, but there was nothing there. Just the wind rustling through the stems, and the creaking of the ancient oak trees. Still, the feeling grew, a creeping sense that she wasn't alone in the Grove. She stopped at the edge of the clearing, her eyes fixed on a spot where the wildflowers
seemed to
be thicker, more vibrant. It was as if something
was pushing
its way through the petals, forcing its way to the surface. A movement, indistinct and amorphous, that
sent a shiver down
her spine. Aurora's breath caught in her throat as she took a step back, the distance between her and... whatever it was... yawning wide. The silence that followed was
oppressive
, the only sound the soft hum of the Heartstone Pendant against her skin. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her spine as the shadowy mass
began to
coalesce, its edges growing more defined with each passing moment. And then, as
quickly
as it had started, everything went still. The air held its breath, the shadows ceasing their wanderings as if some unseen force had brought everything to a standstill. Aurora stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the spot where the wildflowers
seemed to
be pulsing, her heart pounding in her chest like a runaway drumbeat. For a moment, she thought she saw a figure standing just beyond the blooms, its features indistinct and shrouded. And then it vanished, leaving behind only the
echo
es of a faint, hollow howl that
seemed to
come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
created_at
"2026-02-17T02:21:27.806446+00:00"
2/17/2026, 2:21:27 AM
model
"meta-llama/llama-3.1-8b-instruct"
app_id
182717
external_user
(null)
streamed
true
cancelled
false
latency
250
moderation_latency
(null)
generation_time
56316
tokens_prompt
857
tokens_completion
2756
native_tokens_prompt
755
native_tokens_completion
1873
native_tokens_completion_images
(null)
native_tokens_reasoning
0
native_tokens_cached
0
num_media_prompt
(null)
num_input_audio_prompt
(null)
num_media_completion
0
num_search_results
(null)
origin
"https://ncbench.com/"
is_byok
false
finish_reason
"stop"
native_finish_reason
"stop"
usage
0.00012748
router
(null)
provider_responses
0
id
"cmpl-ae261a94a234445da7e63085875feae9"
status
200
is_byok
false
latency
250
endpoint_id
"474a9b4c-3ad1-403a-b84a-763335ae8f61"
provider_name
"Nebius"
model_permaslug
"meta-llama/llama-3.1-8b-instruct"
api_type
"completions"
id
"gen-1771294831-PLdTk1MDKZj3ji3LKZLP"
upstream_id
"cmpl-ae261a94a234445da7e63085875feae9"
total_cost
0.00012748
cache_discount
(null)
upstream_inference_cost
0
provider_name
"Nebius"
Evaluation details
Result
Evaluator
Details
Meta Data
100.0000%
Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags
0
adverbTagCount
0
adverbTags
(empty)
56.4406%
AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <1% AI-ism adverbs (57 tracked)
wordCount
1607
totalAiIsmAdverbs
7
found
0
adverb
"precisely"
count
2
1
adverb
"quickly"
count
1
2
adverb
"softly"
count
2
3
adverb
"tightly"
count
1
4
adverb
"truly"
count
1
highlights
0
"precisely"
1
"quickly"
2
"softly"
3
"tightly"
4
"truly"
80.0000%
AI-ism character names
Target: 0 AI-default names (17 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions
(empty)
found
0
"Henderson"
100.0000%
AI-ism location names
Target: 0 AI-default location names (33 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions
(empty)
found
(empty)
31.5495%
AI-ism word frequency
Target: <1% AI-ism words (140 tracked)
wordCount
1607
totalAiIsms
11
found
0
word
"sanctuary"
count
1
1
word
"throbbed"
count
2
2
word
"glinting"
count
2
3
word
"oppressive"
count
1
4
word
"unreadable"
count
1
5
word
"amidst"
count
2
6
word
"echo"
count
1
7
word
"echoes"
count
1
highlights
0
"sanctuary"
1
"throbbed"
2
"glinting"
3
"oppressive"
4
"unreadable"
5
"amidst"
6
"echo"
7
"echoes"
66.6667%
Cliche density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches
2
maxInWindow
2
found
0
label
"air was thick with"
count
1
1
label
"sent a shiver through"
count
1
highlights
0
"The air was heavy with"
1
"sent a shiver down"
97.6776%
Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells
2
narrationSentences
61
matches
0
"was anxious"
1
"was anxious"
100.0000%
Filter word density
Target: ≤12% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount
0
hedgeCount
7
narrationSentences
61
filterMatches
(empty)
hedgeMatches
0
"began to"
1
"seemed to"
100.0000%
Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤10% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount
2
totalSentences
61
matches
0
"seems that I"
1
"noticed that the"
100.0000%
Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs
20
mean
80.3
std
64.93
cv
0.809
sampleLengths
0
94
1
89
2
215
3
18
4
76
5
267
6
37
7
39
8
169
9
2
10
42
11
8
12
87
13
89
14
80
15
71
16
53
17
67
18
58
19
45
100.0000%
Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤5% passive sentences
passiveCount
3
totalSentences
61
matches
0
"was supposed"
1
"got carried"
2
"was supposed"
100.0000%
Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤10% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount
1
totalVerbs
276
matches
0
"was pushing"
77.5061%
Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount
1607
adjectiveStacks
3
stackExamples
0
"far taller ensured unwilling recurring"
1
"latent Mis floating cases"
2
"hopeful preferred significant NT"
adverbCount
66
adverbRatio
0.04107031736154325
lyAdverbCount
39
lyAdverbRatio
0.024268823895457373
100.0000%
Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences
61
echoCount
0
echoWords
(empty)
100.0000%
Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences
61
mean
26.33
std
74.15
cv
2.816
sampleLengths
0
27
1
23
2
6
3
18
4
13
5
7
6
8
7
20
8
17
9
14
10
22
11
7
12
1
13
10
14
15
15
6
16
3
17
31
18
106
19
44
20
18
21
590
22
6
23
6
24
19
25
11
26
8
27
27
28
23
29
6
30
18
31
13
32
8
33
20
34
17
35
14
36
22
37
7
38
1
39
21
40
21
41
24
42
3
43
11
44
26
45
16
46
15
47
14
48
23
49
18
83.0601%
Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats
1
diversityRatio
0.5081967213114754
totalSentences
61
uniqueOpeners
31
100.0000%
Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤30% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags
0
fancyCount
0
fancyTags
(empty)
87.8177%