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MidReal Story
Shadows & Light
Scenario:I am a monster from birth who thrives in shadows, telling a story from my perspective. I long for connection and light but the shadows are my home, my friend. But there is someone I see from the shadows that I am desperate to know. I fell in love with her from the shadows, I watch her from afar. And now she is in danger from her family, and her family is not who they seem to be.
Create my version of this story
Ciaran
He is a shadow monster who has lived in darkness since birth. He is curious, lonely, and determined. Ciaran spends his days exploring the shadows and longing for companionship. He becomes infatuated with a mysterious woman named Niamh, whom he meets through a series of chance encounters. Despite being unable to communicate, he falls deeply in love with her. His world is turned upside down when Niamh's life is threatened by her family.
Aiden
He is a young man who works under The Doctor's supervision. He is eager, loyal, and naive. Aiden assists Niamh on several occasions when she visits the facility. Despite being unaware of the larger scheme, he provides her valuable information about The Doctor's plans and operations. His innocence serves as a catalyst for Niamh's growing distrust of her family's involvement in the shadowy world she lives in.
Niamh
She is a woman living under the protection of a powerful figure known as "The Doctor." She is intelligent, resourceful, and conflicted. Niamh leads a secretive life, often visiting The Doctor's hidden facility. Her family appears to be involved in the shadowy operations, but she begins to question their motives. When she senses danger from her family, she seeks refuge with Ciaran, who has unknowingly become entwined in her complex world.
I was born a monster.
From the moment I opened my eyes, I was in the shadows.
I didn’t know what light was, nor did I care.
The shadows were my friend, my home.
I had no idea what the world outside looked like.
I didn’t care.
For in the shadows, I was king.
It was my world, and I knew every inch of it.
I spent my days exploring, learning, watching.
And one day, I saw her.
I didn’t know her name, nor did I care.
All that mattered was that she came into my world often enough for me to watch her.
Often enough for me to fall in love with her from afar.
She was smart, resourceful.
She could have escaped me if she had wanted to, but she never tried.
Instead, she visited the building across the street from me often.
I didn’t know what she did there, nor did I care.
All that mattered was that she went there, and I could watch her.
Occasionally, I would follow her.
Not often, but occasionally.
From my vantage point in the shadows of a brick wall, I watch her exit the building.
She walks slower tonight, her shoulders tense.
The streetlight above flickers, creating a dance of shadows that I can use to move closer.
My form ripples along the ground, following the path she takes down the empty street.
The night air carries the scent of rain.
Twenty feet ahead, she stops to check her phone, the blue light illuminating her face.
I gather my courage and move into the shadow of a tree.
My voice is unused, rusty.
It forms around her name.
"Elena," I call softly, the word barely escaping my lips.
She turns, eyes wide, searching the darkness. "Who's there?"
"It's me," I reply, stepping into the dim light, revealing myself for the first time.
My heart pounds in my chest as I stand there, exposed.
The streetlight casts an ethereal glow on the ground, illuminating a part of me that has never been seen before.
My form is shadowy, not quite solid but not entirely transparent either.
I remain still, waiting for her reaction.
I had expected fear, but instead, her eyes widen with something else.
Recognition?
She takes a cautious step forward, her hand slightly raised as if wanting to reach out but not daring to.
The phone in her other hand buzzes, but she ignores it, her focus fixed on me.
When she opens her mouth to speak, I instinctively take half a step back into the deeper shadows.
The streetlight above us flickers weakly, casting uncertain shadows across her face.
She takes another step toward me, her phone continuing to buzz insistently in her pocket, but she ignores it, her eyes never leaving mine.
I remain frozen, half-dissolved into the darkness at my back, watching as she extends her hand further.
The air grows heavy with an unnatural stillness.
A cold breeze whispers past us, making the streetlight sputter.
Her eyes widen as she glances upward at the failing light.
I sense the approaching darkness before it comes, feel it gathering like a storm.
And then, with a sudden flicker, the streetlight goes out, plunging us into complete darkness.
In the pitch darkness, my voice emerges as a soft ripple through the shadows.
"Niamh."
The sound hangs between us, more tangible than my shadowy form.
She inhales sharply but doesn't back away.
Her phone screen suddenly illuminates, casting a harsh blue glow across her face.
Multiple missed calls from "Family" flash on the display.
She quickly silences it, plunging us back into darkness.
The moment stretches as we stand facing each other, neither moving.
I feel the darkness pulse around us, responding to my presence.
"Why did you come back?" she asks, her voice steady but laced with an edge of disbelief.
"I had to warn you," I reply, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
"Warn me about what?" she presses, her eyes searching mine for answers hidden in the shadows.
I sense movement in the shadows beyond us, unfamiliar ripples in my domain that set my nerves on edge.
Her phone screen flashes again, another call coming through.
This time, I catch a glimpse of the caller ID: "Father."
The sight fills me with dread.
I reach for her phone, my shadowy fingers passing through the device as if it were smoke.
"Please, don't answer," I whisper urgently.
She takes a small step back, confusion crossing her features.
The thunder grows closer, and the shadows around us writhe with increasing urgency.
I watch helplessly as her thumb hovers over the screen, ready to answer.
Before she can, a small point of light pierces the darkness, drawing both our attention.
It's a tiny being, no bigger than a moth, that darts between us, leaving trails of soft blue light in its wake.
Its delicate wings pulse with each syllable as it speaks in melodic, unfamiliar sounds.
The creature's glow illuminates Niamh's face, revealing wide-eyed wonder.
Instinctively, I pull back from the light, but something about its presence feels significant.
"Niamh, it's a messenger," I say, my voice barely above a whisper, as the creature flutters closer.
Her eyes flicker between me and the glowing being, uncertainty etched in her features.
"What does it want?" she asks, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and curiosity.
The glowing moth-like creature hovers nearer, its musical tones growing more insistent.
I press myself against the wall of the building, the shadows there offering a comforting embrace.
"It's trying to tell you something," I say, fighting the instinct to retreat further from the light.
The creature lands delicately on Niamh's outstretched palm, its wings pulsing with an ethereal blue radiance.
She leans in closer, her face bathed in its soft glow as she listens intently to its melodic song.
Her expression shifts from wonder to fear as the creature's message continues.
Her phone slips from her other hand, clattering to the ground.
I extend my shadowy form toward her, but she doesn't notice.
The moth-creature flutters ahead, vanishing into the treeline at the edge of the street.
Niamh hesitates, glancing back at her fallen phone still displaying missed calls.
The creature's blue glow pulses impatiently between the dark trees.
"Trust me," I whisper, knowing the shadows of the forest will shield us both.
She takes a shaky breath and steps forward, allowing me to guide her into the woods.
The moth darts through branches, its light barely visible through the dense foliage.
We follow its faint glow, moving carefully over roots and fallen leaves.
Niamh's voice trembles as she whispers, "What did it say?"
I hesitate, the weight of the message heavy in the air.
"It said your father knows where you are," I reply, my voice barely audible amidst the rustling leaves.
Niamh's breath hitches, and she quickens her pace, pushing aside branches to keep up with the fading light of the moth.
We lead her deeper into the woods, the darkness enveloping us like a protective shroud.
The air grows thick and strange around us.
A low vibration starts in the ground beneath our feet, rising up through the tree trunks.
The branches above begin to sway, their leaves rustling softly despite the stillness of the night air.
The swaying creates an eerie humming sound, echoing through the forest like a chorus of whispers.
Niamh grabs my shadowy arm, her touch passing halfway through me.
I can feel her fear and confusion radiating from her like a palpable force.
The trees' swaying becomes more coordinated, their branches weaving together in slow circles above our heads.
I move cautiously forward, my shadowy form blending with the darkness of the forest floor.
The moth's pulsing blue light flickers between twisted branches ahead, leading us deeper into the woods.
The vibrations under our feet grow stronger, causing Niamh to stumble slightly.
I point ahead, where a narrow gap appears between two ancient oaks.
Moss covers the ground there, and the path is almost invisible.
The moth hovers in the air before the gap, its light pulsing more rapidly as it waits for us to follow.
Dead leaves crunch under Niamh's feet as she hesitates at the entrance to the hidden path.
The humming in the air grows louder, and the branches continue their unnatural swaying overhead.
"Niamh, we have to keep moving," I urge, sensing the urgency in the moth's frantic light.
"But what if it's leading us into a trap?" she asks, her voice barely concealing her rising panic.
"The message was clear; your father is close, and he won't stop until he finds you," I reply, my resolve firm as I step through the gap.
I slip through the gap between the oaks, my shadow form flowing like smoke.
The moss-covered ground feels different here - charged with an ancient energy that makes my darkness ripple.
Behind me, Niamh hesitates at the threshold, her hands pressed against the rough bark.
The moth hovers patiently, casting blue light across her uncertain face.
When a distant shout echoes through the forest, she makes her decision.
With trembling fingers, she pushes off from the trees and steps through.
The gap seems to constrict around her as she passes, the branches above drawing closer together.
I extend my shadowy form toward her, and for the first time, my darkness solidifies enough to grasp her hand.
My touch is cold and firm against her warm skin.
She gasps at the contact but doesn't pull away.
The moth's blue glow pulses ahead of us, illuminating a winding path between gnarled roots and fallen branches.
I tug gently on Niamh's hand, urging her forward as voices echo behind us.
The path begins to slope downward, and Niamh's feet slip on wet leaves.
"Niamh, listen," I say, my voice a low whisper as I steady her, "this path is ancient, and it holds the secrets of those who came before us."
Her eyes widen, searching mine for truth.
"Then we must trust it," she replies, determination hardening her voice as she grips my hand tighter.
The glowing moth leads us to a massive oak tree, its trunk twisted with age.
The roots of the tree twist deep into the earth, forming a natural barrier around the base.
The moth flutters around the trunk, its light pulsing more rapidly as we approach.
Niamh traces her fingers over strange symbols carved into the bark.
They glow faintly blue, matching the color of the moth's wings.
I can feel vibrations beneath our feet, growing stronger with each step.
The moth lands on a particular knot in the trunk, and its light intensifies.
Niamh presses her hand against the knot, and the wood groans as it splits apart.
A hidden door opens, revealing rough-hewn steps spiraling down into darkness.
Stale air wafts up from the depths below, carrying echoes of dripping water and forgotten secrets.
Niamh hesitates at the threshold, her hand still gripping mine tightly.
Another shout echoes through the forest behind us, and she takes a deep breath before descending into the unknown darkness.
"Niamh, do you feel it?" I ask, my voice barely audible over the distant echoes.
"Yes," she whispers, her eyes wide with wonder, "it's like the tree is alive, guiding us."
"And if it's guiding us," I say, a hint of awe in my tone, "then maybe it knows where your father is hiding."
I guide Niamh down the spiral staircase, my shadow form giving me better grip on the slick stone steps.
The glowing moth flutters ahead of us, casting eerie blue light that makes the shadows writhe and twist along the curved walls.
Each footstep echoes upward, mingling with the distant sounds of pursuit from above.
Niamh's breathing becomes more ragged as we descend, and I tighten my grip on her hand.
She stumbles on a broken step, and I catch her, feeling the strange solidity of my form against her warmth.
She steadies herself against the damp wall, her chest heaving.
The moth pauses ahead of us, its wings pulsing urgently.
Somewhere in the darkness below, water drips steadily into an unseen pool.
"Niamh," I murmur, glancing at her with concern, "are you sure you're ready for what we might find down here?"
She nods, determination flickering in her eyes despite her labored breath.
"If it leads to my father, then I'm ready for anything," she replies, her voice resolute as she pushes onward into the shadows.