Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA3M6DJ7XE65NZB0RYS0ZE

Run Details

Duration:
21.5s
Cost:
$0.000623
Provider:
Mistral

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> <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> 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.

Model response

AI
The air smelled like honey and damp earth when they stepped through the standing stones, and for a heartbeat, Rory’s breath caught in her throat. One moment, she’d been crouched in the undergrowth of Richmond Park, the other—nothing. No transition, no warning. Just the sudden, disorienting shift of the world tilting beneath her feet. She stumbled forward, fingers brushing the rough bark of an oak so ancient its trunk split into three gnarled branches like the roots of some forgotten god. The bark was warm under her palm, pulsing faintly, as if the tree itself breathed. Nyx moved beside her, their shadowy form rippling like smoke caught in a draft. They didn’t speak, but the way their violet eyes gleamed—almost hungry—made Rory’s skin prickle. “This place isn’t right,” she muttered, though she wasn’t sure if she meant the grove or the way her pulse still hammered from the jump. Isolde glided ahead, her silver hair catching the dappled light like spun moonlight. She didn’t turn, but her voice carried anyway, soft as wind through reeds. *“The Grove does not welcome the unprepared.”* The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken meaning. Rory adjusted the strap of her backpack, her fingers brushing the cold hilt of the Fae-forged blade Isolde had pressed into her hands before they left. The metal was always like this—unnaturally chill, as if it had been plucked from the heart of a glacier. She’d almost refused it at first. Weapons weren’t her thing. But Isolde had only smiled, her lavender eyes unreadable, and said, *“Trust the cold. It lies.”* Now, Rory wasn’t sure if that was advice or a warning. The deeper they walked, the more the grove seemed to *shift* around them. Flowers bloomed in impossible colors—petals the shade of bruises, others striped like a tiger’s fur—and the air hummed with a sound just beyond hearing, like the vibration of a plucked string too high for mortal ears. Nyx reached out, their fingers passing through a cluster of black roses without so much as a rustle. *“No footprints,”* they murmured, more to themselves than anyone. *“Not even hers.”* Isolde paused at the edge of a clearing where the grass gave way to smooth, pale stone. The ground here was unnaturally flat, as if carved by hands that had long since forgotten what they’d made. And in the center, where the earth should have been, stood a well. Not a well like any Rory had seen—no wooden bucket, no rotting rope. This was a pit of darkness, its surface still as glass, reflecting nothing. “What is this?” Rory asked, though she already knew. The answer coiled in her gut, heavy and certain. *“A mirror,”* Isolde said. *“And a door.”* Nyx crouched, their shadow stretching long across the stones. *“It doesn’t want us here.”* Their voice was barely a whisper, but the words sent a chill down Rory’s spine. She could *feel* it—the well’s resistance, like the push of a tide against her skin. The Heartstone pendant at her throat pulsed once, twice, its crimson gem throbbing faintly against her collarbone. She swallowed. “How do we—” *“You don’t ask,”* Isolde interrupted. *“You listen.”* And then the grove *moved*. The trees groaned, their branches twisting as if caught in a sudden, unseen wind. The flowers bent toward the well, petals curling inward like fingers. Rory’s breath hitched as the ground beneath her feet *shifted*, the stones rearranging themselves into a spiral, a path leading straight to the dark water. Nyx’s form flickered, their edges dissolving into smoke for a heartbeat before solidifying again, sharper, more defined. *“It’s reacting to the blade,”* Nyx said, voice tight. *“And the pendant.”* Rory’s fingers tightened around the hilt. The cold seeped into her palm, and for the first time, she didn’t hate it. She *understood*. This place was alive. Hungry. And it had *seen* them. Isolde stepped forward, her bare feet not so much touching the stones as *gliding* over them. *“The Veil is thin here,”* she said. *“Thinner than it’s been in centuries.”* She turned her head, and Rory realized with a jolt that the seer wasn’t looking at her. Not at Nyx. Not at the well. She was looking *beyond* them. Rory followed her gaze—and saw nothing. Just the trees, the stones, the endless dark of the well. But then, for the briefest moment, a flicker. A distortion in the air, like heat rising from pavement. The Veil. The barrier between worlds. Her stomach twisted. *“It’s tearing.”* Isolde’s lips curved, just slightly. *“Or unraveling.”* Nyx’s shadow stretched toward the well, their form wavering like a candle flame in a draft. *“We’re not supposed to be here,”* they said again, but this time, there was no fear in their voice. Only something sharper. Anticipation. *“But we are.”* Rory exhaled, slow and steady. She could feel the weight of the pendant now, pressing against her skin, warm as a brand. The blade in her hand felt lighter, as if it had been waiting for this moment. She took a step forward. The stones beneath her feet were cool, smooth, *alive*. The air thickened, pressing in around her like syrup. The well’s surface rippled, and for a heartbeat, she saw something in its depths—not a reflection, but a *place*. A sky the color of blood-orange amber. Vineyards stretching endlessly, orchards heavy with fruit that glowed like embers. The scent of spice and roasting meat filled her nose, rich and intoxicating. Dymas. Her breath hitched. She’d heard the stories—whispers of the Hel realms, of the sins made flesh. Gluttony wasn’t just a vice here. It was a *kingdom*. And she was standing at its door. Nyx’s hand found hers, their fingers cold as grave dirt. *“You don’t have to do this,”* they murmured. Rory met their gaze. The violet in their eyes was brighter now, almost painful to look at. *“Yes,”* she said. *“I do.”* Isolde’s voice cut through the tension, soft but unyielding. *“The choice was never yours to make.”* The well’s surface shimmered. The path of stones beneath their feet *pulled*, as if the earth itself was drawing them in. Rory’s pulse roared in her ears. She could turn back. She could run. But the pendant burned against her skin, and the blade in her hand felt *right*. She stepped onto the first stone. The world dissolved around her.
created_at"2026-02-20T19:58:25.5Z" 2/20/2026, 7:58:25 PM
model"mistralai/ministral-14b-2512"
app_id182717
external_user(null)
streamedtrue
cancelledfalse
latency1673
moderation_latency(null)
generation_time19948
tokens_prompt1590
tokens_completion1689
native_tokens_prompt1596
native_tokens_completion1519
native_tokens_completion_images(null)
native_tokens_reasoning0
native_tokens_cached320
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"
usage0.000623
router(null)
provider_responses
0
endpoint_id"0b53717b-9af5-4de3-80af-ebedd2adf981"
id"9ee91ce76480422496b67d15e228c813"
is_byokfalse
latency1454
model_permaslug"mistralai/ministral-14b-2512"
provider_name"Mistral"
status200
api_type"completions"
id"gen-1771617505-qYTxK7NeY1Ioe84JRTfO"
upstream_id"9ee91ce76480422496b67d15e228c813"
total_cost0.000623
cache_discount(null)
upstream_inference_cost0
provider_name"Mistral"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
57.14% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags14
adverbTagCount2
adverbTags
0"Isolde had only [only]"
1"they said again [again]"
dialogueSentences24
tagDensity0.583
leniency1
rawRatio0.143
effectiveRatio0.143
95.32% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount1069
totalAiIsmAdverbs1
found
0
adverb"slightly"
count1
highlights
0"slightly"
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)
6.45% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount1069
totalAiIsms20
found
0
word"pulse"
count2
1
word"unspoken"
count1
2
word"chill"
count2
3
word"unreadable"
count1
4
word"whisper"
count1
5
word"pulsed"
count1
6
word"flickered"
count1
7
word"flicker"
count1
8
word"stomach"
count1
9
word"unraveling"
count1
10
word"wavering"
count1
11
word"anticipation"
count1
12
word"could feel"
count1
13
word"weight"
count1
14
word"depths"
count1
15
word"grave"
count1
16
word"tension"
count1
17
word"shimmered"
count1
highlights
0"pulse"
1"unspoken"
2"chill"
3"unreadable"
4"whisper"
5"pulsed"
6"flickered"
7"flicker"
8"stomach"
9"unraveling"
10"wavering"
11"anticipation"
12"could feel"
13"weight"
14"depths"
15"grave"
16"tension"
17"shimmered"
100.00% Cliché density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches1
maxInWindow1
found
0
label"sent a shiver through"
count1
highlights
0"sent a chill down"
100.00% Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells0
narrationSentences96
matches(empty)
100.00% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount0
hedgeCount1
narrationSentences96
filterMatches(empty)
hedgeMatches
0"seemed to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences106
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen38
ratio0
matches(empty)
23.86% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans34
markdownWords93
totalWords1056
ratio0.088
matches
0"“The Grove does not welcome the unprepared.”"
1"“Trust the cold. It lies.”"
2"shift"
3"“No footprints,”"
4"“Not even hers.”"
5"“A mirror,”"
6"“And a door.”"
7"“It doesn’t want us here.”"
8"feel"
9"“You don’t ask,”"
10"“You listen.”"
11"moved"
12"shifted"
13"“It’s reacting to the blade,”"
14"“And the pendant.”"
15"understood"
16"seen"
17"gliding"
18"“The Veil is thin here,”"
19"“Thinner than it’s been in centuries.”"
20"beyond"
21"“It’s tearing.”"
22"“Or unraveling.”"
23"“We’re not supposed to be here,”"
24"“But we are.”"
25"alive"
26"place"
27"kingdom"
28"“You don’t have to do this,”"
29"“Yes,”"
30"“I do.”"
31"“The choice was never yours to make.”"
32"pulled"
33"right"
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions13
unquotedAttributions0
matches(empty)
77.54% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions37
wordCount966
uniqueNames9
maxNameDensity1.45
worstName"Rory"
maxWindowNameDensity2.5
worstWindowName"Rory"
discoveredNames
Rory14
Richmond1
Park1
Isolde9
Fae-forged1
Nyx8
Heartstone1
Veil1
Hel1
persons
0"Rory"
1"Isolde"
2"Nyx"
places
0"Richmond"
1"Park"
globalScore0.775
windowScore0.833
100.00% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences63
glossingSentenceCount1
matches
0"smelled like honey and damp earth when the"
10.61% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches2
per1kWords1.894
wordCount1056
matches
0"not supposed to be here,”* they said again, but this time, there was no fear in their voice"
1"not a reflection, but a *place*"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount0
totalSentences106
matches(empty)
100.00% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs35
mean30.17
std25.06
cv0.831
sampleLengths
054
170
225
342
471
511
679
775
818
97
1061
115
127
135
1467
1512
1633
1753
185
1941
205
217
2242
2338
245
2568
261
2726
287
2918
3022
3116
3249
336
345
94.30% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount3
totalSentences96
matches
0"been crouched"
1"been plucked"
2"been, stood"
26.84% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount4
totalVerbs154
matches
0"wasn’t looking"
1"was looking"
2"was standing"
3"was drawing"
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount11
semicolonCount0
flaggedSentences9
totalSentences106
ratio0.085
matches
0"One moment, she’d been crouched in the undergrowth of Richmond Park, the other—nothing."
1"They didn’t speak, but the way their violet eyes gleamed—almost hungry—made Rory’s skin prickle."
2"The metal was always like this—unnaturally chill, as if it had been plucked from the heart of a glacier."
3"Flowers bloomed in impossible colors—petals the shade of bruises, others striped like a tiger’s fur—and the air hummed with a sound just beyond hearing, like the vibration of a plucked string too high for mortal ears."
4"Not a well like any Rory had seen—no wooden bucket, no rotting rope."
5"She could *feel* it—the well’s resistance, like the push of a tide against her skin."
6"Rory followed her gaze—and saw nothing."
7"The well’s surface rippled, and for a heartbeat, she saw something in its depths—not a reflection, but a *place*."
8"She’d heard the stories—whispers of the Hel realms, of the sins made flesh."
94.78% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount979
adjectiveStacks0
stackExamples(empty)
adverbCount45
adverbRatio0.045965270684371805
lyAdverbCount9
lyAdverbRatio0.009193054136874362
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences106
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences106
mean9.96
std6.98
cv0.7
sampleLengths
025
113
24
312
427
515
614
714
825
913
1013
1116
1226
1319
146
154
1616
1711
1813
1936
2018
219
223
2317
2419
2513
2613
2713
289
299
304
313
329
3320
3415
3517
362
373
385
392
405
4114
4211
4325
4417
459
463
476
4815
492
43.40% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats9
diversityRatio0.3113207547169811
totalSentences106
uniqueOpeners33
100.00% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount3
totalSentences85
matches
0"Just the sudden, disorienting shift"
1"Just the trees, the stones,"
2"Only something sharper."
ratio0.035
100.00% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount20
totalSentences85
matches
0"She stumbled forward, fingers brushing"
1"They didn’t speak, but the"
2"she muttered, though she wasn’t"
3"She didn’t turn, but her"
4"She’d almost refused it at"
5"they murmured, more to themselves"
6"Their voice was barely a"
7"She could *feel* it—the well’s"
8"She turned her head, and"
9"She was looking *beyond* them."
10"Her stomach twisted."
11"they said again, but this"
12"She could feel the weight"
13"She took a step forward."
14"Her breath hitched."
15"She’d heard the stories—whispers of"
16"It was a *kingdom*."
17"She could turn back."
18"She could run."
19"She stepped onto the first"
ratio0.235
54.12% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount69
totalSentences85
matches
0"The air smelled like honey"
1"She stumbled forward, fingers brushing"
2"The bark was warm under"
3"Nyx moved beside her, their"
4"They didn’t speak, but the"
5"she muttered, though she wasn’t"
6"Isolde glided ahead, her silver"
7"She didn’t turn, but her"
8"The words hung between them,"
9"Rory adjusted the strap of"
10"The metal was always like"
11"She’d almost refused it at"
12"Weapons weren’t her thing."
13"The deeper they walked, the"
14"Flowers bloomed in impossible colors—petals"
15"Nyx reached out, their fingers"
16"they murmured, more to themselves"
17"Isolde paused at the edge"
18"The ground here was unnaturally"
19"This was a pit of"
ratio0.812
58.82% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount1
totalSentences85
matches
0"Now, Rory wasn’t sure if"
ratio0.012
100.00% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences41
technicalSentenceCount2
matches
0"Nyx’s form flickered, their edges dissolving into smoke for a heartbeat before solidifying again, sharper, more defined."
1"Vineyards stretching endlessly, orchards heavy with fruit that glowed like embers."
53.57% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags14
uselessAdditionCount2
matches
0"they murmured, more to themselves than anyone"
1"Nyx said, voice tight"
0.00% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags10
fancyCount4
fancyTags
0"she muttered (mutter)"
1"they murmured (murmur)"
2"Isolde interrupted (interrupt)"
3"they murmured (murmur)"
dialogueSentences24
tagDensity0.417
leniency0.833
rawRatio0.4
effectiveRatio0.333
73.2251%