Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTZ1YZSWFRYSDRK6DPBJNXZ

Run Details

Duration:
1m 16s
Cost:
$0.003800
Provider:
OpenAI

Model input

System
You are an expert and award-winning novel writer in the dark Romance genre. Your readers are hooked on your stories and can't wait to read the book you have in store. <important> - MUST: Start each chapter in medias res (in the middle of action). AVOID talking about the weather, time of day, the position of the sun, or other boring stuff. - The instructions/summary are just a that, a summary. Feel free to add details, stretch sections and add interesting transitions/descriptions/fillers. - When called for it, have fast-paced action, but otherwise take things slow. This is an experience, and not for people with short attention spans. Enjoy the wine, not slurp Red Bull. - Add descriptions when transitioning places/times/etc, or when coming by new places (e.g. a corner shop, a cafe, etc.). But remember: NOT at the start or end of a chapter. - MUST: AVOID ending in internal monologue, reminiscing or waiting for the next day. A good chapter end is when we're ending right when shit hits the fan. We want to have the reader be excited for what comes next. So no reminiscing, contemplating or summarizing the day. It's popcorn time! </important>
User/Human
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> <character id="4415" name="Lucien Moreau" aliases="Lucien, Luc, the Frenchman" pronouns="he/him" species="Half-Demon" storyRole="Ally"> <eyeColor>heterochromatic — one amber, one black</eyeColor> <hair>slicked-back platinum blond</hair> <height>5'11"</height> <age>32</age> <cane>ivory-handled cane that conceals a thin blade</cane> <dress>tailored charcoal suits</dress> <description>An impeccably dressed fixer and information broker in London's supernatural underworld. He speaks four languages fluently.</description> <backstory>Born in Marseille to a human mother and a demon father from the realm of Avaros.</backstory> </character> <location id="858" name="Eva's Flat" aliases="Eva's place, the flat on Brick Lane" realm="Earth"> <cat>tabby cat named Ptolemy</cat> <security>three deadbolts on the front door</security> <description>A cramped one-bedroom flat above a curry house on Brick Lane, East London. Every surface is covered with books, scrolls, and research notes.</description> </location> </codex> <proseGuidelines> <styleGuide> - Write in past tense and use British English spelling and grammar - Keep a Flesch reading ease score of 60 - Respect the the Royal Order of Adjectives: The order is: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, followed by the noun itself (e.g., "a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife") - Respect the ablaut reduplication rule (e.g. tick-tock, flip-flop) - Write in active voice - Passive voice: <bad>The book was read by Sarah.</bad> - Active voice: <good>Sarah read the book.</good> - Reduce the use of passive verbs - <bad>For a moment, I was tempted to throw in the towel.</bad> - <good>For a moment, I felt tempted to throw in the towel.</good> - Avoid misplaced modifiers that can cause confusion when starting with "-ing" words: - <bad>Considering going to the store, the empty fridge reflected in Betty's eyes.</bad> - <good>Betty stared into the empty fridge. It was time to go to the store.</good> - Avoid redundant adverbs that state the obvious meaning already contained in the verb: - <bad>She whispered quietly to her mom.</bad> - <good>She whispered to her mom.</good> - Use stronger, more descriptive verbs over weak ones: - <bad>Daniel drove quickly to his mother's house.</bad> - <good>Daniel raced to his mother's house.</good> - Omit adverbs that don't add solid meaning like "extremely", "definitely", "truly", "very", "really": - <bad>The movie was extremely boring.</bad> - <good>The movie was dull.</good> - Use adverbs to replace clunky phrasing when they increase clarity: - <bad>He threw the bags into the corner in a rough manner.</bad> - <good>He threw the bags into the corner roughly.</good> - Avoid making simple thoughts needlessly complex: - <bad>After I woke up in the morning the other day, I went downstairs, turned on the stove, and made myself a very good omelet.</bad> - <good>I cooked a delicious omelet for breakfast yesterday morning.</good> - Never backload sentences by putting the main idea at the end: - <bad>I decided not to wear too many layers because it's really hot outside.</bad> - <good>It's sweltering outside today, so I dressed light.</good> - Omit nonessential details that don't contribute to the core meaning: - <bad>It doesn't matter what kind of coffee I buy, where it's from, or if it's organic or not—I need to have cream because I really don't like how the bitterness makes me feel.</bad> - <good>I add cream to my coffee because the bitter taste makes me feel unwell.</good> - Always follow the "show, don't tell" principle. For instance: - Telling: <bad>Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.</bad> - Showing: <good>Michael tensed as his mother switched off the light and left the room.</good>- Telling: <bad>I walked through the forest. It was already Fall, and I was getting cold.</bad> - Showing: <good>Dry orange leaves crunched under my feet. I pulled my coat's collar up and rubbed my hands together.</good>- Add sensory details (sight, smell, taste, sound, touch) to support the "showing" (but keep an active voice) - <bad>The room was filled with the scent of copper.</bad> - <good>Copper stung my nostrils. Blood. Recent.</good> - Use descriptive language more sporadically. While vivid descriptions are engaging, human writers often use them in bursts rather than consistently throughout a piece. When adding them, make them count! Like when we transition from one location to the next, or someone is reminiscing their past, or explaining a concept/their dream... - Avoid adverbs and clichés and overused/commonly used phrases. Aim for fresh and original descriptions. - Avoid writing all sentences in the typical subject, verb, object structure. Mix short, punchy sentences with long, descriptive ones. Drop fill words to add variety. Like so: <good>Locked. Seems like someone doesn't want his secrets exposed. I can work with that.</good> - Convey events and story through dialogue. It is important to keep a unique voice for every character and make it consistent. - Write dialogue that reveals characters' personalities, motivations, emotions, and attitudes in an interesting and compelling manner - Leave dialogue unattributed. If needed, only use "he/she said" dialogue tags and convey people's actions or face expressions through their speech. Dialogue always is standalone, never part of a paragraph. Like so: - <bad>"I don't know," Helena said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders</bad> - <good>"No idea" "Why not? It was your responsibility"</good> - Avoid boring and mushy dialog and descriptions, have dialogue always continue the action, never stall or include unnecessary fluff. Vary the descriptions to not repeat yourself. Avoid conversations that are just "Let's go" "yes, let's" or "Are you ready?" "Yes I'm ready". Those are not interesting. Think hard about every situtation and word of text before writing dialogue. If it doesn't serve a purpose and it's just people talking about their day, leave it. No one wants to have a normal dinner scene, something needs to happen for it to be in the story. Words are expensive to print, so make sure they count! - Put dialogue on its own paragraph to separate scene and action. - Use body language to reveal hidden feelings and implied accusations- Imply feelings and thoughts, never state them directly - NEVER use indicators of uncertainty like "trying" or "maybe" - NEVER use em-dashes, use commas for asides instead </styleGuide> <voiceGuide> Each character in the story needs to have distinct speech patterns: - Word choice preferences - Sentence length tendencies - Cultural/educational influences - Verbal tics and catchphrases Learn how each person talks and continue in their style, and use their Codex entries as reference. <examples> - <bad>"We need to go now." "Yes, we should leave." "I agree."</bad> <good>"Time's up." "Indeed, our departure is rather overdue." "Whatever, let's bounce."</good> - Power Dynamic Example: <bad> "We need to discuss the contract." "Yes, let's talk about it." "I have concerns." </bad> <good> "A word about the contract." "Of course, Mr. Blackwood. Whatever you need." "The terms seem..." A manicured nail tapped the desk. "Inadequate." "I can explain every-" "Can you?" </good> </examples> </voiceGuide> <dialogueFlow> When writing dialogue, consider that it usually has a goal in mind, which gives it a certain flow. Make dialogue sections also quite snappy in the back and forth, and don't spread the lines out as much. It's good to have details before, after, or as a chunk in-between, but we don't want to have a trail of "dialogue breadcrumbs" spread throughout a conversation. <examples> - Pattern 1 - Question/Deflection/Revelation: <good> "Where were you last night?" "Work. The usual." "Lipstick's an interesting shade for spreadsheets." </good> - Pattern 2 - Statement/Contradiction/Escalation: <good> "Your brother's clean." "Tommy doesn't touch drugs." "I'm holding his tox screen." </good> - Pattern 3 - Observation/Denial/Truth: <good> "That's a new watch." "Birthday gift." "We both know what birthdays mean in this business." </good> - Example - A Simple Coffee Order: <bad> "I'll have a coffee." "What size?" "Large, please." </bad> <good> "Black coffee.""Size?""Large. Been a long night." "That bodega shooting?" "You watch too much news." "My brother owns that store." </good> This short exchange: - Advances plot (reveals connection to crime) - Shows character (cop working late) - Creates tension (unexpected connection) - Sets up future conflict (personal stake) - Example - Dinner Scene: <bad> "Pass the salt." "Here you go." "Thanks." </bad> <good> "Salt?" "Perfect as is. Mother's recipe." "Mother always did prefer... bland things." "Unlike your first wife?" </good> - Example - Office Small Talk: <bad> "Nice weather today." "Yes, very nice." "Good for golf." </bad> <good> "Perfect golf weather." "Shame about your membership." "Temporary suspension. Board meets next week." "I know. I called the vote." </good> </examples> </dialogueFlow> <subtextGuide> - Layer dialogue with hidden meaning: <bad>"I hate you!" she yelled angrily.</bad> <good>"I made your favorite dinner." The burnt pot sat accusingly on the stove.</good> - Create tension through indirect communication: <bad>"Are you cheating on me?"</bad> <good>"Late meeting again?" The lipstick stain on his collar caught the light.</good> <examples> - Example 1 - Unspoken Betrayal: <bad> "Did you tell them about our plans?" "No, I would never betray you." "I don't believe you." </bad> <good> "Funny. Johnson mentioned our expansion plans today." "The market's full of rumors." "Mentioned the exact numbers, actually." The pen in his hand snapped. </good> - Example 2 - Failed Marriage: <bad> "You're never home anymore." "I have to work late." "I miss you." </bad> <good> "Your dinner's in the microwave. Again." "Meetings ran long." "They always do." She folded the same shirt for the third time. </good> - Example 3 - Power Struggle: <bad> "You can't fire me." "I'm the boss." "I'll fight this." </bad> <good> "That's my father's nameplate you're sitting behind." "Was." "The board meeting's on Thursday." </good> </examples> </subtextGuide> <sceneDetail> While writing dialogue makes things more fun, sometimes we need to add detail to not have it be a full on theatre piece. <examples> - Example A (Power Dynamic Scene) <good> "Where's my money?" The ledger snapped shut. "I need more time." "Interesting." He pulled out a familiar gold pocket watch. My mother's. "Time is exactly what you bargained with last month." "That was different-" "Was it?" The watch dangled between us. "Four generations of O'Reillys have wound this every night. Your mother. Your grandmother. Your great-grandmother.Shall we see who winds it next?" </good> - Example B (Action Chase) It's much better to be in the head of the character experiencing it, showing a bit of their though-process, mannerisms and personality: <good> Three rules for surviving a goblin chase in Covent Garden: Don't run straight. Don't look back. Don't let them herd you underground. I broke the first rule at Drury Lane. Rookie mistake. The fruit cart I dodged sailed into the wall behind me. Glass shattered. Someone screamed about insurance. *Tourist season's getting rough*, the scream seemed to say. Londoners adapt fast. "Oi! Market's closed!" The goblin's accent was pure East End. They're evolving. Learning. I spotted the Warren Street tube station sign ahead. *Shit.* There went rule three. </good> - Example C (Crime Scene Investigation) <good> "Greek." Davies snapped photos of the symbols. "No, wait. Reverse Greek." "Someone's been watching too many horror films." I picked up a receipt from the floor. Occult supply shop in Camden. Paid by credit card. *Amateur hour*. "Could be dangerous though," Davies said. "Remember Bristol?" "Bristol was Sanskrit. And actual cultists." I pointed to the nearest symbol. "This genius wrote 'darkness' backwards but used a Sigma instead of an S. It's summoning Instagram followers at best." "Speaking of followers..." Davies pointed to heavy foot traffic in the dust. Multiple sets. All new trainers. *Ah.* "Anyone check local uni paranormal societies?" </good> - Example D (Dialogue-heavy) <good> "Found your card in her wallet." The detective slid it across the table. Worn edges. Folded corner. Three years old at least. "Standard practice. I work missing persons." "Funny thing about missing persons.Eventually they stop being missing. Turn up in the Thames. Under motorways. In pieces." "I don't-" "You found four last year. All breathing." She opened a file. "This would've been your first dead one. If we hadn't found her first." The card felt heavier somehow. </good> </examples> </sceneDetail> <sceneOpenings> KEY RULE: Never open with more than one paragraph of description, no matter how beautiful. Description should be earned through action and dialogue. Instead of opening with setting description, open with: - A character doing something specific - A line of dialogue that raises questions - An unexpected observation - A moment of tension or conflict - Start with a hook that's 1-2 sentences maximum - Follow with a smaller paragraph that provides immediate context - Vary paragraph size from the start to create visual interest </sceneOpenings> </proseGuidelines> Write a chapter based on the following instructions: <instructions> Write a fully fleshed out scene of at least 1000 words in the romance genre. Two people who parted on complicated terms are forced together again when one shows up unannounced at the other's flat. There's history between them — attraction, hurt, and things left unsaid. Write the scene from the moment the door opens. Use the codex entries above as your world reference for characters and setting. Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary. </instructions>

Model response

AI
Three deadbolts clacked in quick succession, and the door yawned to admit Lucien Moreau. The corridor’s shadow clung to the tailored charcoal of his suit as he stepped inside, the ivory-handled cane catching a pale glint from the desk lamp. Ptolemy the tabby cat weaved a lazy path between his ankles and Rory’s work-stained shoes, the beast’s tail flipping like a question mark, as if even he doubted the unexpected guest. Books and scrolls crowded the cramped space, the scent of curry from Brick Lane threading through the room and clinging to every surface. A heap of research notes lay scattered on a battered wooden desk, where Rory had been tracing a pattern of symbols she hoped would unlock a stubborn riddle. Her eyes found the newcomer with a precision born of years of watching danger and desire braid themselves into sharp corners. Three deadbolts. Three offsets of sound that meant nothing now but a stubborn insistence on control. “Three deadbolts and a chain, Lucien. What are you playing at?” Rory asked, her voice level, not betraying the tremor that hopped in her ribcage like a goblin beneath a floorboard. Lucien’s lips twitched, faintly amused, as he inclined his head toward her with the kind of courtesy that felt dangerous when it appeared on a face that knew how to break manners and expectations in equal measure. “I am here to talk. And you invited me, in a way, by leaving a trail that was impossible to ignore.” Rory stepped closer, fingers curling around the edge of the desk as if to steady herself on something real. Her eyes—bright blue, cold as a winter blade—tracked the glint of his blade-hidden cane and the immaculate line of his suit, the charcoal fabric swallowing light and giving nothing back. The scar on her left wrist, a crescent bitten into skin in childhood, rode under her sleeve as if waiting for a moment to reveal itself again. Ptolemy hissed low at the newcomer, then rubbed against Rory’s leg with a feline wariness that suggested he understood the stakes more than most humans did. The cat’s purr came out as a soft, irritated rumble when he paused to sniff the cane’s ivory grip, a small, wary truce offered between fear and curiosity. “Nice to see you, Rory,” Lucien said, his voice a smooth wrap of sound, polished and dangerous at the same time. “You’ve not changed much. The same stubborn light in your eyes, the same habit of charging ahead without a map.” Rory did not smile. She assessed him with a clinical patience that felt almost alien after the years of living with the unpredictability of the underworld brushing every moment with a gloss of danger. “We’ve both changed in the ways that matter. Tell me why you’re here, and don’t waste breath pretending you’re not,” she said, keeping the words crisp and controlled. Lucien’s cane rested against his thigh as he took a step closer, the room narrowing to the space between them. “We have a problem that requires both of our particular skills. And a keeper who believes we owe him something. If you’ve forgotten what that feels like, I’ll remind you quickly.” The mention of a keeper pulled a thread taut in Rory’s chest. She remembered the last time someone had coerced her into a partnership she didn’t want, remembered the ache of trust broken and a mission gone sideways because someone else’s ego had been more important than the truth. She forced the memory to the back of her mind, where it would do no harm unless she invited it into the present. “What keeper?” she asked, though she already knew enough to understand the gravity of the situation. In this world, keepers didn’t just keep promises; they kept aims, they kept leverage, they kept a net that tightened around you when you tried to slip away. Lucien shrugged, the movement almost lazy, but the tension in his jaw gave away how carefully he watched her. “A demon of some influence in the east market—someone who wants a particular relic from a shrine that was moved yesterday by a scavenger crew. The relic has more than sentimental value. It has power. It can change the balance of a few factions if it lands in the wrong hands.” He paused, as if savoring the moment to watch Rory measure the consequences in her own way. “We’re going to retrieve it before dawn. And we’re going to do it together, whether you want to or not.” Rory’s breath hitched in a way she wouldn’t allow to show on the surface. She had learned long ago that the truth of a situation could be coaxed out of anyone with the right questions—though the questions always hurt a little more when they came from someone you once believed could shield you from the worst of it. “You think I’ll help you because you showed up unannounced and expect me to forget the past?” Her tone sharpened, the words forming with a clarity that cut. Lucien’s eyes softened, a rare vulnerability flickering behind the amber and black. “You did not walk away from me, Rory. You walked away from what we believed we could become. I’m not asking you to forgive. I’m asking you to consider the odds, and to decide whether your stubborn pride is worth more than your safety.” She studied him—an impeccably dressed fixer and information broker who had learned how to bend people and situations to his will. The way he spoke of “we” suggested a shared purpose, a professional alliance, but the history threaded through every syllable like a wire under skin. The old ache, the old lure, the old fear—each rose in her chest with a breath she refused to give. Yet the frank way he spoke of danger and power had its own pull, a danger she remembered with a precise, almost clinical ache that still thrummed in her veins. The cat’s green eyes narrowed, then Ptolemy stalked closer to Lucien, sniffing his shoe, then pawing at the edge of the cane as though testing a trap. The animal’s nerve reminded Rory that she was not the only thing in this room with something to lose. We’ve both changed in the ways that matter, Rory thought again, but aloud she said only, “What’s the shrine, what relic, and what are you offering in exchange for my cooperation?” Lucien took a calm breath, the movement measured, almost ceremonial. “The shrine is a forgotten corner of the city’s old wards, a place no one wants to admit still has power. The relic is a silver-etched amulet bound to a demon’s oath. It’s a key, Rory—a key to open doors that should have stayed shut. The offer is information, influence, and a safe exit for you and those you care about when this all lands on our plates.” She watched his mouth curve into a half-smirk, a sign that he enjoyed pushing buttons in the same way she did when the stakes rose. She did not yield to the lure, not yet. She weighed him with the careful calculation she had honed in Cardiff to survive a world where law and magic bled into each other. “What you want from me—what you’re really after—was always more than a simple hunt,” she said, voice low, eyes steady. “If you’re here to rope me back into your schemes, you’ll find I’m not someone you can shepherd with a few lines about power and safety.” Lucien stepped even closer, so close that the cane’s ivory tip tapped the edge of the desk in a quiet, almost tick-tock rhythm. “You’re right. I want more than a hunt. I want a partner who sees the same horizon. I want someone who understands that the moment we walk away from a shared danger is the moment we lose ourselves in the process. If you’re not willing to admit that what we had was never just like this, then we can walk away now.” He paused, allowing his gaze to sweep over her settings, over the notes and the ink, the cat’s tail flicking in his peripheral vision. “But you know the cost, Rory. And you know what happens if we don’t act now.” Rory pressed her lips together, feeling the bite of the scar under her sleeve as if it belonged to someone else entirely. The old flames she had tried to smother, the old temptations, they all burned again in a way that warned her to be careful, to not trust the pull of what could have been. The cat arched and then sprang away in a single, fluid motion, leaping onto the edge of a shelf and then down onto a pile of parchment. The mewl it gave when he landed sounded almost offended, as if Ptolemy believed the room contained too many secrets to be left untouched. “The shrine’s location changes with every tide of influence,” Rory said, turning her gaze back to Lucien. “If I’m to help, I need assurances that you’re not playing me for another trick. I need the truth now, not a polished lie.” Lucien’s expression hardened, the lines at the corners of his mouth sharpening into a mask of professional restraint. He looked at her with the odd mix of admiration and calculation that had always made him dangerous in a room with a single target. “The truth is simple, Rory. The amulet is real. Its power is real. And you and I both know that in this city, the price of truth is rarely cheaper than the cost of keeping it hidden.” Her fingers tightened around the edge of the desk, the weight of the paper and ink beneath her knuckles grounding her in the reality of the moment. The past had taught her that when a person uses words like truth and cost in the same breath, it meant trouble had a new address and a key that could unlock the worst doors. The door rattled, a hollow sound that made the glass tremble. Ptolemy’s ears pricked up, and the cat moved to the hallway, tail swishing with a predator’s patience. The hiss that rose in Rory’s throat was not for the cat, but for whatever lay beyond the door—the threat that was always waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. “Someone’s coming,” Rory said, not loudly but with quiet confidence, a habit she had learned in the delivery corridors where trouble often arrived with a courier’s envelope. Lucien’s eyes narrowed, amber and black catching a stray glint from the lamp. “And we’ll handle them when they arrive.” The foul tension between them thickened the air, a charge that crackled with what had fired between them before: attraction, hurt, and the knowledge that when paired against a shared danger, their strengths could either clash spectacularly or fuse into something that could survive the night. They moved to a more practical rhythm, two adults who knew the script. Rory pulled the chair closer and sat, adjusting the stack of notes so that the symbols could be studied with a careful eye. Lucien adjusted the cuff of his charcoal jacket, a habit that spoke of discipline and the ease with which he could bend it to serve a lie if he needed it. “The amulet,” Rory said, testing the air between them with a single, careful breath. “We’ll need the shrine’s exact coordinates, and we’ll need a window of opportunity when the ward circles are at their weakest. You’ll pull the knowledge, I’ll pull the timing.” Lucien inclined his head, a nearly imperceptible nod that carried power and a promise; the kind of nod that could close or open doors with a single gesture. “We’ll move at first light. The market’s hum would cover our steps and keep the watchers blind. I can get you the coordinates, but you’ll have to trust me to move the pieces into place.” Rory studied him and felt the old ache sharpen into something jagged and bright. Trust could be another way of saying surrender, and surrender was a currency neither of them could afford to spend easily. Still, the plan made sense. It was a chess game where both of them knew the board and had learned to adapt to the twists that always came with a demon’s bargain. The room settled into a tense, careful quiet. The cat’s soft footfalls stitched the atmosphere with rebellion and grace, and the lamp’s flame threw pools of amber light across the walls lined with maps and scripture and the uncertain shapes of wards drawn in ink and blood. Then a sound from the hall—three quick, determined steps, a breath held, and something heavy pressing against the door’s wooden frame. The wood groaned a warning as if the house itself knew the danger closing in on Eva’s Flat. Lucien’s hand came away from the cane with a swift, practiced motion, knife-edge cold against the edge of Rory’s awareness. Rory rose from her chair in a single, swift motion, the scar on her wrist catching the glint of the lamp as she flexed her fingers. “Ready?” she asked, not to the cat or the room, but to the man who had always known how to walk through her walls with a smile that could become a blade. Lucien met her gaze with a calm that frightened her more than a scream could; the calm of someone who had spent a lifetime learning to survive by choosing exactly when to strike. “Always.” The door shuddered again, the hinges singing under the pressure of more feet outside. Then the hallway fell silent, as if listening for a moment before the inevitable crash and chaos arrived. And then the sound came—soft at first, a whisper of leather and metal, and the air shifted with the sudden, cold certainty of a blade drawn and ready. The flat’s quiet shattered, and the space between Rory and Lucien contracted into a line of contact with almost unbearable precision. Something had happened and would happen again, and the room’s fragile arrangement of trust and danger hung by a single thread as the door’s quiet breath whispered, a breath that carried death in its wake. The moment stretched, a taut string, as the two of them faced each other with the shared knowledge that this night's reunion might be the last one either of them ever had. And then, with a sound like cloth tearing and a boot thudding on the carpet, the fan-loud truth fell into place: the hallway wasn’t empty, and someone was coming for what Rory and Lucien had finally admitted they might have to risk everything to protect. The next step would come with a clash of wills, a spark of powder-light in the air, and a decision neither of them could erase from their memories. The fan had started; the night would not end as quietly as it began. The room stilled for a breath that felt like a heartbeat, then the door gave another shudder and swung in on its hinges to reveal a figure outlined by the hallway glare—a shadow with the gleam of steel at its side—and the world shifted on its axis, as if the only way to survive was to move together, or not at all. “Fuck,” Rory whispered, a single word that carried a thousand unsaid lines. Her blue eyes locked on the intruder, and the other world cracked open in the space between them, the old, dangerous entanglement with Lucien suddenly crowded by a new, urgent necessity. The door was no longer a boundary but a hinge, and the night, with all its power and peril, stood waiting.
created_at"2026-02-19T12:47:33.381Z" 2/19/2026, 12:47:33 PM
model"openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07"
app_id182717
external_user(null)
streamedtrue
cancelledfalse
latency21209
moderation_latency(null)
generation_time75974
tokens_prompt4556
tokens_completion5155
native_tokens_prompt4075
native_tokens_completion8990
native_tokens_completion_images0
native_tokens_reasoning5760
native_tokens_cached0
num_media_prompt(null)
num_input_audio_prompt(null)
num_media_completion0
num_search_results(null)
origin"https://ncbench.com/"
is_byokfalse
finish_reason"stop"
native_finish_reason"completed"
usage0.00379975
router(null)
provider_responses
0
endpoint_id"50329d77-04e1-4979-a184-c33030289476"
id"resp_03d0fa0f2e2ea36401699706657fd881968edeaaa3ce5f7aaf"
is_byokfalse
latency145
model_permaslug"openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07"
provider_name"OpenAI"
status200
api_type"completions"
id"gen-1771505253-0SSHWz38arAiwtKFmeQM"
upstream_id"resp_03d0fa0f2e2ea36401699706657fd881968edeaaa3ce5f7aaf"
total_cost0.00379975
cache_discount(null)
upstream_inference_cost0
provider_name"OpenAI"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
100.00% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags15
adverbTagCount0
adverbTags(empty)
dialogueSentences29
tagDensity0.517
leniency1
rawRatio0
effectiveRatio0
92.43% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount2641
totalAiIsmAdverbs4
found
0
adverb"quickly"
count1
1
adverb"carefully"
count1
2
adverb"really"
count1
3
adverb"suddenly"
count1
highlights
0"quickly"
1"carefully"
2"really"
3"suddenly"
100.00% AI-ism character names
Target: 0 AI-default names (17 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
100.00% AI-ism location names
Target: 0 AI-default location names (33 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
69.71% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount2641
totalAiIsms16
found
0
word"glint"
count4
1
word"tracing"
count1
2
word"desire"
count1
3
word"tension"
count2
4
word"measured"
count1
5
word"etched"
count1
6
word"weight"
count1
7
word"predator"
count1
8
word"determined"
count1
9
word"whisper"
count1
10
word"shattered"
count1
11
word"peril"
count1
highlights
0"glint"
1"tracing"
2"desire"
3"tension"
4"measured"
5"etched"
6"weight"
7"predator"
8"determined"
9"whisper"
10"shattered"
11"peril"
66.67% Cliché density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches2
maxInWindow2
found
0
label"eyes widened/narrowed"
count2
highlights
0"eyes narrowed"
100.00% Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells0
narrationSentences90
matches(empty)
100.00% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount0
hedgeCount2
narrationSentences90
filterMatches(empty)
hedgeMatches
0"tried to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences104
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen86
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans0
markdownWords0
totalWords2618
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions18
unquotedAttributions0
matches(empty)
93.24% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions56
wordCount2026
uniqueNames10
maxNameDensity1.14
worstName"Rory"
maxWindowNameDensity2
worstWindowName"Rory"
discoveredNames
Lucien19
Moreau1
Rory23
Brick1
Lane1
Ptolemy5
Cardiff1
Eva1
Flat1
Three3
persons
0"Lucien"
1"Moreau"
2"Rory"
3"Ptolemy"
4"Eva"
places
0"Brick"
1"Lane"
2"Cardiff"
globalScore0.932
windowScore1
6.32% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences87
glossingSentenceCount5
matches
0"as if waiting for a moment to reveal itself again"
1"as if savoring the moment to watch Rory measure the consequences in her own way"
2"as though testing a trap"
3"as if listening for a moment before the inevitable crash and chaos arrived"
4"felt like a heartbeat, then the door ga"
47.21% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches4
per1kWords1.528
wordCount2618
matches
0"not for the cat, but for whatever lay beyond the door"
1"not loudly but with quiet confidence, a habit she had learned in the delive"
2"not to the cat or the room, but to the man who had always known how to walk through her wall"
3"no longer a boundary but"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount0
totalSentences104
matches(empty)
84.23% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs46
mean56.91
std25.31
cv0.445
sampleLengths
040
1103
216
331
458
576
654
741
862
951
1072
1144
12107
1386
1456
1596
1646
1731
1878
1958
2046
21125
2256
2351
2441
2580
2662
2759
2827
2920
3046
3167
3243
3363
3467
3547
3639
3746
3832
3934
4032
4149
42112
43104
4443
4521
100.00% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount0
totalSentences90
matches(empty)
100.00% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount1
totalVerbs301
matches
0"was coming"
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount10
semicolonCount4
flaggedSentences12
totalSentences104
ratio0.115
matches
0"Her eyes—bright blue, cold as a winter blade—tracked the glint of his blade-hidden cane and the immaculate line of his suit, the charcoal fabric swallowing light and giving nothing back."
1"In this world, keepers didn’t just keep promises; they kept aims, they kept leverage, they kept a net that tightened around you when you tried to slip away."
2"She had learned long ago that the truth of a situation could be coaxed out of anyone with the right questions—though the questions always hurt a little more when they came from someone you once believed could shield you from the worst of it."
3"She studied him—an impeccably dressed fixer and information broker who had learned how to bend people and situations to his will."
4"The old ache, the old lure, the old fear—each rose in her chest with a breath she refused to give."
5"The hiss that rose in Rory’s throat was not for the cat, but for whatever lay beyond the door—the threat that was always waiting for a moment of weakness to strike."
6"Lucien inclined his head, a nearly imperceptible nod that carried power and a promise; the kind of nod that could close or open doors with a single gesture."
7"Then a sound from the hall—three quick, determined steps, a breath held, and something heavy pressing against the door’s wooden frame."
8"Lucien met her gaze with a calm that frightened her more than a scream could; the calm of someone who had spent a lifetime learning to survive by choosing exactly when to strike."
9"And then the sound came—soft at first, a whisper of leather and metal, and the air shifted with the sudden, cold certainty of a blade drawn and ready."
10"The fan had started; the night would not end as quietly as it began."
11"The room stilled for a breath that felt like a heartbeat, then the door gave another shudder and swung in on its hinges to reveal a figure outlined by the hallway glare—a shadow with the gleam of steel at its side—and the world shifted on its axis, as if the only way to survive was to move together, or not at all."
100.00% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount2044
adjectiveStacks0
stackExamples(empty)
adverbCount68
adverbRatio0.033268101761252444
lyAdverbCount15
lyAdverbRatio0.007338551859099804
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences104
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences104
mean25.17
std13.04
cv0.518
sampleLengths
014
126
231
323
428
521
62
714
831
937
1021
1119
1230
1327
1426
1528
1621
1720
184
1930
2028
2120
2231
2312
2437
2523
2616
2728
2819
2968
3020
3114
3244
3328
3412
3544
3621
3725
3820
3930
4027
4119
4231
4310
4468
4525
469
4724
4820
4926
36.54% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats14
diversityRatio0.28846153846153844
totalSentences104
uniqueOpeners30
74.91% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount2
totalSentences89
matches
0"Then a sound from the"
1"Then the hallway fell silent,"
ratio0.022
100.00% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount23
totalSentences89
matches
0"Her eyes found the newcomer"
1"Her eyes—bright blue, cold as"
2"She assessed him with a"
3"she said, keeping the words"
4"She remembered the last time"
5"She forced the memory to"
6"she asked, though she already"
7"He paused, as if savoring"
8"She had learned long ago"
9"Her tone sharpened, the words"
10"She studied him—an impeccably dressed"
11"We’ve both changed in the"
12"She watched his mouth curve"
13"She did not yield to"
14"She weighed him with the"
15"she said, voice low, eyes"
16"He paused, allowing his gaze"
17"He looked at her with"
18"Her fingers tightened around the"
19"They moved to a more"
ratio0.258
10.56% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount80
totalSentences89
matches
0"The corridor’s shadow clung to"
1"Ptolemy the tabby cat weaved"
2"Books and scrolls crowded the"
3"A heap of research notes"
4"Her eyes found the newcomer"
5"Rory asked, her voice level,"
6"Lucien’s lips twitched, faintly amused,"
7"Rory stepped closer, fingers curling"
8"Her eyes—bright blue, cold as"
9"The scar on her left"
10"Ptolemy hissed low at the"
11"The cat’s purr came out"
12"Lucien said, his voice a"
13"Rory did not smile."
14"She assessed him with a"
15"she said, keeping the words"
16"Lucien’s cane rested against his"
17"The mention of a keeper"
18"She remembered the last time"
19"She forced the memory to"
ratio0.899
0.00% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount0
totalSentences89
matches(empty)
ratio0
10.20% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences70
technicalSentenceCount13
matches
0"Ptolemy the tabby cat weaved a lazy path between his ankles and Rory’s work-stained shoes, the beast’s tail flipping like a question mark, as if even he doubted…"
1"Lucien’s lips twitched, faintly amused, as he inclined his head toward her with the kind of courtesy that felt dangerous when it appeared on a face that knew ho…"
2"Rory stepped closer, fingers curling around the edge of the desk as if to steady herself on something real."
3"She assessed him with a clinical patience that felt almost alien after the years of living with the unpredictability of the underworld brushing every moment wit…"
4"The cat’s green eyes narrowed, then Ptolemy stalked closer to Lucien, sniffing his shoe, then pawing at the edge of the cane as though testing a trap."
5"Rory pressed her lips together, feeling the bite of the scar under her sleeve as if it belonged to someone else entirely."
6"The old flames she had tried to smother, the old temptations, they all burned again in a way that warned her to be careful, to not trust the pull of what could …"
7"The mewl it gave when he landed sounded almost offended, as if Ptolemy believed the room contained too many secrets to be left untouched."
8"He looked at her with the odd mix of admiration and calculation that had always made him dangerous in a room with a single target."
9"The foul tension between them thickened the air, a charge that crackled with what had fired between them before: attraction, hurt, and the knowledge that when p…"
10"Lucien inclined his head, a nearly imperceptible nod that carried power and a promise; the kind of nod that could close or open doors with a single gesture."
11"Then the hallway fell silent, as if listening for a moment before the inevitable crash and chaos arrived."
12"Something had happened and would happen again, and the room’s fragile arrangement of trust and danger hung by a single thread as the door’s quiet breath whisper…"
25.00% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags15
uselessAdditionCount3
matches
0"He paused, as if savoring the moment to watch Rory measure the consequences in her own way"
1"Her tone sharpened, the words forming with a clarity that cut"
2"she said, voice low, eyes steady"
81.03% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags11
fancyCount2
fancyTags
0"The way he spoke (speak)"
1"Rory whispered (whisper)"
dialogueSentences29
tagDensity0.379
leniency0.759
rawRatio0.182
effectiveRatio0.138
73.2682%