Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY7MAFNXW3KXC8YXEEE6K59

Run Details

Duration:
28.0s
Cost:
$0.001432
Provider:
Seed

Model input

System
You are an expert and award-winning novel writer in the dark Fantasy 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="4418" name="Nyx" aliases="Nyx, the Shadow, Nightwhisper" pronouns="they/them" species="Shade" storyRole="Wild Card"> <eyeColor>faintly glowing violet</eyeColor> <height>approximately 6'2" in solid form</height> <age>ageless</age> <form>humanoid silhouette of living shadow, can shift between solid and incorporeal</form> <voice>sounds like a whisper carried on the wind</voice> <description>A being of living shadow, existing between the mortal plane and the spaces between realms.</description> <backstory>Nyx was once a human sorcerer named Aldric who became trapped between realms during a failed summoning ritual in 1643. They now exist as a Shade, bound to the mortal plane but able to slip between shadows.</backstory> </character> <character id="4424" name="Isolde Varga" aliases="Isolde, the Seer" pronouns="she/her" species="Half-Fae" storyRole="Oracle"> <eyeColor>pale lavender</eyeColor> <hair>silver, reaching her waist</hair> <height>5'5"</height> <age>300 years old</age> <appearance>ethereal, ageless</appearance> <speech>speaks in riddles</speech> <footprints>leaves no footprints when she walks</footprints> <compulsion>cannot lie (Fae compulsion) but can mislead</compulsion> <description>A Half-Fae seer exiled from the Fae Courts for sharing visions with mortals.</description> <backstory>She now lives in a hidden grove in Richmond Park, offering cryptic prophecies to those who seek her out.</backstory> </character> <location id="853" name="Dymas (Gluttony)" aliases="Dymas, gluttony, Dymasian" realm="Hel" sin="Gluttony"> <ruler>Prince Belphegor</ruler> <skyColor>warm amber</skyColor> <description>A place of excess and indulgence. Sprawling vineyards, orchards, and gardens provide exotic ingredients for master chefs — often helbound souls contracted from Earth. Grand feasts and culinary competitions are common.</description> </location> <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> <item id="2006" name="Fae-Forged Blade" aliases="the Fae blade, Isolde's gift" type="Weapon" origin="The Fae Courts"> <material>moonsilver</material> <shape>slender, leaf-shaped dagger</shape> <temperature>always cold to the touch</temperature> <glow>faintly luminescent in moonlight</glow> <power>can cut through magical wards; particularly effective against demons</power> <givenTo>given to Aurora by Isolde as a gift</givenTo> <description>A weapon of the Fae Courts, rare and highly coveted.</description> </item> <lore id="7001" name="The Veil" aliases="the Veil, the Barrier, the Boundary" category="Cosmology"> <solsticeEffect>weakens during the winter solstice, strengthens during the summer solstice</solsticeEffect> <appearance>faint shimmering distortion visible only to those with supernatural sight</appearance> <monitoring>rift points (tears in the Veil) are monitored by the Wardens</monitoring> <description>The Veil is the metaphysical barrier separating Earth from Hel and the Fae Realms.</description> </lore> </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 fantasy genre. A small group enters an ancient, otherworldly place for the first time. The environment is alien and wondrous. Describe their exploration — what they see, hear, and feel as they move deeper. Include moments of discovery, unease, and wonder. Let the world-building emerge through the characters' experience rather than exposition. Use the codex entries above as your world reference for characters, setting, and lore. Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary. </instructions>

Model response

AI
Aurora’s boot crunches on something soft—not moss, not mulch, but a mat of fine, silver grass that shimmers as if woven from moonlight. She freezes, hand dropping to the Fae-Forged Blade at her hip. The hilt, always cold, hums now, a low vibration that thrums in her palm. “Slow,” Nyx hisses, though their voice is a whisper carried on the wind, not a shout. Aurora glances left; their shadowy form, usually a blur, is solid here—at least, solid enough to cast the same kind of elongated silhouette she’d seen in the alley behind Yu-Fei’s Golden Empress, the night they’d first crossed paths. *Not a shadow at all*, she thinks, oddly calm despite the hair prickling at her nape. “The stones breathe.” Aurora turns back. Beyond the ring of ancient oak standing stones, the world unspools like a tapestry she’d never imagined. The trees here have leaves the color of liquid mercury, their branches swaying not with wind, but with a rhythm older than the Thames. Below her, the grass parts to reveal a carpet of flowers—crimson, indigo, and gold—each petal pulsing faintly, as if the earth itself is taking a breath. To her right, a stream babbles, but the water isn’t liquid; it’s a river of starlight, glittering and cold, reflecting a sky the color of twilight, even though the sun had set hours earlier over London. “Time bends,” Isolde says, her voice like wind chimes. Aurora hadn’t heard her approach—Fae never do, not if they don’t want you to. The half-fae stands at the edge of the clearing, her silver hair pooling around her like a halo, her lavender eyes alight. She doesn’t step on the grass; her feet glide over it, leaving no impression. “An hour here is a minute there. A minute here… could be a day.” Aurora’s thumb brushes the Heartstone Pendant at her throat. The deep crimson gem, a gift from an unknown hand three months prior, pulses once, twice, then stutters. She tugs it free; the metal chain burns, searing her skin, but she doesn’t let go. *Like a heartbeat*, she thinks. *Hel’s heart?* The thought snatches her breath. Dymas, the realm of Gluttony, where souls were bound to feed the prince’s endless feasts. She’d seen it once, by accident, a rift tearing open above the Thames. The Heartstone had burned then, too, as if remembering. “Easy,” Nyx says, and suddenly they’re beside her, their solid form warmer than the human average, the scent of rain on stone clinging to them. “It knows you’re not one to falter. Yet.” Aurora snaps the pendant shut, ignoring the stench of burning flesh. “We came for answers. Not to stare at flowers.” Isolde smiles, her lips thin and red. “Answers are flowers, Aurora Carter. Pretty, but they hide thorns.” She turns, gliding toward a clearing at the center of the grove. “We must hurry. The Veil is thin this night. Winter solstice comes. Rifts bleed.” Aurora exchanges a look with Nyx. *Of course*, she thinks. *Solstice. The lore said it weakens the Veil.* She follows Isolde, Nyx close behind, her boot no longer crunching but *slipping* on the silver grass. The stream’s starlight grows brighter as they approach, until she can see her reflection in its surface—not her own, but a version with eyes like storm clouds, her hair a tangled mass of shadows. She blinks; it’s gone. The clearing is dominated by a stone altar, weathered but smooth, its surface carved with symbols that shift when she looks away. They’re Fae, she realizes—she’d seen similar in Isolde’s grove in Richmond, though these are cruder, more urgent. Between the altar and the grove’s edge, a rift glows faintly, a shimmering distortion in the air that ripples like water. The Heartstone burns through her palm, now, a hot brand, and she falls to her knees. “*Aurora*,” Isolde says, her voice sharp. “Touch it. Not the stone. The rift.” Aurora hesitates. The rift pulses, and suddenly she’s not in the grove anymore. She’s in a hall of bone and gold, a feast laid out for a thousand, the air thick with the stench of overripe fruit and blood. A figure sits at the head of the table, a man with horns like a ram and a smile that splits his face, his eyes black as pitch. “You are *the unbound*,” he says, his voice echoing. “The one who *breaks*.” She gasps, falling back. Nyx’s shadow wraps around her shoulders, grounding her. “What was that?” she asks. “Dymas,” Isolde says, kneeling beside her. “The prince. He hungers for a soul unchained, unshackled—yours, Aurora. Your father’s. A lineage of barristers, negotiators, *breakers* of bonds. The Heartstone is his, stolen by your grandfather. He gave it to you to lure you here.” Aurora stands, the Fae blade sliding from its sheath with a *snikt* that echoes in the clearing. The rift expands, now a foot wide, and she sees movement within—shadows, writhing, screaming. “We need to close it.” Nyx’s shadow shifts, becoming more solid, their violet eyes glowing. “You can’t. Not alone. The Veil’s thinning—rifts bleed because the balance breaks. The Shade and the Half-Fae? Even together, you’re not enough.” “Then we find another,” Aurora says, gripping the blade. The silver metal feels alive, humming in time with her pulse. “Isolde—what’s the riddle again? *Only the unbound may break the bound*.” Isolde’s lavender eyes widen. “You read the altar.” Aurora nods, staring at the symbols. “The unbound. The Heartstone. The prince. *I* am the key.” The ground shakes. The rift erupts, a wave of darkness spilling out, taking form—a shadowy humanoid, with no face, its body a mass of writhing limbs. Nyx screams—a sound like static—and shifts into a blur of shadows that tears into the creature, scattering its limbs. The creature screeches, a sound that splits Aurora’s eardrums, and reforms, its gaze locking onto her. “It comes for the Stone,” Isolde yells, grabbing her arm. “*Take it! Use it to anchor the rift*—but the prince will *taste* you if you do.” Aurora doesn’t hesitate. She rips the pendant from her throat, the gem blazing crimson, the pain of the chain a distant thing. The rift yawns wider, and she steps forward, the Heartstone raised. The creature charges, but Nyx’s shadow wraps around it, holding it fast. “*Now*,” Isolde screams. Aurora touches the rift with the Heartstone. Fire. White-hot, searing, but not painful. She sees the prince in her mind’s eye, his face contorted with rage. “You cannot bind *me*!” he roars. But she can. The gem burns, and the rift shrinks, its edges sealing shut with a *crack*. The creature collapses, its shadow dissolving into the grass. The grove goes silent. Then, screaming. Aurora spins. Isolde is on the altar, her throat torn, blood black as oil dripping down the stone. “The *other* bound,” she whispers, her voice fading. “The Fae Queen. She’s been waiting. For *you*.” Nyx is at her side, their solid form trembling. “Winter solstice. The Veil’s weakest. She’s not bound by mortal laws—only by *choices*.” Isolde’s eyes flutter shut. Aurora looks at the altar. The riddle is fading, the symbols dissolving into smoke. On the ground, where Isolde lay, a single silver hair glows, then fades. Below her, the silver grass parts, revealing a stone beneath—carved with a name: *Brendan Carter*. Her father. She touches it, and the grass grows back, hiding the truth. The Heartstone cools in her hand, now dim, as if it’s been drained. Behind her, the standing stones creak, their oak leaves rustling. Aurora hears a laugh—a high, musical sound, not human—and Isolde’s voice, clear in her mind: *“The unbound do not *break* bonds, Rory. They *bend* them. And bending never ends well, does it?”* A clap of thunder shakes the grove. Aurora looks up; the sky, once twilight, is now night, the stars bright and low. The stream’s starlight is gone, replaced by a single, huge moon. Her watch—once a cheap supermarket model—has stopped. Nyx steps closer, their shadow form flickering. “We should go. Before the Queen wakes.” Aurora clutches the Heartstone and the Fae blade. The grove feels different now, *watcher*. She nods, and they move toward the standing stones, the world shrinking behind them as the grass swallows their footprints, the trees blur, and the rift—though closed—lingers, a hollow in the air, a promise. They pass through the stones. The air hits her like a fist—smoke, exhaust, the smell of hot chip paper. Nyx is gone. Her watch lies in her palm, broken, the hands frozen at 2:17. The pendant is warm, now, not burning. Somewhere, a taxi passes, its radio blaring. Aurora stands on a London street, the grove nothing but a memory—except for the scar on her left wrist, still there, a crescent moon, and the Fae blade at her hip, cold and alive. She checks the pendant. It pulses. Once. Twice. *Come*, it seems to say. *We have work to do.* Aurora turns, walking toward the alley where she’d left her bike. The night is warm, but her skin is cold. The Queen is coming. And she’s not alone.
created_at"2026-02-20T19:15:06.89Z" 2/20/2026, 7:15:06 PM
model"bytedance-seed/seed-1.6-flash-20250625"
app_id182717
external_user(null)
streamedtrue
cancelledfalse
latency625
moderation_latency(null)
generation_time27847
tokens_prompt5338
tokens_completion3569
native_tokens_prompt5371
native_tokens_completion3431
native_tokens_completion_images(null)
native_tokens_reasoning1098
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"stop"
usage0.001432125
router(null)
provider_responses
0
endpoint_id"e01a1227-001b-44d4-a376-90850668fa84"
id"021771614907061c305af2c12e62e554ff5b6f08b2a8ff71f0299"
is_byokfalse
latency460
model_permaslug"bytedance-seed/seed-1.6-flash-20250625"
provider_name"Seed"
status200
api_type"completions"
id"gen-1771614906-M0gTeVdC6ufr9YlYJqb3"
upstream_id"021771614907061c305af2c12e62e554ff5b6f08b2a8ff71f0299"
total_cost0.001432125
cache_discount(null)
upstream_inference_cost0
provider_name"Seed"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
100.00% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags15
adverbTagCount0
adverbTags(empty)
dialogueSentences31
tagDensity0.484
leniency0.968
rawRatio0
effectiveRatio0
93.51% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount1540
totalAiIsmAdverbs2
found
0
adverb"suddenly"
count2
highlights
0"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)
77.27% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount1540
totalAiIsms7
found
0
word"whisper"
count1
1
word"tapestry"
count1
2
word"searing"
count2
3
word"echoing"
count1
4
word"echoes"
count1
5
word"pulse"
count1
highlights
0"whisper"
1"tapestry"
2"searing"
3"echoing"
4"echoes"
5"pulse"
100.00% Cliché density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches0
maxInWindow0
found(empty)
highlights(empty)
100.00% Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells1
narrationSentences113
matches
0"d with rage"
100.00% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount2
hedgeCount1
narrationSentences113
filterMatches
0"watch"
hedgeMatches
0"seems to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences129
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen40
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans27
markdownWords65
totalWords1512
ratio0.043
matches
0"Not a shadow at all"
1"Like a heartbeat"
2"Hel’s heart?"
3"Of course"
4"Solstice. The lore said it weakens the Veil."
5"slipping"
6"Aurora"
7"the unbound"
8"breaks"
9"breakers"
10"snikt"
11"Only the unbound may break the bound"
12"I"
13"Take it! Use it to anchor the rift"
14"taste"
15"Now"
16"me"
17"crack"
18"other"
19"you"
20"choices"
21"Brendan Carter"
22"“The unbound do not *break"
23"bend"
24"watcher"
25"Come"
26"We have work to do."
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions13
unquotedAttributions0
matches(empty)
66.67% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions71
wordCount1263
uniqueNames16
maxNameDensity1.66
worstName"Aurora"
maxWindowNameDensity3
worstWindowName"Aurora"
discoveredNames
Fae-Forged1
Blade1
Aurora21
Yu-Fei1
Golden1
Empress1
Thames2
London2
Fae6
Heartstone7
Pendant1
Gluttony1
Nyx11
Isolde13
Richmond1
Queen1
persons
0"Blade"
1"Aurora"
2"Yu-Fei"
3"Heartstone"
4"Pendant"
5"Nyx"
6"Isolde"
places
0"Fae-Forged"
1"Thames"
2"London"
3"Richmond"
globalScore0.669
windowScore0.667
100.00% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences75
glossingSentenceCount1
matches
0"as if remembering"
0.00% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches5
per1kWords3.307
wordCount1512
matches
0"not moss, not mulch, but a mat of fine, silver grass"
1"not mulch, but a mat of fine, silver grass"
2"not with wind, but with a rhythm older than the Thames"
3"no longer crunching but"
4"not her own, but a version with eyes like storm clouds, her hair a tangled ma"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount0
totalSentences129
matches(empty)
100.00% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs47
mean32.17
std26.15
cv0.813
sampleLengths
048
173
2106
373
492
533
620
743
873
976
1013
1180
1217
1343
1436
1532
1631
178
1816
1961
2026
2148
227
2325
2430
252
2634
2726
2827
2928
3055
3133
327
3314
3448
355
3636
377
3834
394
402
411
421
4310
4420
454
464
95.95% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount3
totalSentences113
matches
0"were bound"
1"is dominated"
2"been drained"
100.00% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount0
totalVerbs227
matches(empty)
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount20
semicolonCount6
flaggedSentences20
totalSentences129
ratio0.155
matches
0"Aurora’s boot crunches on something soft—not moss, not mulch, but a mat of fine, silver grass that shimmers as if woven from moonlight."
1"Aurora glances left; their shadowy form, usually a blur, is solid here—at least, solid enough to cast the same kind of elongated silhouette she’d seen in the alley behind Yu-Fei’s Golden Empress, the night they’d first crossed paths."
2"Below her, the grass parts to reveal a carpet of flowers—crimson, indigo, and gold—each petal pulsing faintly, as if the earth itself is taking a breath."
3"To her right, a stream babbles, but the water isn’t liquid; it’s a river of starlight, glittering and cold, reflecting a sky the color of twilight, even though the sun had set hours earlier over London."
4"Aurora hadn’t heard her approach—Fae never do, not if they don’t want you to."
5"She doesn’t step on the grass; her feet glide over it, leaving no impression."
6"She tugs it free; the metal chain burns, searing her skin, but she doesn’t let go."
7"The stream’s starlight grows brighter as they approach, until she can see her reflection in its surface—not her own, but a version with eyes like storm clouds, her hair a tangled mass of shadows."
8"She blinks; it’s gone."
9"They’re Fae, she realizes—she’d seen similar in Isolde’s grove in Richmond, though these are cruder, more urgent."
10"The rift expands, now a foot wide, and she sees movement within—shadows, writhing, screaming."
11"The rift erupts, a wave of darkness spilling out, taking form—a shadowy humanoid, with no face, its body a mass of writhing limbs."
12"Nyx screams—a sound like static—and shifts into a blur of shadows that tears into the creature, scattering its limbs."
13"Below her, the silver grass parts, revealing a stone beneath—carved with a name: *Brendan Carter*."
14"Aurora hears a laugh—a high, musical sound, not human—and Isolde’s voice, clear in her mind: *“The unbound do not *break* bonds, Rory. They *bend* them. And bending never ends well, does it?”*"
15"Aurora looks up; the sky, once twilight, is now night, the stars bright and low."
16"Her watch—once a cheap supermarket model—has stopped."
17"She nods, and they move toward the standing stones, the world shrinking behind them as the grass swallows their footprints, the trees blur, and the rift—though closed—lingers, a hollow in the air, a promise."
18"The air hits her like a fist—smoke, exhaust, the smell of hot chip paper."
19"Aurora stands on a London street, the grove nothing but a memory—except for the scar on her left wrist, still there, a crescent moon, and the Fae blade at her hip, cold and alive."
100.00% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount1287
adjectiveStacks0
stackExamples(empty)
adverbCount36
adverbRatio0.027972027972027972
lyAdverbCount6
lyAdverbRatio0.004662004662004662
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences129
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences129
mean11.72
std8.44
cv0.721
sampleLengths
023
111
214
316
438
516
63
73
817
924
1026
1136
129
1314
1422
1514
1614
179
1818
1916
205
217
2215
2313
249
2525
268
2711
289
297
3022
3114
326
334
341
3524
3634
374
3822
3917
4021
4116
426
437
442
4511
4626
4728
489
494
47.29% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats9
diversityRatio0.32558139534883723
totalSentences129
uniqueOpeners42
66.01% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount2
totalSentences101
matches
0"*Of course*, she thinks."
1"Somewhere, a taxi passes, its"
ratio0.02
100.00% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount20
totalSentences101
matches
0"She freezes, hand dropping to"
1"She doesn’t step on the"
2"She tugs it free; the"
3"She’d seen it once, by"
4"She turns, gliding toward a"
5"She blinks; it’s gone."
6"They’re Fae, she realizes—she’d seen"
7"She’s in a hall of"
8"he says, his voice echoing"
9"She gasps, falling back."
10"She rips the pendant from"
11"She sees the prince in"
12"she whispers, her voice fading"
13"She touches it, and the"
14"Her watch—once a cheap supermarket"
15"She nods, and they move"
16"They pass through the stones."
17"Her watch lies in her"
18"She checks the pendant."
19"*We have work to do.*"
ratio0.198
34.26% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount86
totalSentences101
matches
0"Aurora’s boot crunches on something"
1"She freezes, hand dropping to"
2"The hilt, always cold, hums"
3"Nyx hisses, though their voice"
4"Aurora glances left; their shadowy"
5"Aurora turns back."
6"The trees here have leaves"
7"Isolde says, her voice like"
8"Aurora hadn’t heard her approach—Fae"
9"The half-fae stands at the"
10"She doesn’t step on the"
11"Aurora’s thumb brushes the Heartstone"
12"The deep crimson gem, a"
13"She tugs it free; the"
14"*Hel’s heart?* The thought snatches"
15"Dymas, the realm of Gluttony,"
16"She’d seen it once, by"
17"The Heartstone had burned then,"
18"Nyx says, and suddenly they’re"
19"Aurora snaps the pendant shut,"
ratio0.851
49.50% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount1
totalSentences101
matches
0"To her right, a stream"
ratio0.01
58.82% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences51
technicalSentenceCount6
matches
0"Aurora’s boot crunches on something soft—not moss, not mulch, but a mat of fine, silver grass that shimmers as if woven from moonlight."
1"Below her, the grass parts to reveal a carpet of flowers—crimson, indigo, and gold—each petal pulsing faintly, as if the earth itself is taking a breath."
2"A figure sits at the head of the table, a man with horns like a ram and a smile that splits his face, his eyes black as pitch."
3"Aurora stands, the Fae blade sliding from its sheath with a *snikt* that echoes in the clearing."
4"Nyx screams—a sound like static—and shifts into a blur of shadows that tears into the creature, scattering its limbs."
5"The creature screeches, a sound that splits Aurora’s eardrums, and reforms, its gaze locking onto her."
25.00% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags15
uselessAdditionCount3
matches
0"Isolde says, her voice sharp"
1"he says, his voice echoing"
2"she whispers, her voice fading"
20.97% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags11
fancyCount4
fancyTags
0"Isolde yells (yell)"
1"Isolde screams (scream)"
2"he roars (roar)"
3"she whispers (whisper)"
dialogueSentences31
tagDensity0.355
leniency0.71
rawRatio0.364
effectiveRatio0.258
77.8414%