Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ94W835EWDFERFNG2EYCBZ9

Run Details

Duration:
21.0s
Cost:
$0.002622
Provider:
Google AI Studio

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
The air didn't just change; it *shattered*. One moment, Rory felt the familiar crispness of autumn London, the next, a profound static seized her lungs, drawing the breath out with a silent, sucking gale. Her fingers clamped around the silver chain of the Heartstone Pendant, its crimson gem pulsing with a frantic, internal warmth against her palm. It wasn't the gentle throb she felt near stray Hel portals; this was a frantic, insistent beat, like a captured bird attempting escape. Beside her, Nyx’s humanoid silhouette shimmered, a ripple in existence rather than solid form, their faint violet glow deepening as they flowed forward, unhindered by the unseen barrier Rory had just wrestled with. "They are here," Nyx’s voice whispered, a sound like dry leaves skittering across ancient flagstones. Rory swallowed, her throat dry. “*They*? Who, Nyx?” Nyx didn't answer, simply melted through the hazy, invisible membrane that seemed to part for them. Rory forced her own legs forward, the scratchy wool of her coat snagging on something unseen, something that felt both sharp and yielding. She pushed past it, stumbling onto ground that didn’t lie flat. It wasn't mud, nor stone, nor grass, but a springy, moss-like carpet that glowed with its own faint, inner luminescence, tracing intricate, bioluminescent patterns underfoot. Before her, the world unfurled like a tapestry woven by an alien god. Towering trees, their bark like polished obsidian, twisted towards a sky that was less a sky and more a swirling nebula of soft, amethyst light. Stars might have pulsed within it, or perhaps they were the eyes of unseen creatures. Lumina-lilies, their petals like delicately crafted stained glass, bloomed in impossible clusters, shedding a light that shifted from soft blues to vibrant greens, painting the perpetual twilight in hues Arthur would have found in his wildest dreams. The air hummed, not with insects, but with a subtle, harmonic vibration that vibrated in Rory’s very bones, smelling faintly of ozone, honeysuckle, and something sharp and metallic, like spilled blood mixed with honey. This was Isolde’s grove, a place that existed, as much as any place could, between realms. She reached down, her fingers brushing against a broad, leaf-like structure that unfurled at her touch, revealing a surface like polished lapis lazuli. It wasn't a plant, not really, but some living manifestation of the grove’s strange magic. Her gaze drifted to the Heartstone Pendant again. It was thrumming a rapid staccato now, its warmth blooming into a low-level heat that seeped through her glove. It certainly wasn't an ordinary artifact. "This place… it feels old," Rory murmured, her voice sounding strangely flat against the grove's pervasive hum. She glanced at Nyx, who had stilled near a cluster of what looked like crystalline fungi, their forms constantly shifting, reforming like smoke in a perverse breeze. "Older than your counting," Nyx replied, their shadow-like form drawing in closer to the strange growths. "Older than the roots of your world, perhaps." Rory ran a hand over the surface of her Fae-Forged Blade, a slender, leaf-shaped dagger tucked into the worn leather of her boot. Its moonsilver felt unnaturally cold, a persistent chill that seemed to draw heat from her fingertips even through the thick material of her boot. Isolde called it a gift, a weapon meant for more than just mortal steel. Around them, the impossibly colourful flora pulsed, each bloom a miniature sun. One flower, resembling a bell made of spun moonbeams, chimed softly as a shadow passed over it, the sound clear and pure, yet utterly foreign. "Where do we go?" Rory asked, her eyes scanning the labyrinthine path ahead, where the obsidian trees grew thicker, their branches laced with glowing ethereal fungi that cast dancing, skeletal shadows. The ground sloped gently downwards, leading deeper into the heart of this alien biome. Nyx flowed back towards her, their form solidifying slightly, becoming more defined, though still entirely a silhouette. "The Oracle awaits. Drawn by your presence. Drawn by the whispers you carry." "Whispers? I don't hear anything." "You listen with your ears." Nyx extended a shadowy hand, not quite touching Rory, but indicating the space around them. "This realm speaks in vibrations. In shifts of light. In the taste of the air, that carries the sorrow of millennia." Rory took a hesitant step forward, her boots sinking slightly into the glowing moss, leaving brief, fading imprints. She noticed for the first time that Nyx’s passage left no disturbance at all; they moved as if the very air yielded space for them. Her crescent scar throbbed faintly on her left wrist, a phantom ache that often accompanied her dives into the uncanny. She pulled her glove tighter. They followed a winding path that seemed to unfold before them as they walked, the trees pressing closer. The amethyst sky bled into deeper violets and bruised indigos, the nebula within swirling with a more urgent pace. The luminescence of the flora intensified, illuminating strange, twisting structures that clung to the tree trunks, resembling intricate glass sculptures of impossible complexity. One vine, draped like a silken rope, dripped tiny droplets of pure, liquid light that evaporated before they hit what passed for the ground. "Isolde spoke of this place," Rory said, her voice a low murmur that struggled against the grove’s pervasive, melodic hum. "A pocket between worlds. She said time moves… differently." "Time is a river here," Nyx replied. "It pools, it flows backwards, it leaps ahead. Observe." Rory followed Nyx's vague gesture. A small, delicate flower, no bigger than her thumb, bloomed before them, its petals unfurling in a rapid succession of vibrant colour. Then, as Rory watched, it slowly folded itself back in on itself, the colours draining until it was a tightly closed bud, only to bloom again, only to fold. The cycle repeated, a frantic pulse of life and death played out in mere seconds. "Remarkable," Rory breathed, a genuine sense of wonder overriding her apprehension. This was beyond anything she’d imagined when Eva had first pulled her into the clandestine world of London's hidden magical underbelly. This was raw, untamed power. The trees thinned again, revealing a clearing unlike the one they’d entered. In its centre stood a single, colossal oak, ancient and gnarled, its branches reaching not upwards, but outwards, a silent sentinel over this strange domain. Around its base, runes carved into the living bark pulsed with a faint, golden light – the ancient oak standing stones Isolde had mentioned. The air here was thick, almost viscous, and the hum of the grove sharpened into a complex symphony of chimes and whispers. Standing before the oak, her silver hair cascading like moonlight down her back, was Isolde Varga. Her form seemed to shimmer at the edges, as if she were incompletely tethered to this plane. Her pale lavender eyes fixed on Rory, and a faint, enigmatic smile touched her lips. She didn't appear to have aged a day since Rory had last seen her, though many seasons had passed. “The child who carries the ember and the echo,” Isolde’s voice chimed, carrying the resonance of ancient bells. “You arrive. The Veil thins, and currents from below stir the restless Fae.” Rory clutched the Heartstone Pendant instinctively, its warmth a small comfort against the chill radiating from Isolde’s presence. “We followed the whispers, Isolde. You said you had urgent visions.” “Visions are threads, not tapestries,” Isolde replied, her gaze sweeping over Nyx, who had positioned themselves silently behind Rory, a sentinel of shifting shadow. “And yours are tangled. The heartstone you wear pulses with infernal heat. Not Hel, not directly, but a resonance. A betrayal across dimensions.” Rory felt a prickle of unease crawl up her spine. “Who gave it to me?” “A ghost with a grand design, perhaps. Or a fox with a double-headed coin. The threads are murky. But the stone knows the scent of those who dwell where shadows bleed.” Isolde’s eyes flicked to the Fae-Forged Blade tucked into Rory’s boot. “And the blade you carry remembers its own old wars. It remembers when the blood of the pure and the blood of the damned mingled freely in the twilight.” A sudden, sharp discordance cut through the grove’s symphony. The glowing moss underfoot flickered, then died in patches. The lumina-lilies dimmed, their colours paling to grey. From the deeper shadows of the obsidian forest, a sound arose – a series of sharp, rasping clicks, accompanied by a low growl that seemed to scrape against reality itself. The air grew colder, the metallic tang of blood intensifying. "Rory." Nyx's voice was no longer a whisper, but a sharp hiss, their form recoiling. "The Veil… here… it is not just thinning. It is *torn*." Rory drew the Fae-Forged Blade, its moonsilver catching the dimming light. The constant cold seeped into her hand, a stark contrast to the rising heat of the Heartstone Pendant around her neck. The clicks grew louder, closer, and the amorphous shapes began to coalesce in the periphery of her vision – hunched, predatory forms moving with unnatural speed, their eyes burning with a hungry, malevolent light. "What is it?" Rory demanded, instinctively positioning herself between Isolde and whatever was emerging from the wood. She could feel movement behind her now, too; something not part of Nyx’s spectral form. Isolde didn't flinch; her gaze remained fixed on the encroaching darkness. "The whispers you heard, child. They were not merely calls for aid. They were alarms. You have walked into a snare, both Fae and… other. The Heartstone… it *screamed*." The first of the creatures lunged from the shadows, a hulking, clawed monstrosity with too many jointed limbs and a maw that split open to reveal rows of needle-like teeth. It moved with a speed that defied its bulky form, a blur of claws and darkness, directly for Rory.
created_at"2026-02-25T00:58:39.597Z" 2/25/2026, 12:58:39 AM
model"google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite"
app_id182717
external_user(null)
streamedtrue
cancelledfalse
latency1270
moderation_latency(null)
generation_time20919
tokens_prompt5338
tokens_completion3917
native_tokens_prompt5247
native_tokens_completion5244
native_tokens_completion_images0
native_tokens_reasoning3032
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"
usage0.0026223
router(null)
provider_responses
0
endpoint_id"ce839073-aa24-4f29-8358-15b319bd05ec"
is_byokfalse
latency1270
model_permaslug"google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite"
provider_name"Google AI Studio"
status200
api_type"completions"
id"gen-1771981119-XHKUSTT25sUa4FT0dyyL"
upstream_id(null)
total_cost0.0026223
cache_discount(null)
upstream_inference_cost0
provider_name"Google AI Studio"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
100.00% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags13
adverbTagCount0
adverbTags(empty)
dialogueSentences27
tagDensity0.481
leniency0.963
rawRatio0
effectiveRatio0
69.38% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount1633
totalAiIsmAdverbs10
found
0
adverb"very"
count2
1
adverb"really"
count1
2
adverb"softly"
count1
3
adverb"utterly"
count1
4
adverb"gently"
count1
5
adverb"slightly"
count2
6
adverb"slowly"
count1
7
adverb"tightly"
count1
highlights
0"very"
1"really"
2"softly"
3"utterly"
4"gently"
5"slightly"
6"slowly"
7"tightly"
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)
0.00% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount1633
totalAiIsms47
found
0
word"shattered"
count1
1
word"familiar"
count1
2
word"profound"
count1
3
word"warmth"
count3
4
word"throb"
count1
5
word"shimmered"
count1
6
word"tracing"
count1
7
word"intricate"
count2
8
word"tapestry"
count1
9
word"pulsed"
count3
10
word"vibrated"
count1
11
word"structure"
count1
12
word"crystalline"
count1
13
word"chill"
count2
14
word"scanning"
count1
15
word"dancing"
count1
16
word"throbbed"
count1
17
word"uncanny"
count1
18
word"pulse"
count1
19
word"remarkable"
count1
20
word"sense of"
count1
21
word"apprehension"
count1
22
word"clandestine"
count1
23
word"sentinel"
count2
24
word"complex"
count1
25
word"symphony"
count2
26
word"cascading"
count1
27
word"enigmatic"
count1
28
word"echo"
count1
29
word"resonance"
count2
30
word"flicked"
count1
31
word"flickered"
count1
32
word"whisper"
count1
33
word"stark"
count1
34
word"could feel"
count1
35
word"spectral"
count1
36
word"hulking"
count1
37
word"maw"
count1
highlights
0"shattered"
1"familiar"
2"profound"
3"warmth"
4"throb"
5"shimmered"
6"tracing"
7"intricate"
8"tapestry"
9"pulsed"
10"vibrated"
11"structure"
12"crystalline"
13"chill"
14"scanning"
15"dancing"
16"throbbed"
17"uncanny"
18"pulse"
19"remarkable"
20"sense of"
21"apprehension"
22"clandestine"
23"sentinel"
24"complex"
25"symphony"
26"cascading"
27"enigmatic"
28"echo"
29"resonance"
30"flicked"
31"flickered"
32"whisper"
33"stark"
34"could feel"
35"spectral"
36"hulking"
37"maw"
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
narrationSentences78
matches
0"felt a prickle"
14.65% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount0
hedgeCount7
narrationSentences78
filterMatches(empty)
hedgeMatches
0"seemed to"
1"appear to"
2"began to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences92
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen44
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans4
markdownWords4
totalWords1636
ratio0.002
matches
0"shattered"
1"They"
2"torn"
3"screamed"
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions11
unquotedAttributions0
matches(empty)
50.00% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions69
wordCount1366
uniqueNames13
maxNameDensity1.68
worstName"Rory"
maxWindowNameDensity3.5
worstWindowName"Rory"
discoveredNames
Rory23
London2
Heartstone4
Pendant4
Hel1
Nyx13
Arthur1
Isolde10
Fae-Forged3
Blade3
Eva1
Varga1
One3
persons
0"Rory"
1"Nyx"
2"Arthur"
3"Isolde"
4"Blade"
5"Eva"
places
0"London"
1"Heartstone"
2"Fae-Forged"
globalScore0.658
windowScore0.5
0.00% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences73
glossingSentenceCount6
matches
0"membrane that seemed to part for them"
1"looked like crystalline fungi, their form"
2"chill that seemed to draw heat from her fingertips even through the thick material of her boot"
3"not quite touching Rory, but indicating the space around them"
4"path that seemed to unfold before them as they walked, the trees pressing closer"
5"growl that seemed to scrape against reality itself"
0.00% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches6
per1kWords3.667
wordCount1636
matches
0"not with insects, but with a subtle, harmonic vibration"
1"not really, but some living manifestation of the grove’s strange magic"
2"not quite touching Rory, but indicating the space around them"
3"not upwards, but outwards, a silent sentinel over this strange domain"
4"Not Hel, not directly, but a resonance"
5"not directly, but a resonance"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount0
totalSentences92
matches(empty)
100.00% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs32
mean51.13
std30.97
cv0.606
sampleLengths
0113
115
28
375
4140
571
644
724
898
945
1030
115
1241
1368
1484
1529
1616
1771
1837
1983
2067
2131
2229
2347
2415
2571
2666
2726
2866
2932
3040
3149
100.00% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount0
totalSentences78
matches(empty)
100.00% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount1
totalVerbs224
matches
0"was thrumming"
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount3
semicolonCount5
flaggedSentences8
totalSentences92
ratio0.087
matches
0"The air didn't just change; it *shattered*."
1"It wasn't the gentle throb she felt near stray Hel portals; this was a frantic, insistent beat, like a captured bird attempting escape."
2"She noticed for the first time that Nyx’s passage left no disturbance at all; they moved as if the very air yielded space for them."
3"Around its base, runes carved into the living bark pulsed with a faint, golden light – the ancient oak standing stones Isolde had mentioned."
4"From the deeper shadows of the obsidian forest, a sound arose – a series of sharp, rasping clicks, accompanied by a low growl that seemed to scrape against reality itself."
5"The clicks grew louder, closer, and the amorphous shapes began to coalesce in the periphery of her vision – hunched, predatory forms moving with unnatural speed, their eyes burning with a hungry, malevolent light."
6"She could feel movement behind her now, too; something not part of Nyx’s spectral form."
7"Isolde didn't flinch; her gaze remained fixed on the encroaching darkness."
78.04% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount1370
adjectiveStacks3
stackExamples
0"own faint, inner luminescence,"
1"slender, leaf-shaped dagger"
2"illuminating strange, twisting structures"
adverbCount61
adverbRatio0.04452554744525548
lyAdverbCount26
lyAdverbRatio0.01897810218978102
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences92
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences92
mean17.78
std8.22
cv0.463
sampleLengths
07
127
223
323
433
515
65
73
816
923
1011
1125
1213
1325
1415
1537
1634
1716
1823
1915
208
2119
226
2317
2427
2516
268
2723
2824
2914
3012
3125
3231
3314
3417
3513
365
3720
3821
3918
4025
4120
425
4318
4419
4523
4624
4720
489
497
51.09% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats8
diversityRatio0.358695652173913
totalSentences92
uniqueOpeners33
43.29% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount1
totalSentences77
matches
0"Then, as Rory watched, it"
ratio0.013
100.00% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount20
totalSentences77
matches
0"Her fingers clamped around the"
1"It wasn't the gentle throb"
2"She pushed past it, stumbling"
3"It wasn't mud, nor stone,"
4"She reached down, her fingers"
5"It wasn't a plant, not"
6"Her gaze drifted to the"
7"It was thrumming a rapid"
8"It certainly wasn't an ordinary"
9"She glanced at Nyx, who"
10"Its moonsilver felt unnaturally cold,"
11"She noticed for the first"
12"Her crescent scar throbbed faintly"
13"She pulled her glove tighter."
14"They followed a winding path"
15"Her form seemed to shimmer"
16"Her pale lavender eyes fixed"
17"She didn't appear to have"
18"She could feel movement behind"
19"It moved with a speed"
ratio0.26
37.92% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount65
totalSentences77
matches
0"The air didn't just change;"
1"Her fingers clamped around the"
2"It wasn't the gentle throb"
3"Nyx’s voice whispered, a sound"
4"Rory swallowed, her throat dry."
5"Nyx didn't answer, simply melted"
6"Rory forced her own legs"
7"She pushed past it, stumbling"
8"It wasn't mud, nor stone,"
9"Stars might have pulsed within"
10"Lumina-lilies, their petals like delicately"
11"The air hummed, not with"
12"This was Isolde’s grove, a"
13"She reached down, her fingers"
14"It wasn't a plant, not"
15"Her gaze drifted to the"
16"It was thrumming a rapid"
17"It certainly wasn't an ordinary"
18"Rory murmured, her voice sounding"
19"She glanced at Nyx, who"
ratio0.844
64.94% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount1
totalSentences77
matches
0"Before her, the world unfurled"
ratio0.013
0.00% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences55
technicalSentenceCount16
matches
0"Rory forced her own legs forward, the scratchy wool of her coat snagging on something unseen, something that felt both sharp and yielding."
1"It wasn't mud, nor stone, nor grass, but a springy, moss-like carpet that glowed with its own faint, inner luminescence, tracing intricate, bioluminescent patte…"
2"Towering trees, their bark like polished obsidian, twisted towards a sky that was less a sky and more a swirling nebula of soft, amethyst light."
3"Lumina-lilies, their petals like delicately crafted stained glass, bloomed in impossible clusters, shedding a light that shifted from soft blues to vibrant gree…"
4"The air hummed, not with insects, but with a subtle, harmonic vibration that vibrated in Rory’s very bones, smelling faintly of ozone, honeysuckle, and somethin…"
5"She reached down, her fingers brushing against a broad, leaf-like structure that unfurled at her touch, revealing a surface like polished lapis lazuli."
6"It was thrumming a rapid staccato now, its warmth blooming into a low-level heat that seeped through her glove."
7"She glanced at Nyx, who had stilled near a cluster of what looked like crystalline fungi, their forms constantly shifting, reforming like smoke in a perverse br…"
8"Its moonsilver felt unnaturally cold, a persistent chill that seemed to draw heat from her fingertips even through the thick material of her boot."
9"Nyx flowed back towards her, their form solidifying slightly, becoming more defined, though still entirely a silhouette."
10"Rory took a hesitant step forward, her boots sinking slightly into the glowing moss, leaving brief, fading imprints."
11"The luminescence of the flora intensified, illuminating strange, twisting structures that clung to the tree trunks, resembling intricate glass sculptures of imp…"
12"One vine, draped like a silken rope, dripped tiny droplets of pure, liquid light that evaporated before they hit what passed for the ground."
13"From the deeper shadows of the obsidian forest, a sound arose – a series of sharp, rasping clicks, accompanied by a low growl that seemed to scrape against real…"
14"The clicks grew louder, closer, and the amorphous shapes began to coalesce in the periphery of her vision – hunched, predatory forms moving with unnatural speed…"
15"It moved with a speed that defied its bulky form, a blur of claws and darkness, directly for Rory."
9.62% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags13
uselessAdditionCount3
matches
0"Nyx’s voice whispered, a sound like dry leaves skittering across ancient flagstones"
1"Rory murmured, her voice sounding strangely flat against the grove's pervasive hum"
2"Nyx extended, not quite touching Rory, but indicating the space around them"
0.00% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags10
fancyCount5
fancyTags
0"Nyx’s voice whispered (whisper)"
1"Rory murmured (murmur)"
2"Rory breathed (breathe)"
3"Isolde’s voice chimed (chime)"
4"Rory demanded (demand)"
dialogueSentences27
tagDensity0.37
leniency0.741
rawRatio0.5
effectiveRatio0.37
63.9641%