7/10/2024

9/16/2025 2:11 PM

317

3

0 wins / 0 losses

Warden

Don't get distracted!

The target has been decided. The deadline has been set. All that is left is for you, Adam Finch, assassin extraordinaire, to execute your mission. Success is inevitable. Because you are weapon made flesh, and nothing will stop you from completing your mis- Oh! Look! A story-game!!

There are 5 endings: 'Double kill', 'War in the shadows', 'Retiree rescue', 'Kiss of death' and 'Who let him cook?!'.

Submitted for End Master's Prompt Contest 4 for the prompt of: 'A story involving being an assassin'

Ignis and Aero

Aero, a 14-year-old inhabitant of the village of Albritton, wants nothing more than to read his enthralling storybooks in peace. When he hears of a Golem wandering in the forests near his village, he is more than happy to let the professionals deal with it, while staying within the comfort of his home.

Unfortunately for him, his adventurous brother, Ignis, has other plans.

Author's note: If you want to collect all endings, then there are six of them: The Wise, The Mourner, The Cleaner, The Knight, The Skeptic and The Magician. Certain choices don't have immediate effects but may influence the endings. Also, certain endings can be reached through multiple different paths.

Submitted for Sherbet's Summer's End Synergy Contest.

Special thanks to mrcrimsonclean for proof reading :]

Of dreams and daemons

Most would be willing to trade a great deal to catch a glimpse of what the future holds. Hannah de Reade, however, has spent her time in Lumintrone ignoring the omens that she sees in her prophetic dreams. All she wanted was some semblance of normalcy.

But when her dreams warn her of a daemonic plot, she is compelled to act against it, leading her to be invited as an honored guest to the Imperial Castle.

However, in a court filled with dark secrets, are her eyes that can pierce through fallacies truly a gift or a curse? You will have to take Hannah's side and guide her through this ordeal that will forever change her fate.

And perhaps you will change the fate of Lumina itself in the process.

---

Author's note: There are nine endings. I highly recommend reaching multiple endings since you may not be able to experience the entirety of the plot with one read. While they are not central to the story, I should also warn that themes of domestic abuse and graphic violence are present in it.

Not really, just wanted to pop in and appreciate the use of repetition. Though now that you mention it, I do notice that you mention the brother was shot. In the last paragraph, however, you say the brother had his life pounded out of him. It seems like a bit of an inconsistency.

Hmm, if it's based on a real story then it probably wouldn't be a good idea to change the story as I said. It's fine as is.

I really liked the first two paragraphs. The repetition drives home the familiarity of the narrator to the streets while also subtly indicating the trapped state of his mind, unable to move forward. The last paragraph uses the same structure to hammer the point home with great effect. Very cool.

The third paragraph, however, is where the story veers straight into cliche land. Now, I've always been of the belief that cliches are just tried and tested story structures. They are popular because they set up for good stories. That being said, it's extremely hard to thrill someone with a story they've heard a million times before. That's why I always recommend subverting expectations with your plot if you are going to start with a cliche. In this case, the story kind of went exactly like I predicted which didn't feel very fun.

Just as an example, imagine if the narrator rushed the man trying to attack his brother and he was the one who ended up getting shot. The guy who made all the right decisions getting killed by the first wrong decision he made would've been a nice way to subvert the cliche while also introducing a fair bit of irony when the reader realizes that they are reading the narrator's final thoughts. It would also make his love for his brother stand out a lot more.

Anyway, that's all I've got. Your use of repetition was great stuff. I hope to see more of your work! :]

Would you rather be well-liked and respected by a large number of people (say around 10-20k people) or be madly beloved by a small group (say around 5-6 people)?

Count me in! :]

Thanks for reading! The perspective changes made it pretty fun to write too XD

I wanted to convey the school panicking so I opted for shorter lines there. Glad you enjoyed it. :D

Thanks for reading. :]

Lol, it'd be the easiest thing to convince me to write poetry. I always have a lot of fun whenever I try it. XD

Ooh, thank you for the commendation and the cool picture. I can see where 'Finding Nemo' got its inspiration for friendly sharks lol.