A line from my story, just wanted to see what people think of it ~~

It felt like hours of him reading the map and her crouching in the shadows, perfectly still, trying not to breath.

It's from my wings of fire fanfic, lol :) 

"Shadows become the light / Here where the monsters hide"

It's from "Dance to Forget" by TryHardNinja, featuring Nina Zeitlin. In context and with the music it's really haunting, and is currently stuck in my head.

So uh.. sometimes I like to conjure up stories or scenerios with random characters I've made when I'm listening to songs. And here's a short story.. thing(?) with the inspiration of "Underground" by Cody Fry. The song gave me goosebumps and I couldn't resist a good writing session with the excuse of listening to the song on repeat.

I'd love it if someone gave constructive criticism to it! Or at least any opinions?

It is (kinda) my first time experimenting without any pure dialogue, so it might be a little shaky. Excuse any typos, I'm too tired to fix them. I don't know if I want to do something afterwards- Should I just end the story here?

Thank you for your time, and thank you for reading it if you did! 

-

Eris blinked her eyes open, sitting up from her previous lying position. She looked around at her surroundings, seeing absolutely nothing but pitch black. Confused, she instead attempted to listen, yet there was nothing.

She had honestly started doubting she had even opened her eyes.

Eris called out nothing in particular, just a simple confused greeting. She heard nothing but a simple echo, her voice bouncing off of the darkened walls. The area she was in kept repeating her previous greeting, slowly fading away.

The dark surrounding her made her uncomfortable. Where was she? Had she just been sleeping an in an endless dream? Had anything been around her?

She started to hear a rapid heartbeat, seemingly coming from her own chest. She heaved out a large breath. Her heart felt like it was locked up in chains. She felt like there were butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

All Eris wanted to do was to go home to see her partner and eat and drink, but instead the darkness restricted her from doing so.

She hesitantly stood up, bracing herself up with her almost limp legs. She continued looking around, trying to make out at least a speck of light.

Nothing.

Just as she was about to call out to the eternal darkness again, she heard a mechanical whistle. The sound seemed familiar.

Whipping her head around to try to find the source of the noise, Eris still saw nothing but the surrounding darkness. Instead of giving up, she motivated herself, insisting that she was going to make it out.

Eris took a deep breath, letting all of her fears slowly ease out of her body and into the pitch black. It was almost like the darkness wanted her fear. She heard a small whisper, convincing her to continue along. Instead of backing down in fear, she stood firmly and decided she was going to continue.

Taking another deep breath, she stood a step in a general direction. On her left and right sounded like they were made of metal, her sneakers accidentally ramming into it, the noise then echoing.

It was odd. Why was there metal running so far down? What was it for? Was it a pipeline?

Flinching, Eris heard the same mechanical whistle she had heard previously. Somehow it seemed louder.. closer.. Almost too close.

A bright flash of light blinded her for a short while. She defensively threw her arms in front of her face in an attempt to block out the blinding light. Once quickly coming back to her senses, Eris realized where she stood.

The train tracks. An underground train track.

The light began growing, getting closer and closer. The whistling of the horn got louder, almost even deafening.

Eris panicked, looking to both of her sides. She couldn't go anywhere. The walls of the underground train tracks prevented her from stepping off to the side, and even if she tried to run, she knew she wouldn't get very far.

Along with the glowing light and the whistle of the horn, the ground began to shake. It first started off mild, yet it still made Eris's bloos run cold. It progressively shook even more, the train quickly approaching. Even if the conductor had seen Eris, it was too late to hit brakes.

And that's when she saw it. The train. The light was in her face, blinding her. The light got closer, closer, and closer.

.

And white. Pure white obscured her vision. It felt as if Eris herself was floating in the sky, free from gravity pulling her down. She felt like she had been released from a cage she had been locked in, stretching her wings and flying out to freedom.

Everything flashed before her eyes, memories from Eris's life rolling like a tape. After it wrapped up, she was met with a particular scene. A familiar figure.

They has stood somberly over a grave, holding a bouquet of white calla lilies. Their light olive green eyes had a sad look to them, yet their mouth was quirked upwards into a bitter and miserable smile.

Alya.

Her soft light brown hair was pulled up into two neat braids, joining together in a loose bun. She was dressed in dark formal clothes. Tears stained her light freckled face. She wore white satin gloves, the same gloves Eris had given her on their first date together.

Next to Alya stood her younger brother, Azrael. He wore a simple black and white suit, and in his hands was a white parasol that had been gifted to Alya on her first birthday she and Eris spent together as a couple.

Alya set down the bouquet of calla lilies, giving a small smile once she stood back up. It was a genuine smile. The same smile one would have when they finally let go.

She offered one last somber look before turning away, taking the lace parasol from Azrael's hands and opening it. The two connected hands, giving each other a comforting and reassuring squeeze.

Eris watched Alya walk away, silent tears still streaming down her beautiful face. She attempted to call out for her partner, yet Alya didn't turn back. She continued to walk away. Eris tried running after her, but Alya was seemingly getting farther and farther away.

Eris spared a glance down at what Alya was crying at. Staring at the ground, it suddenly hit her.

Eris A. Vespera, Beloved Partner and Daughter, XXXX-XXXX 

Back with some more prompts! 

But first! A suggestion to listen to "Nothing but Free" by Halfy and Winks! It's soooo good, and basically all of the lyrics are incredibly powerful and could be applied/borrowed/repurposed for some of your own works.

Now then, for some of my own ponderings:

> "I wonder how long it'll be before I become that[/a] monster"

> "Maybe it's because... Because I want to believe that there's something there. That people are redeemable, that there is still something worth saving in humanity." 

     >> Bonus: "Maybe I'm terrified by the thought that there might not be anything there, and will fight tooth and nail to blind myself to that avenue. To convince myself that it isn't true -- that there is hope, that it isn't nearly as bad as it seems. And that it'll stay that way, even if it leads to my undoing." 

> "Who is a true 'monster' in a world of "humans" like these?"

> An older sibling who quietly(almost forlornly) watches on while their parent showers a younger/the youngest with affection/etc. And in between exchanged words in the background, have them flashing back to when they were younger, and the parents doing the opposite for them. [Ex. the younger picks put the same coloured coat, the elder had once done years earlier, but instead of telling them "Oh, it looks amazing! It'll be perfect on you!" like they do with the younger one, they had told them to quit being a bother, and to put it back, etc.]

> A person destined/prophesied to be 'the hero,' but who actually ends up turning/becoming 'evil' and unintentionally(?) creates/creates a need for 'the true hero'

     >> Bonus: After defeating the villain(formerly alleged to be 'the hero'), the hero spends a quiet moment at 'the hero'/villain's grave, and sadly & respectfully looks at it (maybe bowing or crying over it). They softly hum the tune of 'the hero's song'(Bonus-bonus if the 'true hero' was shown creating that song earlier on throughout their journey) as a sour wind mournfully tugs at their hair. Their thoughts: "It was necessary for someone to become the villain in order to raise up a hero. You took up the role by yourself. I am grateful. Still... There must have been- Been a better way?"/etc. [Think a kind of Lelouch+Suzaku situation, but you can come up with your own backstory for why the hero knows the villain/about their plan. Maybe they were best friends beforehand, or came to know each other in the times they spent together/fought against each other, or maybe before/after killing the villain the 'true hero' found their diary or something, etc.]

That's all for now, thanks for perusing! Ciao~ 

Oja's eyes fixated on the boned-coloured spires that pierced through the canopy ahead.

A music box within her mind slowly began to chime, the nearly-audible creaking old wood and scraping metal bits lost to her as each note struck, ringing tightly, and not just in her head. She shook it off and stepped into a clearing. The castle before her stood stark; noble and pearly against a sky of fading twilightish pinks and oranges which were soon tinged with a hint of blue.

The haunting toothpick-dance continued, burrowing ever-so-slightly deeper with each step onwards as the colour was slowly wrung from the sky. It was still bright, and the mellow colours only accentuated the pristine, lonely nature of the castle.

A voice somewhere in the depths of Oja's chest tugged at her heartstrings, the silence seemingly too much to bear. It vibrated, heavy and unsung in the cavity of her chest, as if begging to be released and eased of its viscosity. Oja's lips parted as her feet met the cold, glossy stretch that surfaced the unblemished white courtyard. Like a milky lake, it reflected every smooth movement and star opening its bright eye in the dimming sky's blush.

Her white dress fluttered behind her on a gentle gale in time with the swell of music, giving her the appearance of gliding like a swan-fairy as she drew yet nearer. 

A soft hum escaped her lips, pouring over the unfolding scene and preserving it in clear resin; swallowing up everything and coating it in a protective layer, making every moment smoother and every surface clearer and shinier.

Pink had completely overtaken the sky, and purple crept yet deeper towards the heart of the sky. Oja now stood at the castle's gates. 

The empty structure echoed with nothing but silence and the hum emitting from her. It sent shivers down her spine and stayed; trickling, dripping -- counting down towards… Well, something. 

The doors loomed, tall and innocent of human touch or age, yet simultaneously appearing ancient and arcane. Oja gingerly reached a hand out to the barrier. At that instant, the voice inside gushed into a haunting melody, pricked by the strums of a harp and piano now, in addition to the music box. It rose, cradling every sense and holding hostage the girl's every thought, coaxing Oja's own voice to spring free and flit over the castle's spires; swooping and scaling its sky-poking towers and chiseled walls.

All at once, Oja's hand met the doors and they groaned as they swept open at her touch, allowing her into the noiseless white atrium. The music fell to a stop, dousing her in cold water. 

Yes, she could feel the cold nibbling at her fingers and toes-- straggling across her skin like a silk veil. It shocked her awake, broke the Illusion and cloaked everything in the shattered fragments of silence. All the same, the music-box rang a crystal-clear pair of sombre notes, then another, and then Oja's head was clouded with song again. Her voice, clear as a bell and covered in haze at the wisped ends, like mist upon the mountains upon the morning light, lilted on, mirroring the voice hidden beneath her ribs.

She tread onwards, like a ghost; aimless, but unable to be drawn away from the path her feet knew too well. They slid over the polished tiles lined in blue crystal, through corridors and arches no one person should ever have known, past seemingly endless walls of mirrors and windows. The rose-coloured sky, veined with purple and black poison, streamed in through in thin rays, dyeing the pearly interior a much more sinister shade. The shifting reddish aura was only further exacerbated by this wanderer's song.

Oja's feet padded to a halt at the very end of the long hall, draped in shadow. A single carved pedestal stood against the wall, holding a white box. Oja's fingers ran over the box, and found the gold latch. In a moment, the mirror inside was revealed. The wanderer lifted it from its velvet bed and cradled it, moving to the heart of the bleached palace. 

The core of the castle sat undisturbed, even more so than the rest of the palace. Its corners crept with blue-violet shadows, and the entire room was heavy with nightishness. There, in the darkness, lie a round pedestal with an open book and a withering rose. Oja gently placed the mirror there, looking into the blackened reflection. 

Suddenly she was in the forest. She glanced up, eyes focusing on the staring ebony spires that pierced through the canopy ahead and sliced into the pinkish-orange sky.

A music-box within her mind slowly began to chime, and she didn't even notice the near-audible sound of splinting wood and grating metal as crisp notes rang clearly and tightly from within. 

The light once more began to retreat to the horizon, and Oja slowly made her way towards the Night-soaked castle. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Heavily influenced by "White Castle" by Halfy and Winks.

It's a great, really pretty song with a haunting melody and beautiful lyrics! I'd very much recommend giving it a listen, especially if you're wondering about the inspiration of this li'l short, or want to hear a new calm but gorgeous song!

You're free to use any of these! Change around as you want.

~ 

-Green, shimmery, and much more trouble than it's worth.

-"Here's what I remember. If you really must know."

-Deep in space, two characters are supposed to be working together. But the truth is, they're only fighting. And unbeknownst to them, their ship is falling apart...

-Each character looks guilty. Only one knows who it is. But they have every incentive to hide, because the crime was truly unspeakable. They ate the last piece of cake 0_o

-A character who has known their future from birth finds out that everything they knew about their future is a lie.

-They didn't have a choice; that's the only reason anyone would go there.

-If you knew the real me, you would know I can't be trusted.

-<A> glanced between <B> and <C>. Deep in their heart, they knew that choosing the one they truly wanted would cause only despair. And yet it beckoned.
It could be the answer to all their problems.

-Every teacher in an entire magic school disappears, leaving the students stranded in a place they can't control.

-They came from the west, yelling about a kraken.  

From a Conversation I had today: 

~Saying "we are always smelling" is a lot less intimidating than "we are always listinening" 

But "we are always watching" is even scarier.~

> Words that slash at A, ripping into their very being, while B (who's uttering the words, and wants to see A coming apart) cannot see any changes in A, so they keep on saying worse and worse things, until A goes off on their own to shatter. Neither get/got what they wanted from this story.

> "[(S)he's/they're/etc.] always with us, whether we like it or not."

> Comfort-drabble with two girls; A is shier and gentler and a tad of a push-over, nice + all that; B is a bit cold to almost everyone with the exception of A, is a bit of a tomboy and absolutely dotes on A in their own soft-but-not-showy way. Maybe it could be a more soft, quotidian scene/story.

> A cool, young 'boss' adventurer girl and the tales of her journeys/interactions with those she helps (I personally envisioned it as a sort of typical'ish fantasy world, actually pretty similar to the ambiance of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Hyrule/world, but you amazing people can take it in whatever direction you wish)

> Steampunk'ish nonsense plot. Mostly focused on a small cast of characters and their growth/interactions 

> Ship in a Bottle by Steffan Argus -inspired story

You float, shining--

Etereal--

While I become the

hideous

monster of our story.